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Post by Trilobite Derby on Jan 21, 2017 7:59:52 GMT
The beginning of this video is enlightening. The point is to protect what is inside and keep invading forces out. Castello di Salorno in Italy is the one he brings up as a good direct comparison to Skyhold's location. It seems to me BioWare did some research before creating Skyhold. My only problem with Skyhold is actually at the other end of the bridge where there appears to be no way to get up there at all. I was so curious I took flycam out there and discovered nothing. Just cliffs. I guess everyone had to free climb to make it up to the entry bridge. Tactically, Skyhold may be in a good position. Strategically, I question putting a castle into a craggy mountain range. Its too remote. Its supposed to protect something or block access. If the enemy can just ignore your fortress, its a little useless. And besides, the thought of having to trek through miles of narrow mountain paths every time you want to visit Ferelden or Orlais and then come back...y'know what, I'm probably thinking too hard about this. I invoke Rule of Cool. I head-canon that travel time in Dragon Age isn't broken all to hell. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET PLACES ON FOOT.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire
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Post by Obsidian Gryphon on Jan 21, 2017 8:36:47 GMT
Castello di Salorno in Italy is the one he brings up as a good direct comparison to Skyhold's location. It seems to me BioWare did some research before creating Skyhold. My only problem with Skyhold is actually at the other end of the bridge where there appears to be no way to get up there at all. I was so curious I took flycam out there and discovered nothing. Just cliffs. I guess everyone had to free climb to make it up to the entry bridge. This is a game afterall, there's no reason for the devs to create the castle in such minute detail. If they did and follow a realistic castle layout, there should be more levels and rooms in the castle. If anything, I should (headcanon) think there's a stairway / lifting apparatus at the entry. I doubt the ancient elves would create the stairway or if they did, they used magic. If they didn't create it, then the humans who found the castle made it themselves. Why they abandoned it? Its location and likely the problem of sustaining it. The Inquisition have no such problems since they've the manpower, connections and the funds.
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Post by Nightscrawl on Jan 21, 2017 8:48:50 GMT
5) The location and design of Skyhold. It sits in a crater high on a mountain. The only way in and out is a single thin bridge. This is an absolute logistical nightmare for an army. It's a strategic location that is supposed to be difficult to breach for invading armies. I will point out this YT video, Is SKYHOLD from Dragons Age Inquisition done right? where this is discussed in detail; there are examples of real-world castles in similar locations. Now, if you want to talk about the fact that the game doesn't actually show a path down to the valley from the bridge, then that is certainly true and I agree with that criticism.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire
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Post by Sifr on Jan 21, 2017 8:51:29 GMT
2. Something was happening with Alistair to account for all of the information on lyrium that he gives us. Its probably the honest result of world builders changing an aspect of their game after the release of DAO, but Alistair's misinformation on lyrium usage for templars is probably infamous at this point, as it directly or implicitly contradicts the idea that lyrium is a drug that templars need to constantly take to maintain their powers and no suffer from withdrawal. So in order for the answer to not be "the writers changed the lore drastically" something has to be unique about Alistair in a story sense for him to believe these things. But right now i'm drawing a blank....maybe the dragon blood? I figure that Alistair was straight-up lying to us about having never taken lyrium. He had already lied to us (or was still lying) about his royal parentage when you might have this conversation, so it would be understandable why he'd obfuscate the truth in this as well, because he doesn't want to make himself look bad by admitting he was addicted. He's not the only former Templar to do something like this, as Cullen attempted to do the same during DAI, with Cassandra and the Inquisitor the only ones to know that he was going through the effects of lyrium withdrawal. Alistair's claim that Lyrium isn't required to learn Templar talents, but does makes their abilities "more effective", may have been an excuse to cover up his addiction. The writers have said that when he used his talents in the comics, he had to start taking lyrium again, which suggests he may have done so in Origins. Unfortunately this explanation does lead to an unfortunate implication that Alistair may have tricked a Templar Warden... making them believe they should take lyrium in order to use their newfound abilities fully, rather than lyrium being a requirement to use them at all. I know no-one intended to make Alistair a drug-pusher, but this retcon does sort of accidentally lead to this conclusion? (And you all thought him refusing to marry non-humans or mages was the worst thing Alistair did in DAO!)
