Romance and Harem poll

[RepresentingAnti-Representings]

Just trying to put into perspective what is the general sentiment with the genre.

(Display votes publicly is off)

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I love romance, I don't care if it's harem or not.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

I don't read harem anymore and strongly dislike most that I have. But that doesn't mean I'll only read monogamous stories. I still read and enjoy poly relationships. Additionally, while I don’t enjoy it, I'll also read things with open relationships.

 

[RepresentingAnti-Representings]

I don't read harem anymore and strongly dislike most that I have. But that doesn't mean I'll only read monogamous stories. I still read and enjoy poly relationships. Additionally, while I don’t enjoy it, I'll also read things with open relationships.

I have tried asking ChatGPT of this, but it isn't the best consultant. In a story, what is the difference between Poly and Harem?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I have tried asking ChatGPT of this, but it isn't the best consultant. In a story, what is the difference between Poly and Harem?

Harem = 1 person is loved by many. Poly = a group of people love each other.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

I have tried asking ChatGPT of this, but it isn't the best consultant. In a story, what is the difference between Poly and Harem?

It's not just a difference in story but also real life. A harem has a core, like every person loves the center person. Sometimes this also has relationships between harem members, but that is non standard.
A poly relationship is where every person is in love with eachother. For example a throuple. That is a three way relationship, of which each person loves both other.

Some poly relationships can be open and have people dating out, but generally it is just three or more people who love eachother. While the harem is just two or more who love a single person.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

Only if the story is decent.

If it's a pure harem story:
if they aren't stacking bitches high and leaving them in one location to backstab each other, while waiting for the guy to come around to fuck em, I ain't down with that.
Real harems or bust.

 

[rgv]

1. I have to get why they like the guy/girl.
2. They should have agency apart from the MC.
3. If it's normal in the setting, the MC can't be the only one with one that we see.
4. Extra points if the harem can outvote the MC... including new members.

 

[Daydreamers]

Not a fan; after reading a couple, I've come to the conclusion that I can't stand the simpleton who gets them, nor the harem who are one dimensional
I believe romance is much more complex, and adding more characters kills its substance

 

[StoneInky]

I hate both harems and reverse harems. I've yet to find one where the MC is appealing to the point I understand why someone would join said harem. In fact, usually the harem members feel more worthy of a harem than the MC.

Actually, this is the same for romance, but at least then I can pass it off as one crazy girl or guy with weirdly low standards. If it's a harem, that means there's a whole bunch, and they're all okay with sharing.

I just don't get it; if I were that hot and awesome and cool, I would just stay single, or find someone utterly crazy about me, not the other way around. Why hurt yourself?

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

The number one problem with all Harems is that THE ONE character we want to see more of is always the least present...

I wanna see a harem where the MC goes "Oh? You all like me? Okay, let's talk it out, how do we make this work? And none of this non-answer bullshit just to pad the next fifty chapters."
BTW in real life history, powerful families put up their daughters so their bloodline gets integrated into the royal family i.e. gain more power and influence. This gives crown princes or kings real precedent on why he might avoid a certain girl i.e. "you're nice and all, but your family's kinda... well...very on the nose with their ambitions that may not align with my own..."

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Reverse harem, and use condom.

 

[RainingFish]

Whatever type of ‘love stuff’ the story has, I prefer it to be comfortable. I don’t like the kind of roller coaster romance with lots of misunderstandings. I also don’t like a lot of ‘onions,’ as I like to call them, which basically means characters who are sad because MC rejects them. I like stories with simple and sweet romance. It doesn’t need to be a big part of the plot. Just a side plot is fine. As for numbers, between zero and three is fine. Four to seven is a bit iffy. Anything more than that is usually bad, unless I’m only reading it for the smut factor. With romance, less people is usually better since it’s less likely to have onion plots, among other reasons. As for realism, I don’t care much for it. Of course, I don’t want things to be completely unbelievable, but I also don’t want perfect realism. Reality sucks.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

I don't like the Romance subplots... I prefer drama free monogamy.

 

[Zagaroth]

Harem = 1 person is loved by many. Poly = a group of people love each other.

Exactly. In my own trio, the two women have a relationship between each other as well as with the guy.

The line can get a bit blurry if you have a story with a growing group, which is much, much harder to pull off and do well.

Honestly, even if it's all-group love, it's hard to maintain a growing group and keep it interesting.

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There's one reverse-harem idea that I have that would be stable once formed, because of the reason it's forming. The nearby elven kingdom (there's more than one) in my setting is technically a queendom, and before taking the throne the heiress to the throne should have formed her council, which will be men who will also be her consorts.

So the story would focus on a princess who hasn't started forming her council yet, but a few years ago her mother started hinting about wanting to abdicate/retire in the next century or so, and said princess is over 200 so it's probably about time she go and sort this out. Oh, she has plenty of applicants already, but the ones who might make decent councilors she doesn't want in her bed, and the ones whom she might want in her bed (or has already had in her bed) aren't great councilor material in her opinion.

She's legally required to have a minimum of three at the time she is coronated, but there's more than three areas of expertise one might want covered. Someone like a paladin could cover both military advice and religious advice, but do each less well than an experienced military knight and a priest. Well, the choice is hers, if she can find the people she wants and convince them to agree.

The only bloodline that matters is hers, as only her daughter can inherit. So just like she does not know which of her mother's councilors is her father, neither will her children know which one is their father.

Now, how to balance practical decisions for councilors with men whom she actually wants in her bed? (which is the crux of this story)

Loyalty is at least a non-issue: To be affirmed as one of her councilors, a candidate has to swear an oath of loyalty to her and the kingdom. Said oath acts as both a divinely-powered sincerity check and a binding magical oath. On the flip side, a councilor *may* have an additional relationship, with her consent and her approval of the partner (because of potential influence on the throne via even a loyal councilor).

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

In a story, what is the difference between Poly and Harem?

A harem is just a polycule that is still pretending to be straight.