I might add to that, for characters (and people!) who are sexual and sexually interested beings, but heavily towards the aromantic end of the spectrum, there are positive and healthy ways to express this, and to interact and share relationships with others, and there are destructive and negative ways, just as for any other person and any other relationship.

The important thing in video game representation is that, when you're representing a minority or less-represented thing, be it people, preferences, sexualities or relationship styles - anything really - it is important to put the healthy representation forward first. We're in a position where it's okay and can even be interesting and compelling to present broken, hurtful or destructive monogamous and/or normative relationships, because we have a *lot* of other healthy examples already that we can balance them with, and most folks have a fairly solid idea of what is healthy and what isn't there (er.... generally...). But, when you're putting forward something that doesn't have a lot of representation, if you lead with an unhealthy or toxic representation, or one that repeats harmful or negative stereotypes, you mostly only do harm to the group you are trying to represent, because of the lack of healthy and positive examples for comparison in widespread media, and the generally lesser understanding and familiarity that you're already facing when you put it into your work. It is so important, when representing under-represented elements, that you show the ways it which it is and can be healthy and positive first; get that out there, raise that awareness first; then it becomes easier to explore the more destructive and toxic elements without doing harm to the communities or groups of people you're depicting.

Last edited by Niara; 04/11/23 02:54 AM.