Every romance is pointless in the end.
Touche.
I don't think that romances of ME2 are that reward based either though I'd say they are more akward than romances in ME3, at least Garrus and Miranda do not have reward based one's. Even if romance is dependent by game mechanic of loyalty mission, it's not reward=sex, rather than that it's getting to know characters better and developing friendship with them. Otherwise it would be reward=friendship as well. I guess you can take the mindset of helping these people out to get in their pants, though game doesn't imply that will happen even if it's somewhat in game mechanics, but I know I don't do loyalty missions for romance purposes.
I actually find DA's romance structure over all lot better and thought out than ME's.
I find that the romances never seem to progress naturally or they don't seem organic or majorly different from the others. The structure is almost always the same.
Meet Potential LI/Get along with some exchanges/Potential LI sits on a problem they can't solve themselves/Help with issue/Sex/LI splits.
I find DA to be worse based on not having a consistent PC so every romance is a brand new one that must be established through head canon or second hand knowledge. Although I loved DA 2's Rivalry system. It was at least an attempt at offering something new.
Meanwhile the relationship and confrontation between Boss and Snake carried so much depth and I'm still not entirely sure if they were romantically involved. The Boss was her own woman, a mentor, and was an important figure in the game that didn't sit around waiting for the PC to tell her what to do.
But in the defense of the ME women, I will say that the most awkward romance I consider reward based was Cortez. Helping him get over his dead husband then romancing him is a tad bit iffy. And the way it was done....Talk about space ships, give him a pat on the shoulder at the memorial wall, then tell him he should start checking you out.