I’m still working on my MilSF. Ive been crafting aliens slowly, and I was thinking about make a couple RO’s.
If the answer is yes, I have a spectrum, athropoid to humanoid. I feel like humanoid are the preferred.
If no, why not?
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Not necessarily. The character I had the most beta readers asking for a romantic arc added to Oedipus Rex was the Sphinx. Granted, partly human, but still non-human. I suspect if you deviate way over into truly inhuman (like not an human-like insectoid), your reader base is going to drop through as it becomes more difficult to give the same “human” type connection signals.
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I immediately had to think about how popular Garrus was as a romance option in ME, but I suppose he still falls under humanoid… I do think though that if they’re well written it can definitely work.
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i’m brought to mind of that one Halsin scene in bg3, now that was a very non human romance
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I have a humanoid alien species I was thinking of using for an RO, but i also have some grotesque arthropods that i feel like wouldnt be recived as well
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Whenever I’m curious about currently popular romance tropes I check out 'BookTok‘. I cannot think of any ROs that weren’t humanoid tbh. Doesn’t mean they’re not out there, but I would assume it’s even more niche.
That’s true. But then that was one scene. And I’m never sure if it’s popular or a meme. 
That’s a very terrestrial spectrum. Chuck in some real aliens for the freaks.
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Yeh, only if MC isn’t human either. There have already been many human MC + non-human ROs stories, and I’m sick of it.
I Personally Don’t mind Either, Like @will said Go Ahead And Be Creative With Whatever Alien Ro You Are Creating.
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Not for me, personally. I don’t mind monster-flavoured humans (a vampire, werewolf, mermaid, etc), but if you’re talking about fully other beings, then it’s a hard pass for me.
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Get the blob in there as an RO, maybe a rock monster that shreds its mates with its crystal spines? XD
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I’m interested in non human ROs. I don’t particularly have a need for the NSFW stuff being asexual, but I do love diverse cultures and non-humanoid presentations affect a lot of cultural aspects. I enjoy diversity in my games.
Exciting! I greatly dislike in games where you accrue romance points by being agreeable and bland.
My hard limit is smelly aliens.
If it helps, I love science fiction and have written inter-species romance (more so intellectual). I’ve written anywhere from Eldritch gods, concepts of starlight, and the space-time continuum as love interests!
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Yeah, I haven’t gotten into any nsfw content. I find the electricity is better in the tension. The focus of the book isn’t romance, but I am trying to incorporate some believable, organic feeling romantic attractions and perhaps a smooch or two. I’m trying to make good characters that can bud relationships into romance, rather than romance options that get picked out like a supermarket.
On a scale of 1-10. 10 being a completely alien, smelly, blob with 12 eyes or something, how alien are you thinking before you’re like nah
Depends on the smelly blob’s personality? 
I don’t have any issue with non-human characters (and I usually enjoy the novelty) but the main point is the “human connection,” for me. If the characters have an interesting or compelling relationship (romantic or otherwise), that’s all I really need.
With Mass Effect as an example, I was absolutely a Garrus-mancer, but it was due to the combined effect of the art, the voice acting, and the character’s near-absolute loyalty, if Shep proves worthy of it.
In IF, it’s even easier to (want to) romance non-humans, since the visual aspect is entirely imagined, so the story drives all the connections, and the genre sort of determines the range of potential relationships. 1966 does a fantastic job of having monstrous ROs acting monstrously (and one unhinged human around for the ride), for example.
My most recent “man I wish I could romance-” in a published work was about the (AI inhabiting the) ship I was living on. 
It’s all about the connection.
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I think non-human ros (or characters in general) are very fun! though, most people will need them to be very human in appearance and/or personality to be into them. ofc some people would enjoy completely non-human looking aliens but I think those people will be a minority.
I guess it depends on the kinda audience you want.
Anything that’s out of the “Generic RO” body type is a welcoming addition for me
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Generic RO body type?
Mostly lean, athletic types, with well-defined pecs and abs (for males).
Or the curvy, petite body for females.
You can see the pattern on most romance games (the Choices app is an example I use very much to exemplify that)
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