As U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro battles the Defense of Marriage Act in Boston, he can rest assured that gay and lesbian marriage is alive and well in free-to-play MMO Runes of Magic, or will be once update 3.0.3 hits.
Massively-multiplayer online role-playing games, especially those developed outside of the U.S., have long supported the concept of same-sex marriages (with a few missteps along the way). Runes of Magic follows suit, including gay and lesbian marriage in the list of relationships available in the upcoming update 3.0.3.
Once the update hits, players will be able to exchange love letters in order to get engaged. Once engaged, Frogster provides a gorgeous wedding chapel where the two can establish their unending bond. As far as consummation, I'd suggest Skype. The call clarity it excellent, and you can use Pamela Call Recorder to preserve the happy event.
The introduction of marriage is just one of several new relationships being established in-game with patch 3.0.3. Players will also be able to forge bonds of friendship and even family, linking up to 20 other avatars together through the system.
The bonding isn't just for show, either. Characters in relationships that play together will gain various benefits, like raised stats or increased chances to score rare items. If one of your character's family members' health drops, your damage increases in response. If your friend's health fails, you both gain a bit of health back through the bond.
It's a neat little system that simulates the deep bonds we form with our friends and lovers, no matter what sex they may be.
And hey, playing together earns you relationship points, with ten relationship levels! What better way to determine the worth of your relationship than relationship levels?
Okay, the levels might be a bad idea, but the rest is solid.
To find out more about Runes of Magic, visit the game's official website.