138881 réponses à ce sujet

[QueenCrow]

Cullen's ingame tarot card is really growing on me and I wouldn't have minded in the slightest if he ended up looking like that in game. 

 

 

Agreed.  You know, it occured to me that I was looking at that card during some war table banter that irked me to badly I've been quietly punishing Leliana ever since.

 

Cullen said, regarding inquiries about him from Halamshiral:  I am not bait!

Leliana said:  Hush.  Just look pretty.

 

It bothered me that the Commander of Inquisition forces is told to stand around behaving like a brothel ****** - nothing against brothels or the idea of Cullen in a brothel.  But I want the Commander's fights to show on him.  I want the lion to look like he has teeth and claws, and has used them.  And the tarot card seems like an honest thing to me - a little dark, a little sad, with a lion's fierce stoicism in his countenance.

 

Screw the styled hair.

[jtav]

I think there is a little "super special bubblegum princess" to his romance. That is, there are moments where I feel like the writer is trying too hard. But you know something? The guy is a catch in DAI. I'm tired of being lied to, abandoned, and generally feeling like a chew toy every time I roll a straight female character. The Trevelyan "type" doesn't come easily for me but I'm going to grit my teeth and see if Trevelyan/Cullen is something I can make work. Because I do want the nice, stable guy.

[MelissaGT]

I don't have trouble recreating my "earned" world states with the Keep because I had so many Wardens that every scenario I could possibly have been interested in seeing through Origins, I already have. Still don't feel comfortable playing with a world state I never did play through myself, because it affects my roleplaying. I know what the zeitgeist of Thedas is in each of my playthroughs because I know what my character was thinking when she made this decision, what my mood was when I went this or that way, so each playthrough is a continuous story that stays consistent within itself, not just assorted ideas thrown together by chance.

Does that make sense? Like, there are very solid reasons why Ariana Trevelyan follows Rowan Hawke follows Elena Cousland; or why Ghill Lavellan follows Mara Hawke follows Allis Surana. These are not random playthroughs just copypasted together, or random choices put together at the Keep for kicks, they are intrinsically connected and I need to understand them as one long-running story to roleplay the current character in a way that feels fulfilling to me.

Anyway, that's how I roleplay my characters, and yeah, it is rather OCD, but. To each their own manias. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Totally understandable. 

 

I just can't bring myself to actually get through an US playthrough. I only wanted to import that into DA:I once, so I was like "nope, not doin' it - Keep for me!" Pretty much every other combination I want I've played through at least once.

[QueenCrow]

I think a large part of the Cullenmance is what you make of it. You want sugared sweetrolls? Go for it. You want drama? Go for it. My canon IQ is a Templar who romanced a Cullen still on lyrium - oh I took that one to a whole new level of drama - and anon hate on Tumblr. 

 

In my opinon, those kinds of insights are often the best.  If you ever care to share that whole new level of drama, please point me in the right direction to your canon.

[Tishina]

I don't have trouble recreating my "earned" world states with the Keep because I had so many Wardens that every scenario I could possibly have been interested in seeing through Origins, I already have. Still don't feel comfortable playing with a world state I never did play through myself, because it affects my roleplaying. I know what the zeitgeist of Thedas is in each of my playthroughs because I know what my character was thinking when she made this decision, what my mood was when I went this or that way, so each playthrough is a continuous story that stays consistent within itself, not just assorted ideas thrown together by chance.

Does that make sense? Like, there are very solid reasons why Ariana Trevelyan follows Rowan Hawke follows Elena Cousland; or why Ghill Lavellan follows Mara Hawke follows Allis Surana. These are not random playthroughs just copypasted together, or random choices put together at the Keep for kicks, they are intrinsically connected and I need to understand them as one long-running story to roleplay the current character in a way that feels fulfilling to me.

Anyway, that's how I roleplay my characters, and yeah, it is rather OCD, but. To each their own manias. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think it's a lot of fun to hear all the different ways people approach things, from creating worldstates they'd never actually play so they can get the effects of them to replaying to get things exactly right all the way through for a particular inquisitor.

