Creating a dynamic relationship system in Scarlet Hollow

In our first run at figuring out the relationship system for <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1406040/Scarlet_Hollow/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Scarlet Hollow (play Episode 1 for free on Steam)</a>, we tried a kind of Dragon Age-style approval system — some actions and dialogue choices would give the player a quantity of “yes, good” points with an NPC, while others take those points away. These points changed how NPCs would interact with the player and sometimes unlock bonus scenes or conversations. <img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:700/1*CRdHdBmVcHSan5-Y7XYskQ.jpeg" style="height:437px; width:700px" /> Who among us hasn’t been crushed by this handsome boy’s disapproving gaze? We quickly abandoned this for two reasons: <ul> <li>A like/dislike system meant that some dialogue options would be read as “correct” and others as “incorrect,” which in turn would encourage players to metagame for an ideal outcome instead of roleplay a character.</li> <li>A binary system like that doesn’t allow for nuance!</li> </ul> One of the first walls we hit with that second point was trying to figure out how many points to assign to different actions. How many negative points do you get for insulting someone to their face as opposed to getting caught lying to them? Does insulting someone to their face make getting caught lying to them later worse? Or does it make it less bad? Are there actions that irreparably damage a relationship? Should there be? <a href="https://blacktabbygames.medium.com/creating-a-dynamic-relationship-system-in-scarlet-hollow-eb175aa899a8">Visit Now</a>