Hey guys! ๐ It's the end of 2024 and I realized today I haven't posted on here since finishing Veilguard.
Well, to make it short.. since then, I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, replaying it, watching my friends who are DA casuals and not into fandom play it (which was very enlightening but also hilarious ๐), so now.. I feel like I'm at a point where I know exactly what my issues with this game are and I've made peace with it. I still love Dragon Age! And I love parts of Veilguard and I had a ton of fun playing it (though probably for all the wrong reasons ๐ฅฒ). When I first finished the game, I cried tears of happiness that after ten years my favorite character actually somehow got a beautiful Happy Ending and closure, but also tears of sorrow that this marks the end of the story that was set up back in 2009.. and tears of mourning that this story had all the potential to be so so SO much more.
Dragon Age is a very weird franchise in that all the games have been, in many ways, vastly different from each other and to be a fan of the whole series means to recognize all its flaws and changes, but still loving it because of its unique core elements that glue it together and make it so special. I could sit here for hours trying to put into words what I think went wrong with Veilguard, but I know many people have already done so far more eloquently than I ever could. This blog was always meant to be just a positive little corner to share my love for these games and silly VA stuff with other people and I'm sure I will eventually reblog all the two million posts I've liked over the past month, both positive and critical. But for now and the new year, I want to focus my time and energy on just being creative, getting back to drawing and trying to realize ideas about DA I've had for a looong time and that's my way of "emotionally recovering" (that sounds so dramatic ๐). ๐
With that being said... What a crazy decade year it has been for me personally in this fandom...
So I want to look back at it, just some rambling under the cut, 'cause I'm a little sentimental now, I guess. ๐ฅฒ
Before I created this blog, I was mostly just a lurker on here for many years, despite being a fan of BioWare games since.. uh.. forever? lol But I was always waaay too insecure about my English, let alone my own art. I also have social anxiety, so maybe that was part of the reason why I decided to finally create this blog at a time when the fandom was at its most dormant? lol (There is also a whole separate post for another day about how Mass Effect influenced me personally and how it made my biggest dream come true, the enormous honor to voice a few NPCs in (the German version of) Andromeda. Still the craziest thing to ever happen to me. lol)
So, seeing all the crazy excitement and the fandom fully revived this year and all these months leading up to Veilguard was both incredibly overwhelming, but also the most fun I've ever had as being part of a fandom! This year also marked the first time I posted my own art online and I can't even put into words how crazy it was seeing the response to that and I still can't believe that Trick Weekes not only commented on but also reposted it, that is still f*cking insane to me and I'll never forget the morning I woke up to see that. lmao
So yeah.. THAT happened. Followed by what I think has to be one of the weirdest, craziest marketing campaigns I've ever seen. lol
Going back to 2022, we truly had it all...
A title announcement on a random Thursday that was probably done so that it would not be confused with the Netflix series announced a few days later. A tie-in comic more than a year before release that was... a little pointless? lol A vinyl collection that spoiled the composers a year before release. A title change literally two days before the first trailer. A reveal trailer that left many in shock because of its tone shift and complete lack of the former title character. A line of Game Informer articles that left us often times with more questions than answers. Every single article being deleted the very next month due to GI shutting down. An actor panel at SDCC happening right as Sag Aftra went on strike. A "fandom" party that had nothing to do with Dragon Age. Jason Derulo. An artbook that accidentally revealed the release date with its pre-order, which was then deleted. Twice. Memes about roadmaps. A second trailer that in hindsight probably should've been the first one. An audio drama by a different writing team with some baffling (but funny) lore mistakes. A combat showcase starting off with a disclaimer that "footage had been edited due to spoilers"... followed by THE biggest spoiler in literally the first ten seconds. The first IGN video with super spoilery dev commentary. A hand-on preview event with 140 people leading to spoilers galore... Did I mention spoilers? lol
That was when I stopped looking at stuff online, so I don't know what happened after that, but WOW, what a crazy ride that was. ๐ฅฒ Truly a DA4 Summer to remember and I'm unironically so grateful to have witnessed it in real time with all of you. ๐
Then finally, after ten flippin years of tinfoiling, speculating, reading crazy development stories and clowning around at every gaming live event, Veilguard was finally released and it will probably go down as the most emotionally charged Halloween of my life. lmao
Then it was time to actually play The Veilguard. Which took me about a month.
