Bioware has officially announced that SWTOR will include Same Gender Romance Arcs (SGRAs)–eventually. They say the changes needed aren’t minor in a heavily scripted and voice-acted game like this, and they need to concentrate on launch before everything else. I’m suspending my usual “ambiguous in-the-next-release announcement” skepticism for now. The official announcement thread on the forums is literally scrolling faster than I can read in spite of intense scrutiny (i.e., take-downs and bannings of the worst of it) by forum moderators.
I asked amidst the roar of trolls if they could clarify when it will happen and how it will affect existing characters before launch since some posts indicate they aren’t sure yet. I might want to start with an alt if those options won’t be available to characters or companions created before they add SGRAs. In a game where choices have consequences, I definitely need to curb my natural inclination to reroll characters or create armies of alts.
A cooler approach to SWTOR at launch might not be a bad thing regardless. STO’s radical changes in the first six months did much to diminish my enthusiasm and enjoyment. There’s no lack of competition for my attention with LOTRO’s Isengard expansion weeks aways and the time-wasting juggernaut of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim due in November. Keeping a little distance and thinking of it as still in beta after launch might prevent SWTOR from becoming another STO-like disappointment.