Ah, I had only seen the pac man thing from google.Google gave me a chuckle this year:
Spoiler
eta: oh yeah! And did everyone see BioWare's prank this year? NugElope, the Nug Dating Sim.
I pretty much post only on AO3 these days. I left ffnet years ago and have been toying with posting there again, but their formatting and internal organization is still... really frustrating. The site is almost twenty years old now and still very much feels like handling a 90's geocities archive, with that file manager system of theirs. There is exposure there from an audience that doesn't know AO3 (ffnet is the first thing on any search engine when you look for "___ fanfiction" so every new generation of fans will look there first before they branch out to other sites), but they also have the issue of feedback being very flaky there. AO3 at least has the Kudos system, that lets you know people are enjoying your stuff even if they don't have a lot to say about it.
R2 mentioned tumblr, and that's a great place to get quick exposure by posting links to your fics on more permanent archives, but I really don't recommend using it as a permanent home for your writing. Not only there is no reasonable way to search for anything on tumblr, the easy and volatile nature of how people change their usernames at a moment's whim makes it impossible to bookmark/archive/recommend links to fics posted there. I was cleaning dead tumblr links on my delicious account this week, and of about ~400 fics from a certain fandom I was in only one or two years ago, only about 10-15 of them can still be traced back to a working link. Everything else is gone, or impossible to find now. So there's never any sense of legacy there, there's never that same feeling as when you look through a tag on AO3 or ffnet and find a fic from two, eight, ten years ago that is still amazing and rocks your world. Use it for exposure if you want to reach a different audience that doesn't frequent forums, but don't make it your only archive.
All in all, AO3 is still my favorite place to post, but also specially to read fic at. It's really easy to find anything you want, read it the way you want (adaptable font size, custom styles if you can't read on white background, downloadable formats if you want to read on your Kindle or phone later); it's easy to give feedback, bookmark, recommend... and there's never background music or rotating gifs to distract you either (*cough*tumblr*
).
I almost get zero traffic on ff.net and hardly any likes, and I have way more on Ao3, Tumblr second, then a good handful on Deviant Art that seems to be picking up since I've submitted to more groups. Tumblr's great for getting the word out about your piece but yeah, not for archiving. I always post on Tumblr first then AO3. I don't think I'm going to bother with ff.net anymore.
*goes to find ninetozero on AO3*
Ah, I had only seen the pac man thing from google.
On the dating sim... TBH I can't really find it too funny. :shrug: My 'let's rip on folks who like the romances' card is full.
Hmm, when you put it that way, yeah, it kind of comes across badly.
From other times we've discussed this, most folks maintain one main account. Ff.n still has the highest overall readership, Altho a lot of the DA fandom has migrated to AO3. Personally, I maintain three, FF.n, ao3, and devart, for historical reasons. Some have further migrated to tumblr, which can provide more real time exposure, but it is not designed as a fic archive, so ymmv.
ah, i'm sorry if i asked a question that had gotten discussed already. i missed that. it sounds like i am not the only person finding ff to be a bit...difficult. thanks for the insight.
Thought I'd share my latest Cullen drawing (still a work in progress). It started as an anatomy exercise. When I posted it initially to my Tumblr, I had only sketched the body and the clothes, but not the face. People then suggested I draw Cullen or Alistair. There were more votes for Cullen, sooooo... 
Oh, and this was my attempt at an April Fool's prank:
I can't remember if it ever got settled on here, but at the ball, Cullen will comment that "I need to have this jacket let out a little" to a non-romanced IQ (I was replaying the start of WE/WH with my Solasmancer to check on a couple of lines, and he surprised me by saying that.) So that's apparently not a romance exclusive line after all. On the other hand, he doesn't apologize later when he comments "at this point, the headache I'm developing is preferable to the company" the way he does to a romanced IQ.
Ah, I had only seen the pac man thing from google.
