39010 réponses à ce sujet

[Yankee23]

I had an aunt that along with the Jean Nate, used to give me and my sister her old wigs as presents.

Edit: ToP.

Modifié par Yankee23, 08 janvier 2011 - 12:53 .

[Reika]

Wow Schratty, that's almost as nice as Storm's Superstair...

*gets distracted by the picture put up by Yankee*

Modifié par Reika, 08 janvier 2011 - 12:55 .

[Glorfindel709]

I'm fighting with EA to get my Xbl account added to my actual email ..< this is annoying

[inclemency]

Shratty, thank you for posting that! I just love Strom!

[Addai]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

Sure it can, but this will take time. The big difference is that you don't see any urgency, while I see Ferelden as a backwater that needs to make something of itself asap. In that context of urgency, sacrifices have to be made. Then, when the wellfare of the country as a whole is achieved, can we start focusing on the elves.

Yeah, I really don't.  In fact I see the Tevinters and Orlesians' description of Ferelden as backwards as being praising with faint damnation.  Fereldans are culturally more advanced than those backward countries who are less egalitarian, more embroiled with paternalism and religious fundamentalism, more impressed with themselves, and more likely to engage in expensive wars.  So Orlais has big universities and cathedrals- that only certain sorts of people benefit from.

Those banns you like to point to as "the" problem are a sign of Ferelden's health as a nation.  Power is not concentrated in the hands of a very few, but distributed throughout various societal layers and thus kept in check.  The tribal system is also a cultural heritage and to eliminate it is to kill something essential.  It will adapt on its own, but the system itself is not the problem.

Ferelden needs to develop, but basically they are on the right path.

Really the only thing I hate is waste. 
Now however, Ferelden can't afford afford this and the sad reality is that the elves now are not crucial to its development, they are too small, show little sign of any particular skills (compare them to the surface dwarves who are master merchants). Regardless of why (and I don't beliebe it has anything to do with racial theories) and what ought to be, this is the reality on the ground and it's something we cannot ignore. 

It's a function, I think, of the writers being too anxious to make Thedas elves =/Tolkien.  You do see that elves have an edge in crafting and magic, but this is downplayed and the downtrodden aspect played up.  Eventually they are going to have to show elven racial distinctives or else there is no sense in having elves.  If they never do this, then... meh.  My interest in Thedas wanes.

But their uselessness is harmless except to themselves.

You said you abhor waste, right?  I disagree that they are harmless to no one but themselves.  Just ask Fiona.

As for my example of the Romans/ Muslim empires appropriating their minorities, I think we might see this in reverse terms.  IMO these empires became prosperous in part because of the learning and ingenuity of the Greeks and Jews.  So yes, the Andrastian nations have largely pissed away their opportunity to appropriate the strengths of the Dales.  Tevinter probably is a better example, because I think (and I hope we'll see more of this) their greatness and fall will be tied in to Arlathan.

Where this falters, and I think the game writers reflect this pretty well, is on religious fundamentalism.  IOW I see the empires you're talking about as being the products of religious tolerance and not the source of that tolerance.  Scholars debate why the Muslim renaissance faltered, but it's probably at least in part because of a more fundamentalist strain of Islam.  Likewise in Christian Europe, where religious authority was decentralized and moderate, religion actually promoted development, but where it was more rigid and authoritarian, the opposite was true.  Likewise in Thedas, so long as the crown allows the Chantry to promote xenophobia and reinforces it with their economic policy, the elves become a problem to be solved rather than a resource.

Oh, and uh... Alistair is really cute.  LOL

Modifié par Addai67, 08 janvier 2011 - 01:53 .

[CeboCabo]

rak72 wrote...

Because I missed butt shots yesterday:

Holy Maker!  I can't stop staring! 

And as for perfume...do not want to think about it.  A slight sniff of Agua de Colonia and I immediately relive a horrifying memory of one of my aunts.
"Thibran, m'hijo, com geev yor tia a kees..."  *shudder*

[LadyDamodred]

MageTarot wrote...

LadyDamodred wrote...

Tell me more about this Hindsight.  Or is it no longer available?