A month filled with what I can only describe as a crazy rollercoaster of conflicting emotions. Aside from everything having to do with Solas, I'd say my personal highlights of the entire experience was seeing Felassan (I screamed), the PHOTO MODE and even one hilarious "breaking the fourth wall" moment, where I would frantically run around in Elgar'nan's trap in "Blood of Arlathan", to a point where I would yell at the screen "SOLAS, I COULD USE SOME HELP NOW, HELLO???" and hearing his flippin voice literally two seconds later going "Yes, you called?" and I freaked out so hard I dropped the controller. ๐๐๐ Also, as someone who romanced Alistair in my first playthrough of DAO and brought him to the final battle not knowing he would sacrifice himself, you can imagine my flashbacks when I saw Davrin dying at Tearstone.. who I had romanced. ๐ Or the Dark Ritual flashbacks when I saw Morrigan wanting to talk to me right before the final mission. lol Getting the Felassan rune actually made me tear up a little. There are many little moments like that that I loved or that made me emotional, but ultimately.. Veilguard is a game that, for all the amazing graphics and cutscenes and flashy combat.. the more I think about the story and the lore (or lack thereof), the more I end up confused and trying to figure out what it is that's breaking the immersion to me in a way that the previous games didn't.
But anyway... I finished Veilguard, though the DA craziness of 2024 wasn't over just yet and I didn't know that the best was yet to come in December. lol
So.. Years ago, one of the main reasons I created this blog was to make silly "appreciation posts" about Solas' German VA and ramble on about my love for his performance.. I even remember making a post on here like three years ago talking about how I would sadly never EVER get a chance to meet his VA personally, because that man never ever goes to any fan conventions or public events. lol
Well... GUESS WHO I MET AT THE GERMAN COMIC CON EARLIER THIS MONTH!!!
YES GUYS, without sounding like a weirdo (because despite my obsession with voice acting, I don't care for VAs social accounts or anything beyond their work as a VA), but after years of jokingly referring to this blog as the "Ozan รnal Appreciation Blog", and kinda the reason I made this blog in the first place, I finally met the man himself and it was probably the best friggin fan experience I could've wished for. ๐ฅฒ๐ฅฒ๐ฅฒ
See, I've met a lot of different VAs at Cons before, who were all super nice and awesome to talk to.. but let me tell you, this guy has such an incredibly contagious positive attitude and charm!! lol Me and my friend were literally the last to stand in line at his booth before the event closed, there were TONS of people (there were quite a few VAs at the Con, but his booth had BY FAR the most people in line the whole day lol) and yet he made sure to take the time to talk with every single person, asking questions, was genuinely interested in our opinions, joking around and just generally SO FRIGGIN NICE. And he's just a very chill and funny dude? lol
And it was so funny, because there were SO many people and yet apparently I was the only person that day to talk to him about DA and Solas and he was SO excited about it ๐๐๐ (I bet like 90% of the fans talked to him about his VA work on Vampire Diaries, The Big Bang Theory, Gravity Falls and Nicholas Hoult lol).
And of course, because DA4 happened so recently, it was still fresh in his memory. He told us that he even watched some Let's Plays and asked what we thought of the game and I'm still laughing so hard, because he was literally like "Oh yeah, the lore is MASSIVE and it was so overwhelming and I could barely keep up with it, the whole time I had no idea what I was talking about.. like, what exactly IS Mythal??" LMAOOO His performance for Solas was so good and so convincing and now I'll always have to picture him standing in the recording booth, no flippin clue what he's actually talking about. lmaoo And then my friend was pointing at me like "She's actually a walking lore encyclopedia" and then he was like "Oh, you should've been in the booth then!" lol
And I'm actually quite upset on his behalf now, because he also told us how, when the English VAs were officially announced, he had actually made a post on social media about how he was returning for Solas in DA4 and how he got in so much trouble for that because EA told him they were going to make an official announcement.... AND THEN THEY NEVER DID??? Like, I was desperately waiting for an announcement about the German voice cast and they simply never made one, we literally had to wait for the credits to be published? (Also, the German and French version have only one female and one male voice for Rook and no one knows what happened there, we tried to contact them about it, but no response so far?? It's like they don't even care.) That's EA for you...
Anyway, we then chatted a bit more about his other work and stuff and he recorded an audio for me (I actually got him to say the "Vir shiral malasa, bellanaris" GUYS AND IT SOUNDS SO GOOD, like I was so nervous, asking "Could you do elven..?" and he was like "Sure, it's been a year, might be a bit rusty" and then he just knocked it out of the park?? lmao So I have both Lavellan's AND Solas' WEDDING VOWS NOW. ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญโคโคโคโคโค)
So yeah, that was my meeting with Ozan flippin รnal and what an awesome guy and amazing VA and what an "epic conclusion" of this year of the Dragon (Age) 2024. lol And the timing feels so strange now, because, in a way, it feels kinda like coming full circle?
