Coming from free form forum rpgs to table top rpgs, I've noticed how differently sex and romance are treated in the table top space.
Maybe you'll flirt up an NPC but that's about it. Anything between party members is rare. And romance focused RPGs or ones involving sex (in ways that aren't limited to rolling for anal circumference) like Monster Hearts or Hot Guys Making Out are seen as incredibly odd.
In free form, romance is a MAJOR genre, even without the possibility of cyber sex.
And I wonder WHY? Like, is it because the free form forum rpgs have very larger female audiences compared to table top?
Or if text only makes people more easily detach their characters from themselves and the other players than voice chat or in person games?
Or just the focus of how table top centers your ABILITIES/cool powers/stats etc. in character creation reinforces the character as player avatar. And makes you think more mechanically about just what you can do with what's given to you there. Instead of just trying to be a character in the collaborative story.