When it came to DA2, I remember being fond of the rivalry/friendship relation meter. Sure, it did lock one out of chasing off companions, outside of specific events, but it did give me reason to keep people around whose boots I did not find so tasty.
It also meant I could progress a relationship without having to be a companion’s twice venerated, maker’s chosen sworn sister.
It was poorly implemented in DA2, as if each of your companions has no pride and self-esteem. As if they don't have their own views and opinions. It looked strange and stupid to me. They didn't leave even when there was maximum disagreement. Worst of all, you might have started romance with them. It was funny just to watch Anders and Fenris. Fun interaction.
My opinion is that rivalry is good, but only if it reflects correctly on the relationship between you and your companions.
I'm not sure about this one, there's a pretty dramatic point in the game where one of your companions can abandoned you, as for the others, the game takes place over a very long period of time, during which it's pretty clear that your cadre has their own ambitions and goals they pursue completely unrelated to the Hawkes.
As for Rivalry and Romance I don't really see the contradiction. Human interaction doesn't function on a binary like many games reduce it to, moreover I've been waiting for a relationship system in a game that entertains the possibility that people can have asymmetrical relationships or dissonant views of a single person.