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Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by Nightscrawl on Jan 21, 2017 8:55:01 GMT
Tactically, Skyhold may be in a good position. Strategically, I question putting a castle into a craggy mountain range. Its too remote. Its supposed to protect something or block access. If the enemy can just ignore your fortress, its a little useless. And besides, the thought of having to trek through miles of narrow mountain paths every time you want to visit Ferelden or Orlais and then come back...y'know what, I'm probably thinking too hard about this. I invoke Rule of Cool. I head-canon that travel time in Dragon Age isn't broken all to hell. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET PLACES ON FOOT. In DAO, maybe, but we have mounts in DAI.
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Post by Reznore on Jan 21, 2017 11:27:51 GMT
Nothing really comes to mind , too much brain bleach maybe. But overall I try to keep an open mind on things that I feel aren't set in stone and subject to change. I really feel like a lot of details aren't nailed down when it comes to the fade , spirits , demons, the Blight, lyrium etc... Oh I mostly ignore Cassandra tranquility stuff. I don't know how she could be made tranquil and she didn't realise ? Don't even know how someone can cut oneself from the fade through meditation and at the same time call forth a spirit of faith.Those two don't seem to go together.
Also spirit and demons . Blood magic that is blood magic but isn't blood magic. I'm also pretty sure there's going to be weird shenanigans involving the Old Gods, and let's all forget Urthemiel soul forever.
Of course I'm pretty sure Lyrium change proprieties depending on what's the hell is going on. If it's in a codex raw lyrium will kill you. Anywhere else you're more than fine. Oh also Red Lyrium...
Yeah. Anyway what I'm trying to say is I'm pretty sure the big things are overall nailed down (unless something happens) but all the details are free floating around and you don't know where they'll all end up by the end.So I'm vaguely trying to ignore that.
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Post by mrfixit on Jan 21, 2017 13:30:55 GMT
5) The location and design of Skyhold. It sits in a crater high on a mountain. The only way in and out is a single thin bridge. This is an absolute logistical nightmare for an army. It's a strategic location that is supposed to be difficult to breach for invading armies. The thing is Skyhold is not in a strategic location. Castles serve to protect vital areas like important cities or towns and surrounding countryside, key roads, waterways, resources, arable land etc. They can also be used as well-placed staging areas for offensive operations. Skyhold serves no such purpose. It is in the middle of nowhere and as such it can't protect anything nor can it block or limit enemy movements. Its remote location makes it ill suited for offensive power projection as well. In fact, an opposing army could very easily neutralize and blockade Skyhold with relatively small numbers by placing forces around the mountain passes that larger Inquisition units have to use to exit the mountains. I don't mind. Skyhold looks awesome and sometimes the Rule of Cool is fine with me. Just saying that the concept makes very little actual sense. And yes I'm well aware that there are some historic castles and keeps with similar, let us say, arrangements, but it doesn't make them any more sensible!
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Games: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion
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Post by lobselvith8 on Jan 21, 2017 13:48:07 GMT
Merril in DA:I instead of Morrigan: I will always disagree with this, while it would be better to have an elf be the "elven expert" at the Temple of Mythal instead of a human, that's not the point of the whole thing. The point was to reveal what became of Mythal and who Felemeth was. The point was to finish the arc between Morrigan and her mom. Replacing Morrigan with Merril would have the whole "My people prayed to you and you have done nothing," type tragedy to it, but I feel that wrapping up the arc between Morrigan and her mother takes precedents. Also, having Morrigan/Merril taking the well is more impact on Morrigan's end in a personal sense. Morrigan is now bound to in servitude to her mother, a woman who abused Morrigan as a child. Its personal tragedy. With Merril this would be yet another tragedy caused by her quest to learn elven history, and she already went through that with her Keeper taking the demon and ending up dead, along with the possible massacre of her clan. Honestly, Merril doesn't need to go through that again. Leave Merril alone. Well, that's why I said it made me both happy and sad. I like the Morrigan Mother