#i did taash and davrin on my own but yeah he is like the only one i havent seen at all…. which worries me. not because of the choice but

[bitalis]

i know every companion has like the other outfit for their companion quest but i’ve never seen lucanis’ and now i have to do it .

[high-dragon-bait]

Taash asks my Rook invasive questions about her Zuko scar

This is Francesca de Riva, Cissy for short, my secondary Rook

It's pretty rare that I write fake banter between canon characters and my own OCs, but I did between Cissy and Taash for how Cissy got her scars. Enjoy!

____

(During recruitment)

Taash: Have any of you fought a dragon before? 

Cissy: How do you think I got these burns? 

Taash: Not from a dragon? 

Cissy: See that’s where you’re wrong- 

Taash: I’m not.  

Cissy: C’mon, let me tell the story! 

Taash: But your story’s bullshit. 

Cissy: I haven’t told it yet. 

Taash: Don’t need to. You get caught in dragon fire and you don’t have skin to scar.  

Cissy: Oh, so you’re the expert on dragon burns now? 

Taash: Yeah?

——

(From here on is post-recruitment)

Taash: So what actually happened to your face? 

(Second companion dependent) 

Neve: There are subtler ways of getting information. 

Emmrich: Taash!

Harding: Okay! Probably were nicer ways to say that. 

Lucanis: Up front. I like it. Saves time. 

Davrin: I’ve met Darkspawn with more tact than you, Taash. 

Bellara: You don’t actually have to say if you don’t want to, Rook! 

Cissy: I burned it. 

Taash: Yeah but how? 

Cissy: With fire. 

Taash: Is it embarrassing? Did you like slip and fall face first onto a stove? 

Cissy: No, that would’ve been funny. 

Taash: So it’s not funny? 

Cissy: No. 

——

Taash: Bellara said I should say sorry for asking about your face. So, sorry. 

Bellara, if present: You know, sorries don’t sound as good if you say someone else told you to say them first…

Cissy: It’s alright, I actually don’t mind talking about it. 

Taash: It kinda seemed like you did. 

Cissy: No, no, it just always makes people get weird. 

Taash: I won’t get weird. 

Cissy, through laughter: I’ll think about it. 

——

Cissy: Someone set me on fire. 

Taash: Shit was it me?

Cissy: No, Taash, I’m talking about my face. 

Taash: Oh! How? 

Cissy: A guy took me off the street, poured whiskey all over me, and then set me on fire. 

Taash: Wh- Why’d he do that? 

Cissy: I don’t know. I was seven. Thought I was minding my urchin business. Guess he was bored. 

Emmrich: Filth.

Neve: No motive. Just cruelty. Wish I could say it was rare. 

Davrin: Guy sets little girls on fire as a hobby, yeah, even the wardens wouldn’t want him. 

Spite: I’ll burn his face. Peel it off first!

Harding: Varric never… That’s what happened? 

Bellara: Wait- I didn’t- I’m so sorry. 

Cissy: See? People get weird! 

Taash: It’s a weird fucking thing to do! 

——

Taash: So how’d you get away? 

Cissy: Shit did I look that bad? Don’t tell Viago-

Taash: No from the fire asshole. 

Cissy: Oh! I ran. 

Taash: While you were on fire? 

Cissy: First thing I did was jump in the canal to put it out but then I nearly drowned. Didn’t obviously but then I got sepsis. 

Taash: Damn, you weren’t kidding. This story really isn’t funny.  

Cissy: I told you. 

Taash: So how’d you not die?

Cissy: Viago found me. 

——

Cissy: The way Viago found me is a little funny. 

Taash: Yeah?

Cissy: I’d been in the gutter for days at that point. Couldn’t move so I just marinated in my own filth and rot the whole time. 

Taash: That isn’t funny. 

Cissy: I’m not done! 

Taash: Okay. 

Cissy: I was lying on a little bit of stone by the water and its like a full storey down from the actual walkway. 

Cissy: The only reason he noticed me was because I smelled so bad he got a whiff from all the way up there and thought I was badly disposed a corpse. 

Taash: That… still isn’t funny. 

Cissy: Oh come on, it's a little funny. 

——

Taash: Whatever happened to the fire asshole? 

Cissy: I don’t actually know. I wanted him to be my first contract, cliche that that is, but Viago said no. 

