31 réponses à ce sujet

[Jackup28]

I feel that there is something off with Varric but I can't my finger on it your particular knowledge might just help      

[Jackup28]

Come on people you know it too!

[thats1evildude]

He is guilty of the most grievous crime imaginable for a Bioware character:

Being charming without being romanceable.

[Jackup28]

(Gasp) with Thought Yes!

[Jackup28]

Sorry I was daydreaming

[Big I]

I feel that there is something off with Varric but I can't my finger on it your particular knowledge might just help    

 

He runs a spy network. It's never clear who for, so I guess it's just for himself? He's involved with a married woman (the real Bianca). It's implied that he met Bianca when he brought her in on a heist for her technical expertise. Whatever they did, it almost started a Carta clan war, and the Dwarven Merchants Guild forbid them ever being in the same country. He ignored them and proposed marriage to her, even arranging a ceremony. She never turned up, married someone else and moved to Orlais.

 

Varric's actually got a really tragic backstory. His family was exiled from Orzammar because his father was fixing Provings. The family went to the surface with almost nothing, and his mother suffered from ill health and was addicted to alcohol and narcotics. Varric was the one who had to look after her. She died, the woman he loved left him, and then his own brother left him for dead in the Deep Roads.

 

Now that I think about it, meeting Hawke and joining the Inquisition were the least tragic things to happen to him. Yikes.

[Jackup28]

Hmm...yes taking note 

[Beerfish]

His great love whom he named his crossbow after is a dunder head.

 

He's a good character, looks after his friends, loves the shi**y city that he lives in, loves his ahole brother.

[Jackup28]

Yeah who abandons their brother in the deep roads(#dragon age 2)...!?

[Cribbian]

He's a true nerfherder.

[Jackup28]

Phh,hahaha#      lol

[sjsharp2011]

He runs a spy network. It's never clear who for, so I guess it's just for himself? He's involved with a married woman (the real Bianca). It's implied that he met Bianca when he brought her in on a heist for her technical expertise. Whatever they did, it almost started a Carta clan war, and the Dwarven Merchants Guild forbid them ever being in the same country. He ignored them and proposed marriage to her, even arranging a ceremony. She never turned up, married someone else and moved to Orlais.

 

Varric's actually got a really tragic backstory. His family was exiled from Orzammar because his father was fixing Provings. The family went to the surface with almost nothing, and his mother suffered from ill health and was addicted to alcohol and narcotics. Varric was the one who had to look after her. She died, the woman he loved left him, and then his own brother left him for dead in the Deep Roads.

 

Now that I think about it, meeting Hawke and joining the Inquisition were the least tragic things to happen to him. Yikes.

Yeah at least he had Hawke as backup down there in the Deep roads when it happened.

[Jackup28]

Yeah

[DarkAmaranth1966]

Let me see Varric is charming, witty, smart mouthed, a liar, runs a spy network, is a Desher for the merchant guild, or so he claims but, he is a surface dwarf, therefore not a part of the merchant cast. He is a typical sociopath, charming, likeable but, it's all for his benefit and any caring for others is only because he knows he can manipulate them to his advantage by being a friend.

 

Personally I like befriending him, playing his game, use him for my benefit, two can play that game.

[Fredward]

He is a typical sociopath, charming, likeable but, it's all for his benefit and any caring for others is only because he knows he can manipulate them to his advantage by being a friend.

 

Personally I like befriending him, playing his game, use him for my benefit, two can play that game.

 

How do you reconcile that with sticking with the Inquisition? Doing it for the social clout?

[DarkAmaranth1966]

For his ow benefit, being associated with what is arguably, and not so arguably for a while, the most powerful organization in Thedas give one a distinct social and economic advantage. In short being seen as one of the people who saved the world, despite him not actually doing much beyond getting a lot of practice with Bianca (the crossbow) give him power, respect, makes him desirable, makes people admire him. So yes, it's for his benefit.

 

Vivienne is there for her own benefit as well, so is Sera and, Solas, all there strictly for what they get out of it. Dorian, somewhat but he at least does think it's the right thing to do regardless of personal gain, Blackwall is trying to make amends for his nasty past, still for himself but, not for personal gain.

