@Zenith I disagree entirely. There is a time and place for everything. Not everyone is appealing to everyone either. Then you have things like style, demeanor, setting. Men and women looking for rings, body language, inconsistency, etc. Cues for all sorts of info.

This false narrative of everyone flirting all the time seems quite popular.

Straight men not noticing is also false and misleading. Awareness is not mutually exclusive. Hell in some professions like engineering you can straight up lose your license if there is a witness regardless of recipication. The horny'est men I know are always looking when it comes to this. Double for women past 25.

Fantasy is fantasy. The rules are what the devs make them. Real life has no standing. The player who payed for the game should have a choice in tone of how to interact.

Its not trivial which is the point. The gate is the best solution by far. You choose the tone. None of this you get all tones and you have to sit in unwanted situations. Their is no reason not to have a gate.

The horrible fickleness, disrespectful, borderline humiliation fetish(their are other words but this is least likely to be modded) is unnecessary. The men and women i've encountered for the past 30 years always share the same behavior. If you are interested in someone, the last thing you want is to be associated with anyone else that could be seen as a rival or mood destroyer in front of the desired prospect. You are suppose to be starting a relationship not a competition. Assuming you have self worth.

I wouldn't assume over or under reactions from anyone either since I can judge for myself. Not going to trust any melo drama hivemind manipulators over my own judgement. Not saying you are one, but that they exist and are loud.

The accommodation is simple. Let people choose. Put up the gate and let the player initiate.