Taash: Why’d he say no? 

Cissy: He said a man like that would be “An insult to my skill” and because he trained me that makes it an insult to his skill. 

Taash: Why’s that matter? Killing is killing. 

Cissy: Not if you’re a crow. 

[t00tsmcgee]

Rook as a Companion Banter Episode two: Bellara

Part 1 (Neve) | Part 2 (Bellara) | Part 3 (Davrin) | Part 4 (Harding) | Part 5 (Taash) | Part 6 (Emmrich) | Part 7 (Lucanis) |

Banter written with my Rook in mind <- Link to his own post if you want to read more about him!

-

Bellara: “You seem sad, Calais.” Calais: “Just Cal is fine, Bellara.” Bellara: “Oh, right. You seem sad, Cal.” Calais: “Yeah.” Bellara: “Is it because of everything that’s happening?” Calais: “It’s not the only reason, but it doesn’t help.” Bellara: “When I was sad Cyrian always asked me silly questions to cheer me up. Like, what happens if you get scared half to death twice?” Calais: “You know, he was on to something there.” Bellara: *chuckle*

Bellara: “Is it true cannibals don’t eat clowns because they taste funny?” Calais: *laughing* “Ugh!”

Calais: “Why aren’t blueberries blue?” Bellara: “They are! In a certain light anyway.” Calais: “Bella.” Bellara: “Oh, were you doing the silly question thing?” Calais: “Trying to anyway. Not very successfully judging by your reaction.” Bellara: “Yeah, still needs work. But you’ll get there.”

Calais: “Are the good things that come to those who wait the leftovers of those who didn’t wait?” Bellara: “Wow, that one’s deep.”

Calais: “If a fork was made of gold would it still be considered silverware?” Bellara: “I think you’d just call it cutlery.” Calais: “You’re really cramping my style.” Bellara: *laughing*

Calais: “Why does it take 10 minutes to cook rice?” Bellara: “Does it? I thought it took at least 15!” Lucanis: *disgusted noise* “This explains so much about that risotto you made the other day.”

Bellara: “Why is it called a pair of pants, when there’s only one bit of clothing involved?” Calais: “That’s what I’ve been saying!”

Calais: “I’m sorry about your brother, Bella.” Bellara: “Yeah, me too.” Calais: “We’ll find a way to help him. I know we will.” Bellara: “I hope you’re right.”

Calais: “If you tied buttered toast to a cat and dropped it, what would happen?” Bellara: “You’d never do that to a cat.” Calais: “No, you’re right. I’m just upset my buttered toast dropped this morning.” Bellara: “It was a heavy blow for us all.” Calais: “I might never recover.”

Bellara: “What was it like, growing up in the Necropolis?” Calais: “It was idyllic, I suppose. Vorgoth did the best he could to raise me as normally as possible. But my gift set me apart. It was hard to make friends.” Bellara: “Why?” Calais: “When you can peer into the veil and speak with spirits as if they were standing next to you, it gives you a leg up in a place like that.” Bellara: “Oh, leg, because of your leg thing?” Calais: “No, leg because that’s the turn of phrase.” Bellara: “Is it? Oh, right. I got them mixed up again. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be insensitive.” Calais: “That’s alright, you weren’t.” Bellara: “Does it hurt? Your leg?” Calais: “Yeah, all the time. Every day.” Bellara: “How do you cope with it?” Calais: “I have salves, and an elfroot tea that helps. Tastes like ass though.” Bellara: “Could you get a brace made, to help with the pain and the walking?” Calais: “I had one made, but I never wear it. The thing is more uncomfortable than the pain my leg causes me anyway.”

Bellara: “I heard you play piano the other night, in your room.” Calais: “And here I was, thinking I had a nice moment to myself.” Bellara: “You're very good. I stood and listened until you stopped playing.” Calais: “Thank you. And yeah, I fell asleep eventually.” Bellara: “You play until you fall asleep?” Calais: “On hard days.”

Bellara: “Will you play piano for me some time?” Calais: “I don’t do well with an audience.” Bellara: *deflated* “Oh..” Calais: “But, for you, I’ll try.” Bellara: *excited gasp* “Thank you!”

