Actually that would be a crazy mechanic if the companions had their own interests and denies players if they are not to their taste
You need to give them gifts to raise their affection scores.
It’s a catch 22 I think. Blizzard can barely even do a heterosexual relationship without it being hammy as possible. I think, in my mind at least, the key going forward would be establishing a level of actual normalcy. Just things here and there that make the world feel more inclusive. Just confirm gay relationships here and there, like make the druid guys from Hyjal actually talk about one another in a romantic sense (the ones that are very much touchy feely and I ship 'em to the grave) and make very little ceremony about it.
I get the feeling if Blizzard tried to make an LBGTQ+ romance as a main story element it would be just as milquetoast as any romance they’ve ever done. After all, the writers don’t write the story, it’s primarily game devs, and game devs are more concerned with something being riveting or exciting than nuanced. They’d probably use a bury your gays right off the bat. (Oh look at the lesbian elves in Azsuna, that’s like retroactive bury your gays considering it’s a ghost and a satyr I think?)
My hope would just be normalcy in the game world. More husbands in the questgivers and just people in the actual game world. At least that’s how I’d do it.
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Any representation, even hammy or milquetoast representation, is better than none at all. It feels like the “but it has to be good quality to start with” condition just holds back progress. As long as it isn’t more legitimately harmful tropes, so what if it’s dumb or boring?
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it would be neat if they went the SWTOR route. maybe not as story heavy, but basically someone to round out the tank/healer/damage of a person soloing so they could run around more.
as you earned experience with them, they had unique story quests
basically just an evolution of the previous bodyguard system with some extra features.
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Exactly why I’d go for making the world representative first and foremost. It’s an angle of representation through normalization, I think.
Then again, if I was an actual writer I’d be doing a lot more to make the world representative in general. A lot of the things you can do just need very small nudges here and there. I would have kept Anduin with his cane, because having a good, mighty and heroic young king who also lives with a believable disability would be a wonderful thing to see. That isn’t to take away from the main topic, of course, I just think Blizzard can do better in a lot of ways.
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I vaguely recall the trooper story having a pretty upsetting decision the player had to make regarding a love interest.
But yeah, I think having more small time companions would breathe some life back into the game for people, where we’re concerned about the overarching story but also the small stuff. Having love interests would be kinda nice…? I guess?
This so much. The bodyguard system is fine but it feels incomplete. Keep going with that, do more with it! There’s so much untapped potential.
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This pretty succinctly summarizes almost every problem going on with Blizzard.
Writing, Game design, representation, all grossly stunted based on how much they can get on as little work as possible.
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Blizzard: It’s Good Enough I Guess 
Untapped potential? Blizzard? SMALL INDY COMPANY?
I mean you’re right on the head. Though I think it would be difficult to pair off a character with The PC 
in a way that’s immersive and lets them actually continue to be used in the lore. That’s the problem with an MMO that can’t decide whether the story is meant to be single player or multi player. We keep getting moments where we’re the big boy in charge but nothing really develops.
Although I guess if the character is going to be a staple and seen again and again, I’d be all for it. At the moment all of my toons wanna smooch Neri, let’s do it, Blizzard c’mon.
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Let me date Garona you COWARDS.
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“Get bent.” -Garona’s official greeting dialogue. Which is pretty entendre, entendre! eyebrow waggles
I’m kidding she’d probably just break our spines.
I would gladly accept getting my spine broken by Garona Halforcen thank you very much.
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Mark my words: I will tap all of that potential, or I will die trying with a smile on my face.
hopefully it’s something they include in the future. I mean, this is like…the second, third? they had them in wod, and maybe legion? yeah. I think.
anyways, hopefully they bring back the full bodyguard system next time with improvements
I mean, back on focus, if you were a writer and got a chance to handle a story and could get some LGBTQ+ rep in there without any input from the rest of the staff, how would you go about it?
I personally would expand more on Baine giving Anduin a chip of his horn. It mirrors the tradition of giving a loved one a lock of your hair as something sentimental that can give comfort in times of missing one another. Baine and Anduin actually have some decently strong chemistry and common interests.
And no, I don’t think it would be awful because Baine is a ‘war criminal’ or any of that ridiculous stuff.
I’d have Tess and Lorna get married under the pretense of uniting Gilneas.
It would actually acknowledge the civil war, which Gilnean lore is dreadfully lacking in, and still be LGBT rep.
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Not that that isn’ta good idea but didn’t they acknowledge Gilneas being unified when Genn and the other Worgen had their meeting in the woods?
It would be awful because Baine is substantially older than Anduin, who isn’t even really a grown man.
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