On the dating sim... TBH I can't really find it too funny. :shrug: My 'let's rip on folks who like the romances' card is full.
Hmm, when you put it that way, yeah, it kind of comes across badly.
Oh......wow yea.....
Thought I'd share my latest Cullen drawing (still a work in progress). It started as an anatomy exercise. When I posted it initially to my Tumblr, I had only sketched the body and the clothes, but not the face. People then suggested I draw Cullen or Alistair. There were more votes for Cullen, sooooo...
*snip*
Oh, and this was my attempt at an April Fool's prank:
Spoiler
Very nice, comin' along swell ^^ Will there be a nsfw version? Heh, joke. Or is it....
Cullen x Amell..
Oh what could have been ..
He's just so cute
I just love his smug 'Eh, as I was saying' look too. He might as well had flicked his hair. He liked that flirt more than he let on hehe
I've always thought it was so weird that the "As I was saying" sashay he does happens even if you don't flirt with him or not. I picked a non flirt for science, and he says some other stuff then "There's still a lot of work to do" and then swaggers away (and he also looks like he's winking at James or whoever). Such a strange choice, as much as I love it.
*snip*
Cullen x Amell..
Oh what could have been ..
source for the painting http://mellorianj.de...union-337919351
ah, i'm sorry if i asked a question that had gotten discussed already. i missed that. it sounds like i am not the only person finding ff to be a bit...difficult. thanks for the insight.
No, no, don't apologize. I only said that to explain what my "sample" was for my answer. The community is shifting so it's a relevant question. Each platform has its pros and cons. I personally still consider ff.n my "primary" site, eventho AO3 has more bells and whistles. But everyone has their own preference as to how to post their stuff and where their readers are.
I can't remember if it ever got settled on here, but at the ball, Cullen will comment that "I need to have this jacket let out a little" to a non-romanced IQ (I was replaying the start of WE/WH with my Solasmancer to check on a couple of lines, and he surprised me by saying that.) So that's apparently not a romance exclusive line after all. On the other hand, he doesn't apologize later when he comments "at this point, the headache I'm developing is preferable to the company" the way he does to a romanced IQ.
I thought it had on the jacket. He definitely says that to a non-romanced IQ. The rest of the lines change, tho, as you say, including his banter, like the "I'm... married to my work." line. 
Pobrecito.
Cullen x Amell..
Oh what could have been ..
source for the painting http://mellorianj.de...union-337919351
and source on the fancast. just keeping the creators with their works!
http://amellheartscu...8/the-harrowing
Hoo boy. celticwolfwalker has developed a new, extra-smoldery version of Cullen. *fans self*
Cullen At Restby CelticWolfwalker
*goes to find ninetozero on AO3*
Aw 
I'm riverbanks on AO3. And... everywhere else. I ought to change my BSN and tumblr name back to that at some point, it was way easier to keep all my accounts connected.
Well, looking at my poor neglected AO3 page just reminded me I should update it with those anon meme fills I haven't archived there yet... new project for the Easter holidays!
Hoo boy. celticwolfwalker has developed a new, extra-smoldery version of Cullen. *fans self*
*snip the smolder*
Cullen At Restby CelticWolfwalker
Chantry decorum : -10.
No shoes, no shirt... extra service! Me-ow!
Very nice, comin' along swell ^^ Will there be a nsfw version? Heh, joke. Or is it....
Hehe 
I think I'll leave a little to the imagination But I have a very nice reference image, so he should look delicious even with some clothes on
Edit: Cullen for top By EverKings:
So, uhm... I finally got the game and after sinking some hours of it, I kinda.. well, I suddenly got this unhealthy obsession over Cullen (there, I've said it).
Wanted to roll a dude and break my 'sticking to 1 LI' curse. But at this rate, I don't think it's possible, LoL
What's worse is.. usually when I play rpg I enjoy grinding up, getting loots and level my character. Now I don't have much patience for it anymore since I just sorta jump into the main campaign in order to progress the romance part >.<'
So uh,, is there any advice from all you good people around here on how to manage my obsession on the ex-templar?
