The Character Romance thread (Official)

Honestly? I doubt that Jaal will be a bi option either at this point, since I doubt they would only show a shirtless version for one gender who can romance him and not the other. As shitty as that prospect is, I think we might be looking at no bi or gay male squadmates whatsoever. 

I think it's fairly simple. I guess it could be something like with Traynor or Cortez only they wouldn't be romanceable. And though I haven't played it up to that point, I think Borderlands has a few examples that people said felt organic. Really the best thing Bioware can do if they want queer rep to feel fluid is to just do their research, talk to actual queer folks and broaden their own perceptions, and then just write it in, because there will always be people calling it pandering or not organic - rightfully or not. 

But it's defs easier to do this with LIs and more important characters we spend more time with, in that order. (So just make all the important characters queer. Problem solved  )

Honestly, all bi LIs - not playersexual. I hate that people use those two terms so interchangeably - would probably be the best way to go about the romance issue. My only concerns would be that I selfishly just want a gay squaddie in Mass Effect and that the same sex scenes - primarily the m/m ones - would get less content, because unfortunately there's a precedent that seems to be continuing if some leaks are to be believed  

I know you don't like it but it is what it is. He didn't said that he want this. Don't lash out like this at him. 

It's amazing the excuses people will come up with for why there should be less LGBT characters. Honestly, for some straight players, it goes back to the fact that they're fine with LGBT people who are background characters or are, in general, characters they don't care about... But if it turns out it's their fave, then it's bad because -insert reason they pull out of their ass here-. If you guys don't believe me, just look at the Tracer backlash where a ton of male players got #triggered by Tracer being revealed as gay. 

And, before people jump on my case about my language there, I'm not talking about all male players, obviously. And I'm not talking about all straight players. I'm saying this because people have jumped the gun before in this thread, assuming that we're just ~hating on straight people or whatever rather than venting about inappropriate behavior we're seeing.

In addition, it seems like it's easy to characterize us as attacking people for these shitty arguments for why there should be less LGBT characters or why this character shouldn't be gay or bi or why that canon can't possibly have LGBT central characters. However, think about it this way: these arguments aren't new to us. Every time we've had to discuss why those arguments don't work and why they come from an inherent bias. Can you blame some of us for getting annoyed when it's trotted out for the millionth time?

Yeah, I noticed that male gamers seem to be more okay with gay/bi female characters than gay/bi male characters. I think with some of them it's that they feel gay/bi male characters are more threatening to their sexuality and/or that liking those characters might come off to their peers as "gay." With some, the way they talk about gay/bi women makes me think they don't even take their sexualities seriously and think of it as a "phase" before they meet the "right guy." Meanwhile, with male sexuality, they're less likely to think of it as a phase to go through.

In general, like you, I don't think these guys seeming more okay with bi women than bi men is out of genuine acceptance for bi women. 

Yep that sounds pretty weird. Liam, Cora, Jaal and Vetra aren't likely all bi, but them being all straight would be baffling to me as well. I'm leaning towards Jaal and Peebee as bi, Cora and Liam straight and Vetra either bi or lesbian.. she's bit of question mark with the math.


I guess showing exact sexuality would be hard to make in way that would feel dynamic. "Hi, I'm gay." wouldn't really work. But I guess easiest way to show that there is some kind of diversity of sexualities would be simply showing different kind of NPC couples. Two husbands bickering at market, two girls having a date at bar, husband and wife talking to their kid- just similarly as trilogy had random NPCs talking about their life and stuff. Then with squadmates, crewmates and other more important characters these could be expanded a bit more. Trilogy already had some stuff like that, but mostly with human women and Asaris (I can remember just one case though).

I'm leaking new info. Drack is the only romance in the squad, full nudity, MANDATORY nudity even if you don't romance him. No doubt you should all believe me, I leaked it!

You all realize that since that leak, the rating for MEA has gone from partial to actual nudity right? We can't jump to conclusions!

Almost no one can see Bioware making Jaal gay, and they've already confirmed him as romanceable. So you're safe on that front. Now, that doesn't mean he'll have the exact content you're looking for, but it's something.

As for the rest, it's up in the air right now. One thing that supports Vetra being an option for Fem!Ryder is that Sheryl Chee has never written a romance option that was for male characters only. Leliana and Isabela were bi, and Blackwall was straight. And with Leliana and Isabela, they actually preferred women slightly more. Now, that doesn't mean that there wouldn't be a situation where, say, she suddenly decided to mix it up or where her bosses told her she can't make Vetra bi/gay.
Still, as her writer, she has far more control over Vetra's sexuality than a bunch of male fans hoping she's straight (and, yes, there are those that exist unfortunately).

I'd like to think and hope Vetra is bi also.

But if both straight guys and lesbian gals get to romance an alien (or aliens since we know Peebee will be), and gay guys don't (like Jaal for example being straight), then that would incense me so bad. 

It would be the first time I think the squad would have three bi squadmates, and all of them alien.

I just hope there isn't unnecessary triggered backlash from some straight folks if there are three bi squadmates.