>> Personally, it just seems pointless to build an intimate relationship when you can't get intimate.

I don't see why a long distance relationship prevents you from getting intimate.

I would understand better if you meant that a long distance relationship limits the amount of sex you can enjoy. If that's the case, I would say that you are probably right, although I have noticed that sometimes people in long distance relationships can enjoy better and more frequent sex than people living together. That's the trouble with routine.