I wanted to play as a thoughtful mage Rook, but the game didn't let me

Before anything: I actually quite enjoyed Veilguard. I thought some of the main quests were pretty fun, and overall, I’d rate it a solid 7.5 as a game. As a Dragon Age game, though, it’s closer to a 6 for me, since it removed a lot of the elements I personally enjoyed from the series (the strategic combat system, well-written companions with a lot of depth, insightful dialogue, choices that carry significance over the course of multiple games).

One thing that stood out to me was how my Rook’s dialogue often felt at odds with the character I was trying to roleplay. I played a mage Rook who became a Warden—in my headcanon she was someone who grew up in the Circle, passionate about studying and performing magic, and who joined the Wardens to escape the mage-templar conflict. Given that, I was planning on romancing Emmrich, since he seemed like a natural fit for a mage who values knowledge.

But when he would explain more complex concepts, my Rook’s responses always felt dismissive or uninterested, or pushing back with funny one-liners, as if the game was pushing them into an anti-intellectual personality. Instead of engaging with what he was saying, most of the options leaned toward sarcastic or outright uninterested reactions. It felt really out of place for the character I had envisioned. Not to mention that in many parts of the story where magic is performed or discussed, Rook acts like a non-mage and nobody comments on this or gives an explanation for it.

I know others have complained about the lack of role-playing options and being shoehorned into a specific type of personality for Rook, but I've mostly seen people focus on how you have to make morally right choices and don't get to be evil. Have you also experienced an inability to play as an intellectually curious character that is willing to engage in complex conversations?