172 réponses à ce sujet

[Vyndral]

I agree with this, except in part with the part where you say it was possible to convincingly play a non-believer.

It was possible to play a non-believer, right up to the part where you could or should be able to make any changes or decisions.
No matter what you say or do, everyone basically acknowledges it and waves it off.
 
The game doesn't let you do a single thing differently, regardless of whether you're a believer or a non-believer.
 
No matter what you say or do, you're still the religious symbol of an organization founded and run on religious grounds.
(as mentioned before in this thread)
 
Coupled with the fact that I really didn't see why they needed a religious organization in the first place to battle Corypheus, I just
didn't think it was the smartest way to go.
Especially under the name Inquisition, which rings really bad in Europe (and rightfully so).

I always crack up when i get to Cass' personal quest and she gets her book of Seeker 'secrets'. And she is all upset at what she finds. And is all should i remake them? And im all sure just do it better. For example dont write down the secret that in inquisition is found on a lie, im no Herald, and the mark on my hand was given to me by the fella im about to kill. And i certainly wouldnt write in there that the reason we didnt tell anyone is because the peons are to stupid to understand the truth.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

I was addressing the idea that the in-setting definition of "god" was closer to the Judeo-Christian usage.

According to the dominant in-setting definition, I don't think they qualify.

[ent1]

You can be an atheist, but you start to sound ridiculous after a while, given what happens in the game. Like Scully in X-Files, who was still skeptical after the hundredth time she got probed by an alien.

[TimXP]

Bottom line, I just don't understand why they went the religious organization route in the first place (especially one with such an unfortunate name).

It could've been as easily been a secular organization and avoided all these issues.

(also, being an atheist is actually a problem in a huge number of countries in Western society - including my country, so I don't see why they just didn't move around the whole thing)

 

But I don't think the writers meant to avoid these issues, is the thing. Dragon Age: Inquisition is telling a very specific story about the role of faith and doubt in the face of overwhelming adversity. Regardless of what you believe in real life or what your character believes in-game, you are very much meant to feel uncomfortable and uncertain about being elevated to the role of messiah by a group of people terrified that their world is splitting apart at the seams, both literally and figuratively. Most of your early conversational options with Cassandra, Leliana, and Mother Gisele are some flavor of "Hey, why are we calling this the Inquisition? It's creepy as ****." At the same time, you're asked to shoulder the burden of leading these people and being what they need you to be to get them through this crisis. That's not the same as making them believe what you want them to.

 

So yes, you can and should RP as an atheist Inquisitor if you want to, but that doesn't mean you can excise religion completely and still keep the story intact. The title of the game is a clue: the main storyline is an inquisition into what you/your character really believes and what you're willing to fight and die for, and the same is true for all the other major characters in the story. (The rest of the story is full of questions like "How much patience do you have for herding druffalo?", but at least you have plenty of time for existential searching during those fetch quests.) None of that is to say that all of these issues were handled perfectly or that the story couldn't have been told better, but I don't think it was done without careful consideration.

[Zwingtanz]

A lot about the story is about faith, it's a central aspect of Dragon Age. I doubt the Inquisition would have much of a following if the leader is openly atheist, in a world as religious as Orlais/Ferelden. So at best i'd roleplay an Inquisitor who understands that religion is important to the masses. And you can roleplay getting your faith shook by events in the story (but still keeping it quiet so as not to demoralize your soldiers), becoming kind of agnostic, that's what i did and i think it fitted perfectly.

[Equalitas]

No matter what you say, all NPC will think of you as the Herald of Andraste. Your opinion doesnt matter in the game really.

[Decepticon Leader Sully]

Banana man huh?

Yeah im just gona post this.

https://www.youtube....ser/Thunderf00t

[daveliam]

A lot about the story is about faith, it's a central aspect of Dragon Age. I doubt the Inquisition would have much of a following if the leader is openly atheist, in a world as religious as Orlais/Ferelden. So at best i'd roleplay an Inquisitor who understands that religion is important to the masses. And you can roleplay getting your faith shook by events in the story (but still keeping it quiet so as not to demoralize your soldiers), becoming kind of agnostic, that's what i did and i think it fitted perfectly.

 

Nah.  I play an openly atheistic Inquisitor.  I can't count how many times I have to repeat, "I'm NOT the Herald of Andraste!".  When you play it this way, Cassandra (in particular) and Mother Giselle point out that it's not important if you believe or not because it gives the masses something to rally around.  It ends up going exactly how you say, but its doesn't require you to take that stance.  You can very convincingly play as an atheist who is only accepting of the title of Inquisitor because the Inquisition was formed primarily to deal with the Breach and you are the only one who can close it.  That is always my Inquisitor's stance and s/he lets Cassandra and the other devout members of the Inquisition worry about spinning it as religious propaganda. 