Bellara: *Humming song* Calais: *chuckling* “Liked that one, did you?” Bellara: “Oh, yes! You’re a very good piano player, and that song was so catchy. I keep hearing it in my head.” Rook: “Now I’m curious.” Bellara: “Cal played me a few songs last night, to help me get to sleep. But they were so good they kept me awake because I wanted to listen to them.” Calais: “Yeah, missed the mark on that.” Rook: “But it seems you’ve found a captive audience at least.” Calais: *chuckles* “Yeah. Who knows, maybe I’ll play in front of the team at some point.” Bellara: *excited noises* Calais: “No promises!”

[thedissonantverses]

We'll Make This Our Kindom

Today Could Be the Last - Chapter 15 - enc0432 - Dragon Age (Video Games) [Archive of Our Own]

*Ahem* Y'all should thank @taashyvashedan is all I'm gonna say. Preview under the cut.

He nearly jumped for the dagger under his mattress. But he stopped himself, collapsing back. Assan was out early. Rook had long since returned to her own room, insisting he take his bed back. It shouldn't bother him. Davrin panted, forcing himself to slow his breathing. When it finally did, he got to his feet. He needed to hit something.

Taash was already at breakfast. She tilted her head. “Another one? Have what’s in the pot.”

“Yep.” He reached for the fish and rice she’d made. “Thanks.”

Coffee too. He had to give Lucanis credit there. Taash looked at him.

“Ah. It’s not just the nightmares. Want to spar?”

Davrin sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yep. Both of you are being stupid. Wanna talk about it or…?” She drummed her fingers on the table, tapping her leg.

“What’s going on with you? You seem-” Davrin gestured to her. “Unbalanced.”

Taash groaned. “I think…I’m struggling. My mom got in my head. I might be non-binary.”

“Might be?” He stole the grapes they hadn’t eaten off their plate.

They let him, seeming to decide in the moment. Or at least to tell him. “Yeah. Okay. I am.”

Davrin chuckled when they realized and threw a grape at him. “We can talk about it. You know that right? I can…tell people. If you want. I know a couple of Wardens that might be able to help that made it.”

“Nah. I can handle that. Might take you up on the Wardens. Kind’ve tired of talking about it. Come on.”

“Speaking my language.”

The two of them took it outside. Even if the Fade unsettled him, at least the sun was still out, even if it didn’t move. At least there were plants he recognized, even if he didn’t want to think too closely about the glowing ones. At least there was usually the sounds of the team, constantly around each other. Something had shifted after Weisshaupt. Something crucial. Their backs were against the wall. They were it. If they couldn't get this done, no one could. They had to commit. Davrin warmed up quickly, the satisfying clang of a deflected blow on his shield waking him up. Taash didn’t hold back, giving him the workout he needed. He tried to do the same, until both of them were panting, not thinking about anything but the next volley. It worked for a little while. For once, he wasn’t thinking about-

Rook climbed the stairs to them. With her training daggers. Taash nearly sent him flying into the Fade. They groaned.

“Man you two need to-”

Davrin pointed to Rook’s brace. “Not happening.”

“I can’t stay in bed the rest of my life! Emmrich said it was fine as long as I kept the brace on!”

“You’re lucky you kept the leg and you want to-”

Taash clapped their hands together. “I’ll spar her if you won’t. If it’ll get both of you to shut-up. She's been working hard with me and Neve. She's earned it.”

“Oh no.” Rook she narrowed her eyes, then gave him that feral grin she wore so well. “I want Davrin today.”

He glared at them both. He wanted to pick her up and leave this place altogether and wasn’t that the problem? He wanted to kiss that look off of her face. He just wanted her.

“If you get hurt-”

“What, you’re going to do worse than Ghilan’nain?” She snapped.

That got his hackles up. “Don’t-”

“We don’t have time for you to coddle me.” Rook took a step towards him. “I’ll show you, if you like.”

Davrin broke then. “Fine. Draw.”

He went to set his shield down and she shook her head. “Oh no. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right.”

So, he squared off with her. He was reluctant. He hesitated. She didn’t. She was slower with the brace, but it turned out it didn’t matter. She worked her way past his defenses and wrapped his wrist to get his attention before dancing away. Davrin growled and closed only to have her feint. She used his focus on her injury and he noticed too late. He got his arm up in time and her daggers skated across, the dull metal sparking as she pushed her strength against his. Rook twisted away. If her step out was awkward she bounced back fast. 

