This is a merge of 2 comments from the thread "Romance options and updates", both pretty much saying the same things, but I think both comments have really solid points:
MY COMMENT FROM "Romance options and updates":
I have quite a few points about romance companions I would like to make that I hope CDPR will seriously evaluate to bring A LOT more depth to the game, the romance companions and V as a character. I romanced Judy in my playthrough, still not halfway through the game though. And the story arc and everything about the Judy missions are really amazing in my opinion, up to the point where you complete "Pyramid Song". After successfully romancing Judy it all turns sour very fast and the following list of suggestions will definitely remedy that to some extent in terms of making romances actually FEEL like proper relationships, because at the moment they absolutely don't. I don't know how any other romances are currently, but this could be done for every single romance partner:
1. After successfully completing a romance, let the player be able to initiate physical interactions like kissing, hugging and even the occasional sexual intercourse. Perhaps with a short 24 hour cooldown in in-game time for example. Adding this with some new dialogue attached would go a LONG way.
2. MORE DIALOGUES. This is a must in my opinion. I can somewhat understand the lack of dialogue options before romance, but I think there should be more romance-related dialogue options from the start and way past successful romance/completion of final mission for romanceable NPCs. These options could be gradually unlocked as you progress the main missions, which would bring more depth to the game, romanced partners and V as a character.
3. Let the player invite their romance partner to V's apartment, and let the player also be able to sleep at the romance partner's place as well as store gear safely. This could be tied with physical interactions as well, for example when approaching the bed you get a prompt to "get busy" as they say, maybe even in the shower in V's apartment.
4. Why not be able to go on a date in Night City with your romance partner? Great way to get immersed in the incredible world and it could be woven in with more dialogue options. For example when progressing the story and unlocking more and deeper dialogues, they can be their own instances where you get a call or you call your romance to go on a date, and that is where you experience the new dialogues the first time. And of course the new dialogues should always be available after such an event! Very important in case the big "I love you" comes into play.
5. This one I assume could be very tricky, but I will mention it anyway. I had an idea where if you're about to assault a relatively difficult side gig or some such, you can in some cases get a prompt to call your romance partner for backup, and they'll fight with you to complete the gig. This can bring some cool RPG elements where your romance can have negative or positive reactions to the gig at hand, depending on their own morals. And after completing the gig together they will either kiss you goodbye or scoff and ignore you for a day or something.
That's about it I think. This is what I want to see regarding romances at least. Romances feel so empty at it's current state (mind you I have only romanced Judy and all the missions before successfully romancing her were amazing, these are mostly suggestions for after successful romance)
QUOTING USER «TRINIXY»:
The biggest issue by far is that the romance to your character of choice basically ends at the beginning of your relationship. Lack of depth and things to do, quests to go on past the first intimate moments left me so damn sad. It may sound silly to some but this will make or break it for me going forward. The single most rewarding experience in the game was my relationship and romance to Judy, it's what will stay with me in memory going forward. And any single bits more with her, messages, quests, events, intimacy and dialogue will make me play the game all over again. And this is why i don't advocate for more romance options atm because simply they would disappoint you all that want them i fear for the same reason. At the moment no matter where you finish Judy, Panam, River, Kerry you will still be left with the void of knowing the best has passed and your sweetheart is nothing more than few sweet messages and repeating lines of dialogue. It will crush you because you know all the investment and emotion you put into it leads to loneliness and unfulfillment.
I don't agree that the restrictions should be removed they were made to keep the integrity of the character and define them within their world and background story. Making the romances all player sexual takes away from the immersion in the realities of life. In a Cyberpunk future where unimaginable things are real this bit of human interaction and character is same as it is in reality and it is better for it. I personally feel that making everyone bi would water down the significance of who these characters are and sever many peoples connection they hold in relating to them and who they are at the core.
For purposes of hammering down the points that could improve on romance ill list few i wrote earlier:
1. Your character of choice for romance should be the only one that calls you by your full name after the start of the relationship.
2. Work on what is there already and build on it, randomize and expand the answers these characters can give us, its same lines atm, have them surprise us with different answers based on met conditions. If i ask Judy what new braindences she mixed up have her tell me 5 different things and let me choose other things to say based on her response.
3. More messages and text responses, this shouldn't be difficult but its what couples do endlessly so please. If they ask me what i want to eat for dinner or arrange a dinner after based on my response.... you get the point.
4. More quests together, casual or serious, romantic and sweet. Don't tell me that there isn't some misfit that wouldn't try get back at me tru my gf/bf in Night City, you can make so many stories its a damn gold mine.
5. More intimacy, option to kiss, hug should be somewhere in these responses we give to our person of choice. Ways to trigger more sex scenes with our partner, the ones already there are so damn tasteful and wonderfully artistic.
6. Don't make it easy. We want the challenge and sharp decision making to getting into the heart of ones we love. Triggering the intimate scenes should come with perfect decision making in dialogue choices and actions in quests/events.
7. Make more use of that apartment after they let us live with them i beg of you.
8. Let us take them with us in our car or on our bike on a mission. These characters are basically invincible and invisible anyways so just having them as support fire and some dialogue would mean so much already.
All these are within reach and not unreasonable. If at least some of the upper ones aren't met then please don't start introducing new romance options. "Quality over quantity, V." All the aforementioned can simply exist easy outside of the main storyline and simply build on the side. I'll tell you now that any new additions and changes that expands the romance of my character of choice will have me easily play tru all of the game again. And a separate multiplayer game without them as romance choice or extension of the main game will get no real interest from me. Build on your strengths, don't be a Destiny or Warframe that will get boring and beg for play tru simple grind. Build on story and dialogue and relationships that is what will make your audience sing praises.
