The next DRAGON AGE™: Behind the scenes at BioWare

I think the beginnings of critical theory and the scientific method already exist in Thedas. Throughout the series we meet and assist several individuals in experiments and observation of the natural world.

Plus, as of the end of DAI, we have the independent circle now. I'd argue that most of what mages do is, in fact, science.

1) This comes down to a couple of factors.  1.  Cullen has been a Templar for years, he has been training with the order for years and years ever since he was a young (pre teen ? ) boy.  He has a very intimate understanding of what it means to be a Templar and what they are capable of.  He was also the 2IC for the Kirkwall circle so he was also internally well respected.  If anything Leiliana and Josie's motives seem a little suspect to me given that Lel should know better given her experience with Templars and Josie would be ignorant on the subject.  2.  Cullen's description matches up with what we have seen in the previous two games and even further expanded on in Inquisition (my understanding anyways).  Templars are specialists in disrupting and dealing with magical problems, weakening it, reinforcing reality, etc.  All of which could be very useful in stopping the breach.  To call this 'nonsense Templar rhetoric' certainly seems biased in the extreme.  And yes they may not fully know the ins and outs of their abilities but then I do not need to understand how exactly a gun works in order to shoot an intruder dead *looks at the above conversation...chortles*  

2) Champions of the Just is a line in the Chant of Light...all of the main quests in DAI was inspired by the Chant of light.  

3) If its not a truly valid comparison then why did you make it in the first place?  In either case though, at least for me, it does not really work.  In neither case were any of the characters ruined (I still like both Han and Fiona, loved Luke), and none of the new characters needed any help being awesome, they were great in their own right.  Adding flaws to characters and having them make mistakes isn't ruining a character, I tend to think it actually improves them.  

4) And yes, which is why I will be sorely tempted to drive a arrow into Lucanis's eye if I ever meet him in game.  

5) I disagree with that assessment.  Granted the Chantry also has a looooonnnnnng way to go before it can become a true force for liberty and safety for all members of theodosian society but they are far more along the road then any other major organization or race in the setting.  (Unless of course the Qun is also a perverted version of what it once was)...you know as odd as this sounds I am going to shift gears majorly here kind of mid stream and mid sentence so bear with me.  And granted I still maintain the above to be true from a certain perspective, after all the Chantry has had its history of reformers and those who have treated other races and the oppressed kindly, and even today that is especially true given most of the leadership options of the modern organization have seen the problems with Chantry dogma and are working to change/ reform it in their varying ways.  

However given how much the Chantry has been a problem organizationally and given how much Dragon Age seems to look down on organizations in general (Solas's speech at the end of Tresspasser) I think it would be better to distinguish between Andrastanism and The Chantry.  The Chantry is a corrupt continent spanning organization which tends to encourage people's worse instincts but Andrastianism...if we are to believe a whole host of historical figures we have bumped into and statements in the lore...was very tolerant of other people's beliefs and existance.  Now the question then becomes can the chantry be brought in line with the original intentions of Andrastae or will the organization need to be disbanded and we start from scratch  (like we can already do with the Templars), only time will tell...but yes as of now freedom/safety is more possible along those lines then under any of the other major organizations on the continent, especially the Qun.

Most of these individuals aren't radical in their belief--they're more like Brother Genetivi than anything--but religious belief is in no way truly indicative of intelligence or compassion or what have you.

1) Incivility? Honestly? The last paragraph in the initial post of yours comes across as pretty much the first half of the following quote, give or take a few words.

2) I already said (several times?) that "nonsense rhetoric" doesn't refer to their abilities as described in lore (as opposed to actual gameplay). I don't know how you come to infer that from the quote. I do find it odd that Cassandra of all people does not advocate for using templar dispel though. Yes, she's a spirit warrior (unknowingly, at this point, anyway), but I suppose it would be in character for her regardless.

Ahem. Focusing on the topic of the thread, I wonder if the old Tevinter language Tevene will be used. I remember someone mentioning it was the Thedas version of Latin (no human scholar would dare to learn the Elven tongue) and that it was the script many spellbooks are written in. Though considering how much the Tevinters scavenged from the Ancient Elves, it wouldn't surprise me if the language has its roots in the Elven alphabet.

Neither is the lack of it?
To be honest, Ferdinand "I want to learn about people so they are easier to convert" Genitivi is a shitty example. I'll take someone like Suvi from MEA who isn't supporting cultural genocide over him. Too bad Bioware handled the discussion with her about science vs. religion rather badly, i.e. ending up giving Ryder the choice between either dismissing her completely or declare themselves a believer (unless Ryder tries to end the discussion early).

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason why humans can perform magic, it might also explain the origin of the Qunari, Elves mutated via Dragon Blood to become powerful slaves. Based on what Nights showed us I wouldn't be surprised if Ghilan'nain had a hand in their creation. Why else would they have magic, and it would connect them to the rest of Thedas in a way. After all the Empire of Elvenhan apparently stretched throughout the whole continent, it wasn't just limited to the remnants in the Forest of Arlathan. Some Elven survivors might have found the primitive humans an sought to use them as an army. Even lacking immortality they still had magic, (most I imagine), but when they started ageing and having human children it was too late to back out. Again this would have to be humanity before written records because when the Ancient Tevinters discovered the Elves (again) they didn't know what they were, aside from having magic and looking vaguely human. 

I’d love to see a properly evil ancient elf make the scene. Having someone who is basically elven Thanos like Solas is fine, but I’d love to see a properly evil knife-ear supremacist lol.

MCU Thanos. That whole courting the literal personification of death was always kind of hilarious. 

Yeah, in hindsight it would be lazy. We got our fill of 'Ancient Elves= A Wizard did it' in Inquisition. Still I wonder what humans were like before Tevinter or the Neromenians.