DAI companion approval - Maxing or Roleplaying?

RP-ing. (It happens, I look for the approvals, especially in the first pt-s – but I rather not go so far, that it demands acts, which ones are out of character: for example, I'll not )

In DAI I do not really interest in the companions' approval, if I need some love from them, I help them in their personal quest.

In DA2 I just prefer to avoid killing Fenris (it means high friendship/rival approval) – after Hawke fought to save him – not mentioned: I do like Fenris, and I don't like to kill my companions... In romance with Fenris, we should go to 100% approval for a fulfilled romance – but I still can 100% befriend him as a radical pro-freedom Hawke... it also quite believable in RP-view, seeing, that Hawke saved him from Danarius – and Fenris helped Hawke for years. Rivaling Aveline was great with my eternal outlaw blood mage Hawke – and he rivalled Varric as well (didn't fully succeed: ~50%). He lost Isabela (preconception was: Hawke will not help her in the Artifact, not because Hawke is that lawful, but because of why she let herself blackmailed by this shitty slave-trader, instead of killing him (if she asks Hawke to kill Castillon – he would happily say 'yes'...) – but this Hawke was also not good to "make people better" (in fact: with people at all... – red Hawke with lots of purple rare blue) he was not able to earn Isabela's trust to return with the Koslun. (Aveline said to him: "Don't lose your friends too, Hawke" – act2, after Leandra's death). This Hawke was the most fun to play.

In DAO I never lost any companion, and mostly they like my Warden.

Depends, mostly if I know the game, I start the character with a plan – and try to go with it through the whole game, with only little refinements in the nuances.
Warning, wall of text incoming (little detailed explanation):

With this red Hawke I felt, he leads my hand. I planned rivalry with Fenris – but after the start, I saw, that despite their disagreement, there is a mysterious chemistry between them (seemed Fenris adores his decisions made at his tempers), and I changed my mind in the middle of the act1. It was my most radical mage – and the easiest friendship with Fenris, what started with a huge rivalry. AND: Hawke' personality didn't change in my mind, I just saw, I was wrong as I imagined some companions' reactions, including Fenris' (while I played DA2 before many times, including Fenris rivalry and friendship, romance and not romance too). Also: it was my strong head canon: this Hawke loves the blades – and proud of his ability to use... so: they're sparring a lot, and Hawke appreciates Fenris' wine – while he's totally okay with The Hanged Man's rat-urine as well.

This happened to Carver and him as well: I thought, Carver will annoy him – but not: I found out, he trusts Carver (he trained him – in my story), just both of them are too ass to speak about it. So: he brought him to the Deep Road (it was more complicated: the first plan was Grey Warden, but Hawke was sooo ass to him, so, there was a point in game, when I thought, he will leave him guarding Leandra's skirt... and it happened almost. And then Hawke "told" me: this is wrong: HE trained Carver, Carver is HIS fucking ass brother, and he knows, he's a great warrior, and he can't just leave such a good warrior – and also: he respected Carver, just loved to tease him.) – and slowly formed a friendship between them.


Aveline's rivalry... about especially CARVER, that she prevented Carver's joining to the Guards – when Hawke KNEW his brother would have been a great one (probably better than Aveline) – and in the light of what happened in the Deep Roads, he was more angry of Aveline – and he thought: Aveline is a hypocrite – and never forgot to remind her... still didn't hate her: he was also bad at nurturing his anger: if he didn't kill someone immediately – if it depends on him – this person could live a very long, fulfilled life. Short-tempered, but not revengeful.


Varric's rivalry was about Hawke considered Varric gossipy ("my private life isn't your story"), Varric called Anders whateverhisname possessed mage, and about Varric's "humans in skirt, one's like the other" view about mages and Templars – when it was HIS life – and in my imagination (this sometimes showed in game too) – they had a different kind of humour, Hawke offended people sometimes unintentionally as well. No problem, if I pay a beer, it will solve our problems... – seems Varric appreciated it...

What I would change? Maybe, he would not lose Isabela... but I also see: what happened, can fit him.

Future:
I should say: I never sacrificed Hawke. I can't.
Until this one...
He's not in the Inquisition (I didn't play long ago...) – but I see: he wouldn't let the Inquisitor (or anyone) decide, what he should do. So: I figured... he will stay. He wants to die? Of course NOT. Does he feel responsible? He's not that person... But Stroud saved Carver's life – and just look at this Nightmare: he rarely saw a bigger challenge, how he would be able to resist? He also don't believe, he can lose a fight... not a chance...

Sorry for the long answer – this Hawke is my most detailed character.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

In DAO, I really treated it like a game and tried to max approval with everyone. It just felt so rewarding to get there.

In DA2 there is no right and wrong, just different kinds of relationship. So it all came down to what kind of dynamic I wanted Hawke to have with each character. Rivalry with Aveline actually is more endearing (and definitely more fun) than friendship.

In DAI, I roleplayed the most. My character interactions are solely based on their personality and whom they naturally would get along with.

I think disapproval used to bother me and I would tend to make choices so as to lessen the disapproval or tell them what they wanted to hear to gain approval. But I don't do that anymore, I play my Quizzies based on how I think they'd handle things, such as a Dwarf siding with the Templars. I know some of the decisions can take a huge hit but there are always other way to gain approval back. In my current Qunari warrior save (sided with templars) everybody has either high or maxed out approval with her because I did a lot of those little side quests, as well as personal quests. If you hunt the rogue templars/mages down with Cass, you get a lot of approval, or go with Dorian to hunt Venatori, same thing. Find Blackwall's Warden things, lots of approval. So I don't worry so much about lost friendships because I have my Quizzies decide what they feel is the right decision. So if I know I'm going to take a big hit for keeping the Wardens, then I'll take Solas on his personal quest to find his spirit friend, or do "helpful" side quests to get approval from Cole. So I think it's easy enough to balance out the good and bad.