"I Always Have Time For You, My Dear" (Vivienne Discussion)

Vivienne's parents were both Rivain merchants. That's not the worst work, although it may be that they were poor. But in the Circle she may he live in financial security, but she couldn't own property. So, perhaps you right.

Life of poverty with two merchant parents? A little chance that they are very poor, but I think, if this true, they are so lame merchants.
So: Vivienne's and all of the loyalist's soul simply crushed by Chantry (Stockholm syndrome spiced with a little paranoia, remorse and selfhatred, because the Chantry led them to believe they are "cursed" by magic...)
I would be able feel sorry for her, if she would not that terrible person...

Seriously? Dredging up an old quote long after I've lost interest? Wow N7, you must be really bored . Nice song, don't know what it has to do with the topic at hand. Also, anyone else creeped out by a father and daughters R&B/gospel group producing a sex song ?

Anyway, I suppose I should have responded to your initial question:

Where are you going with this?
Can you name any partnership Vivienne has ever entered, whether friends, lovers, professional, or political, that was not an extension of her love of The Game? If not to supplant her current allies, to at least advance her own position? Hell, even The First Enchantress' quarters at Skyhold reflect this; always eyeing the Herald of Andraste's throne, yet simultaneously "above" it .  The Inquisitor is too much of a wildcard for her to properly control, so becoming romantic partners is not beneficial to her. The Iron Lady's own words, remember? The only person I've seen Vivienne showing respect is Cassandra, and only because the Seeker was higher on the food chain at the time. By the end of Trespasser, the Inquisitor either quits or defers to the Divine, and is thus of no more use to her. Funny, for a woman whose greatest fear is irreverence, she has no problem hoisting it on everyone else .

One last thing; given your championing of Elves (even if your versions in no way match Dragon Age ones), I'm surprised you gloss over how often Vivienne openly mocks Elvhenan culture .

I like Vivienne although my characters constantly butt heads with her. I disagree with her stance on mages and dislike how Bioware seems to use her for giving all these pro-Circle statements which just ring false to me. "Oh Circles are permissive. In fact most of them let you live outside of them", Viv says and I'm like: "Wow, that's totally NOT what I've seen and heard so far." Though I guess it's because she's in a privileged position when compared to most mages. The Circle system serves her well and she intends to take full advantage of it.

Still, despite all this, I like her as a character. I don't have to always agree with a character in order to like them (heck, I often love villains)
and I like it that the game has companions who are confident and who may openly challenge you with their views.

Hey! That's one of the classic R&B love songs!!! You were jamming!! Admit it.

Haha: extremely liberal! (I never heard before, but good, I really like it!) Interesting wording in relation to a prison where the prisoners are innocent people. The Warden is not a trouble maker, he did what s/he did, because the First Enchanter asked him/her. Ofc s/he can be "trouble maker", if he want to be free, and willingly help to Jowan. But I can not call "trouble maker" someone who want to be free.

And don't forget, what Wynne must to suffer for her "freedom". 

There is a difference between the obligation of proof and the life imprisonment.

Ofc, I can understand Varric's position, he really liked to live in Kirkwall, and hated to leave Kirkwall. 
Many variety of methods have the dalish, they depend on the clan. (I mean: Bioware not very consistent in this issue.)

Schools, registration, effective police service. Less dangerous than the Circle system, which Vivienne also insists. She is very narrow minded character.

When I saw Vivienne for the first time I was happy like "Yes! Finally!" I was really trying to start a relationship but she laughed and said no because of the Duke which it was disappointing. I was really looking forward to it......

I feel like Vivienne gives me opinion bipolar disorder. It really varies based on what kind of character I'm playing as. Over all she has some really great moments, but occasionally I just don't recruit her at all, because I just need a break from her preaching and superiority complex. I'd love to see her again in a situation where she's not trying to lecture everyone on the danger of magic, and just more jokes about how horrible everyone's fashion is maybe?

Over all I voted dislike, but I want to love her! I really do, but I just can't.

Right?! Most other companions you can either kick out, verbally assault or even just plain punch in the face (even with the companions that are required to stay). But not Vivienne. They make it seem like its impossible to make a jab at her--physically or politically. Even though I know for certain that I can if I were so inclined.

Her character is well written, but there no interaction. Probably because they wanted to present, that Vivienne have prestige, respect, but they failed: the character just shows (I note: very well) a woman, who want to be important, have manipulation skills and such behavior, which –according her–, seems elegant, but only irritating or somewhere petty/childish (furniture issues). I feel sorry for her: she is damaged by Circle. by the Harrowing. This is, why I said: she's character is well written. She's clever: a mage, not a noble, but seems the nobles accepted her. But still. She's a mage, and want to be noble, and for the political power (or because of her paranoia) she capable to betray what she is.

Maybe I'm wrong.

She's well written because many people see him different. I like the divisive characters. So the character is well written in some ways, but seems forced attempt to show the Inquisitor (and other characters) beside her as some poor stupid persons.

I don't remember feeling like my dialogue choices were dumbed down to make her look smarter, but I don't need that to not like her And the problem it's not even that I hate the character and what she represents, that I do, because don't think that's a bad thing. What is bad thing for me is that I didn't find her fun to hate, nor I enjoyed her banter much either, not even with the characters I love. Her story with the duque left me cold and she doesn't have a single dialogue that caused me a big impression, one way or another, and if she said anything funny at some point I don't even remember it.

I feel like she's a very uninteresting example of certain type of person, a type of person that I could never have liked but that could still become a character that I love, the way I love Morrigan, which I despise, but I still take with me a lot because I like hearing her talk to other companions and advise me all the time to do evil things simply because I think she's a very interesting character and I love hating her.

I don't know if I'd say that she's poorly written, I don't think so. I have a great opinion of Kirby's writting, and I love her other characters, maybe I just don't get what she was trying to do with Vivienne :/