When I first played the game I expected to be wowed and amazed (like many other times when I played other games) never expected to get dragged into the abyss and develop an addiction to a guy that only exist in a computer screen, LoL (cries)
Guess I better stop now before it gets way too embarassing T_T..
Welcome back! I'm not sure how much my advice will help because while I think his is a great romance, I'm not exactly obsessed with it (I might feel differently if he wasn't race-gated from my preferred races, but I also usually prefer romances with more sass to them, more Zevran-and-Isabela-ish cocky self-confidence.) But I play simultaneous PTs, romancing different people with them, so I can try to time romance scenes on one to fill in dry spells on others (Solas's romance has a huge dry spell.) It might help knowing you can jump over and get a kiss from Cullen at any moment on that romance while running another IQ/romance. And I generally play IQs who are gated in some way as well to make sure I stay with those other romances.
and source on the fancast. just keeping the creators with their works!
So..... 
Now we can't post any Cullen pics unless you're the creator .Or if you do post Cullen pics to include the direct link of the source . Or is the Cullen-cult being nit-picky yet again?
R2s muse - okay, thank you. I don't mean to revisit topics long past. I did skim through this thread for answers but, um.. 5000+ pages! i missed it. i had posted all my shenko over at FF, but i don't seem to be seeing much activity there and the doc manager annoys me, anyhow. i'm at ao3 and my hubby built me a site, so that's where i landed.
So, uhm... I finally got the game and after sinking some hours of it, I kinda.. well, I suddenly got this unhealthy obsession over Cullen (there, I've said it).
<snip>
Guess I better stop now before it gets way too embarassing T_T..
Do not be embarrassed! (sage points her finger into the air, emphatically)
sooo, please excuse me a little rant - a rantlet, if you will - (also relevant to the nug dating sim question, which I *think* was in good fun from BW, but I don't know for sure)
It is one of my total pet peeves about gaming that some styles/types of gaming are considered 'more valid' than others. I remember looking up this awesome, totally thorough stat point allocation guide to fallout new vegas. The thing was amazing, but the person who wrote it kept saying things like 'Well, putting state points into charisma is an RP choice, which is to say it's not a choice at all.'
^ and that just bugs me. It bothers me when min-maxing - playing the game for every scrap of XP and loot in a totally OCD fashion - is considered 'real' gaming and sitting back on casual mode and exploring all the characters of the game is not. If you want to play the game as a dating sim, I say go for it. If you want to mod skyrim so it's peopled with furbies, go for it.
I mean, i read that somebody finished DAI in nightmare mode within a day of the game's release. That person got articles on gaming sites written about him/her, like it was this huge achievement - which, hey, it IS. But if my buddies ele and ottemis spend hours making mod retextures, or hours in the CC making amazing looking characters, is that somehow less valid? Why? because it's more about the art and craft than the button-punching? Or if someone (like most of the people on this thread) spends their spare time and considerable talent writing reams of fanfiction and making art, is that somehow less valid than putting up a video of beating the boss in a minute flat?
i mean, the game is an RPG. someone (the writer, brianne battye, at the very least), put a TON of time and effort into the writing of the cullen romance. i think it's totally legit to go nuts for her writing. is going nuts for the gameplay more valid? i don't think either is more important. the game has BOTH elements in it. if one is more important to you, that's just fine.
And frankly, a lot of people like multiple elements of the game. That's why Bioware video games rock so much: there's SO much in them. personally, I try to get every cheevo in the book - the insanity/nightmare run, romance all the toons, find every codex, read them all, make the 'perfect' build. AND i like to sit there musing on the character development and why i think cullen is such an amazing person over all 3 games. i just soak in every corner of the game, and if someone thinks that all i'm doing is fangeeking over the cute boys in it ... well, I AM geeking out over the cute boys, but that's not all i'm doing. if anything thinks that i'm 'just one of those romantic fangirls' that's their mistake. i'm a romantic fangirl AND i'm a gamer. these aren't mutually exclusive.