They stared at each other, both panting. Davrin snorted and charged, his frustration dissipating at the cocky way she tossed her hair back. Rook caught his sword in her daggers and drew him close, winking once she had him close again. He let her, watching how she moved with the brace. It had changed the way she fought…but she was right. She was ready. Quickly followed by the realization that he wasn’t.  

That was how it went, even when she stumbled, even when he tagged her ribs to remind her to watch her elbow. They circled each other again. Rook was relaxed as she stretched her arms, hips swaying. Davrin wasn’t. He finally dropped his shield as an excuse to get his bearings. When he was ready, she charged. He knew where he had the advantage and let her get close, then he winked and pulled up sharply, causing one of the daggers to go skittering across the stones of the courtyard. She brought the other one to his neck quick as a snake.

They breathed together; eyes locked. The cool metal of her blade was almost a relief against the heat. He let his gaze drop to her mouth.

“Blegh! I can smell you from here! Get a room!”

They sprung apart. Darin looked up. Everyone had come out to watch. Even his traitorous griffon, bothering Neve for treats. Heat skated over his skin. Rook waved her hands. 

“Oy! Don’t the rest of you have jobs to do or something!”

They all took their sweet time scattering. Neve and Harding and Taash lingered, faces smug as cats that had gotten into the cream. Harding exchanged coin with Taash as they walked away. When they finally left Davrin turned his head to her. Rook arched her brows.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

He was caught; his mouth was dry. “Will you come with me to Arlathan tomorrow? I still owe you that date. We’ll talk?”

Rook smiled softly then reached for him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured into her hair.

She squeezed him tighter in response.

[lehdenlaulu]

Okay, 40h in, some stray thoughts:

I keep going back and forth between 'oh it's not really that bad after all' and 'ugh why' basically. Every time there's actually a nice bit of writing etc. the frustration at some other aspect soon takes over.

I'm particularly not fond of the random faceless mook hordes that keep respawning in certain locations (seriously, DA2 was bad enough). Or the dumb pointless boss battles you have to do in order to unlock new areas in the Fade where your reward is... another boss battle. And more faceless mooks. And maybe some gear. And maybe more of Solas's tedious sob story if you're lucky. The ghost of the live co-op thing really keeps quite literally haunting the narrative.

Oh, and there's even a fucking gladiator arena. I'm guessing that was originally for PvP. And now it's just there just in case you didn't already get your fill of combat elsewhere. And wanted to ogle Isabela who now inexplicably wears only a bikini and thigh-high boots. Because apparently that's Rivaini cultural outfit now or something? Some pseudo-Aztec thing? Sure. Whatever.

Honestly, just imagine if they'd put as much time and effort into making sure the story is narratively sound and makes any kind of sense as a sequel to its predecessors as they did into crafting the combat system and the needlessly byzantine combat skill tree. *sigh*

I do really like the new exploration mechanics though. I like that I can strafe on narrow ledges and vault over fences and through windows and such. Not super fond that I can magically just use my absent companions' exploration abilities because of my mystical magical all-powerful MacGuffin, though. Guess some people really don't feel like changing their party composition ever. 🙄

And that's another thing. This game coddles the player way too much to the point of treating us like particularly dense toddlers. Not only are there tons of visual options that basically guide you by the hand and point out everything relevant (all of which I obviously immediately turned off) but the dialogue also will very unsubtly tell you what to do at every turn. Like... Taash, babe, we're both Lords of Fortune, I don't think I need to be told to check out if there's something behind the waterfall. And if someone is so new to RPGs to not know something that basic, they need to discover it for themselves, not have it spelled out to them. Honestly, I thought this game's age limit was 18, not 12.

Speaking of Taash and all things unsubtle... I feel like there was a way to introduce their struggle with gender identity in a less... anvilicious way. And maybe come up with some in-universe lore and terminology instead of just defaulting to modern real-world vocabulary. The codex entry in particular frankly felt like breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the player. And I say this as someone whose own gender identity is pretty nebulous.

Frankly, I'm surprised someone hasn't already literally told Bellara she has ADHD. Yet. I'm guessing she and Taash are relatable to some players, but to me they feel... vaguely insulting, honestly, because it really is about as subtle as a brick in the face. I'm also getting the vibe they're both someone's self insert to some degree at least. Which isn't new for DA, but... yeah.

