What do you think of Cora's writing?

The "if you don't like the character, don't talk to him or her" syndrome.
I agree, it would be good if the game provided the option for the NPC or Ryder tell the other their relationship is only professional because of a certain reason.
Jaal do this, but the way he put seems childish.

Regarding Liam, I think Bioware like to prank us, is the only explanation I can find. LOL
Jacob v2.0 Liam, like someone in your team says, is a tool¹.
But interesting enough he is the only one to tell Ryder to go to hell and f**k off.
This happens if you decide to left Verand and the angara "detained" after his loyalty mission, basically punishing him through other people.

The rest of the team? Hey Drack, I left your scouts to be exalted, didn't give Morda the drive core to power the krogan colony and also had the opportunity to share the water of Eladeen with everyone, but I decided to left all of it to a greedy angara to hold.
But I love the krogan, is it ok, right?
Yes Ryder, you have other priorities, it's ok, you are my best pal/gal and let's fly to the rainbow.

On the subject that left people ankward or making jokes, her love scene with Ryder is very good, one of the best in the game actually.
It's erotic and tastefull and at the same time the dialogs are credible and very sweet.


¹

Cora exists as nothing more than my Ryder's lapdog.

She got a huge weight on her shoulders since she got to care about Ryder and about the Asari Ark too. She's connection to the Asari is unique and quite strong in the franchise.
I was allways compared her with the Cerberus Cheerleader. Cora does not have deep background and relationships and family connections as Miranda does, aside from the Asari Commandos of course.
She is more acceptable character as Miranda because she is a lot friendlier and i like her kindness.
Also Cora's intim scene is among the best scenes in the entire franchise. Hands down. :-)

On the other hand her role as "pathfinding" is clearly a lot less as Miranda's role in the Trilogy. I can call her as "tool" and or "necessary" character in Mass Effect Andromeda. I don't think she could capable the role of the Pathfinder. I think she is far away.
Other than her role and presence on the Periphona she is Ryder's girlfriend and absolutely nothing more.

So i think about her wirting as :

Good – Not top notch, but very compelling
...
But i think she deserves a lot better and more.

MEA itself is like 2/3-3/4 a game, stretched out for potential gametime to a full game (grind/exploration), and with the DLC cut that could have made it seem to eventually be 3/4-1 full game.

This includes characters. That asari stuff is okay, but eh... it feels more like a first 1/3-1/2 of the game thing. Sure whatever, bring something more interesting for the later parts, like connection to Cerberus (not saying membership) or the quirks of her particularly powerful biotics or her developing philosophy about the Initiative and her part in it.. something. Instead we got mostly asari spam. DLC could have partially 'saved' this (as Trespasser arguably did for at least a few characters), but MEA didn't get any.

Agents of SHIELD has not been disappointing me for the most part.

Not saying its not often popcorn comic silly material, but I am constantly surprised with how much it draws me in more.

I thought Cora got more interesting after she had her "Asari know everything/are the best" bubble broken after her LM.

Choosing Harper for her last name seems a bit silly, if they never planned to make it a TIM connection. Then again, maybe that's something that would have come up in a 'Benefactor' DLC.

Ultimately, I'd accept MEA as an 'optional prelude' game to something much greater, as long as Bioware bothers to positively follow up on ideas/theories/prospects, instead of leaving them to languish.