This fandom is horrible.

A group of people in the Dragon Age fandom who are tired of the Dragon Age fandom. We are a group of people who are tired of the attitudes so many in tumblr's Dragon Age fandom possess, and, thus, blog to essentially complain about it and point out various opinions that tend to go against the flow. Mods go under pseudonyms (Mod Names), as to avoid harassment on their blogs, and not have to fear being bullied off of either their blogs or the website itself for their opinions and feeling the urge to voice them.

[dragonagebullshit]

Idk if you're still active, but I'm fed up of people blaming dragon age's flaws as 'bad writing'?? Of course people are going to be more aligned with the chantry than mages(I'm as pro mage as they come) because they've been raised that way. It's worldbuilding. People in euorpe in the 1400s aren't gonna disagree with the catholic church, are they? It just frustrates me because I see it a lot recently for a lot of things, not just dragon age

Well, I’m pretty sure that this blog will become active again once DA4 drops in all honesty. Still, it’s good to see people are still ready to come here and yell about things! i’m all alone now hahaha--

And yes, it is indeed worldbuilding. People are also aligned with the Chantry because it’s been the predominant religion in Thedas for a very long time. I’m too lazy to look up the dates right now but I believe it’s been a thousand years or so? Longer? Either way, that’s a super long time for it to become influential and just ask me at some point about a post I saw talking about the Chantry in DA2. It was amazing. I don’t know where it went, but it was a damn good point talking about how Elthina was not as impartial to things as she claimed to be.

Worldbuilding is a good asset to any story, of course. It’s essential. That does not mean you have to agree with it or even like it. Criticize things as you need in whatever you consume! I remember I argued with someone I once knew about the Dothraki and their culture. What I’m saying here is that it’s not bad writing. Bad writing comes in many forms and, yes, there is bad writing in Dragon Age - but it’s rather scattered. The only example that comes to mind right now is Sera. And that’s a whole other can of worms.

Either way, overall? The series has had amazingly good writing. But to say the writing is bad because people disagree with the values and presented state of things is what people who don’t want to practice critical thinking do, I think.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Hey - I love dragon age and I'm wondering what is the best way for dealing with toxic fans? I want to make a DA blog but I'm afraid of joining due to the reputation of the Dragon Age fandom here on tumblr. :/

Honestly, anon, there’s a lot of ways to get around the whole ‘tumblr is a toxic mess’ side of things. Block people. Use Tumblr Savior or Nu xKit’s blacklist option. If you get nasty asks, delete them. Don’t engage with people you don’t want to. Tumblr is what you shape it to be for yourself and if you’re not enjoying someone’s presence on your dash? Unfollow them. Get rid of them. Follow people who do interest you. I do realize and can say to you that the whole toxic side of the fandom is pretty vocal, true enough, but you can ensure that people can’t interact with stuff for the most part by making use of the tools ( shitty as they are ) that Tumblr provides. But cultivate the experience you want. Enjoy yourself. That’s the most important thing when it comes down to any fandom is to just have fun and enjoy yourself when all is said and done.

I can’t for sure say who you should avoid or what counts as toxic to you, but if you’re just here to have fun? Then that’s all you should worry about. Just have fun. And show those people that you’re just not going to engage. 

- mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Y’all still out here being lesbophobic?

We were never lesbophobic, anon. What in the world gave you that idea? And apologies for such a late response. I only just saw this ask.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Please return to the fold! Your blog is my lifeline in this fandom!

I’m not sure where the other mods went, ‘nonnie, but I’d be glad to return!

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

*taps microphone*

Hello fandom, we’re not dead.

Just very dusty.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

i dont know if youre still taking asks but da fandom is really scary i remember i was 15 and got called a bitch by an adult because i mentioned that there were similarities between the elves and welsh/scottish/irish culture?? saying this as a scottish jewish rromani btw so i still dont know why they got upset but it still makes me nervous to say ANYTHING in the fandom.

People are insane over fictional ideas, honestly. That, however, doesn’t excuse the lack of maturity in people you interact with - they know how they’re behaving and they’re the ones that have to deal with the consequences of that. To call a young adult such a thing is rude and awful, because that shows a basic lack of respect for your fellow man. Don’t be nervous. Even if you get hate cast at you, don’t ever be nervous. Stick to your guns and let people have it if you must. The more they protest, make yourself louder for it. Don’t ever let anyone silence you for the sake of keeping the peace. 

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Yo it looks like you guys haven't updated in a bit but reading through some of the questions you answered really put me at ease, so just wanted to say thanks. I'm very, very new to Dragon Age and was introduced through DA: I and saw a ton of hatred towards elves and I was feeling "wrong" for making my Inquisitor an elf I guess? When I shouldn't? idk lmao So basically thank you for existing, because I thought I was the only one feeling really... awkward about the hate when I just got here.

I’ve never seen hate for elves in the fandom, but then again, I’ve never been looking for fandom hate over anything. Aren’t the elves supposed to be the precious babies that everyone must protect and all? But I could be wrong. Anyways, anon, you do you and tell anyone who tries to give you shit for it that they can politely go stuff themselves. We’re still here, but it’s just been so long -- anyways, don’t give up and do what you want! Don’t let anyone make you feel like crud for what you enjoy. More power to you for having a Lavellan! 

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Is this blog dead?

What is dead may never die. Wrong fandom but still applicable. - Mod Merrill

[dragonagebullshit]

I love it when people say that romancing someone who is bi as a male character is bi erasure. /sarcasm.

