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[WoJ]

Why she need a romance anyway?

I think this is perhaps a more pertinent question. Romances between characters have become more and more prevalent in games over the last 20 years. In some cases, like with Mario and Peach, Link and Zelda it's a simple fairy tail plot mechanic that is largely in the background to drive the plot. In the 90s and 2000s it was something that made JRPGs somewhat unique from a story telling standpoint that they would have romance as a major sub plot. But now romances are a lot more common in games and I think not necessarily for the better.

Most games have fairly simplistic stories and, for me at least, much of the narrative enjoyment comes from my journey through the environment and the experience I have as a player character. That is going to be unique to everyone. I find myself less and less interested in romance plots in games because they have little to no unpack on the journey I am experiencing when playing a game. I know Mass Effect Andromeda is panned for its shortcomings, but I enjoyed the game. And one reason I enjoyed it was romance was completely optional and I could skip it.

 

[PSYGN]

lol, predictable in this day and age

 

[mckmas8808]

They have to force lesbians, gays and trans in every media. Can't they just make a game that has a good gameplay and interesting story without any sexual relationship with another cast member (homosexual or heterosexual)?

 

[STARSBarry]

Guess I should have specified clearly straight protags instead of couples, so you wouldn't try to get a gatcha moment huh?

But here are some:

Mass Effect

WAT?!

 

[insanexer]

Colin just covered this on Sacred Symbols and had it leaked to him. It's interesting he gets a lot of leaks considering that "everyone" hates him in the gaming community. Makes me think that more and more of these Devs are closet conservatives and leaking things to people like Colin.

 

[Doom85]

I wonder if everyone pushing the “adventure games don’t need no romantic interest!” angle also complained about this character when these games came out:

Because if not, hmm, hmm……

 

[FunkMiller]

I wonder if everyone pushing the “adventure games don’t need no romantic interest!” angle also complained about this character when these games came out:

Because if not, hmm, hmm……

Drake is a vastly different character from Lara. Just because they're both in the same kind of game, it doesn't mean they're the same kind of person.

 

[Doom85]

Drake is a vastly different character from Lara. Just because they're both in the same kind of game, it doesn't mean they're the same kind of person.

Lara Croft is incapable of having romantic feelings? She’s not a robot or a psychopath. Hell, even asexuals are capable of having romantic feelings.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko were all very different characters in Avatar The Last Airbender yet all had romance in their lives. And even Toph, the only one not to end the series with someone, once displayed affection towards Sokka and in Legend of Korea it was clear she did try to find romance but relationships ultimately did not work out for here but she was interested in trying.

I’m not saying an individual absolutely needs a SO in their life to find meaning, but I also don’t see why anything about Lara prevents her from being with someone while still going off on adventures. It just feels like people are jumping to conclusions or coming up with negative scenarios in their heads and now we have a 9 page thread (Geezus fucking Christ, Gaf) on a leak that was actually focused on Lara leading a team and dealing with a cataclysm and THEN it mentioned the romantic interest.

Like, this is making a mountain out of a molehill. Unless there was some epilogue in a TR game that took place decades later with Lara as an old woman and she was all, “and I never dated anyone ever” (and we don’t even know if this game is OG Lara or Reboot Lara), it’s absurd to me that anyone reasonable would see this as something to get this worked up about.

 

[lovetalkgames]

The worst part of Uncharted is the desperate need to characterize its flat, boring archetypes. All I need to know about Drake is that he likes adventure and is a bit reckless, which leads to a lot of the franchise’s best moments.

Seeing that guy have children, or in this case Lara be some sort of lesbian hero in-universe is corny. I hope they renege on this entire premise.

 

[Kamina]

Hold on, since when are hot lesbians woke cringe?

Also reposted because it turns me on:

 

[Doom85]

Hold on, since when are hot lesbians woke cringe?

Also reposted because it turns me on:

Yeah, but when SJW companies do it, it’s never hot! Like Overwatch, the Internet has assured me it’s pure SJW bait, and when has anyone on the Internet been wrong, so clearly:

Well, err, I’m sure any of their other female characters that fans ship together couldn’t possibly be attracti-

 

[Kamina]

Yeah, but when SJW companies do it, it’s never hot! Like Overwatch, the Internet has assured me it’s pure SJW bait, and when has anyone on the Internet been wrong, so clearly:

Well, err, I’m sure any of their other female characters that fans ship together couldn’t possibly be attracti-

We will see if Lara and that fem romance will be sexy or not. I am eager to see ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I'll take "what is projection" for $500, Alex

"Why you guys getting all worked up about this!? Lara has feelings too" while writing giant emotional walls of text.