What else... Oh. Yeah. The less said about the main plot the better. Varric, this really is your worst book yet.

Speaking of Varric, it's pretty funny how he keeps telling Rook to please get some sleep. Sure, mate, would love to but a) all I get for a bed is apparently a bare divan in a room with a massive glowing aquarium b) every time I try to sleep some smarmy elf keeps mansplaining at me in my dreams. Which, you know, is something I shouldn't have in the first place as a dwarf. Maybe I should just start chugging coffee with Lucanis. (But honestly, only Taash and Davrin get to have actual beds, everyone else has to make do with cots, bedrolls, divans, and... an embalming slate??)

Oh, and I'll be really surprised if Varric survives this story. I mean, he's barely there in the first place and keeps talking like some ailing relative who secretly has consumption in a Victorian novel. I mean, his writer was laid off after all.

The pacing and structure of this game is extremely weird. The beginning was particularly rough, then it got better, but it's still a bit all over the place.

Oh, right. I'm fairly sure we were promised cool bard songs at some point. I haven't heard a single one yet. Unless that one street performer in Treviso strumming Enchanters counts, which I don't believe does. It was nice to hear it, though, as much as it was a bit contextually odd to choose that song in particular. Ah well, I guess Empress of Fire would have been even odder.

This is also the most forgettable Hans Zimmer soundtrack I have heard in my life. I can't think of a single theme or leitmotif off the top of my head, but the Inquisition theme on the other hand was instantly recognizable. I might say he's just new to writing video game soundtracks, but... dude's famous for his highly catchy, recognizable and evocative themes. Weird.

But hey! As much as I don't like the cartoony character models, the game is actually otherwise really pretty and has some really lovely visual designs in environments and architecture etc. It's also very stable and smooth for a brand-new game, I've only had one crash and two obvious bugs so far. That's always a big win for a studio. Too bad its actual problems are too baked in to be fixable with some patches.

Anyway, that's it for now. Lots of negativity, I know, but I actually do like playing this game for the most part. I just have to... not think of it as a Dragon Age, basically. Because for all the bells and whistles, or maybe because of them, it really doesn't feel like one. There are glimpses here and there of a great DA game it could have been, but unfortunately, the final result is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster of different and largely incompatible concepts hastily sewn together.

[vibrathor]

i finished datv

its a decent game, just not a decent dragon age.

This was the first game in the series where I felt nothing upon reaching finale, no excitement, no sadness, no epicness, just wanted to get it over with. I still started a new character, mostly to see if I can get more lore tidbits on this particular combo of race/faction (and to unlock the last achievement Im missing from 100%). Its just... shallow. Good for "relax, consume and dont ask", but if you want just a tad bit more, youre in for a bad surprise. Not to mention the constant hand holding, jesus christ, trust your player to have a brain, Bioware.

More under the cut, spoilery

it will be chaotic, but hey ho...

Honestly, I played it for the lore. I knew certain aspects that got confirmed, i was baffled by others, especially contradictory to the previous games... which still would be okay if only it didnt just started snowballing into one big mess.

Old gods lore? Gone. Seems like quickly attached to the elves, which would have been great if it was done better. Much better.

It was elves all along? Spirits into bodies? Expected. Shame they decided to just cut through it with a blaster and infodump en masse on the player, it really took me out.

Blight? See, thats interesting, but we also first learned that red lyrium is blighted lyrium. To have titans infected blood could be interesting, except also red lyrium means angry. What.

Statues of the dread wolf in every single elven place? Yeah why. There was a big point of having his statues in mythals temple in dai, big enough to get its own dialogue, but nope, lets just reuse assets, enviromental storytelling? what is that

Isabela only shared the name with Isabela I knew. Same with Dorian. Morrigan had a few good lines, but it wasnt my Morrigan.

I also like how we dont care about the previous choices and characters, except the ones we need and are as bland as possible, and all have selective amnesia. Either leave the south and the past completely, or import more choices, this is just jarring.

I expected a soft reboot, which we get with letters telling us about the South getting wrecked, and im sort of at peace with that? It stings, but still. The ILLUMINATI reveal at the end tho? I hope they pivot from the implication that ALL of the previous villains/heroes/events were influenced by THE ILLUMINATI, not just observed, DIRECTLY INFLUENCED, cause thats not just shitting on lore, thats shitting on some amazing characters and their agency (LOGHAIN OF ALL), and amazing stories, for the sake of what...? Clearing cut from the past team? I was never a big fan of Trick W, but this is just... ugh. Unless it is a VERY GOOD WRITING, that im not expecting from this team.