Flemythal story arc, ESPECIALLY with Kieran. But there is no Dalish representation in DAI outside of the Inquisitor. And Merril suffered to make that Eluvian work. I dunno, she deserved to find all the Elven stuff. Morrigan probably found it and then HID it from the Dalish, because they're not good enough to have access to it. That Elitism sucks. I think you could have still had Morrigan confront Asha'bellanar and have included Merrill in the elven expert role (and she was raised on learning as much elven lore as she could for the role of First since she was a small child). I completely get where TheLoneShadow is coming from, but Merrill could have added so much to Inquisition. Given how isolating it felt to play as a Dalish elf in a sea of Andrastians, I would have liked having another Dalish elf around who understood the difficulty of dealing with people who are trying to proselytize you and never truly understand you or your people. Merrill dealt with the same things in Kirkwall; from Anders pushing his Andrastian religious beliefs on her to Andrastians (like Aveline) who criticized her for looking back at the past to try and better the future of her people while their own religion is premised on the idea on restoring the past glory of the Maker being ever-present. There could have been elven quests in the Dales where Merrill's positive history with Andrastian elves in Kirkwall could have played a pivotal role. Merrill is the person who would have celebrated Briala's victory at Orlais (unlike Solas or Sera). Maybe even the arlathvhen that was supposed to be gathering outside Halamshiral could have been part of a key quest to get the support of the clans, and perhaps offer them land near southern Dales neighboring Skyhold. Or perhaps acquiring land from the Planasene Forest to the Vinmark Mountains in the Free Marches (I'm sure that Kirkwall being a Tevinter Hellmouth would easily make them a useful ally, especially if they were an optional ally for rebuking the attempted invasion by Starkhaven). Finding out the truth, though, is something I think would be important to her. Merrill talks about how the Dalish are cognizant that they don't have all the pieces - she brings it up when she says the People don't know the names of all the Forgotten Ones or who actually started the war between the Creators and the Forgotten Ones, and even the Dalish codex on Arlathan is described as being a 'legend' and addressed it may not be true. I also think it could have been framed differently with her present. Imagine all they ended up getting right, despite the centuries of slavery and losing all their lore: ancient elves were immortal, magic was wielded by the ancient elves, there truly was an Elvhenan, Arlathan existed, the Creators and the Forgotten Ones were real, the Creators and the Forgotten Ones fought in a war, Fen'Harel sealed the Creators away. There could have also been a wonderful scene where Merrill lambasted Asha'bellanar for doing nothing for the People, which puts her in sharp contrast to Merrill, who has been proactive about helping both the Dalish elves and the Andrastian elves (canonically, during Inquisition she protects them and seemingly acts as their leader to make sure they aren't killed during the Mage-Templar War). Merrill would face the looming threats head on; in the wake of Trespasser, she could rally the People against Fen'Harel when he elects to go through his plan to bring an end to the modern world and everyone in it. A modern day Dalish hero who refuses to acquiesce to defeat.
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N7
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by Iakus on Jan 21, 2017 17:44:32 GMT
It's a strategic location that is supposed to be difficult to breach for invading armies. The thing is Skyhold is not in a strategic location. Castles serve to protect vital areas like important cities or towns and surrounding countryside, key roads, waterways, resources, arable land etc. They can also be used as well-placed staging areas for offensive operations. Skyhold serves no such purpose. It is in the middle of nowhere and as such it can't protect anything nor can it block or limit enemy movements. Its remote location makes it ill suited for offensive power projection as well. In fact, an opposing army could very easily neutralize and blockade Skyhold with relatively small numbers by placing forces around the mountain passes that larger Inquisition units have to use to exit the mountains. I don't mind. Skyhold looks awesome and sometimes the Rule of Cool is fine with me. Just saying that the concept makes very little actual sense. And yes I'm well aware that there are some historic castles and keeps with similar, let us say, arrangements, but it doesn't make them any more sensible! I just wonder how you feed the troops there. not a lot of room for farming or grazing.
