Why Vera Has No Romance Mode

Every few weeks somebody writes in and asks for it. Usually politely, sometimes at length, occasionally with a fairly detailed specification. The answer is no, and it will stay no, so it is worth explaining properly rather than deflecting.

It is not about being prudish

Companion apps exist, some of them are made carefully, and people get real things out of them. That is not the argument. The argument is that they are a different product with a different centre of gravity, and building both into one app makes both worse.

The two products want opposite things

A companion is optimised for time spent. The longer you talk to it, the better it is doing. An assistant is optimised for time saved. The faster it gets you out of the app and on with your evening, the better it is doing.

Those two goals pull in opposite directions on every single decision. How long a reply should be. Whether to ask a follow up question. Whether to nudge you at nine at night. Build for both and you get something that is slightly bad at each.

And there is the trust problem

Vera holds your sleep, your money, your health and your week. It knows when you have had a rough fortnight. Something with that much on you and an incentive to keep you talking is not a thing I want to have built.

What it means in practice

The cast have personalities because a voice you like is a voice you actually use, not because any of them are pretending to be your partner. Honey is kind on a bad day. Fang is up late with you. Neither of them is in love with you, and neither of them will act like it.