Honestly, sometimes I do. I mean it's strange that I put a lot and I mean A LOT of emotional investment in Mass Effect and the hope that my fake relationship with Ashley Williams would reach a happy and satisfying conclusion in the third game. The fact that I care so much about it says something.
Says something else too if I'm prepared to spend hours of my life arguing on the net in defense of the aforementioned Ashley Williams for all the criticisms she gets. Defending her honor and my choice in regards to romancing her as if she were actually my girlfriend is something to think about.
I guess on one level it's great to see that Bioware were able to make a character that I would in turn be capable of forming such a great bond to, enough that it even caused me to rethink a few of my positions on things. For example, prior to romancing Ashley, I was very anti religious. Quite open to mockery and lashing out against religious groups and the very concept of religion, but after finding out that the character I had been chatting up happened to believe in god... well, I took a turn in the other direction.
It's really something to note that what many classes, studies and attempts from people making conversation in the past had failed to do, my efforts to get laid in a video game had.
It's also worth noting that Ashley appealed to me far less due to her looks and the dialogue associated and more with just the fact that she felt real. All her perfections and imperfections that subsequently made her a character with character, that I think made her appeal more to me. Which is also a success in some respects.
Also the only other romance in a bioware game that ever gave me any interest was Jack (Subject Zero) from Mass Effect 2, who I romanced in one minor playthrough. Again, it's funny because she doesn't look like the girl friend type. She's crass, crude, aggressive, sweary, violent and certainly doesn't adhere to what is considered 'desirable' by the modern popular culture.
And yet when I see her romance scene, I'm just moved. I feel warmth watching her finally stop hiding behind her aggressive barrier and finally move into the arms of someone who loves her regardless of all her past issues, baggage and problems.
It seems a little silly but hey, if movies can do it, I see no reason why games can't have the same effect.
On the other hand though, some people tend to seriously 'overdo' the degree of affection towards fictional characters. I hesitate to use the term 'Talimancer' because for one thing I find it to be a stupid term, for another I find it needlessly mean and for a final thing I doubt the majority of the Tali fanbase are really deserving of getting as much hate as they do, and think it's unfair that a lot of them get bullied for it.
All the same... I've clicked 'Mass Effect Tali' into a google image search and the results weren't pretty. Granted, I think it'll be a long long time before I make a sex doll to look like a video game character. And again I doubt the majority of any fanbase of specific characters are that creepy and pathetic but all the same, not a great image to think about when you find yourself looking at your video game crushes.
The other problem is that often 'romancing' or the process of wooing in a video game is less an emotional journey and an excercise in ridiculous. Games like Fable that seem to honestly think you'll care about the random pointless NPC of whom were it not for the ring floating above their heads would be indistinguishable from the rest spring to mind.
I've cringed many times watching romances appear in games, much more than I have felt heart warmed. I suppose that's the case with all media but still....
So in conclusion, I don't feel bad about feeling attachment to well characterized characters but all the same I worry about obsessing over stuff that isn't real.