 

[FunkMiller]

I’m not saying an individual absolutely needs a SO in their life to find meaning, but I also don’t see why anything about Lara prevents her from being with someone while still going off on adventures. It just feels like people are jumping to conclusions or coming up with negative scenarios in their heads and now we have a 9 page thread (Geezus fucking Christ, Gaf) on a leak that was actually focused on Lara leading a team and dealing with a cataclysm and THEN it mentioned the romantic interest.

Like, this is making a mountain out of a molehill. Unless there was some epilogue in a TR game that took place decades later with Lara as an old woman and she was all, “and I never dated anyone ever” (and we don’t even know if this game is OG Lara or Reboot Lara), it’s absurd to me that anyone reasonable would see this as something to get this worked up about.

I mean, the leading a team thing is dogshit as well. Lara is supposed to be a swashbuckling adventurer who raids tombs... not a baby sitter. The character as created by Toby Gard and Core was very much someone who worked alone, and was, as I've already said, a power fantasy of a character, that didn't need 'fleshing out' with many human flaws to make her a compelling character.

The issue I have with stuff like this is its indicative of the fact the developers have run out of actual, compelling story line ideas for Lara, and are falling back on stuff like this to fill the blanks.

I was a huge fan of the original Tomb Raider series, and part of that appeal was the fact Lara was the way she was. Cavalier, powerful, sarcastic, in control, clever, resourceful etc. The kind of rumours this thread is talking about is removing whatever mystique the character has left, in favour of lazy character traits and poor gameplay ideas. They just have no idea how to write Lara as she is supposed to be (the character that became so wildly popular).

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

No one hates lesbian romances. The issue comes from how they decide to paint these romances and how they write the characters. Usually with these kinds of regressive/slacktivist-level authors, they put their sexuality as the single defining characteristic of the character and everything revolves around it. Throw in some blatant “bigot” villain and some constant references to issues that a minority group have and you have the trifecta of Shitty writing.

We need more Emil’s and Sylvando’s in gaming. Not more Dorian’s.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

No one hates lesbian romances.

Fact.

Everyone has said this in the thread. Not a single soul is opposed to this on the grounds of her being a lesbian or whatever.

Yet you have some people running around crying "wahhh GAF is full of lesbian-hating homophobes! "

Give me a fucking break.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Yeah.There is a time and place for everything and announcing personal things like that is about the last thing needed.

I mean it literally took me half my life to find out that a friend of mine was gay, once it was out it was no big deal, it just explained why he was alone while the rest of us had families.

And I have coworkers I’ve met every day for years with for me unknown sexual preference.

This thing of writers ignoring so many other important characteristics and early on essentially turn a character into ”the gay/lesbian person” is absurd.

I bet half the people watching Netflix’s Resident Evil serie don’t even remember the full name of the Umbrella boss, but I bet they remember that she’s lesbian. And her wife… I don’t remember her name and I just saw the show. The other mom?

After I saw what they did with Wesker I knew it'd be bunk, and after hearing about the rest of the show, that turned out to be the least of it's problems

As for the relationship thing in games, it's such low brow writing. Think of all the possible outcomes gaming can offer in the realms of impossibility that real offers, yet they revert back to sexuality. Utter wet wipes

 

[Dr.Morris79]

No one hates lesbian romances.

I dont, but I will say, i've know a fair few lesbians in my life and quite a few of them have been utterly mental with some crazy issues..

I bet Lara wont have those, she'll be a picture perfect lesbian

 

[Red-Town]

Lara Croft: WAP Raider

can't wait lol

 

[Doom85]

I dont, but I will say, i've know a fair few lesbians in my life and quite a few of them have been utterly mental with some crazy issues..

I bet Lara wont have those, she'll be a picture perfect lesbian

Yeah, lesbians are always put on a pedestal recently in gaming. Certainly no recent examples where the game is telling the character to let something go already, and she doesn’t ironically resulting in her losing what she did have left.

 

[Fredrik]

After I saw what they did with Wesker I knew it'd be bunk, and after hearing about the rest of the show, that turned out to be the least of it's problems

As for the relationship thing in games, it's such low brow writing. Think of all the possible outcomes gaming can offer in the realms of impossibility that real offers, yet they revert back to sexuality. Utter wet wipes

I kinda liked the show even though it had a couple dips but I really thought they would explain Wesker, that was odd. Bert was awesome though lol
In hindsight I understand the complaints that it was too much about highschool and sibling drama and not nearly enough about the outbreak. It started so cool with the worm and the lickers and spider. But it had many weird halts in speed that was annoying and it never really culminated into anything interesting. Still, 6/10 for me.

