fable wrote:There's no reason to think a real romance is within a thousand miles of the way they're depicted in BG2, much less in DA:O. So why do people agonize over making them work? Why do they care? From a player's perspective, this is the logical extension of those romance "quests" in RPGs, DW.
And yes, it's sad, because it speaks to the absence of real relationships--or the perception that they're missing out, somehow, on real relationships--in their realworld lives.
I guess I see how Second Life escort services might be the logical extension of CRPG romances, but for me, personally, it's actually a pretty huge leap.
The reason I say this is because 'romances' in games can often add to a story, they can flesh out background. (er.. pun not intended
)
But, this is all in the context of a game, it's not real and it has no bearing on real life, whatsoever. It's no more real than the turgid romantic misadventures of Emma Bovary in Gustave Flaubert's work.
Hiring escorts in Second life is quite a lot different IMO. There are real people behind those avatars, and they are being paid (even if it is in Linden dollars) for their "services."
As I said in my initial post, I suppose I can see people who put their imaginations to work in chat rooms and engage in cybersex. In my view, having a non-physical encounter with some complete stranger whom you have no connection to would be utterly empty... but I still get it; the imagination is far more powerful if unfettered by cheesy pixels. And, like I stated, that doesn't involve money.
Ugh... I'm probably not making any sense at all.. not enough coffee yet.
Or, maybe, as I mentioned, the whole thing is just way too much like the Sims, perhaps that's why it makes me react so negatively.
Don't get me wrong, I figure that it's a case of whatever floats your boat, different strokes and all that, I just know it wouldn't do anything at all for me.