Sooo, to draw my little rant to a close, I don't think anyone should EVER have to apologize for what they like in a game. not all fans will ship all the same stuff, not every fan will enjoy all the same things in the game. but i think respect for everyone else's enjoyment of the game is where it should start. and then we can all enjoy how the game's art inspires so many people to enjoy themselves and make more art.
and cullen's beautifulness does inspire a lot of art. as it should.
(ahem, end rantlet)
okay, in short, i'm saying, don't apologize. you are noticing and enjoying something that was put there for a reason. and if you never want to play the game for any other reason than to admire cullen, that is just fine. more than fine.
So, uhm... I finally got the game and after sinking some hours of it, I kinda.. well, I suddenly got this unhealthy obsession over Cullen (there, I've said it).
Wanted to roll a dude and break my 'sticking to 1 LI' curse. But at this rate, I don't think it's possible, LoL
What's worse is.. usually when I play rpg I enjoy grinding up, getting loots and level my character. Now I don't have much patience for it anymore since I just sorta jump into the main campaign in order to progress the romance part >.<'
So uh,, is there any advice from all you good people around here on how to manage my obsession on the ex-templar?
When I first played the game I expected to be wowed and amazed (like many other times when I played other games) never expected to get dragged into the abyss and develop an addiction to a guy that only exist in a computer screen, LoL (cries)
Guess I better stop now before it gets way too embarassing T_T..
What's wonderful about Cullen is you can flirt with him throughout the game whether you're in a romance with someone else or not. So I found it easier when romancing Solas and Blackwall cause I could just headcanon a secret romance between Cullen and my Quizzy. Of course you can't start a romance with him and you don't get the really good bits* 
but all the other minor heart emotional bits you can do. I find it really rather sweet actually too.
of course you can roll a Qunari or Dwarf but he will shut you down pretty early on and just knowing where those heart options should be and are not is really distressing lol.
What's wonderful about Cullen is you can flirt with him throughout the game whether you're in a romance with someone else or not. So I found it easier when romancing Solas and Blackwall cause I could just headcanon a secret romance between Cullen and my Quizzy. Of course you can't start a romance with him and you don't get the really good bits*
of course you can roll a Qunari or Dwarf but he will shut you down pretty early on and just knowing where those heart options should be and are not is really distressing lol.
Yeah, tell me about it, lol...
Yeah, tell me about it, lol...
lol my Blackwall romancing dwarf was so frustrated whenever she spoke to Cullen, I was like there should be another option!!! Mashes spot where heart should be...but the chapel scene as a friend I headcanoned the hell out of that. That sweet little move he makes to come stand by her at the end, I was like...he so wants her lol
So, uhm... I finally got the game and after sinking some hours of it, I kinda.. well, I suddenly got this unhealthy obsession over Cullen (there, I've said it).
Wanted to roll a dude and break my 'sticking to 1 LI' curse. But at this rate, I don't think it's possible, LoL
What's worse is.. usually when I play rpg I enjoy grinding up, getting loots and level my character. Now I don't have much patience for it anymore since I just sorta jump into the main campaign in order to progress the romance part >.<'
So uh,, is there any advice from all you good people around here on how to manage my obsession on the ex-templar?
When I first played the game I expected to be wowed and amazed (like many other times when I played other games) never expected to get dragged into the abyss and develop an addiction to a guy that only exist in a computer screen, LoL (cries)
Guess I better stop now before it gets way too embarassing T_T..
Don't be embarrassed! We're all on the same boat - a Cullen filled boat . I don't really have advice since I bought the game at release and I'm still not over Cullen's romance, and still slowly working through a fourth playthrough. Just enjoy the ride I guess?
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