 

most of the companions have a few sociopathic tendencies, none are 100% altrusitic and unselfish as to why they are a part of the inquisition. Cassandra and Leliana come closest but they are acting out of a sense of duty to the Divine.

[Jeradon]

Varric is a colourful character who expresses sarcastic views around the world around. While Solas views the world with mystical eyes, Varic looks for irony and comedy. In short you have to take them together when exploring places like the Chateau d'Onterre or the dwarven thaig in the Hissing Wastes. The banter can be entertaining.

Ah and also Varric is my favourite character in DAI. It is a pity he could not be romanced.

[Jackup28]

Yeah it is...

[GoldenGail3]

I'd say all of above is what Varric is - becuase he's Varric!

[Jackup28]

 

 

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

Let me see Varric is charming, witty, smart mouthed, a liar, runs a spy network, is a Desher for the merchant guild, or so he claims but, he is a surface dwarf, therefore not a part of the merchant cast. He is a typical sociopath, charming, likeable but, it's all for his benefit and any caring for others is only because he knows he can manipulate them to his advantage by being a friend.

.... No.

[straykat]

Author and businessman, yes. He's not exactly charming to me. He's an acquired taste to most people in the games. That's kind of what makes him fun... they slowly learn to like him.

[Jackup28]

YEAH RIGHT! IS THAT A SERIOUS ANSWER!!!!

[dawnstone]

.... No.

+1

I have seldom seen anyone who accused a character of being a sociopath actually understand what that entails. Being able to manipulate people is not intrinsically sociopathic, being opportunistic is not intrinsically sociopathic, they are just a few of many traits that can help identify a sociopath. If being willing to use manipulation on a person, while being generally charming and likeable, means you're a sociopath, then a lot of mothers are, because they try to get you to eat your green beans when you're five and you don't want to. In fact, anyone who writes fiction, or creates games for entertainment has to be capable of manipulation, to get people to hand over their money to experience an artificial world that can provoke real feelings of anxiety, loss, or joy. 

 

Most people I believe, have a degree of selfishness which allows them to buy cheap consumer goods and services (like video games) without thinking much about the economics or resources that go into making them so, or are willing to overlook certain societal harms and inequalities as long as it benefits them. It is sociopathic to believe one has the moral high ground, despite evidence to the contrary, however.

 

My mother is a bit like Varric's, personally. I can see why he does some of the things he does, like distancing himself from tradition and being trapped in the past.

 

Things Varric does that a sociopath would not:

Spoiler

• takes responsibility for his brother
• feels guilt over the spread of red lyrium
• is capable of feeling regret and shame
• is not domineering towards or prone to humiliating people he claims to care for
• is reliable and capable of making long-term plans
• loves Bianca enough to let her be happy elsewhere, and yet remains faithful to her, and to our knowledge is not promiscuous
• understands love well enough to write a romance that Cassandra enjoys
• in fact he writes more of his crappy romance serial, just to see Cassandra have squishy feelings she usually doesn't acknowledge, I guess you could read this as vaguely sadistic, but I think it's human nature to want to know your work is appreciated, particularly something you're not happy with
• does not find pleasure in torturing animals or people
• protects his friend Hawke from the Chantry despite real danger to himself
• protects his friend Merrill from street crime in Kirkwall at great personal expense, and there is next to no benefit except friendship out of this
• asks after the well-being of a Herald whom he barely knows and whose power base has not solidified
• is able to set aside his ego enough to have religious feelings towards the Inquisitor
• continues to follow both Hawke and the Inquisitor at great personal risk
• cares enough about multiple people to write books about them, and finds them genuinely interesting
• cares enough about Cole to want him to be able to experience life as a full human

What defines a sociopath is antisocial behavior, activities that are out of order with the local culture and behavioral norms. What is normal in a place like Kirkwall, what is normal for the Carta? Varric makes a nice bridge between those two cultures, pretty well, I think.

[Jackup28]

YEP! that's about right...