Writing is very bland, and mostly bad, way too anachronistic, tonally not even at all, characters are just meh, and the fact you HAVE to be nice to all of them doesnt help. I cant dismiss them, i cant fight with them, i cannot NOT recruit them, the most i can do is not do quests (but loot. and codex entries. and stuff), which is such a regressive decision. POWER OF FRIENDSHIP LESSSGOOO

I think I truly liked only Emmerich and Davrin, even Harding was a shadow of herself. I knew Taash was written by Weekes instantly, same bratiness, same annoyance about them as Sera... whom i actively dont like, but i cared about anyway, and I was prepared and did it for Taash, but certain in your face, including breaking the forth wall, preachy scene made me fucking cringe. Like i literally had to pause cause it was so bad. Taash is kinda too childish as well, not straight to the point like some people claim, just fucking daft. Neve is flat, Bellara is a worse Merrill, Lucanis had a promise, but its like hes written by 2 different people at all times, even Solas contradicts the one I knew before.

Also its so... weird that like Harding gets stuff from her Ma and wants to go camping, but at the same time we know South is barely holding. Antaam is so good theyre every fucking where.

Wardens are great, Id die for Evka. Assan is my boy. Manfred is the greatest wisp that ever was.

What was the most disappointing though, was the zones. What do you mean i FINALLY go to tevinter and see only fucking dock town? Where are my villas? Where are the bad magisters? Wheres the rampant injustice (except in the passing or the codex)? In Treviso, where are the scary Crows, not this anti-hero italian nice mafia? Kal Sharok is just different, but everyones nice and looks normal, but theyre different, lets not get into it though.

Where are dozens of elves following Solas? Whats up with that 6th sense twist that was SO BAD?

Theres probably more stuff that I already forgot about.

I know this games development was hell, the whole process got restarted like 3 times, but the way they sanitised almost everything (shoutout to the Blight cause it has some good moments), and the writing that is even more chaotic than this post, make me feel so... bitter? Disappointed? Disillusioned?

Certainly nothing positive.

[postcardsfromheapside]

No. I wasn't missing the point of most criticism. Literally, I saw post after post of people saying they wished the characters could be mean to each other. Some posts were more specific, like "I don't like Taash," (and I'm sure you can imagine what THAT'S about) and some were more ambigious but cited DA2 and how everyone was bitchy toward each other.

I honestly don't care where you work and what you do, because hopefully most of us after the age of 30 have experienced an adult job where we have to be reasonable with our coworkers, even if we strongly disagree, or outright dislike them. I had the suspicion that most people who think that there is "no conflict," or "low conflict" or "bad writing" in this game haven't experienced this kind of setting in any capacity. What I'm now hearing is that you might have, but you didn't absorb any of the dialogue, or switch out your party to listen to banter, which is an essential function for picking up information in any DA game.

I walked around Arlathan with Lucanis and Harding, and they have a whole ongoing conversation in which she threatens him with one of her special arrows. And he agrees that if Spite should take him over, she should do something about it. Harding isn't frightened, because Harding isn't a pushover, but she's not taking any shit either. Did you walk around with just the two of them right after recruiting Lucanis? Did you frequently visit the rest of the companions so that you could see just how much Lucanis and Davrin *didn't* get along? Neve mentions what sounded like a knock-down drag out fight.

**Just because this isn't explicitly mentioned to you doesn't make it bad writing - it means you haven't had the time we had with Inquisition to play the game over and over and switch out your party so you can see everyone's interactions with each other. You will actually have to play the game multiple times and switch your party out a fair amount in order to see these interactions. Or wait for people to post them to tumblr. You can complain about how unfair this is, or remember that Inquisition has 10 years on this game, and it's been out for just shy of a month.**

Why in the absolute fuck would Davrin manufacture conflict between himself and someone he could easily conjecture isn't pro-slavery based on the fact that within five minutes he could find out she's from Dock Town, she's a private investigator working with the Shadow Dragons, and LITERALLY WHEN YOU GET ONTO THE DOCK WITH HIM, her first priority as she's running back to Minrathous is to say "if the dragon wrecks havoc, the Venatori will take over." Davrin isn't an idiot, he could pretty well surmise that she's not "pro slavery" with only the barest of interactions and Rook saying "yeah Neve's cool."