[Lavaeolus]

No matter what you say, all NPC will think of you as the Herald of Andraste. Your opinion doesnt matter in the game really.

Also the ending sequence.

[withneelandi]

I seem to remember david gaider on these very forums (sorry if I'm mis remembering) being quite firm about this not being an option as it was un realistic in the thedas setting.

It's really good the see the final game having a bit of a compromise, you can say you don't believe in the maker but the game doesn't
Allow you to turn the inquisition into a sort of rationalist or atheist movement as this would be a stretch in a setting like thedas where the general populace tends to view religion as fact. I also like the Josephine explains why a shared religion might be important in uniting the southern nations politically, really well handled and quite though provoking!

[downsouthman1]

I play completely by the seat of my pants, while trying my best to hold true to an atheist undertone. That said, I mostly refute the belief that I'm Herald or that of the Maker, while also breaking that rule & outright lying about my true feelings to most of the companions who I believe can't handle that.

[Corto81]

 

 

Also, how do you explain some dead dude's burnt bones magically curing Eamon?

 

Magic.

 

It's a world of dragons and demons and liches and mages etc.

 

The amount of power alone is not enough to proclaim someone a deity.

The magic is EXACTLY why supernatural things happening is NOT proof of the divine in fantasy.

In the traditional sense, it has to be a "personal god", a god who listens to your personal prayers and watches over you etc.

It's as ridiculous in fantasy as it is in the real world.

[President of Boom]

Yes, but it makes absolutely no diference.

-Telling your followers that you don't believe just makes them break into song.

-As an atheist, very single conversation you ever have with Mother Giselle or Cassandra ends like this:

 

-And speaking of Cassandra, this is *exactly* how she embarrasses me in public whenever I choose the "Cassandra?" assist option from the conversation wheel (obviously, substitute "white devil" with "herald of Andraste")

http://youtu.be/oYvWQm8UD0c?t=1m50s

[RepHope]

Magic.

It's a world of dragons and demons and liches and mages etc.

The amount of power alone is not enough to proclaim someone a deity.
The magic is EXACTLY why supernatural things happening is NOT proof of the divine in fantasy.
In the traditional sense, it has to be a "personal god", a god who listens to your personal prayers and watches over you etc.
It's as ridiculous in fantasy as it is in the real world.

Except they tried magic to cure Eamon and it didn't work. How would the "magic" of Andraste's ashes be more effective than healing magic? I find the Lyrium explanation to be bs honestly, it seems to be really reaching. Lyrium doesn't heal you, it kills you even the normal stuff. Plus there's all the other stuff in the Temple that can't really be hand waved away with "magic" since it's unlike any magic we've encountered.

It doesn't have to be evidence in favor of the Maker, but it is definitely something outside the norm.

I'm a little disappointed that in a game about faith, they flat out tell you it wasn't Andraste who saved you in the Fade. I would've preferred it be left ambiguous, like the Ashes are. Finding out Cory was the one who gave you the mark was fine, since it still left the fact of who exactly saved you unknown.

[TheJiveDJ]

I think too many people are taking a game universe too seriously as if it's somehow become a proxy for real life.  

 

Atheist are acting as if invalidating the gods of Thedas will in some way prove the gods of the real world are also false and the other side people are rushing to the ramparts to defend fictional gods they don't believe in as if it was their own god under attack.  

 

Take a step back and take a deep breath, this is a fictional game universe and really shouldn't have anything to do with anybody's real beliefs.

The whole point of this thread is for people to discuss the things you wish for them to cease discussing...so...what are you doing here, exactly?

[TheJiveDJ]

lol atheists.

[- Archangel -]

Internet Atheists
 

[Decepticon Leader Sully]

[- Archangel -]

as if by example.

[Vilegrim]

all of the Norse gods could be killed. Their deaths were even foretold in the legend of Ragnorak. Are they not gods now too?

In the context of Thedas, where demons and spirits are real the bar to get called a god has to be pretty high, and 'can be killed' is a big strike against it.

[KaiserShep]

It's not fair that Sarah Palin gets to ride a T-Rex and I can't.

[Corwyn]

The whole point of this thread is for people to discuss the things you wish for them to cease discussing...so...what are you doing here, exactly?

No the point of this thread was to ask if it was possible to play as an atheist, that's been answered many times over and the thread has since derailed and become a pissing contest between theist and atheist.  And at no point did I say stop discussing anything I said people should stop acting like the way somebody is playing a game in a fictional universe is somehow an affront to their personal view on religion. 

[Decepticon Leader Sully]