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Post by xerrai on Jan 21, 2017 18:06:54 GMT
The thing is Skyhold is not in a strategic location. Castles serve to protect vital areas like important cities or towns and surrounding countryside, key roads, waterways, resources, arable land etc. They can also be used as well-placed staging areas for offensive operations. Skyhold serves no such purpose. It is in the middle of nowhere and as such it can't protect anything nor can it block or limit enemy movements. Its remote location makes it ill suited for offensive power projection as well. In fact, an opposing army could very easily neutralize and blockade Skyhold with relatively small numbers by placing forces around the mountain passes that larger Inquisition units have to use to exit the mountains. I don't mind. Skyhold looks awesome and sometimes the Rule of Cool is fine with me. Just saying that the concept makes very little actual sense. And yes I'm well aware that there are some historic castles and keeps with similar, let us say, arrangements, but it doesn't make them any more sensible! I just wonder how you feed the troops there. not a lot of room for farming or grazing. I'm fairly certain you either buy them or, you know...take them. I honestly thought that was part of why you gained power when you established a camp in a given zone (save for perhaps the hinterlands). It would become less necessary the more the Inquisition rose in power, but I myself wonder how exactly the Inquisition gathered supplies when it was still an upstart organization. And to add to the conversation. I thought the majority of skyhold's relevance was how it was located on 'neutral' territory (Sort of. It's located on the border of Orlais and Ferelden) and that can prove extremely useful if you are an organization no one wants. It gives you leave to exist without upsetting too many powers.
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Post by Prince on Jan 21, 2017 18:40:16 GMT
3) Cassandra not being the military commander of the Inquisition. 5) The location and design of Skyhold. It sits in a crater high on a mountain. The only way in and out is a single thin bridge. This is an absolute logistical nightmare for an army. 6) The Grey Wardens panicking with the fake Calling. This is a thousand-year-old organization of grizzled veterans and they behave like stupid children especially quivering before the Inquisition. And then accepting either of the orders of a young uppity organization called the Inquisition. 8) Morrigan, an unknown apostate, previously a person who had trouble with the concept of a handshake, became an expert player of Orlesian politics and intrigue and became an trsuted adviser of the Empress. 3] She could have been offered it but refused it. From what I understand, Seekers are not as numerous as the Templars and specialised in overcoming rogue templars. They're the overseers of the Templar Order whereas the latter are more of an army assigned to watch the mages all over Southern Thedas. 5] Skyhold was built by the ancient Elves and they, as we know, did not need typical gates to travel anywhere. For all we know, there could have been an enormous eluvian in the castle in ages past. In the present, the main bulk of the Inquisition army is not in the castle but down in the valley. 6] It's easy to say the Wardens are stupid to panic. They were expecting a slow gradual buildup over the years, a slow reduction in their numbers, not the sudden blare ringing in their heads and that everyone would go at once. Can anyone think coherently / logically in such circumstances? The strongest would fight back, the weakest would scrabble for any solution to make it stop and those unable to cope, may even suicide. Accepting the Inquisition lead is the only choice of redemption they have once news of what they had done is public. They will be condemned and rejected everywhere. 8) It has been ten years. Morrigan has always struck me as a clever woman. She's a fast learner. 3)I see Cassandra and Michel de Chevin as better candidates for the position compared to Cullen.He is a good Templar but he is just that. To be the military adviser or a startup organization like the Inquisition, I would think that the person occupying that role should have experience leading a military force or managing a military force, being trained to fight different types of enemies and have a good knowledge of military tactics and strategy.There are better candidates for military adviser out there. Sir Michel de Chevin from The Masked Empire. He is an Orlesian Chevalier or a former Chevalier. He actually trained in a proper military institution and survived the grueling tests. Which must also mean he must have knowledge on military tactics and strategy. He also has a good track record in a sense that he was Empress Celene's bodyguard and champion. He dueled and won against Gaspard. He has faced different types of foes. His knowledge of the Imperial Court and The Grand Game will be very useful to the Inquisitor. 5)Which means the castle will serve no purpose if an enemy can find and defeat the main bulk in the valley. 7)The writing behind the GW of Orlais was incredibly contrived and felt very forced,it just doesn't make any sense. 8)It was never explained how Celine came to knew about Morrigan in the first place,nor how they were able to meet with each other,it just happens because "reasons".