 

I've linked specific worldstates together because I imagine the returning characters from DAO being influenced in certain ways and reacting to the Inquisitor partly based on that, and also because I think a particular Inquisitor may have been influenced by stories of that particular HOF. So my Dalish S&S Champion followed a Dalish warden who followed Morrigan through the Eluvian (specifically because I wanted a Dalish to have the conversation with Morrigan about her relationship with him.)  My first two dwarven IQs are paired with dwarven wardens with the same class because I like the idea of them identifying with them ("spit on the casteless and Carta if you like, but Thedas owes its collective a*s to two of us now.") But my Cullenmancing Dalish mage's world has a Cousland assassin rogue who's Alistair's queen but romancing Zevran for complicated reasons. And I've paired my Dalish warrior who kept Alistair with her with a male rogue qunari just because I have fits of giggles at the idea of Alistair's reaction to having a qunari with an overt sense of humor flirt with him after his experience with Sten.

 

On the other hand, I don't worry about having all the specific details of a particular PT correct in the keep, only the ones that appear to have an effect in DAI.

[MelissaGT]

In my opinon, those kinds of insights are often the best.  If you ever care to share that whole new level of drama, please point me in the right direction to your canon.

 

Oh boy, don't get me started. 

 

Here's a link to Rhiannon's backstory:

 

http://melissagt.tum...mplar-backstory

 

And here's are links to the fanvids I made for her:

 

"Familiar Taste of Poison"

 

"Victoriam Speramus"

 

There is also a link in my sig to most of the conversation cutscenes. I just have a couple more left to upload. 

[Tishina]

I think there is a little "super special bubblegum princess" to his romance. That is, there are moments where I feel like the writer is trying too hard. But you know something? The guy is a catch in DAI. I'm tired of being lied to, abandoned, and generally feeling like a chew toy every time I roll a straight female character. The Trevelyan "type" doesn't come easily for me but I'm going to grit my teeth and see if Trevelyan/Cullen is something I can make work. Because I do want the nice, stable guy.

I would have liked a little more background to his changing attitudes since it all happened off-screen, but considering he's the only male romance option for a female inquisitor that anyone would take home to meet the family (and at that, only a particularly open-minded Dalish clan...)

[wiccame]

I think there is a little "super special bubblegum princess" to his romance. That is, there are moments where I feel like the writer is trying too hard. But you know something? The guy is a catch in DAI. I'm tired of being lied to, abandoned, and generally feeling like a chew toy every time I roll a straight female character. The Trevelyan "type" doesn't come easily for me but I'm going to grit my teeth and see if Trevelyan/Cullen is something I can make work. Because I do want the nice, stable guy.

I think that's just his character tbh. He's the proverbial knight in shining armour type. Strong, protective and cares for the general well being of others. Dedicated to his path so much so to the exclusion of all else so private and personal matters are a second thought.

He now has someone that he can love and protect that is 'just for him'.  It probably doesn't help that he is stuck at base while she is off every day facing untold dangers and he cannot be there by her side to protect her so him being the way he is with her when he can be with her is just what he feels is the only thing he can be with her.

Also I think the writer or someone reporting back to her might have spied in here a few times during development and decided to surprise us

[QueenCrow]

Oh boy, don't get me started. 

 

Here's a link to Rhiannon's backstory:

 

http://melissagt.tum...mplar-backstory

 

And here's are links to the fanvids I made for her:

 

"Familiar Taste of Poison"

 

"Victoriam Speramus"

 

There is also a link in my sig to most of the conversation cutscenes. I just have a couple more left to upload. 

 

I love the videos, especially "The Familiar Taste of Poison" and, perhaps affected by the lyrics, I can't tell whether you mean the lyrium is poison or the romance is poison, but guessing at it is a good thing.  I can see perhaps why you got a little tumblr hate.  You've picked up on some controversial things, the things that aren't quite black and white.  Some people like their boundaries in tact, but I think the kind of vulnerabilities you've plucked out of a video game characters are ...intriguing, interesting, compelling.  The whole new level of drama you've got going isn't boring.  Your Inquisitor's backstory was a particularly good read for me.  It seems as if you've made a matching pair in your character and the Commander and have let both knights in shining armor show their tarnish a little bit.  Please correct me if I've got it wrong, but the match, the tarnish, the familiar 'poison', makes them fascinating, in my opinion. 

