#i like being dramatic ^^

[productofaritual]

First time in forever I'm not sleeping through ao3 being down SOMEBODY SEDATE ME

[iwasbored777]

Sjskskkssksks why are they always like this in every movie 😂

[wormspoodle]

debated on sharing this one here but i think i will

[scribeofmorpheus]

Why Dragon Age Veilguard isn't a "Cathedral"

Concept art by Matt Rhodes

"To disinherit the storylines of past games goes directly against the notion of building cathedrals."

What is inherent with Veilguard that keeps bothering me is the fact that the world's choices truly didn't matter--and it doesn't simply bother me from a player perspective, it's not simply a grievance borne of frustration to what I (as a longtime fan) have lost. It's about the very culture of the arts under capitalism's new media habituation cycle [x][x].

Yes, I spent hours of my life playing and replaying each instalment of Dragon Age. Yes, I painstakingly curated a 'canon' world state by replaying what came before in preparation for Veilguard. Yes, I am even more unsatisfied with the end product--time hasn't helped, it's just widened the divide. But, and I can't stress this enough, these very personal gripes aren't what hit home the most. It's the inherent disregard of legacy. A legacy that the previous writers and game developers were building towards.

In the DAV artbook, "cathedral" is the word used to describe the process of making a game. Matt Rhodes' exact words are: "One artist can make a painting, but it takes a team to build a cathedral." Cathedrals took centuries to build. The architect who drafted the first blueprints would likely never see his work realised, he had to rely on those who came after him, like-minded and passionate, to see it through--for the culture, for the future, for legacy. Painters took on several apprentices for this reason too--giant frescoes were not completed by one man's hand, even if it is one man's name that immortalises them. Similarly, if you weave a narrative around choice, what good does it do to take it away at the final act if not to fall to caricature?

To disinherit the storylines of past games goes directly against the notion of building cathedrals.

Late-stage capitalism and profit-margin-obsessed game producers forcing developers to churn out meager content, to make a known brand into something it's not, to chase a fad or a popular trend... o, how reductive and cliche you've been forced to become Bioware. We have lost the cultural thought patterns relative to Cathedrals. We know only of barn-raised churches--done in a day but unlikely to last the turn of the seasons.

And don't even get me started on the music of Veilguard either. From Origins to World of Warcraft to Everquest to Baldur's Gate to Dungeon Siege, you can hear the intricate interconnected weave of sounds inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons-esque fantasy genre. You hear it in the repeated use of certain instruments, in the harmonic weeping notes of a bard-like singer or the foreboding echoes of drums as if of war. In tavern songs. But then, rather than hire someone who loves these worlds and this genre, who is a hungry artist looking to make a name, a legacy if you will, for themselves with a spectacular score, you hire any already sated composer, one well-into the encroaching years of career fatigue, whose notes repeat in countless projects, who feels less concise and more uninterested with each new project. One who has long since cemented his legacy. Someone in it for a paycheck and nothing else! And, to top it off, you let him compose something so minimalist? I am offended actually.

Cathedrals! We should have witnessed the final tile being placed on the Dragon Age cathedral. Instead, some architects walked up, tore down the interior and installed IKEA furniture and called it authentic before having to call the previous architects to come and fix the "load-bearing issues", forcing them to rush and add a coat of varnish and a few 'aged' details for authenticity.

[egberts]

all I can see is bad coming out of this like he didn't die so that's it man he's a living martyr for the far right now. things are gonna get scarier than ever??

[shepscapades]

When I first saw this I was mostly flooded with relatively angsty thoughts, but the more I tried to translate those thoughts realistically onto the page, the sillier and sillier they got =w=

[theonewhowails]

cult trait: good die young

[xxplastic-cubexx]

[right to left]

finally finished This Wip from Ever ago and so now i ask you ever look into another dudes eyes and suddenly want to do whatever he wants

[humming-fly]

I've been really enjoying all the heart-wrenching and beautiful art episode 43 of malevolent has spawned, so to even things out here's even more monty python shitposts

Bonus:

[royalarchivist]

Pac: Tamo junto, Fitch.

Fit: 😘❤️

Over one year after their first (official) date, Fit and Pac finally have their first kiss. 🥹💕

[sparrowchute]

chat how are we feeling

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Archery Nemesis.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[same-picture-of-a-rock-every-day]

the rock mod is back :)

oh hey guys, long time no see :) I should check my follower count to see if i need to update my bio-

oh. oh wow. damn. Honestly, genuinely, keeping up with this blog and seeing everyone's reaction to it every day has been one of the few things keeping me going in college, especially with some personal struggles going on lately. I want to do something to thank you guys, if you have any ideas PLEASE let me know because I am NOT an idea guy (hence a blog that requires NO creativity lmao) over the next few days im also going to clean up my intro post and bio and stuff and just make this blog a little nicer (not removing anythin important!! the rock blog will still be basically the same :)

This blog also turns four years old in TWO DAYS so I will be doing something for that as well (if finals week doesn't kill me dead). I started this blog in high school during COVID, when I was depressed, unmediated, and generally struggling with life. Now im a relatively stable college student, on hrt and genuinely on my way to living my best life, and throughout it all, i've had the rock blog to remind me there are people that care if i'm there, even if its just a small thing like queuing a stock photo.

Lastly. I hate to ask this, things are tough out there for us all, but im struggling to make rent this month, and if you have a spare dollar you can send to your local trans disabled faggot rock blog, I promise it will go towards helping me survive and make more rock themed posts for ever and ever and ever. if you do decide to give me anything dm me and ill send you a picture of a rock from my personal collection. hell ill ship rocks to people if you send me enough lmaooo. my kofi is https://ko-fi.com/ sirrivix, again absolutely no pressure at all im just struggling at the moment.

[vaguely-concerned]

lucanis is a 'I could sit in our quiet kitchen on a grey tuesday afternoon drinking coffee and talking with you about nothing much in particular forever and be the happiest man who ever lived' romantic, not a 'classic tropes and grand gestures' romantic. this is a distinction and conceptual gap I personally feel is crucial to understanding what's going on with him when romanced. for all his almost painful sincerity and clear depth of feeling he's not a very effusive guy by nature, but in the history of time no one has ever, with their whole soul, chest and being, been so genuinely and openly happy to just do laundry and taxes with you.

[koipepo]

That omake of little Kabru not being able to show off his howetown sweets because of Misril gets to me a lot so...

Here's a happier Kabru (and Lairu)

[dasiesanddarkness]

the fact that Kaz takes Jesper's time blindness into account when plotting will always make me so emotional