#but dragon age is ours now as the lovely sheryl chee said

[blightbright]

Solas fandom and "genAI"

I recently came back to Tumblr 99.9% because life is stressful and I'm autistic and special interesting about Solas, but I never could keep my mouth shut so... re: so-called "genAI" in fandom spaces:

I say so-called because it is neither truly generative nor intelligent, and it is not really artificial: it is created with the real stolen efforts of living people and real environmental exploitation

I have little interest in blaming everyday individuals (except CEOs, political leaders, billionaires, etc) for the harms of the most popular "genAI" tech, because it's a systemic problem

"genAI" is intentionally confusing and it's ok if people are genuinely ignorant, at first, of how it works or the harm

I also have loved ones who disagree with me

THAT SAID, I urge people to learn more about and consider the harms to society, other people, and one's own process of self-expression, learning, and creativity from the use of "genAI"

I can't control your behavior but I can tell you that your messiest, most "OOC," error-ridden rough draft, or your most wonky-proportioned stick figure fan art is infinitely more precious, valuable, and emotionally, culturally, and spiritually significant than an unintelligent plagiarism algorithm doing it for you, even if it gets less hits/kudos at first. don't give up hope: your own art means something. I encourage you to make fandom a heartfelt space of resistance!

it is important for communities to define boundaries of unacceptable behavior (i.e. use of non-gen AI spellcheck, Google Translate, "genAI" rewrite functions, character "chats," plot/outline "generation," full-blown "generated" pieces... IMO, I'm fine with the first, uneasy but ok with the second, and the rest I actively oppose)

in the absence of clear boundaries, transparency is key! please publicly and clearly disclose ANY use of "genAI" at ANY stage of the process for fan works, because concealment of this is disrespectful and hurtful. if you didn't know before, such is life. now you know.

avoid all bad faith arguments about shipping wars and witch hunts. you have nothing to fear from posts uncovering AI if you do not use undisclosed "genAI": the two works in question did. you have many things to fear from unchecked "genAI" use if you are a writer, artist, or someone who needs our planet to stay alive

the work @durgeapologist, @fangbanger3000, and others have done to raise awareness about "genAI" use in popular fan works is extremely valuable, difficult work, and does not need to be perfectly worded to be earnest, meaningful, and ultimately beneficial for fan communities

bonus point, sponsored by autism: Solas as a character draws on figures from Norse lore including Loki, god of many things including callouts and criticism of powerful systems; Odin, god of words, wisdom, poets, and uncontrollable creative inspiration; and Fenrir, wolfpup god of surviving trauma, seeking praise and social approval from the powerful only for it to result in pain, raging against the system, and freedom. IMO, if I want any character to rally people together for the sake of resisting billionaire tech companies when possible and celebrating old-fashioned creativity, it's Solas. it's in his story's DNA. whoever we want him to smooch.

[mumms-the-word]

It feels a bit sad to only just get into and fall in love with Dragon Age now, and I hope one day another studio who loves it picks it up and continues it!

But if it doesn't, I know there's been many years of fans writing and creating for this fandom and I'll happily enjoy it for the years to come

Yeah, as a long-time fan I’m kind of in this weird state of mourning the end of an era but also fully confident that the fandom isn’t dead even if EA wants to kill the game development future of DA.

Like…there are tens of thousands of fanfics for DA on AO3 right now, and more are added every day

There are tens of thousands of fanarts on Instagram and Twitter and bluesky and Pinterest and more are added every day

There are hundreds of extensive loreposts on tumblr and video essays of fan theories on YouTube and TikTok, and new things are being uploaded every day

There are fancomics being made right now, whole novels worth of stories for beloved characters being written right now, charity zines of art and poetry being organized right now, concept arts for new and old characters being made right now

This fandom is still relentlessly creating despite the odds

Sheryl Chee said it best on bluesky: “DA isn’t dead because it’s yours now”

And damn if there isn’t one thing this fandom is good at, it’s keeping this crazy fantasy universe alive with rich, beautiful, insane, ambitious, cozy, wonderful creative work

DA isn’t dead because it’s ours now

[erikacousland]

As a Grey Warden, I'll never lead a normal life, will I? "No, you won't."

2. Wow, you're blunt. "Were you expecting an "Oh, I'm sure you will! You'll have dozens of babies and die happy and old in your bed." No. You won't. If I had said that, it would have been a lie and I would have been doing you an injustice."

3. I could try, but it wouldn't work. "No, it wouldn't, would it? Being a Grey Warden is in your blood now. You can't escape it."

4. But I don't think I was ever meant to be 'normal'. "I don't think so either. You would not have been happy living a dull, uneventful life, dying in obscurity."

5. I already knew the answer. Don't know why I asked. "Because you were not looking for the answer, but for someone to tell you that in spite of it, you'll be all right."

Well, In my story, Erika ask this when she as a crying baby on Wynne's shoulder. Very early, in fact.

"You wonder sometimes, don't you? If your life would be better if you weren't who you are." No. I like my life. "I didn't. Not for a long time. When I was a young woman in the tower I came to the realization that the Circle would be my life, and I would know no other. Family, love, a simple life--these were things that others took for granted, that I would never have." And this upset you? "It made me very moody. All I could think of was being trapped in that tower, with no way out and no end in sight. I started hating my life, and myself, and one night I found myself in the tower's chapel. I was seeking refuge, maybe answers..." Did you find anything? "I must have looked tearful, or made some noise, because the revered mother came out and decided to speak to me. And because I had no one else to talk to, I talked to her. I must have said many silly things... But she told me that the Maker puts us all on our paths for a reason, and fighting our intended course is what causes so much anguish." And that made you feel better? "(Scoffs) I thought the old biddy was full of rubbish. I was fifteen, maybe sixteen, and I knew *everything*. So I left. But I always found my way back to that chapel, and as the years passed, I began to see the truth of her words. We were supposed to be polar opposites--mage and priest--but we weren't. There was much about us that was the same." I suppose priests have to give up a lot too. "The revered mother had lived in the Chantry all her life, as I had been in the tower for all of mine. She taught me that you can find your family in the people around you, that you can love your work and find fulfillment in duty. And there is joy even in self-sacrifice; if you put others before yourself, then their well-being is yours, and their happiness is your happiness."

1. That doesn't sound healthy. "It isn't healthy to throw yourself at a pack of darkspawn either, in order to save the world, so I'd say you're in no position to judge."

2. Would you hate me if I said you were full of rubbish? "Heh. No, I wouldn't. As I mentioned I once thought the same thing of someone else."

3. It won't be easy to live that way. "You can scream and cry and be angry about life as a Grey Warden, or you can accept it and allow yourself to see the good in it. This is your choice."

Sheryl Chee always write the most beautiful words and characters. Not that "wow, cool!" type, but most real.

Dragon Age: Origins Screenshots 1920×2160

Party Camp, Wynne - "This is your choice."