I agree that the stuff at the party did feel weird and forced, and this is speaking as someone who is very much a fan of romance in games and being able to to romance any companion I choose. As for the dream person part of character creation? It's not directly related to romance (there may be a romance side to it later down the line but I've seen how that part pays off and it's interesting, at least to me), so don't rush to judgement on that aspect.