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Post by cooldude on Jan 21, 2017 18:47:50 GMT
My guess is that Skyhold is getting food and supplies from the nobles that support them, and the merchants that come to trade. In Haven, you can spot the Quarter master having a conversation about purchasing food, and you can spot other traders talking with people like the blacksmith, the apothecary, etc. Cullen also has soldiers gathering supplies in the areas you take over.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by shechinah on Jan 21, 2017 19:21:47 GMT
3)I see Cassandra and Michel de Chevin as better candidates for the position compared to Cullen.He is a good Templar but he is just that. To be the military adviser or a startup organization like the Inquisition, I would think that the person occupying that role should have experience leading a military force or managing a military force, being trained to fight different types of enemies and have a good knowledge of military tactics and strategy.There are better candidates for military adviser out there. Sir Michel de Chevin from The Masked Empire. He is an Orlesian Chevalier or a former Chevalier. He actually trained in a proper military institution and survived the grueling tests. Which must also mean he must have knowledge on military tactics and strategy. He also has a good track record in a sense that he was Empress Celene's bodyguard and champion. He dueled and won against Gaspard. He has faced different types of foes. His knowledge of the Imperial Court and The Grand Game will be very useful to the Inquisitor. I haven't found anything that indicated that Chevaliers were educated to fit the role of military commander: all I can find has Chevaliers be shaped by their training with the intent to create the perfect soldier for the Orlesian Empire in terms of discipline, endurance, swordsmanship and loyalty to the empire. There are Chevaliers that serve in commanding positions in the military but nothing I found indicates that their chevalier training educated them on how the hows of that as oppose to the position being acquired by way of them rising in rank or paying their way through fianncial means or social connections.
I don't think Michel de Chevin is ever mentioned to have held any such position or as having any experience or knowledge when it comes to managing and commanding forces. I could be mistaken but nowhere I looked mentioned anything of the sort. It is also important to remember that being a good soldier or bodyguard do not necessarily equal being a good commander.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights
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Post by gervaise21 on Jan 21, 2017 21:30:36 GMT
I didn't see anything wrong with Cullen being commander of the military forces. He was second in command to Meredith after all and the Gallows comprised a very large force of Templars, which is a military unit. By contrast, so far as I can tell, Seekers tend to work on their own or in small groups because essentially they were meant to be the overseers of the Templar order. Cassandra was Right Hand of the Divine but I'm not clear how many personnel that put her in charge of.
As for Michel de Chevin, he had no actual experience of commanding a group of soldiers having spent much of his life since becoming a fully fledged Chevalier as Celene's personal bodyguard. I think Cullen gets it about right when he recommends that we use Michel to train recruits, which would make sense seeing as he is familiar with Chevalier training methods.
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Post by xerrai on Jan 21, 2017 21:35:44 GMT
3)I see Cassandra and Michel de Chevin as better candidates for the position compared to Cullen.He is a good Templar but he is just that. To be the military adviser or a startup organization like the Inquisition, I would think that the person occupying that role should have experience leading a military force or managing a military force, being trained to fight different types of enemies and have a good knowledge of military tactics and strategy.There are better candidates for military adviser out there. Sir Michel de Chevin from The Masked Empire. He is an Orlesian Chevalier or a former Chevalier. He actually trained in a proper military institution and survived the grueling tests. Which must also mean he must have knowledge on military tactics and strategy. He also has a good track record in a sense that he was Empress Celene's bodyguard and champion. He dueled and won against Gaspard. He has faced different types of foes. His knowledge of the Imperial Court and The Grand Game will be very useful to the Inquisitor. I haven't found anything that indicated that Chevaliers were educated to fit the role of military commander: all I can find has Chevaliers be shaped by their training with the intent to create the perfect soldier for the Orlesian Empire in terms of discipline, endurance, swordsmanship and loyalty to the empire. There are Chevaliers that serve in commanding positions in the military but nothing I found indicates that their chevalier training educated them on how the hows of that as oppose to the position being acquired by way of them rising in rank or paying their way through fianncial means or social connections.
I don't think Michel de Chevin is ever mentioned to have held any such position or as having any experience or knowledge when it comes to managing and commanding forces. I could be mistaken but nowhere I looked mentioned anything of the sort. It is also important to remember that being a good soldier or bodyguard do not necessarily equal being a good commander.
