756 réponses à ce sujet

[Enigmatick]

From the sound of it a lot of hoops have to be jumped through to have Cullen make any sense as the Inquisition's military advisor.

[Dr_Vile]

Let's not forget the situation in Kirkwall at the end of DA2: the city's in ruins, the already weak veil has been torn a new one and demons and abominations are popping up all over. In this light, Cullen's experience of commanding soldiers (confirmed by Word of God) and fighting such horrors is directly applicable to the situation in DA:I. And whilst it's doubtful that Cassandra possesses the sort of prescience that would allow her to foresee the massive and Thedas-wide tearing of the veil that will form the core struggle of DA:I, once it does happen, Cullen's the one with the most experience in this kind of situation.

 

And whilst this is pure speculation atm, I'd guess that the core of the Inquisition's forces at the beginning of the game are going to be Cassandra's Seekers, and whatever Templars Cullen brought with him from Kirkwall. Since Cassandra's going to be in the field with the Inquisitor, Cullen is the natural choice for a commander.

[Hizoku]

Just note that you'd be actively choosing someone that has actually betrayed his own king because he felt it was a better course of action.

 

Though it'd be interesting if Loghain was your advisor and you had to make a decision that was good for the Inquisition that came at the expense of Fereldin.

In Loghain's defense, Cailan was rather "incompetent" as a king and had his head in the clouds when it came to his ideals about what it meant to be king..

[Eveangaline]

In Loghain's defense, Cailan was rather "incompetent" as a king and had his head in the clouds when it came to his ideals about what it meant to be king..

 

That's why he was married to someone to be the smarts for him.

[Nimlowyn]

In Loghain's defense, Cailan was rather "incompetent" as a king and had his head in the clouds when it came to his ideals about what it meant to be king..

A nationalist is still a terrible choice for the Inquisition.

[Gtdef]

Yeah, I don't really care about your personal opinions of the events and characters of DA2, almost none of which had anything to do with a large-scale military operation.

Cullen is explicitly stated by the website blurb to have restored order in the city after the Anders/Meredith/Orsino catastrof*ck. That is exactly the sort of military experience the Inquisition would find to be useful.

 

 

There is a point where you call people on their bullshit. I accept that he is what he is because Bioware said so, that doesn't mean that I think this is a good idea. His character in DA2 is a retcon, and the backstory given in the character page counters the knowledge we already have about the game. In case Hawke supports the templars, Cullen gets overshadowed to the point where he is irrelevant.

 

Your second sentence makes absolutely no sense. If your skillset is to restore order, then that's your skillset. You are not magically the guy that knows about military operations and the game is about that. There are many other candidates. The fact that we have an inconsistent character with a different skillset forced into the story says more about fanservice than actual storytelling.

[themikefest]

Just note that you'd be actively choosing someone that has actually betrayed his own king because he felt it was a better course of action.

 

Though it'd be interesting if Loghain was your advisor and you had to make a decision that was good for the Inquisition that came at the expense of Fereldin.

I won't argue he betrayed his King and yes he could betray the Inquisitor, but I doubt he would do that again.

 

I do agree it would be interesting having him as the advisor.

 

I do like Cullen, I just don't see him as a military advisor.  And I said a couple of times, I can't think of anyone else that would fit the job.

[Enigmatick]

I won't argue he betrayed his King and yes he could betray the Inquisitor, but I doubt he would do that again.

 

I do agree it would be interesting having him as the advisor.

 

I do like Cullen, I just don't see him as a military advisor.  And I said a couple of times, I can't think of anyone else that would fit the job.

Would have been happier with a new character yeah?

[xXxshemlifexXx]

There is a point where you call people on their bullshit. I accept that he is what he is because Bioware said so, that doesn't mean that I think this is a good idea. His character in DA2 is a retcon, and the backstory given in the character page counters the knowledge we already have about the game. In case Hawke supports the templars, Cullen gets overshadowed to the point where he is irrelevant.

 

Your second sentence makes absolutely no sense. If your skillset is to restore order, then that's your skillset. You are not magically the guy that knows about military operations and the game is about that. There are many other candidates. The fact that we have an inconsistent character with a different skillset forced into the story says more about fanservice than actual storytelling.

it's almost like he's an irrelevant side character who wasn't planned to be in more than one game or something

[NoForgiveness]

No, but taking the mantle as Knight Commander to restore order to a chaotic city state just devastated by a terrorist attack and a mini-civil war might.

 

 

Meaning he slaughtered a bunch of cornered mages(and their demons) and mages trying to escape the city. Somehow I don't see that making him some great strategist or any such thing.

[themikefest]

Would have been happier with a new character yeah?

It wouldn't make me happier.

 

Just have his background support that he's qualified to be a military advisor. But I guess with Cassandra liking what she see's in him, that has to be good enough.

