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[Leliana]

Judging from what we know of the Qun I quickly sprang up and loved it because it just really connects with me for some reason. I read somewhere once that it's a kind of 'perfect socialism' which in the real world is pretty much impossible to achieve, but with the Qunari you have a species that has had centuries to adapt the Qun into their society and everyday life. So if you could would you live by the Qun?

[Shechinah]

In real life? No. Absolutely not.

 

In the world of Thedas? Yes. The drawing thing about the Qun is the weight of certainty and the fact that you know your place and you have it based on your merit. In a world like Dragon Age where your life can be ended just by turning a wrong corner or catching the eye of a bored nobleman, the Qun feels protective. You don't have to fear about scraping by either.

 

I can see why the Qun would be very appealing especially to the poor and mistreated.

[KaiserShep]

I couldn't live by the Qun myself, but if I was some poor schmuck in a crappy way dealing with the horrible things Thedas has to offer, of which there are an order of magnitude, I'd no doubt find it a fairly seductive prospect. It's just too fascinating a culture within the DAverse to ignore, and far too attractive not to [fictionally] submit to it.

[Leliana]

Yeah doing so in real life is out of the question (we know what happened to communism), but you know the Qun is successful when an entire race can build its society around it in a highly disciplined manner.

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 I am conflicted. I love the Qun's principles and what it stands for, but the practices always go a bit too far for me to love (though I do support their main practice of giving roles to all of its followers). It's not something I would choose to follow on my own freewill, but not something I would resist were I captive.

 

I am actually going to play as a canon Saarebas knight-enchanter Inquisitor with this same internal struggle, trying to reconcile pro-Qun beliefs (despite his anti-Qun upbringing) with the world of Thedas beyond Par Vollen. Gonna make his own religion, with blackjack and hookers.

[SwobyJ]

It is the only way to enforce a communism on the world that is Thedas.

 

Which is to say, its a terrible way to do anything.

 

But I do have personal predictions that just as the Chantry (a flawed organization itself, it is undeniable) is undergoing drastic changes with Inquisition, the Qun will have to face something of its own, if the series continues.

 

We still have no clue about its origins.

 

I would not follow the Qun if given the choice. But I'm a human living on Earth in a first world nation. Dunno what I'd pick if I was on Thedas. But that's what the indoctrination camps are for.

[CIA]

Naahhh. It'd be a good economy and military force, but with that much repression of magic(which is like the technology of that world), what's the point.

Saying that, Russia did get the first man in space so it could work.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

If I was put into a reeducation camp, I'd say and do whatever it took not to get qamek'd. That doesn't mean I want to live by the Qun.

[Kenshen]

Absolutely not and I would fight to the death to avoid it.

[robertmarilyn]

No way     

[Leliana]

 I am conflicted. I love the Qun's principles and what it stands for, but the practices always go a bit too far for me to love (though I do support their main practice of giving roles to all of its followers). It's not something I would choose to follow on my own freewill, but not something I would resist were I captive.

 

I am actually going to play as a canon Saarebas knight-enchanter Inquisitor with this same internal struggle, trying to reconcile pro-Qun beliefs (despite his anti-Qun upbringing) with the world of Thedas beyond Par Vollen. Gonna make his own religion, with blackjack and hookers.

That's a sound role playing path you're undertaking, perhaps with more wenches and mead?

[Lord Raijin]

They don't treat mages very well, so no. I won't ever follow the Qun.

[congokong]

I've always been of the mindset that communism in theory is a as utopian as organized society can get. In practice it never seems to work out that way; probably because of corruption. The qun's doctrine in many ways reminds me of communism with a sort of caste system. From what we see of the qunari they seem overall very dedicated to the qun but we don't see if the qun brings the desired world it claims to.

 

I personally have many issues with it. 

 

1. It claims "certainty" that reminds me too much of religion.

2. How can qunari possibly know what role a person was meant to fill? They follow a caste system of sorts regarding this; including how females can never be warriors. And yet a female warden or Hawke shows the philosophy's flaw.

3. Following the qun seems far more important than qunari lives. I suppose the idea is that they cling to this qunari idealism even if it means death. Doing this prevents corruption and the potential disasters of practicality (ex: Loghain) but it also leaves people, well, dead.

4. They're too aggressive with their certainty. The Qun demands that its adherents not accept those not like them. What they can't accept, they convert. What they can't convert, they enslave. What they can't enslave, they kill.

 

 

Could I follow it? It depends on my options. If I was going to be otherwise killed or was in an extremely poor situation then maybe. I wouldn't want to ideally. Simply put, I've always hated being told what to do. This applies to anything from school, to the military, to wage-slave jobs. It's depressing to not have control over your own life. We need autonomy, and the qun by its very premise of your life not being yours strongly denies that.

[congokong]

Naahhh. It'd be a good economy and military force, but with that much repression of magic(which is like the technology of that world), what's the point.

Saying that, Russia did get the first man in space so it could work.

 

I'm sure you've noticed how the qunari are so threatening despite their magical restrictions because of their technology which in theory could far surpass magic.

 

For Mass Effect players, this situation reminds me of what Legion said about how following one path (referring to technology) blinds you to alternatives. This is the case for all the regions that depend on magic. The qunari have turned to alternatives because of their lack of reliance on mages.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

I'm sure you've noticed how the qunari are so threatening despite their magical restrictions because of their technology which in theory could far surpass magic.