 

Thanks for sharing.

[MelissaGT]

I love the videos, especially "The Familiar Taste of Poison" and, perhaps affected by the lyrics, I can't tell whether you mean the lyrium is poison or the romance is poison, but guessing at it is a good thing.  I can see perhaps why you got a little tumblr hate.  You've picked up on some controversial things, the things that aren't quite black and white.  Some people like their boundaries in tact, but I think the kind of vulnerabilities you've plucked out of a video game characters are ...intriguing, interesting, compelling.  The whole new level of drama you've got going isn't boring.  Your Inquisitor's backstory was a particularly good read for me.  It seems as if you've made a matching pair in your character and the Commander and have let both knights in shining armor show their tarnish a little bit.  Please correct me if I've got it wrong, but the match, the tarnish, the familiar 'poison', makes them fascinating, in my opinion. 

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

You got it perfectly! That's exactly what I was going for. Rhiannon and Cullen aren't good for each other, but they need each other - totally toxic situation. I hope hope hope they have a happy ending. I've added to my "head canon" that Rhiannon has decided that she is going to work with Cass to help rebuild the Seekers and Templar Order. Together they'll try to come up with a way for the Templars to do their job without the lyrium. This is all until Bioware says otherwise of course. I hope they give us an official answer to the lyrium thing but who knows. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the "happy" stories too, but I tend to gravitate towards the angsty, sad tales when it comes to video games, movies, books, etc. I guess it could be because I don't like that sort of drama in my real life, so I enjoy shaking things up with my fiction? I dunno, that reason makes sense to me, lol. 

 

I did get some hate for that vid, but honestly I got more kudos than anything. Someone even got some inspiration for it for a really great (and sad!) fic:

 

http://archiveofouro...g/works/3720085

 

And if only one person got inspiration from it, that's enough for me. I'm very happy about it, and I will be making others of my other IQ's.

[stop_him]

I think there is a little "super special bubblegum princess" to his romance. That is, there are moments where I feel like the writer is trying too hard. But you know something? The guy is a catch in DAI. I'm tired of being lied to, abandoned, and generally feeling like a chew toy every time I roll a straight female character. The Trevelyan "type" doesn't come easily for me but I'm going to grit my teeth and see if Trevelyan/Cullen is something I can make work. Because I do want the nice, stable guy.

All hail stability. I disliked the contrived angst of DAO and DA2: Alistair dumping you to be king + Morrigan's lame god baby, Anders being Anders, mopey Fenris, now Blackwall and Solas... Not every straight female romance needs a Twilight angle. 

[MelissaGT]

One thing about Cullen that's been bothering me, but in a good way in recent playthroughs, is it's hard to not want to romance him. Lol that guy seems to have a thing for my Lavellan even when no flirting's involved! She's strictly for Solas, but always seems to have some close bond with Cullen that makes me wonder if they are closer than I allowed! 

 

My Lavellan is totally going for both... 

[Owlfruit Potion]

I think there is a little "super special bubblegum princess" to his romance. That is, there are moments where I feel like the writer is trying too hard. But you know something? The guy is a catch in DAI. I'm tired of being lied to, abandoned, and generally feeling like a chew toy every time I roll a straight female character. The Trevelyan "type" doesn't come easily for me but I'm going to grit my teeth and see if Trevelyan/Cullen is something I can make work. Because I do want the nice, stable guy.

It sounds from the rest of your post like you haven't started his romance yet--are you basing the part in bold on watching it through on YouTube or something? Of the other LIs whose romances I've looked into at all, most (all?) call the PC "my lady" or "beloved" or "my heart" or what have you, whereas Cullen just calls you "you" in person or by your first name to his sister. He shows or tells you often that you're important to him, but never in a flowery or overwrought way. He's emotionally supportive and physically affectionate, but so is Garrus, and no one ever goes on about how his romance is made of cotton candy.