I would also like to add that while templar and chevalier training are likely different on fundamental levels, I do not think one is necessarily better at leadership than the other. Same goes with martial combat training. Both are trained like military regiments, with clear chains of command and so on. So I don't see why templars are less effective than chevaliers when it comes to leading an army/regiment. Arguably it is the templars that have more experience moving as trained units into high-combat situations because they are constantly being deployed to combat magic, whereas chevaliers are mostly being deployed at the whims of the nobility, or serving as city guards when there is no war going on. They are both are from "proper military institutions" (to use Prince's words) but they were not necessarily focused on the same topics. Cullen was a Knight-Captain for several years before joining the Inquisition, and while Michele De Chevin was mostly a soldier/bodyguard/champion for most of his career but as far as I know has actually not been in a leading position for an extended period of time. So in terms of experience, Cullen was actually a pretty good pick if you wanted someone to deal with a threat head on (though obviously he has little grasp on politics). Maybe I would have added Michele as a political advisor, but I don't see him as Commander material. Or at least not on the same level Cullen is. That being said, there is some part of me that would have preferred picking another Knight Captain with a...less obvious history of trauma interfering with his duty on some level (but then again Cullen has grown/healed considerably since his DA2 days). But I can totally see why Cullen was chosen.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights
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Post by gervaise21 on Jan 21, 2017 21:40:04 GMT
Okay, here's another oddity, why (apart from copying Game of Thrones) does Leliana use ravens for carrying messages? Are they meant to be intelligent like owls in Harry Potter because otherwise how do they know where to go? It works for them coming home to Skyhold but what about sending them out to places across Thedas where they have never been before?
It was established in Asunder that the Circles have sending stones for transmitting messages between them and Dorian gives us a sending crystal to keep in touch, both of which methods seem a lot quicker, safer and more reliable than using birds. Dorian claimed he got the sending crystal by virtue of being part of the Inquisition, not because he got it from back home. Regardless, the technology is there. Using ravens when there is better technology available would be like the modern army using carrier pigeons.
Note: When Ghengis Khan wanted to transmit messages quickly across his vast empire, he used a relay of post riders, not birds.
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Post by xerrai on Jan 21, 2017 21:57:08 GMT
Okay, here's another oddity, why (apart from copying Game of Thrones) does Leliana use ravens for carrying messages? Are they meant to be intelligent like owls in Harry Potter because otherwise how do they know where to go? It works for them coming home to Skyhold but what about sending them out to places across Thedas where they have never been before? It was established in Asunder that the Circles have sending stones for transmitting messages between them and Dorian gives us a sending crystal to keep in touch, both of which methods seem a lot quicker, safer and more reliable than using birds. Dorian claimed he got the sending crystal by virtue of being part of the Inquisition, not because he got it from back home. Regardless, the technology is there. Using ravens when there is better technology available would be like the modern army using carrier pigeons. Note: When Ghengis Khan wanted to transmit messages quickly across his vast empire, he used a relay of post riders, not birds. I imagine the issue lies with two possible factors: 1. Cost/Rarity and/or 2. Political reasons The magical nature of these devices imply that they are fairly hard to come by (Dorian only got it because of the inquisition, yes? It implies that there is some port of barrier to acquiring it) or hard to maintain. In which case, it is simply not feasible to ensure that these magical technologies become widespread enough to be a normal thing. But it is possible that it is easy to acquire. That the reason it is not so widespread is more political than economic. Can you not imagine several world powers taking issue with the idea that information can be transmitted from point A to point B with extreme ease? Possibly even being transported past national lines? Governments in general take a lot of interest in maintain the flow of information/communication, and the Chantry especially takes an interest in this as it a prime way of controlling their Circles of Magi (its part of why the College of Magi was dissolved when they felt rebellion was eminent).
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Post by xilizhra on Jan 22, 2017 3:00:10 GMT
Okay, here's another oddity, why (apart from copying Game of Thrones) does Leliana use ravens for carrying messages? Are they meant to be intelligent like owls in Harry Potter because otherwise how do they know where to go? It works for them coming home to Skyhold but what about sending them out to places across Thedas where they have never been before? It was established in Asunder that the Circles have sending stones for transmitting messages between them and Dorian gives us a sending crystal to keep in touch, both of which methods seem a lot quicker, safer and more reliable than using birds. Dorian claimed he got the sending crystal by virtue of being part of the Inquisition, not because he got it from back home. Regardless, the technology is there. Using ravens when there is better technology available would be like the modern army using carrier pigeons. Note: When Ghengis Khan wanted to transmit messages quickly across his vast empire, he used a relay of post riders, not birds. IIRC, they're special, intelligent ravens. I'm adamant about the alleged Dalish mage retcon not being a retcon at all, just a fringe clan practice.
