for me, it’s seeing how similar we are. I went low contact and moved away almost 20 years ago. getting to know my now-transmasc brother when we’re both adults is wild. he’s dealt with things differently, but despite 8 years age gap and 18 years not talking, we have a lot in common still.

you’ll be missing out on a lot of what people are talking about, but you can absolutely play through the main scenario without having any of the conversations with companions. you get the option to hire retainers instead pretty early.

the more recommended option is to engage with the companions and their stories, but be aware that some choices will lead to a romance option. some companions will just be friendly, others are a bit more in your face with the romance option.

I’m not into romancing games either, but there is so much else to dig into with this game. and the horniness at release was a “bug” presumably getting addressed so it’s even less in your face. basically - go ahead and give the game a try, if it’s otherwise your kinda thing.