Or when you romance a bisexual character with a female character which is ALSO seen as bi erasure. Sometimes even more so. /glances at the FenHawke side of things. 

People need to chill on that, I say.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

I'm going to be so peeved if the solas romance is the determining factor that saves the world in DA4 but it really seems like fans want this to be the case.

Well, to be quite honest, the Solas romance does have a huge impact to Trespasser if you were weak for the bald apostate. I mean you can basically tell him off and say you’re going to save or kill him (though I’m sure you will see it with other playthroughs as I’m going to learn with my new Herald) and while it’s not that big of a difference, it does seem to be heading that way. Of course, this is if they continue with the Inquisition at all and the impact it’s had over the lands in DA4 which I’m sure they will. I honestly want to play my Lavellan again and see how things go.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

People in this fandom. I swear, they crap all over characters like Alistair, Cullen, Vivienne, Merrill and Blackwall but when Anders approves of you selling Fenris to Danarius well that's just the writers writing him out of character, he's not REALLY like that. Is it really that hard to acknowledge that your precious cinnamon roll might not be such a nice guy 100% of the time?

That’s one of the reasons I can’t romance Anders easily, tbh. It just skeeves me out so bad. Can’t be out of character, though, if he’s written that way .. right? Well, he is written that way, sadly one might say, but honestly it’s just ridiculous to get onto those characters. I love them all quite easily (especially Merrill) because it’s wonderful to see complex, complicated characters that aren’t cut and dry like others can feel to be. But hey, try telling the fandom that.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

Love this blog! Will you be accepting new mods in the future?

Given the inactivity on our blog, it’s probably not likely to happen any time soon. If it revives, then we’ll probably look at new mods.

- Mod Hawke

[dragonagebullshit]

I honestly get kind of tired of hearing how the writers didn't make the characters brown enough. I also get tired of hearing that the writers hate elves or they wrote a certain character poorly because said character made terrible choices. Anders blowing up the chantry wasn't out of character, making elves the oppressed race =/= hate and the writers can design the characters however they want. This fandom does not know more about DA than it's own writers and people need to quit it.

Couldn't have said it better myself. It always makes me laugh when fans think they know what's IC for a character more than that character's own creator. As for elves... Despite them being the "oppressed" race, I honestly think that they're very favored over say the dwarves or Qunari. They're shaping up to be the main focus of the next game what with Fen'Harel and the elven gods coming into play so much. I doubt the creators would give that kind of major attention to a group they hated. - mod Merrill

[dragonagebullshit]

tfw you've headcanon'd qunari as a mix of Greece and the Middle East for IRL comparisons but dare not say anything because the last time you drew Hissrad with hair you got asks about how it was whitewashing because it wasn't black hair and "qunari coded as POC" apparently means "black". Between POC becoming a nearly-useless buzzword thrown around willy-nilly and getting shit for the *in-character* choice of siding with the Templars in DAI I've really come to hate interacting with this fandom.

As far as fandom is concerned (and not just DA fandom), POC is just another word for black a good 90% of the time. - mod Merrill

[dragonagebullshit]

okay but, the thing i don't understand about this fandom's obsession with "pocness", is their absolute lack of interest in asian characters. never once i saw anyone talking about how there's no country in thedas that would be the real world equivalent of japan or korea, for example. or how there's not a single character with typical asian facial features. everyone's too busy about brown and black characters, and maybe they think some asians are "too pale" to be worthy of their attention.

Didn't you know POC people are only people with a certain amount of brownness to their skin?? Race has nothing to actually do with ethnic background, only with color, didn't you know. - mod Merrill, rolling her eyes for 10000000 years

[dragonagebullshit]

Someone actually took it as a personal attack when I said f!Lavellan isn't the canon inquisitor, nor should she be. I don't like how this fandom elevates her so much over all the other inquisitors, especially since I've seen people make complex and intriguing stories with Adaar, Trevelyan and Cadash. Maybe they can't fall in love with fen'harel but why should that make them less speical? Is a F!Lavellan who didn't romance Solas less canon by that logic?

If there was one true canon way to play the game, there would be an option to play as different classes/races/genders. There'd be one default. And the promotional material for the game had the inquisitor in full armor with a helmet, so it's nearly impossible to tell who/what they are supposed to be or look like. It's entirely up to the player because it doesn't make a difference to the story outcome. It makes me laugh that people get so angry about how others play or interpret the game. Like there's no right/wrong way people, chill. - mod Merrill

[dragonagebullshit]

this fandom's logic: "white character? no, they're poc. they got white-washed while getting created by their own creators. poc character? no, they're white-washed. not dark enough. gotta make them D A R K E R. thedas is a poc utopia. you're a racist if you don't follow my sad, deluded headcanon."

Is it bad that I actually forgot Sebastian was brown? I mean, in my defense, I played the game for forever on a really shitty television and I have yet to buck up for the PC versions, but man. Fandom needs to realize that there’s nothing wrong with white skin. Thedas is a mixed variety of races, as we’ve seen. And if they’re basing things on real world cultures, hell, I’m all for seeing the melting pot that I bet Tevinter is. 

I mean, hell, I love all the poc folks we’re seeing more and more often in the games (and it’s definitely a marked increase from, say, Origins) and it’s a fantastic thing that makes me happy. But to call people racist just because they don’t believe that character X is not a person of color? That’s rude as hell and Tumblr needs to learn to stop with its attempts to police things and tell people what is and isn’t right in the end.

- Mod Hawke