I think it really depends on how the relationships develop with the non-LIs. If players have the option to continue to interact with (date?) Ash and Sam and maybe a few others throughout most of the game and then finally go exclusive with Emily in the final act, I think that would be ok for most. If the main difference between Emily and the others is only that you don't get an epilogue with a non-LI stating..."and they lived happily ever after," then I wouldn't mind at all being pigeonholed with one official LI. If it's a situation where, in the next chapter or two, Emily requires you to be exclusive and interactions with the other girls are greatly diminished or cut off then that would be a real let down. What is the purpose of even teasing non-LI main girl relationship content in the early game and why not clearly advertise Emily as the only LI? I didn't realise until deep in the game that Emily was our chosen one. I think it was reading this thread that I finally discovered my MC's fate. Having one LI just defeats the purpose (and the main appeal) of AVNs and that is: player choice with love/sex.
Again, I might have been more pro-Emily if her relationship with MC was clear in the beginning and hints of love were flashed. Honestly, she didn't even seem like an LI with the glacial pace of the romance. I'm not talking lewd scenes, but just any kind of early warm feelings. Until recently, things have felt tepid with her at best. I guess I've never been that interested in Tsundere types. If I don't feel that spark in the beginning, I probably never will. If Halfway House is ultimately the story of Emily and MC, then I'd rather see a strong early attraction and then have something or someone come between them. An obstacle that they must overcome to be together.
All that said, I've really enjoyed playing this game. I still rank it very high. The story draws you in, the graphics are appealing, the girls look natural, and at the end of an episode I'm always curious about what will happen next.
