>>537683157
>Perhaps the idea is to try to make the player feel good that this person is experienced, yet has chosen to be with them despite other options? Maybe in some cases, but that's not the situation with many of them.
I think the idea is making them feel more human and real, as opposed to idealised cardboard cutouts that feel like the popped into being only once they met the MC; it's for the same reason a lot of characters passingly mention family or place of birth or previous occupations, it helps build the idea these are people that could've realistically existed in the world much like any other NPC you meet who isn't a companion of yours.
I do enjoy Jap games where every single companion is exclusively playersexual and has no thoughts or agency other than being an icon in the party screen, and big traumas are usually not very grounded/easily solvable (by the player being a fucking gigachad), but I understand why cRPGs try toying with more interesting stuff