 

For Mass Effect players, this situation reminds me of what Legion said about how following one path (referring to technology) blinds you to alternatives. This is the case for all the regions that depend on magic. The qunari have turned to alternatives because of their lack of reliance on mages.

I don't see technology "far surpassing" magic anytime soon, partially because you can't really compare the two except in battle. The Qunari can do things with their technology that Thedas simply doesn't do, and conversely mages can do things in a fight and outside of it that the Qunari can't do as easily or at all due to the fact that Qunari tech at least has to pay lip service to the laws of physics.

 

Though just imagine how powerful the Qunari would be if they treated magic the way they treat technology, and actually tried to use their mages to their best advantage instead of allowing them to basically become hedge mages.

[congokong]

I don't see technology "far surpassing" magic anytime soon, partially because you can't really compare the two except in battle. The Qunari can do things with their technology that Thedas simply doesn't do, and conversely mages can do things in a fight and outside of it that the Qunari can't do as easily or at all due to the fact that Qunari tech at least has to pay lip service to the laws of physics.

 

Though just imagine how powerful the Qunari would be if they treated magic the way they treat technology, and actually tried to use their mages to their best advantage instead of allowing them to basically become hedge mages.

Well, in theory technology can nuke the world. I don't know if magic has that power. The game seems to imply that the qunari are more technologically advanced than others with their inventions including that scope you give to Sigrun in Awakening.

[Kenadian]

No. They do not have cookies.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

Well, in theory technology can nuke the world. I don't know if magic has that power. The game seems to imply that the qunari are more technologically advanced than others with their inventions including that scope you give to Sigrun in Awakening.

A: We don't know that radioactivity and nuclear physics are even accurate to the way physics works in this setting.

B: What I said is that I don't see technology being by far the better bet anytime soon, partially because magic can do things technology can't do as well or flatly can't. The rest of the reason is that the Qunari aren't using anything like technology's full potential. We're centuries away from the era where Point A will matter at all.

[congokong]

A: We don't know that radioactivity and nuclear physics are even accurate to the way physics works in this setting.

B: What I said is that I don't see technology being by far the better bet anytime soon, partially because magic can do things technology can't do as well or flatly can't. The rest of the reason is that the Qunari aren't using anything like technology's full potential. We're centuries away from the era where Point A will matter at all.

I don't even know what you're arguing about with me.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

I don't even know what you're arguing about with me.

You're saying that technology could far surpass magic. I'm saying that that's an oversimplification, and in any case that the technology level you're thinking of is centuries away.

[congokong]

You're saying that technology could far surpass magic. I'm saying that that's an oversimplification, and in any case that the technology level you're thinking of is centuries away.

I said in theory it could, and obviously it would be in the future. It sounds like you just want to argue with someone.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

I said in theory it could, and obviously it would be in the future. It sounds like you just want to argue with someone.

That's usually the case, but the fact remains that "technology can theoretically surpass magic" is an oversimplification given that mages can apparently do fairly involved procedures without needing to open the patient and probably with shorter recovery times, and that one blood mage who's willing drain themselves dry can apparently wipe out an entire Qunari fleet. I'm not saying your argument is without merit, given the whole "attracts demons" thing and the fact that not everyone is a mage, but it's not the whole picture either. The major point isn't that the point where Qunari can use technology's full power is a long way off (though that's relevant to your point), it's that even when they reach that point there will still be things mages are better at.

[Ashevajak]

Nope.  There are definite problems with the Qun...not least their complete denial of individual needs and desires.  The need for validation and meaning cannot be simply reduced to performing one's role...especially a role one may not be assigned to willingly. 

 

I'm of the impression that Dragon Age took quite a bit of influence, as a series, from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time (among others, of course).  As such, the Qunari seem analagous to the Seanchan in that series - the mysterious invaders from over the sea, who use leashed mages in battle and have a highly ornate and structured class system.  The Seanchan in many respects are less corrupt than the rulers they replace - they restore order to Altara, people in cities they have conquered are not enslaved and actually live fairly free lives - but they're still not great, especially if one has the potential for magic.

 

If one of my characters had the choice to, though, I'd be interested to play as Qunari.  I'd also like to know where exactly the Qunari came from...their homeland is described as being "far away" and contact is supposedly intermittent at best.  If the Qunari have an empire over the seas, and the Seheron/Par Vollen Qunari are merely an invading force, the vanguard of a much larger empire....well, Thedas may have some interesting times to live in, down the line.  And if the Empire over the seas is in turmoil, well that could have all sorts of implications.

[KaiserShep]

I don't see technology "far surpassing" magic anytime soon, partially because you can't really compare the two except in battle.

 

It makes me wonder how technology would advance in a world like Thedas. Since magic is a natural occurrence, it would stand to reason that technology could one day be developed to take advantage of this phenomena, especially since lyrium is a kind of "fuel" for it. It's basically arcane eezo. Of course, the series would no doubt end before the writers ever bother to explore such a thing, but it's fun to speculate about.

[Obadiah]

I could probably deal with it if it worked. It sounds like what you hear about cults, except it is functionally successful.

 

If in the real world it provided a better life than capitalism and democracy, people would run to it in droves.