Hindsight is still available. Go here and read the comic: http://dragonage.bio...fo/pennyarcade/

Thank you muchly.

Out of curiosity, are we going to see Arturo in the Cousland contest?  *can't remember if you're a console player or not*

Modifié par LadyDamodred, 08 janvier 2011 - 02:03 .

[Merilsell]

Rak...what are these swords? Me wants them

I'm crawling through the DR atm....and I have noticed that Lenya hates opponent mages with a passion. She has decapitated five in the row of them by now. Funny

Then again Lenya does love to behead things in general, lol.

And somehow I find these two shots incredibly badass





Wardens on a killling streak, heh.

[LadyDamodred]

Schratty wrote...

MageTarot wrote...

Sure. Strom's hot. But can he pass...

(insert dramatic music here)

THE SUPERMAN UNDERWEAR TEST??????

Haha! I've always thought of Strom as more of a Batman type, myself - what with his murdered parents and all.

>.>
<.<

Tell me you're still entering the contest.  Please, dear god, and use this pic.  With batman undies, it could be used for all 4 categories.

[Yankee23]

Lady D...have you seen Clark KentStair ?

We are being provided with quite the collection of superheros!

Modifié par Yankee23, 08 janvier 2011 - 02:10 .

[LadyDamodred]

Yankee23 wrote...

Lady D...have you seen Clark KentStair ?

I did.  However, Batman > Superman.  And quite frankly, that pose.

Oh.

OH.

I need Alistair right like that in the Batman undies.  *whimpers*

[Yankee23]

Eh...Batman, Superman...give me Alistair and Strom in their undies anyday!

[rak72]

@ Meri - That is a sword and dagger that I made. I think that is the way "Vigelence" is suppose to look. I forgot which texture I used for the dagger, but I think it's also from Awakenngs. It's part of "My Spiffy Set" which I havn't put up, but I can if you want. It also has a ring and leather armor.

Edit: I actualy think thats from "My Kickass Stuff"  which I also haven't uploaded.  It spawns when you reach "friendly" with Alistair.  I think it also comes with a shield , but no ring & no leather.

Modifié par rak72, 08 janvier 2011 - 02:26 .

[Reika]

Strom isn't bad, but I'll keep Alistair.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Addai67 wrote...
Ferelden needs to develop, but basically they are on the right path.

You are talking about ideals without much material consideration. Development and civilisation is based on wealth and a system that functions domestically and in foreign policy. That generally necessitates a bureaucracy and some form of a centralised authority and administration, which is lacking in Ferelden.

And such a system cannot coexist with Banns holding that much power. What I would propose is putting them in a bicameral system and an upper house. But their power has to be reduced to give way to a real effective central authority.

You say Ferelden can defend itself. Really? The Orlesians conquered it with ease and if they didn't assign an idiot of a king as puppet, they would have never lost. Most of the banns that you praise sided with the invaders.

You keep ignoring the fact that banns are killing each other over trivial things and that implicates the army and paralyses the system.  You do so by pointing out that they act as a check as if a check is a good in and of itself. Which is not true, a check that is as chaotic and petty as this will likely cause governmental paralysis that would block any advancement. A check on the power of the throne is a good thing, as long as it's well organised and informed. Banns fighting each other over wool and trees do not constitute a good effective check, any more than a gang of bandits is a good effective check on a centralised government.

Ferelden has a few things in its favor that I see as necessary to create a modern state. First the belief that the king is not the state, but its first servant. And the idea of the Landsmeet. The practical applications however are laughable and what Ferelden needs is to marginalize the banns and to put the middle class in the Landsmeet where they can represent themselves. I would trust them and not the banns, to be a real, effective and sober check.

It's a function, I think, of the writers being too anxious to make Thedas elves =/Tolkien.  You do see that elves have an edge in crafting and magic, but this is downplayed and the downtrodden aspect played up.  Eventually they are going to have to show elven racial distinctives or else there is no sense in having elves.  If they never do this, then... meh.  My interest in Thedas wanes.

Those are the Dales. Not the city elves.

And once again you go from what you think ought to be and try to apply it to what is. I don't see anything special for me to think that they are important. When something shows up, then I'll consider it.