 

[ShaneDH]

Since when did Lara Croft become a lesbian?

 

[Doom85]

I mean, the leading a team thing is dogshit as well. Lara is supposed to be a swashbuckling adventurer who raids tombs... not a baby sitter. The character as created by Toby Gard and Core was very much someone who worked alone, and was, as I've already said, a power fantasy of a character, that didn't need 'fleshing out' with many human flaws to make her a compelling character.

The issue I have with stuff like this is its indicative of the fact the developers have run out of actual, compelling story line ideas for Lara, and are falling back on stuff like this to fill the blanks.

I was a huge fan of the original Tomb Raider series, and part of that appeal was the fact Lara was the way she was. Cavalier, powerful, sarcastic, in control, clever, resourceful etc. The kind of rumours this thread is talking about is removing whatever mystique the character has left, in favour of lazy character traits and poor gameplay ideas. They just have no idea how to write Lara as she is supposed to be (the character that became so wildly popular).

But is reboot Lara supposed to be OG Lara? Because this game might be the reboot version. And personally after so many games I’d find a character dull if they were defined purely by their job.

It’s like how the Resident Evil characters are mocked even by their fans for being in their 40’s by now yet all are apparently eternally single (besides Barry) despite the fact virtually all of them are hot as shit. And lo and behold, when a character who did have a love interest was brought in, Ethan, it didn’t “ruin” the series (granted, Mia sucks shit due to working for illegal terrorists, but that’s bad writing unconnected to the romantic connection aspect). And hell, Barry is a fan favorite and he’s married with two kids.

It’s not like if Leon had hooked up with Claire or if Chris had hooked up with Jill or Sheva they’re suddenly unable to save the world from biocreatures ever again.

So with Lara, what does being in a relationship affect her ability to raid tombs? Is everyone here secretly anti-dating and assumes every potential SO will be an asshole who whines about you doing your job, your safety, etc.? Like, maybe the love interest will be like that, but that’s jumping to conclusions.

As for the team aspect, we haven’t even seem gameplay yet so we don’t know yet how, if at all, it will affect it. Again, so much jumping to conclusions here.

 

[Mojo1990]

It's mostly subjective, but just not needed to make the story. I mean, take Tomb raider for example. It was a game about exploring ancient tombs, who Lara was sexualy active with was not even a thought in the early days.. and to be fair, who actually gives a shit?

My mechanic, the other day, discovered what was making a nasty bang from the passenger side wheel, it was a cracking adventure that cost me money. At no point did I ask if he was a lesbian, it held zero weight in that particular yarn.

It's reductive, infantile and serves zero purpose to most stories and media

Why people are so fixated on it now just hows how far back we've really gone. It's not progressive in any way and shows how infantile most writers are now days as to them writing about where your dick goes, or doesnt, seems to be the height of their creativity.

I'm not moaning at your answer and I fully get your point, it's just sad to see that most writers (and consumers) never got their brain out of their pants.

You are using the wrong word. "Infantile" is often associated with actions related to children. Infants don't think about sex. Perhaps you are thinking of teenage fixation on romance which you think is "immature". Of course teenagers aren't infants. It's just basic sexual curiosity which comes with adolescents and attraction. After all If you are playing a character that you are engaged in, then it's only natural for your curiosity to wonder more about that character. A basic question people wonder about is relationship. To this end developers anticipate this by engaging in that curiosity and weaving that in the narrative. It's all part of have exploration.

 

[FunkMiller]

So with Lara, what does being in a relationship affect her ability to raid tombs? Is everyone here secretly anti-dating and assumes every potential SO will be an asshole who whines about you doing your job, your safety, etc.? Like, maybe the love interest will be like that, but that’s jumping to conclusions.

It doesn't. But how does her being in one (and I mean a full blown relationship, not just a fling) help the storyline of a Tomb Raider game?

 

[DeepEnigma]

From Tomb Raider to Womb Raider.

I'm game!

 

[anthraticus]

A weird idea for sure but why cant we have a well written story without sexual preferences involved?

Most of this crap screams teenage magazine drama. Are the people writing this guff just big children?

I find it all so odd. Why even have sex in games?

Most all of the mainstream/console gaming stuff is targeted at younger generations.

 

[LimanimaPT]

Next in line for this woke shit: batman movie/game where batman and robin are gay lovers.

