I wonder without the internet or somehow perceiving an alternate world (new game) how many people noticed that the characters in DA2 were herosexual?
That's actually a good question. I perceived them as quite flat and boring, lacking personality, and it might or might not have to do with their herosexuality, I don't know. I found the hard-locked straight and gay characters in DA:I much more interesting, their sexuality was in some cases integral part of their background and added to their personalty, esp. Dorian comes to mind, maybe the only really memorable DA:I character.
Now that might seem like I find bi in general less believable, which doesn't really agree with my real life views and experiences, but maybe it's just that these game characters weren't speaking to me. I guess Leliana is an exception.
The question if the perception might change without prior knowledge is an interesting one, because usually we assume today that every player already knows who are the romance options before starting the game, which was pretty much always the case for me, yet I still defended people's wrong ideas about Panam earlier in the thread.
Edit: After giving it some thought I think it's simply being shot down as a player, being told "nope, I'm not into you", that adds that final little bit of realism and not being omnipotent. Those games are already powerfantasy enough, which I have a general dislike for, and I like when the player is shown some limits.
In Mass Effect my only crush has always been Tali, and everytime I played the game I had that little bit of disappointment that she's simply not into Femsheps, but I respect it anyway, it's part of her and I have to deal with it instead of just grabbing whatever I want, and I'd never throw a fit or start a petition to change her.