[Enigmatick]

It wouldn't make me happier.

 

Just have his background support that he's qualified to be a military advisor. But I guess with Cassandra liking what she see's in him, that has to be good enough.

Oh, personally I would have just preferred a new character.

[Aimi]

How does helping restore/rebuild a city give you military experience?

 
The city was overrun with rogue templars and rogue mages. Presumably, gangs would also take advantage of the destruction to do some looting and whatnot. Kirkwall had to be recaptured and pacified before it could be rebuilt, and that was Cullen's job. Apparently he did it pretty well.
 

are there no other Military leaders in Ferelden or Orlais that are loyal to the Chantry and the Maker? 
...I didn't know Thedas was going through a population crisis.

It's not about "loyal to the Chantry and the Maker". Most people in Thedas seem to be Andrastian. But almost all of the generals and armies are otherwise occupied. Temporal lords in Orlais or Ferelden or Navarra have their own problems governing, administering, and guarding their own lands (or taking new ones from other temporal lords). They have neither the ability nor, probably, the legal permission to aid the Inquisition. If Fereldan banns decided to go join the Inquisition all of a sudden, the monarch would have kittens. That's the sort of thing that starts civil wars.

Cullen's troops, on the other hand, don't have those sorts of legal fetters. And "restoring order" is very close to the job they had before Thedas went all pear-shaped.

Meaning he slaughtered a bunch of cornered mages(and their demons) and mages trying to escape the city. Somehow I don't see that making him some great strategist or any such thing.

This is the equivalent of medieval Europe. There is no such thing as a "great strategist". You don't get those until people start creating military academies and writing treatises worth more than the paper they're printed on. Without the École Militaire, Napoléon would not have been the God of War.

What you do have are reasonably competent leaders who can generally be trusted to do things that make sense. Which is what Cullen seems to have done.

[NoForgiveness]

 

This is the equivalent of medieval Europe. There is no such thing as a "great strategist". You don't get those until people start creating military academies and writing treatises worth more than the paper they're printed on. Without the École Militaire, Napoléon would not have been the God of War.

What you do have are reasonably competent leaders who can generally be trusted to do things that make sense. Which is what Cullen seems to have done.

 

Napoleon conquered Europe. This guy killed a bunch of people in the streets of one city. The mages weren't an army, they weren't attacking the city but just trying to get out or defend themselves against an army. Those are hardly comparable. 

[Mecha Elf]

He should have been an agent not an adviser in my opinion. Maybe im being like this because there are too many returning characters. Cullen seems weak minded as it shows in Da:O when be got bat**** crazy towards the mages. Could he have gotten more tough? Yes, but is he really the most suitable out of possibly other generals we may not know of in thedas?

[Aimi]

Napoleon conquered Europe. This guy killed a bunch of people in the streets of one city. The mages weren't an army, they weren't attacking the city but just trying to get out or defend themselves against an army. Those are hardly comparable.

The point is that I'm saying that nobody in Thedas is comparable to Bonaparte. At all. Not Cullen, not Loghain, not the arishok, not the Queen of Antiva. They couldn't be. Ever. They shouldn't be expected to be comparable, either.

The Inquisition is about restoring order. It's about fixing the breaches and having the military power to prevent anybody else from interfering with that. What Cullen has experience in is restoring order. You say that he didn't fight an army in Kirkwall. Whatever. Ask Moltke, Windischgrätz, Jiang Jieshi, or Gonzaga how easy or fun it is to fight an "undisciplined mob" in a city. He put down riots. He dealt with street fighting. He dealt with individual agitators and gangs. Which is what restoring order is all about.

And look at the sorts of opponents we've seen so far in the demos: mages, templars of various stripes, random Tevinter marauders, possibly Gray Wardens. There aren't any field armies in that list; you can't force them into a set-piece battle and hit them on the jaw and win the day. These are counterinsurgency problems for the most part, which is exactly what Cullen was doing in Kirkwall.

And again, y'know, this is the equivalent of medieval Europe. The bar - and the ceiling - for military competence is not particularly high. Cullen's no military genius, but you're probably not going to find many people who know more about war than he does, or who are available to the Inquisition, or who would be loyal to it.

Bringing him on board makes sense. The explanation in the website's blurb passes the smell test pretty easily.

[stormhit]

There is a point where you call people on their bullshit. I accept that he is what he is because Bioware said so, that doesn't mean that I think this is a good idea. His character in DA2 is a retcon, and the backstory given in the character page counters the knowledge we already have about the game. In case Hawke supports the templars, Cullen gets overshadowed to the point where he is irrelevant.

 

Your second sentence makes absolutely no sense. If your skillset is to restore order, then that's your skillset. You are not magically the guy that knows about military operations and the game is about that. There are many other candidates. The fact that we have an inconsistent character with a different skillset forced into the story says more about fanservice than actual storytelling.