You said you abhor waste, right?  I disagree that they are harmless to no one but themselves.  Just ask Fiona.

Negligible effect. They don't paralyse the government, nor do they fight wars with each other with armies under their command. Like Leliana says, they play a game that is meaningless to anyone except the players.

Addai67 wrote...
 IMO these empires became prosperous in part because of the learning and ingenuity of the Greeks and Jews.

It was accentuated by it yes, but the prosperity was already there, in addition to the political realities of the time (such as being a minority). Historical evidence show that when the political context was that of instability and poverty, acts of intolerance happened. While it did not happen in periods of prosperity and relative peace (at least domestically).

And not to downplay the importance of Jewish scholars, but I don't think their contributions were all that crucial to the Islamic Golden Age. It  would have surely existed without it. Jewish scholarship was most prominent in Al Andalus, but in Baghdad, it was almost non-existant or small enough to not really be noticed. And it was not any less great than Cordoba (in fact it was somewhat greater).

Addai67 wrote...
Scholars debate why the Muslim renaissance faltered, but it's probably at least in part because of a more fundamentalist strain of Islam. 

And how did that arise? Fundamentalism is almost always a reaction. If we are talking about al Andalus, the fundamentalism of the Almoravids and later on the Almohad was a reaction to the collapse of the Umayyad caliphate, internal divisions, invasions from abroad, economic depression..etc. Which seems to suggest that the reverse is true. The more fundamental strains of Islam might have accentuated our decline (and it's those "cultural heritages" that I want purged) but it was a reaction to an already present decline for a variety of reasons, most if not all of which were political and economic in nature.
For sure, they had always been fundamentalist strains all the time, but they grow in strength when the circumstances are in their favor. Just like today in fact.

I think the evidence we have points more strongly that the reverse is true. Tolerance and liberalism require a favorable political and economic context, which they might improve eventually, while fundamentalism is usually a reaction to an already present decline that it ends up accentuating thinking that it's fixing it.

Point is, Ferelden needs to secure its prosperity and advancement first, to create a socio-political environment  favorable to the emancipation of the elves. That is not to say that they should have no rights at all  and that they should be massacred for the hell of it. No. But as it stands now, Ferelden has more important things to worry about. But I would still attempt to use the elves as a cheap labour force in the meantime, apply the rule of law as much as possible, and that's something that can be expanded upon in the future.

As for tribalism and how lovely a cultural heritage that is. Yea, it almost destroyed us several times with petty infighting and it had to take Abd Al Rahman beating the crap out of them for him to build the foundations of the Umayyad Emirate / Caliphate in al Andalus. That's how it became a great civilization. By weakening the tribes and establishing a central authority. Unfortunately other tribes and gangs showed up eventually, and resulted in the Taifas, but all those are socio-economic / political factors. Which is what I am emphasizing. Not ideals.  

Modifié par KnightofPhoenix, 08 janvier 2011 - 02:38 .

[rak72]

I put the kickass stuff on my progect page if anyone wants it. Its only visable to my friends, but I think y'all are my friends. If not, just ask :-)

[Reika]

I'll check it out, rak. I love the Alistair pendant and ring you came up with.



And just because:

[RagingCyclone]

Rak, did you make those changes you mentioned before to the Alistair Adore items?

How about some cheesy grin Alistair.

[Reika]

I still love that grin, despite the roadkill on his face.

[SweetPetunia86]

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf wrote...

MageTarot wrote...

Still not enough Alistair? Here's my contribution...  

Awwww! Alistair man-love always has it's own special brand of squee!:wub::wub:

Umm yummy!! Also I have recently read some really raunchy fan fic of a fling involving Alistair and Anders. It's pretty out there. I wonder do the Devs read and of this stuff.

[rak72]

@ Rage, no I never got around to it.



Because I love scrunchystair too:

[Yankee23]

Here's a silly grin...sans roadkill.

[RagingCyclone]

Ok, I know it's not Sky's BnW, but how about heroic pose Alistair:

[Yankee23]

I like scrunch face, too! Sorry for the scrunch overload, Storm!

[RagingCyclone]

You know, with Maggie I never saw that face. But she did get the "cheeeeeeese?" face: