good talk! I might phrase what I took away from this talk as "sex scenes can be used as part of the writing". He did seem to think that using them as a "player reward" is a lesser application, but I'd say that's more a function of tone. Even baldur's gate that he likes so much uses sex as a player reward (the player still uses their control agency to pursue the reward they want to receive). I'm a little disappointed he couldn't think of more game examples with romance "systems" as opposed to "progress tracks" because quite a few! First of all the original dating sim "Tokimeki memorial" has a fairly intricate romance system that focuses on allocating time to different social relations in order to spin the plates of your social and romantic life, while still keeping your grades, health, and finances in good shape. Also friends you continually ignore or disappoint can get mad at you whether you are pursuing them or not. I would say that the most intricate and enjoyable version of this game is Tokimeki Memorial Girls Side 3 though I've heard Tokimeki Memorial 2 is well loved. Of particular note is that in the Girls Side games, there's a whole clothing system where different styles appeal to different boys, but your budget to afford clothes is pretty constrained and you have to also often think about the weather and occasion. Also! You have to think of Fire Emblem where characters have relationships with eachother as well as the player. Characters that fight alongside another grow a relationship where and become stronger when used together. some games will show scenes of the two interacting off the field as they grow closer. The player also has dates with romance options but I think you can find that element done more intricately elsewhere.