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Post by lobselvith8 on Jan 22, 2017 3:04:37 GMT
Okay, here's another oddity, why (apart from copying Game of Thrones) does Leliana use ravens for carrying messages? Are they meant to be intelligent like owls in Harry Potter because otherwise how do they know where to go? It works for them coming home to Skyhold but what about sending them out to places across Thedas where they have never been before? It was established in Asunder that the Circles have sending stones for transmitting messages between them and Dorian gives us a sending crystal to keep in touch, both of which methods seem a lot quicker, safer and more reliable than using birds. Dorian claimed he got the sending crystal by virtue of being part of the Inquisition, not because he got it from back home. Regardless, the technology is there. Using ravens when there is better technology available would be like the modern army using carrier pigeons. Note: When Ghengis Khan wanted to transmit messages quickly across his vast empire, he used a relay of post riders, not birds. IIRC, they're special, intelligent ravens. I'm adamant about the alleged Dalish mage retcon not being a retcon at all, just a fringe clan practice. If that was the intent, I don't think we would repeatedly hear it as if it was common practice among the Dalish. It doesn't really make much sense that the Dalish would have the same views on magic and mages as Andrastians, particularly when Iron Bull says that they do this because they don't have templars present in the clans.
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Post by xilizhra on Jan 22, 2017 3:07:47 GMT
IIRC, they're special, intelligent ravens. I'm adamant about the alleged Dalish mage retcon not being a retcon at all, just a fringe clan practice. If that was the intent, I don't think we would repeatedly hear it as if it was common practice among the Dalish. It doesn't really make much sense that the Dalish would have the same views on magic and mages as Andrastians, particularly when Iron Bull says that they do this because they don't have templars present in the clans. Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin.
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Post by lobselvith8 on Jan 22, 2017 3:13:00 GMT
If that was the intent, I don't think we would repeatedly hear it as if it was common practice among the Dalish. It doesn't really make much sense that the Dalish would have the same views on magic and mages as Andrastians, particularly when Iron Bull says that they do this because they don't have templars present in the clans. Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin. I never thought it made much sense. It seems like it's trying to invalidate the Dalish as an alternative to the Chantry controlled Circles, but given that they're already truncating a continental war into a small regional conflict in the Hinterlands and the Dalish don't play a role in the Mage-Templar War at all, that doesn't seem to serve any real purpose. If you're looking for "wiggle room", you might like the short Minaeve story.
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Post by Lazarillo on Jan 22, 2017 3:47:26 GMT
Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin. Also possible perhaps that she "lost" the competition to be First? So she achieved adulthood, but by then they already had a Keeper and a First, so they kicked her out? I agree it's dumb, but it still works without making her an exact clone of Minaeve.
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Post by phoray on Jan 22, 2017 4:02:36 GMT
If that was the intent, I don't think we would repeatedly hear it as if it was common practice among the Dalish. It doesn't really make much sense that the Dalish would have the same views on magic and mages as Andrastians, particularly when Iron Bull says that they do this because they don't have templars present in the clans. Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin. Isn't there a theory that she's a Solas spy out there? Except she dies of the chargers die. I think.
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Post by lobselvith8 on Jan 22, 2017 4:04:51 GMT
Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin. Isn't there a theory that she's a Solas spy out there? Except she dies of the chargers die. I think. Yeah, the fate of 'Dalish' is tied to that of the Chargers.
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Post by xilizhra on Jan 22, 2017 4:10:52 GMT
Well, as has been stated repeatedly, the concept is fucking stupid, and I believe in using all possible wiggle room. Also, I'm fairly sure Bull's Dalish is lying about her origins; either she hit adulthood at about 8 at most, or she was exiled well after her magic manifested, because she has vallaslin. Isn't there a theory that she's a Solas spy out there? Except she dies of the chargers die. I think. It's not as though Solas gives that much of a damn about dead pawns.
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