It depends. Â Romance has to be organic in some way. Â If you're looking for it, it becomes detrimental to the character. Â IRL, I'm married, so I've been VERY reluctant to get back into RP romance. Â Too many females playing female characters have experienced a bit too much bleed, and taken it personally when I haven't reciprocated the IRL feelings.
However, there's an organic way to do this; make a character that isn't very lovable. Â The past two games I've RPed in, I've played Houngan Seeger and now Orleans Ignacius. Â Seeger was something of a weird, sociopathic voodoo-heavy witch doctor. Â Horrible mercenary character. Â Orleans is somewhat similar. Â Paranoid, sociopathic, a criminal and a mastermind. Â In RP, you can essentially make someone difficult to romantically connect to.
Taking Orleans specifically, he literally does not trust anyone that isn't a tribesman, and even his tribesmen look up to him. Â Most women who would be interested in him want nothing to do with a man who looks around every time he leaves a building. Â Those that would be interested in him despite that are looking up at someone in a position of authority and leadership who sees his people as employees and, at best, charges. Â Like an alpha wolf, he doesn't see equals around him.
Most people avoid him, though, and he hasn't really been flirted with yet. Â He has too much authority in the way he speaks for people to really relate to him in a personal way. Â People looking for an interpersonal connection aren't getting it unless they're tribesmen, and so far the tribesmen aren't really romantically involved.
And a bit of that is intentional. Â Being in a romantic IC relationship always carries that risk of OOC bleed, and there comes a point where you just don't want to deal with it.
However, there's an organic way to do this; make a character that isn't very lovable. Â The past two games I've RPed in, I've played Houngan Seeger and now Orleans Ignacius. Â Seeger was something of a weird, sociopathic voodoo-heavy witch doctor. Â Horrible mercenary character. Â Orleans is somewhat similar. Â Paranoid, sociopathic, a criminal and a mastermind. Â In RP, you can essentially make someone difficult to romantically connect to.
Taking Orleans specifically, he literally does not trust anyone that isn't a tribesman, and even his tribesmen look up to him. Â Most women who would be interested in him want nothing to do with a man who looks around every time he leaves a building. Â Those that would be interested in him despite that are looking up at someone in a position of authority and leadership who sees his people as employees and, at best, charges. Â Like an alpha wolf, he doesn't see equals around him.
Most people avoid him, though, and he hasn't really been flirted with yet. Â He has too much authority in the way he speaks for people to really relate to him in a personal way. Â People looking for an interpersonal connection aren't getting it unless they're tribesmen, and so far the tribesmen aren't really romantically involved.
And a bit of that is intentional. Â Being in a romantic IC relationship always carries that risk of OOC bleed, and there comes a point where you just don't want to deal with it.