 

Aside from the occasional awkwardness (which I can agree is overdone by fandom but which I really don't think was overdone in-game--and again, Garrus), the only remotely cutesy thing I can think of Cullen saying is "yours is the only attention worth having," which (1) I wouldn't trade even if it is syrupy because it made me blush IRL for what may have been the first time in years, and (2) this is subjective interpretation, but it seemed like an honest, annoyed-introvert statement on his part that he realized halfway through was coming out smoother than expected, like the "you're not distracting" bit in DA:O.

 

I just don't see it. Maybe everyone I know IRL is secretly a former Barney the Dinosaur cast member or something and my sense of this is weirdly calibrated. Or maybe it has to do with a character in this fandom being interested in a fem PC but not hypersexualized, broody, or a liar. (And that's not a knock on the other LIs. I do love Isabela/Zevran/IB, Fenris/Anders, and Alistair/Anders/Blackwall, respectively. Solas I can take or leave. Well, and I love Anders as a character but haven't tried his romance and don't think I'd like it.) Having never played or YouTubed Merrill or Josie's romances I can't speak to those, and maybe they've got a point with Leliana's butterfly eyelash thing, but the "sugar rush" reaction to Cullen confuses me unless the person saying it is looking at fanon instead of canon.

 

Do people say it about Cassandra, btw? Not much about her (as a romance, as opposed to a Ripped, Bear-Punching Imaginary BFF) seems to come across my tumblr dash.

[stop_him]

It sounds from the rest of your post like you haven't started his romance yet--are you basing the part in bold on watching it through on YouTube or something? Of the other LIs whose romances I've looked into at all, most (all?) call the PC "my lady" or "beloved" or "my heart" or what have you, whereas Cullen just calls you "you" in person or by your first name to his sister. He shows or tells you often that you're important to him, but never in a flowery or overwrought way. He's emotionally supportive and physically affectionate, but so is Garrus, and no one ever goes on about how his romance is made of cotton candy.

 

Except when you dance after Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, there he addresses you as "my lady," as in "May I have this dance, my lady." It's the only time he does. It's a nice touch of an attempt at Chivalry. 

 

Cullen is the ideal middle ground between Blackwall who's trying too hard to be a KISA because he's not a KISA, and IB who's like, "Nice t!ts."

[riverbanks]

(slightly OT)

 

Hey guys, DAO and DA2 are on the latest Humble Bundle. If you don't have one or any of them on the PC, you can get both for as low as U$5 right now. (plus ME2, and more games coming up later, likely ME1 among them?)

 

EA/Origin are foregoing all profits from this bundle, so it's all going straight to charity, too.

[jtav]

It sounds from the rest of your post like you haven't started his romance yet--are you basing the part in bold on watching it through on YouTube or something? Of the other LIs whose romances I've looked into at all, most (all?) call the PC "my lady" or "beloved" or "my heart" or what have you, whereas Cullen just calls you "you" in person or by your first name to his sister. He shows or tells you often that you're important to him, but never in a flowery or overwrought way. He's emotionally supportive and physically affectionate, but so is Garrus, and no one ever goes on about how his romance is made of cotton candy.
 
Aside from the occasional awkwardness (which I can agree is overdone by fandom but which I really don't think was overdone in-game--and again, Garrus), the only remotely cutesy thing I can think of Cullen saying is "yours is the only attention worth having," which (1) I wouldn't trade even if it is syrupy because it made me blush IRL for what may have been the first time in years, and (2) this is subjective interpretation, but it seemed like an honest, annoyed-introvert statement on his part that he realized halfway through was coming out smoother than expected, like the "you're not distracting" bit in DA:O.
 
I just don't see it. Maybe everyone I know IRL is secretly a former Barney the Dinosaur cast member or something and my sense of this is weirdly calibrated. Or maybe it has to do with a character in this fandom being interested in a fem PC but not hypersexualized, broody, or a liar. (And that's not a knock on the other LIs. I do love Isabela/Zevran/IB, Fenris/Anders, and Alistair/Anders/Blackwall, respectively. Solas I can take or leave. Well, and I love Anders as a character but haven't tried his romance and don't think I'd like it.) Having never played or YouTubed Merrill or Josie's romances I can't speak to those, and maybe they've got a point with Leliana's butterfly eyelash thing, but the "sugar rush" reaction to Cullen confuses me unless the person saying it is looking at fanon instead of canon.
 
