What shipping options would you include in an MLP RPG?

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Let's say Bethesda acquires the rights to make a series of MLP games that are guaranteed to be extremely lengthy. Like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, the story and the paths you take can be influenced by a number of different romances you get to choose for your character; male or female, gay, straight or bi, interracial, etc. This clearly isn't a theme Hasbro intended to be part of FIM, but for the sake of raking in the $$$s, they decide to just roll with it.

 

Here's a good example of how this system works.

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Romance

 

 

Bethesda is also hiring you to pick all the ponies that each of the Mane Six can hook up with. Regardless if you have OTPs in mind, the choices have to be diverse and appeal to as many different players as possible. What options would you provide for them?

 

[Steve Piranha 29,496]

Let's say Bethesda acquires the rights to make a series of MLP games that are guaranteed to be extremely lengthy. Like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, the story and the paths you take can be influenced by a number of different romances you get to choose for your character; male or female, gay, straight or bi, interracial, etc. This clearly isn't a theme Hasbro intended to be part of FIM, but for the sake of raking in the $$$s, they decide to just roll with it.

 

Here's a good example of how this system works.

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Romance

 

 

Bethesda is also hiring you to pick all the ponies that each of the Mane Six can hook up with. Regardless if you have OTPs in mind, the choices have to be diverse and appeal to as many different players as possible. What options would you provide for them?

I would have them as having as many options as possible, but it also depends on the approach like: Who is/are the main character(s)?. Mane6 are main, or secondary? Avatar main character, yes or no? etc. Still, I have a franchise which could draw inspiration this shipping could handle: Fire Emblem, pecially the last two games as of this writing

-Each childbearing character can marry practically anyone of the opposite gender, and two gay options (one of each gender) for the avatar in Fates. Though the latter's realism could exclude the number limitation if it just to pander the fanbase

-Though the amount of stallions seen have increased, I think a couple of more wouldn't hurt just to keep the ratio closer to equal. Though that depends on who, and how many characters are playable overall

-Chemistry, chemistry has to be made for each possible coupling, and it has to be believable. I mean, if I wanna marry Dashie with like..... Blueblood, it has to be more than just simple friendly conversations until they fall in love and hook up

 

Well, there you have how that can be well done in a possible pony RPG, and Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates are a great source of inspiration. While the franchise is no stranger of marrying their characters under the player's actions, only these latter two showed a good deal of dept, development, and many options open to completely ignore the rest of the games. Children are not mandatory, but if their existence are justified and, if possible, make them great characters on their own right, no way I'd say no to them

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

I would have them as having as many options as possible, but it also depends on the approach like: Who is/are the main character(s)?. Mane6 are main, or secondary? Avatar main character, yes or no? etc. Still, I have a franchise which could draw inspiration this shipping could handle: Fire Emblem, pecially the last two games as of this writing

-Each childbearing character can marry practically anyone of the opposite gender, and two gay options (one of each gender) for the avatar in Fates. Though the latter's realism could exclude the number limitation if it just to pander the fanbase

-Though the amount of stallions seen have increased, I think a couple of more wouldn't hurt just to keep the ratio closer to equal. Though that depends on who, and how many characters are playable overall

-Chemistry, chemistry has to be made for each possible coupling, and it has to be believable. I mean, if I wanna marry Dashie with like..... Blueblood, it has to be more than just simple friendly conversations until they fall in love and hook up

 

Well, there you have how that can be well done in a possible pony RPG, and Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates are a great source of inspiration. While the franchise is no stranger of marrying their characters under the player's actions, only these latter two showed a good deal of dept, development, and many options open to completely ignore the rest of the games. Children are not mandatory, but if their existence are justified and, if possible, make them great characters on their own right, no way I'd say no to them

Having a completely open platform for romances would be easy for OCs. That'd be extremely difficult for the Mane Six, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to play an MLP game where they were secondary characters. They say there's plenty of fish in the sea, yet for every one of them that has potential, there's a dozen more you wouldn't bat an eye at. The way Rainbow Dash interacts with Zephyr Breeze, and how Applejack brushes off Trenderhoof's advances, show the Mane Six clearly have their own reservations about being with certain ponies.  

 

I've only seen Let's Plays of Bethesda's games, but I do know that Mass Effect has romance options for both male and female Shepard that don't pan out well; one of them in particular cheats on you, another one ends up dying, and there's even a bi female that's only there for the player to have a one-night stand with. I'd say that's as realistic as you can make it, though not all of it would be suited for an E-rated MLP game.

[Steve Piranha 29,496]

Having a completely open platform for romances would be easy for OCs. That'd be extremely difficult for the Mane Six, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to play an MLP game where they were secondary characters. They say there's plenty of fish in the sea, yet for every one of them that has potential, there's a dozen more you wouldn't bat an eye at. The way Rainbow Dash interacts with Zephyr Breeze, and how Applejack brushes off Trenderhoof's advances, show the Mane Six clearly have their own reservations about being with certain ponies.  

 

I've only seen Let's Plays of Bethesda's games, but I do know that Mass Effect has romance options for both male and female Shepard that don't pan out well; one of them in particular cheats on you, another one ends up dying, and there's even a bi female that's only there for the player to have a one-night stand with. I'd say that's as realistic as you can make it, though not all of it would be suited for an E-rated MLP game.

Yes, but the advantage of open shipping for characters, is they avoid the headache of the fandom because they can ship whatever they want, or firestorm galore . Also, I think the Mass Effect way is too complicated for ponies. I mean, it's an RPG, shipping is not the main game mechanic, right?

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Yes, but the advantage of open shipping for characters, is they avoid the headache of the fandom because they can ship whatever they want, or firestorm galore . Also, I think the Mass Effect way is too complicated for ponies. I mean, it's an RPG, shipping is not the main game mechanic, right?

Every game has a set budget though, so you can't please everybody. I think it's better to find a medium between satisfying the fandom as a whole and keeping every established pony in character. There's always marketing tools like focus tests and online polls to find out what fans really want. If the number of people wanting to ship Applejack with Flim or Flam is greatly outweighed by Appledash or Rarijack shippers, it's better to just exclude it.