Way to speak truth to power, man. You sure showed them for having a different opinion on a fictional character than you.

[In Exile]

You would be surprised how tactical medieval military can get. Formations for attacking, defending, siege, dealing with archers, dealing with mages, counter formation, coordinating military advising with espionage results, deploying and using siege equipments, horseback infantry, etc. 

 

I didn't say that the medieval period lacked tactics. Simply that in a society that doesn't have a standing army like a medieval society, military knowledge isn't acquired by being officially in the military. If Cullen formally studied military tactics as part of being a templar, and if he led soldiers as a result, then he's qualified for the role.

 

Also, I'd be willing to bet "dealing with mages" was not a standard medieval military tactic.

[NoForgiveness]

The point is that I'm saying that nobody in Thedas is comparable to Bonaparte. At all. Not Cullen, not Loghain, not the arishok, not the Queen of Antiva. They couldn't be. Ever. They shouldn't be expected to be comparable, either.

The Inquisition is about restoring order. It's about fixing the breaches and having the military power to prevent anybody else from interfering with that. What Cullen has experience in is restoring order. You say that he didn't fight an army in Kirkwall. Whatever. Ask Moltke, Windischgrätz, Jiang Jieshi, or Gonzaga how easy or fun it is to fight an "undisciplined mob" in a city. He put down riots. He dealt with street fighting. He dealt with individual agitators and gangs. Which is what restoring order is all about.

And look at the sorts of opponents we've seen so far in the demos: mages, templars of various stripes, random Tevinter marauders, possibly Gray Wardens. There aren't any field armies in that list; you can't force them into a set-piece battle and hit them on the jaw and win the day. These are counterinsurgency problems for the most part, which is exactly what Cullen was doing in Kirkwall.

And again, y'know, this is the equivalent of medieval Europe. The bar - and the ceiling - for military competence is not particularly high. Cullen's no military genius, but you're probably not going to find many people who know more about war than he does, or who are available to the Inquisition, or who would be loyal to it.

Bringing him on board makes sense. The explanation in the website's blurb passes the smell test pretty easily.

 

Slaughtering people in the streets or "restoring order" - as you put it - is not that same as taking a fortress from an army of grey wardens(the ones who fight hordes of darkspawn in the deep roads) or really anybody. Not that I would count "restoring order" to one city as experience.

 

Also we didn't see any gangs or riots, we saw mages defending themselves and Templars killing them. So whatever else happened in the city, we don't have much(if any) proof of.

 

 His mental stability has been in question for years. He may or may not still be addicted to lyrium, either way its not something that helps him command anything.

 

I cant trust him and his experience is mediocre at best. Hell I think blackwall would probably be better suited seeing how  he's constable(or something?). Iron Bull might even be better suited, assuming he is the leader of that mercenary group. Not to mention how big orlais is, there's got to be one person who could do the job.
 

[zambingo]

Just read first the couple pages, so happy that Aveline got a shout out. That lady is awesome.

[Adanu]

Cullen being the military advisor is going over as well as drinking draino for me.

 

I get it, CUllenites like him... but the men defended Meredith throughout Act 3. No way am I trusting his judgment.

[Vilegrim]

I know people who have already made up their minds on this so my words won't mean much, but Cullen wasn't made the military advisor (or added into the game) simply because he had a group of fans that really liked him.

 

(Note that "having a group of fans that really liked him/her" is something that can be ascribed to pretty much any character)

 

I know people who have already made up their minds on this so my words won't mean much, but Cullen wasn't made the military advisor (or added into the game) simply because he had a group of fans that really liked him.

 

(Note that "having a group of fans that really liked him/her" is something that can be ascribed to pretty much any character)

 

 

So we aren't associated with the Chantry...but we have the Divines right and left hand in the inquisition, a templar as a military advisor...in what way are we not allied by design with that cult?  I mean seriously, I don't want any of these within a hundred miles of me, unless they are on fire at the time....

[Adanu]

Agreed with Vilegrim, it feels like we're supposed to be pro-chantry from all the Chantry personnel.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

To those arguing that Cullen is not qualified to lead troops, let's remember that none of the Warden backgrounds, barring Dwarf and Human Nobles, were qualified to be leaders either. Yet they rose to the challenge and ended up saving the world from the Blight in record time. 

 

Every great general has started as a trainee. Don't discount him. 

[In Exile]

So we aren't associated with the Chantry...but we have the Divines right and left hand in the inquisition, a templar as a military advisor...in what way are we not allied by design with that cult?  I mean seriously, I don't want any of these within a hundred miles of me, unless they are on fire at the time....

 

In the same way that the fact that the GWs officially converted to the Andrastian as a show of support and favour to Orlais and Drakon for their contributions in the Second Blight did not make them a religious organization.