Do people say it about Cassandra, btw? Not much about her (as a romance, as opposed to a Ripped, Bear-Punching Imaginary BFF) seems to come across my tumblr dash.

He was my first romance actually. But because it was my first game I don't want to make any definitive statements. So much I missed. I think it was the adorkableness that threw me a bit--there were moments (it's been a while) that it felt overplayed. And not really wanting to play the noble Trevelyan did not help. The way my brain works, I'd do Cadash/Cullen. Someone who perhaps dreamed of a shining knight once upon a time, got sucked into a life she didn't want and is using her Herald status to make a new life. So I have to try really hard to come up with something that works with the available races.

[MelissaGT]

Have you ever tried the heart options during his personal quest? It makes their friendship so much more without being untrue to Solas. By the time they share a quiet moment in the prayer seen, you can tell they are bonded for life and he might just be who she turns to after the Epilogue...

 

So far the only way I can get through a playthrough and not romance Cullen is to play a race/gender-locked IQ. 

 

It sounds from the rest of your post like you haven't started his romance yet--are you basing the part in bold on watching it through on YouTube or something? Of the other LIs whose romances I've looked into at all, most (all?) call the PC "my lady" or "beloved" or "my heart" or what have you, whereas Cullen just calls you "you" in person or by your first name to his sister. He shows or tells you often that you're important to him, but never in a flowery or overwrought way. He's emotionally supportive and physically affectionate, but so is Garrus, and no one ever goes on about how his romance is made of cotton candy.

 

Aside from the occasional awkwardness (which I can agree is overdone by fandom but which I really don't think was overdone in-game--and again, Garrus), the only remotely cutesy thing I can think of Cullen saying is "yours is the only attention worth having," which (1) I wouldn't trade even if it is syrupy because it made me blush IRL for what may have been the first time in years, and (2) this is subjective interpretation, but it seemed like an honest, annoyed-introvert statement on his part that he realized halfway through was coming out smoother than expected, like the "you're not distracting" bit in DA:O.

 

I just don't see it. Maybe everyone I know IRL is secretly a former Barney the Dinosaur cast member or something and my sense of this is weirdly calibrated. Or maybe it has to do with a character in this fandom being interested in a fem PC but not hypersexualized, broody, or a liar. (And that's not a knock on the other LIs. I do love Isabela/Zevran/IB, Fenris/Anders, and Alistair/Anders/Blackwall, respectively. Solas I can take or leave. Well, and I love Anders as a character but haven't tried his romance and don't think I'd like it.) Having never played or YouTubed Merrill or Josie's romances I can't speak to those, and maybe they've got a point with Leliana's butterfly eyelash thing, but the "sugar rush" reaction to Cullen confuses me unless the person saying it is looking at fanon instead of canon.

 

Do people say it about Cassandra, btw? Not much about her (as a romance, as opposed to a Ripped, Bear-Punching Imaginary BFF) seems to come across my tumblr dash.

 

Garrus! Be still my heart but I love that Turian. He was my favorite romance of all time, til Cullen took it by a hair. Honestly I'd almost be tempted to say that I love them both just as much. 

 

I agree with you - I don't get all the "bubblegum" reactions either. But then again, it is all on how you play and what you make of it. I tend to play more "alternative" IQ's that are damaged in some way, which leads to a romance arc that is anything but sugary sweet. For example:

 

Rhiannon - Templar...we all know about that one

Theo - Reaver, adrenaline addict, naughty girl, probably best suited for Iron Bull til Cullen realizes that the reason why he hates her so much is because he really doesn't hate her...

Rowan - Dalish Archer Assassin - loner, ostracized by her clan, hates pretty much everybody especially humans

[Owlfruit Potion]

Except when you dance after Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, there he addresses you as "my lady," as in "May I have this dance, my lady." It's the only time he does. It's a nice touch of an attempt at Chivalry. 

