Maybe I should rephrase that. I didn't exactly mean for mature content to sound like it was just sex and swearing, though now that I think about it, perhaps those particular works from Domi weren't the best examples.
Let's take the Bioware romances as an example here.
We'll look at Aerie first. With an excellent concept of a painful past and the idea of a weaker character who needs support, it's the presentation of her romance that loses the idea of maturity. Just because a character is weaker than the others, personality-wise, that doesn't mean she needs to act like a child most of the time, especially considering she's likely older than most of the human party members, including Keldorn. Honestly, her romance makes me think of those cheap animated "romance" movies aimed primarily at girls age 6-11.
Viconia, on the other hand, struck me as one who was likely to be a strong woman and far from Aerie in her manner. I was right, in a way. I traded a girl who wanted to cling to me for support all the time for one who apparently wanted to kick me in the teeth and then lie about it. Viccy loses all sense of being a strong woman by just being an abusive one. Honestly, she reminds me of a girl I dated back in high school. Insults and abuse always strike me as immature, and as much as I love Viccy, I can't stand her romance.
Jaheira, however, is my favorite of the Bioware romances, mainly because she acts like an adult. She's also the strong woman I was hoping to find in Viccy, because she's not afraid to say what she's thinking. She also attempts to deal with the death of her husband herself, without whining constantly about it, but at the same time won't refuse when the PC offers a shoulder to cry on. I'd say she is the most mature of the Bioware romances, to be honest.
Aerie and Viconia both improved in leaps and bounds in their ToB segments, but it's sad that it took that long for both of them to grow up.
As for Anomen... ugh... let's just steer clear of that little detail. I've yet to finish his romance, and that's likely how things will stay.
To find another example among mod characters, let's look at Kivan, also by Domi unless my memory is failing. His is probably one of the most "grown-up" romances I've ever seen without resorting to sex and explicit language. Of all the Bioware NPCs, he likely has the most painful past of any of them. He does not force himself or his problems on the PC, however, and it is usually the PC that brings them up when they talk.
So, looking over Aklon's description, he has a lot of potential, without going for an Adults Only ESRB rating. His enslavement for one thing. Slavery is very serious subject matter, and to certain types of people, particularly good or freedom loving people, it is an absolute atrocity. But at the same time, should the PC free him, he needs to be able to move on, not clinging to it in the manner Aerie does her problem.
He's been under works for a long time, and I certainly appreciate mods of this caliber as much as anyone, but I'm afraid that if he's not going to act like an adult, I'm not likely to play with him much. And while I would appreciate more "adult" content in the standard definition just for myself and my own preferences, it won't really matter if I can connect with Aklon and really understand what he's going through like I did with Kivan.
I do appreciate the links, though, Kulyok. I've used the NPC Flirt Packs, but I hadn't seen the Romantic Encounters before. I'll have to try it soon.
