I think it could be done but you'd have to do it with branching paths, sort of like the old "Choose Your Own Adventure Books." If each character's path had their own unique story elements it might be engaging for the player.
No game that
forces me to play multiple times will ever see me playing it more than once.
I'm not looking for realism, I have that in spades around me. I am looking for escapism, fantasy, role playing, imagination, satisfaction of juvenile fantasies, etc...
What you are talking about is the absolute opposite. Why would I, as a pursuer of said purposes, subject myself to that torture of replaying a game more than once to discover multiple LI's? When what I want, is NOT a monogamous fantasy, but, a polyamory one? How would that EVER be engaging and interesting?
I do play some of those games, but, with the caveat, that if the Dev doesn't make a Harem path (their prerogative, obviously) I will ONLY play it once and will choose one LI and treat the others as badly as the Dev allows me. I don't care much for the "stories" and backgrounds and paths he so laboriously wrote and rendered (MY prerogative, obviously) since he doesn't care for my interests (doesn't have to). "oh but you miss this scene and that scene", sure, there are mods to see the scenes if I want to, or I can go into the directory and look for it, if I feel like it. What I will NOT do, is replay because someone else
orders me to.
On the other hand, because I absolutely love the approach that Tropecita took, I've replayed this 3 times, and I'm considering a 4th. Why? Because I don't
HAVE to. Because I have the content I want, how I want it, with no drama, with no problems. It's NOT real, and that's
EXACTLY what I like about it.
In reality I live in a monogamous 30+ years relationship. Happily I have to say. It's enough.
So, go play all those games that satisfy your itch for "realism" leave this one very much alone for us that truly love this type of fantasy.
I truly don't appreciate your proselytizing of non-harem games. Even if Trope is polite and understanding enough to humor you. There are more than enough of those games around, don't come asking for another.
Also, in this game, thanks to Trope, you can play it with "realism" following a "solo" path, or even a "none" path. Or whatever number of LI's that you prefer. From ZERO to 28. YOU are not forced here. The same way that you are NOT forced in reality to have ONLY one partner. If you are willing to you can have many, some of them are even agreeable enough to let you. In reality, you are the one setting the limits, not a Dev.
Peace