Exactly. I interpreted that line as his expending significant effort to try and wear the Courtly Manners hat for ten minutes (and the accompanying smile in part as acknowledging how silly it looks on him*), which is like the opposite of sugar-sweet, especially when most of the other LIs habitually use a pet name.

 

* EDIT: or possibly how unexpectedly good it looks on him, for that matter

[MelissaGT]

He was my first romance actually. But because it was my first game I don't want to make any definitive statements. So much I missed. I think it was the adorkableness that threw me a bit--there were moments (it's been a while) that it felt overplayed. And not really wanting to play the noble Trevelyan did not help. The way my brain works, I'd do Cadash/Cullen. Someone who perhaps dreamed of a shining knight once upon a time, got sucked into a life she didn't want and is using her Herald status to make a new life. So I have to try really hard to come up with something that works with the available races.

 

My first playthrough was a rushed Tevelyan Mage - the whole Templar/Mage thing. It was nice, just not for me. My second was a Champion Trevelyan, which was more interesting (to me), but still too sugary. I threw both of them out the window for Rhiannon.

 

I realized after my first couple runs that going against the grain in terms of romance arcs kept me the most interested. I also do that with my Trevelyans - they may be of noble birth, but so far none of them acts like it. 

[riverbanks]

(...) And not really wanting to play the noble Trevelyan did not help. The way my brain works, I'd do Cadash/Cullen. Someone who perhaps dreamed of a shining knight once upon a time, got sucked into a life she didn't want and is using her Herald status to make a new life. So I have to try really hard to come up with something that works with the available races.

 

I was going to mention this in your other post when you mentioned not liking Trevelyan's type - there isn't really a "type" for the human Inquisitor, at least not anymore than for any of the other races. You can play a sweet cutesy Cadash who is ashamed of her past, just as much as you can play a tough and shady Trevelyan who hates her family and just wants out. I've played like five or six Trevelyans so far, and they were as different from each other as can be, the only thing they ever had in common was the last name. Even among us here in the thread, we all have Trevelyans who couldn't be more different if they tried.

 

Don't feel constrained by some imaginary obligation to play an honourable, noble-hearted knight in shining armor just because you're given the background of a noble family. That's literally all you have to start with, everything else about your character is up to you to construct.

[jtav]

My first playthrough was a rushed Tevelyan Mage - the whole Templar/Mage thing. It was nice, just not for me. My second was a Champion Trevelyan, which was more interesting (to me), but still too sugary. I threw both of them out the window for Rhiannon.
 
I realized after my first couple runs that going against the grain in terms of romance arcs kept me the most interested. I also do that with my Trevelyans - they may be of noble birth, but so far none of them acts like it.

Heh. Now you've got me wondering if I'd be happier as a pro-templar Dalish mage. Pro-templar because "oh we did such a great job of policing ourselves. That clan with the crazed blood mage keeper...that business with the eluvian...and what's this I hear about a Forbidden One being summoned? Are the keeper and I the only sane mages among the Dalish. What, Cullen? Your side's crazy too? Okay let us as the last sane people in Thedas commiserate. And thank you for not calling me a 'knife ear.'" Maybe throw in a little desire for that knight in shining armor.

Sorry just thinking aloud.

[wiccame]

Heh. Now you've got me wondering if I'd be happier as a pro-templar Dalish mage. Pro-templar because "oh we did such a great job of policing ourselves. That clan with the crazed blood mage keeper...that business with the eluvian...and what's this I hear about a Forbidden One being summoned? Are the keeper and I the only sane mages among the Dalish. What, Cullen? Your side's crazy too? Okay let us as the last sane people in Thedas commiserate. And thank you for not calling me a 'knife ear.'" Maybe throw in a little desire for that knight in shining armor.

Sorry just thinking aloud.

Lol practically all my Dalish are pro templar for that exact reason. Even my dalish mages. Being brought up in a small community with at least two mages and at the head at that, you'd imagine they have to be constantly vigilant to the risk of abominations and such especially since they don't have the facilities like the circles.