 

[Fuz]

Next in line for this woke shit: batman movie/game where batman and robin are gay lovers.

This is already canon.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Place your bets - the romantic interest will be black.

100% chance that the love interest while be a minority.

 

[jdforge]

It doesn't. But how does her being in one (and I mean a full blown relationship, not just a fling) help the storyline of a Tomb Raider game?

It’ll introduce new mini games such as:

Carpet munching mayhem
Bean flickin’ n lickin’
Swashbuckling Strap On’s
Finger Bash Bazaar

 

[sono]

"Straight folk had a good run" is becoming so boring.

 

[Crayon]

I keep seeing this and my intution is telling me that these guys are still dead set on not returning to the old lara that they've been fighting so hard seemingly just for the sake of it. This is not a very creative idea for their lara.

 

[s-bojan]

Would we be on page 9 if it was a boyfriend instead? Ofc we would not.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Would we be on page 9 if it was a boyfriend instead? Ofc we would not.

What are you saying? Be explicit about it.

 

[TheUndeadGamer]

I always thought Lara Croft was straight.
But what do I know

 

[Guardian's Light]

They have to force lesbians, gays and trans, plus every fucking ethnicity in every media. Can't they just make a game that has a good gameplay and interesting story without any sexual relationship with another cast member (homosexual or heterosexual)?

Fixed

It's a win they didn't make Lara Croft black

 

[Croatoan]

I am 100% ok with Lara being gay as long as she stays attractive.

 

[Luc2010]

I am 100% ok with Lara being gay as long as she stays attractive.

LOL, this won't happen. They gotta make her look unattractive!

 

[BadBurger]

But how would you determine whether a game including sexuality is part of an agenda?

Plenty of video games feature a character with sexuality, so does that mean they are all part of an agenda?

To some, anything that isn't what would be considered conventional circa 2005 is conspiracist in nature and has ..... (looks around suspiciously) .... an agenda and is weaponized. We all know where such sentiments originate from. Some are founded in truth, most not.

I personally keep thinking about Lara from the games and even movies (never read the comics) and it seems like there's totally a possibility she could be bisexual, and that such a revelation wouldn't be sensational or retcon anything. It's 2022. Why is this even a big deal anywhere?

 

[Orta]

Its not relevant to the game in any way shape or form to make Lara a lesbian. Its just modern day inclusion and diversity bullshit everybody is sick of.

But saying that, if they make Lara a slutty lesbian I'm all for that, with her engaging in interactive 20 women strap-on and scissoring gangbangs in each country she visits.

 

[samoilaaa]

man this technology talk about the power of current gen consoles , fsr 2.0 , how unreal engine 5 is going to improved game development , and what do the game devs do instead of using that power to make better games ? they make their no1 priority to make a character gay , trans etc . like that is going to make the game better

who needs better level design , better AI , better story , better dialog when you can have emotion drama and lgbtq characters , and before someone tell me that we can have both i would like to see some examples of games that have both , because once the devs put all their effort in designing dumb emotional events , or poorly executed sex scenes all of the other aspects of the game are left behind

 

[s-bojan]

You think that writers are designing the levels and working on AI ?
Writers wanted to make her gay 9 years ago, but were prevented by the higher-ups.

New Lara’s character is not good. This is probably their way of trying to give her some personality.
I expect them to fail, but who knows, maybe they finally deliver.

 

[TheGecko]

Lara Croft: Womb Raider.

 

[Efren is G.O.A.T.]

Is this story lore canon!?!

 

[SmokedMeat]

Hold on, since when are hot lesbians woke cringe?

Also reposted because it turns me on:

Please stop. You’re upsetting a lot of GAF with this.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Is this story lore canon!?!

Yes.

 

[Javthusiast]

WAT?!

Kinky.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

I wonder if everyone pushing the “adventure games don’t need no romantic interest!” angle also complained about this character when these games came out:

Because if not, hmm, hmm……

The romantic relationship between Drake and Elena (and then Drake and Chloe) was established as a core part of the Uncharted narrative since the first game.

That is not the case with the Tomb Raider games. So the resistance from fans is much more understandable.

 

[Doom85]

The romantic relationship between Drake and Elena (and then Drake and Chloe) was established as a core part of the Uncharted narrative since the first game.

That is not the case with the Tomb Raider games. So the resistance from fans is much more understandable.

I’m sorry, I guess I missed the unspoken role that a character has to have a romantic interest right off the bat in a series. You know, one would think a series would eventually add new elements in all aspects to keep things fresh and interesting, but I gotcha. Stale and predictable it is.