Why would Neve yell at you? Why is it bad writing for the writers to give Neve a personality you don't agree with, because you're uncomfortable with how she reacts? Neve's an adult who is used to working on her own and people not showing up for her - she says this MULTIPLE TIMES - it's actually a large arc of bonding with her, as a friend and a lover. She's not going to scream at you, she's so far past the point of being loud about disappointment, she's on the other side, for one, and for another, she does in fact understand that the entire North of Thedas is on fire and blighting Treviso is pretty fucking bad when it has no major defenses. Rook doesn't endlessly apologize. She came back after a short pause and while I didn't have her healing abilities after that, it didn't take long for me to boost my bond with her back up and feel like we were friends again.

This honestly feels like you're having a personal reaction that you need to examine, and it's not something to do with the writing, since the game mechanics and the dialogue don't actually bear out what you're putting down here.

All of the companions who have conflict initially have to figure out how to trust each other and it sometimes takes most of the game for them to do that. If you didn't spend the time listening to their banter as they work their way through it, that's not Bioware's problem. That's you. And...I don't want to have repeated conversations where I go into Emmrich's (my romance) room and "vent"? I didn't do that with Cullen. I didn't do that with Anders. Why would it suddenly be a thing here? But if you listen in to people's conversations, they do express dismay and doubt and fear about the various quests they've been on. Again, it feels like you didn't spend the time eavesdropping or taking people out and listening to banter.

I have no idea what you're talking about with flirting. I flirted with every companion at first even though I knew I was running for Emmrich, and all of them responded according to their personality. I romanced Cullen in Inquisition, and he was pretty quiet initially, until you get to Skyhold, and similarly, most of the companions here retain a certain reticence until the game progresses. But if you're looking for people who get flustered - Lace and Bellara absolutely do! And Emmrich isn't flustered, but he's taken aback a few times before he collects himself and flirts back - though whether you'd actually recognize it for flirting, I'm starting to wonder. The fact that you can't tell with Neve is actually making me tilt my head at the screen, and I say this as a self-confessed disaster who is very very bad at knowing someone is interested. Even I can tell what's going on in DA romances.

This is probably a lost cause, but I urge you to either spend time playing the game again, or watch someone else who really loves DA (and is Veilguard positive) play so that you can watch without being in the thick of it, and hopefully experience more dialogue and different choices.

No, I'm not done yet, I'm house sitting and she left me snacks and soda and not even god could keep me from venting my spleen at this point.

"I wish the companions were meaner to each other in this game, like in DA2."

While I think there's a larger argument to be made discussing the similarities between DA2 and Veilguard, I need everyone to get so close to me right now about a glaring difference:

DA2 involved a ragtag group of assholes with their own agendas coalescing around Hawke's personality or exchange of favors. There was no larger "goal," except maybe Varric's expedition - everything else is encountered as circumstance. You wend your way through your companions' stories while a city winds ever tighter into itself, a spring about to literally explode.

There's zero reason for these people to be nice to each other. They have no point in being around each other except Hawke. They can bitch at each other all they like.

Rook becomes Varric's second in command (I've seen one post say it's about 6 months before the events of the game) with an explicit purpose: find and stop Solas. Harding and Neve are recruited as experts in their respective fields for this particular goal. When it all goes to shit, Neve recruits another expert, Lucanis, to deal with the fallout, and Harding finds Davrin, *also* an expert in his field (monster hunting). When Rook has to make a particularly consequence heavy decision, two more are added to the crew: Emmrich (Fade expert) and Taash (dragon expert). All of these people are extremely competent, and know from the jump that they have one particular goal in mind.

They join ready to work together on Day 1 because if they don't, there's simply no other alternative. It's lights out. Even when they mistrust each other, the direness of the situation is not lost on them. Infighting serves no purpose. That's why the struggle is directed inward: clean up your own house, so we can move as a single unit.

Honestly the fact that what people took away from this game was "I wish my friends were meaner to each other" and not "wow, I wish we all worked together to keep evil dictators from taking over" is fucking mindblowing when I sit back and reread this.