Like I said in the beginning, for years I was always mainly a lurker in the fandom and the reason why I created this blog was to join in on the hype/speculation train for DA4 and to talk about Solas' German and French voices and share my silly edits and gifs.
And now I've played Veilguard AND I've met Ozan รnal.. both things that, at some point, I wasn't sure were ever going to happen.....
So.. In terms of my fandom experience, this year was crazy and whatever 2025 brings and whatever happens with this blog or DA in general... I love this fandom (especially my little Solasmancer bubble <3) and I love Dragon Age and whoever's reading this, here's to 2025 and I hope you have a Happy New Year!! ๐๐๐๐๐
*deep breath* So.. I'm at the end of Act 2 now, about to start Act 3.. (I think? I don't even know for sure where I'm at. lol)
You only get to play for the first time once, so I'm really taking my time, doing everything there is, reading every codex, trying to appreciate the details, taking pics and talking to myself recording some of my thoughts along the way (and just maybe trying to avoid the main story, since I'm pretty terrified for Act 3 and the ending ๐ซ ). I have no idea what's gonna happen. I haven't looked at any fandom spaces for weeks. I have.. such conflicting feelings about all of this. I'm still trying to process. I am also sleep deprived as f*ck. So...
*deep breath* So.. I'm at the end of Act 2 now, about to start Act 3.. (I think? I don't even know for sure where I'm at. lol)
You only get to play for the first time once, so I'm really taking my time, doing everything there is, reading every codex, trying to appreciate the details, taking pics and talking to myself recording some of my thoughts along the way (and just maybe trying to avoid the main story, since I'm pretty terrified for Act 3 and the ending ๐ซ ). I have no idea what's gonna happen. I haven't looked at any fandom spaces for weeks. I have.. such conflicting feelings about all of this. I'm still trying to process. I am also sleep deprived as f*ck. So...
HEY HI HELLO Just quickly wanted to come online to take a short break from going completely insane uh playing I mean, to say, it's literally my birthday and I just got to see Solas. with hair. for the first time. My life is now complete, bye. Thank you, Maker, for this gift.
Also, I'm losing my absolute shit over codex entries and notes.
Also, Harding. Just. HARDING. (AND WHY AGAIN CAN'T I MENTION HER TO VARRIC OR SOLAS HELLOO??? VARRIC YOU MADE CONTACT WITH THAT THING TOO??? BTW OMG HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE. ALSO, DID THEY JUST CASUALLY REVEAL IN A CODEX ENTRY THAT THE DAGGER IS THE IDOL???? OKAY ALRIGHT OKAAAY. MY HEAD. HURTS.)
Also, I'm playing in German and I got to hear like ONE line from Elgar'nan and he's voiced by flippin Commander Shepard. lmaOOO
Also, if I got one cent for every time they mention Solas, the Blight or "THE GODS", I would probably be rich now. Maybe it's a First Act thing, idk. lol
And of course the THING about the BLIGHT revealed in your second conversation with Solas. Yeah. Holy. f*ck.
Entering every conversation with him like a boxing ring "Alright king, what Mighty Lore Bomb you got this time? Throw them at me like punches. Hit me as hard as you can." <3
There's so much guys. So. much. My head is spinninnnnnnng.
ANYWAY, gotta go back now, but I realized I'm probably the last person to have not posted their Rook yet, soooo.. here have a bazillion pics :3, Happy Birthday to me!! ๐๐๐
Well. This is it guys. Download is finally finished ahhhh!! (Yeah, my internet sucks)
Imma head back to Thedas now. It's been a while.
I've got the snacks (sorry kids, the candy is for the adults this year), tissues and my best friend for emotional support. ๐ฅน Whatever happens, I'm sure it will be one crazy emotional journey.
The Veil shall be guarded. So.. to all my fellow Rooks.. Good luck, have fun and remember
Before we all leave the internet for good to go play this game, I want us all to give another HUGE shoutout and standing ovation for the one and only @felassan, who has not just been holding the fort for all those years in which the fandom was dormant and hope for Veilguard to ever come out seemed so slim, they've been a true cornerstone of the fandom throughout all of it, and of course this entire crazy marketing campaign, providing everyone with every information, minor or big, regarding BioWare and amazing analysis and summaries and I know I speak for everyone when I say THANK YOU SO MUCH, you're incredible and I hope you'll have a great time with Veilguard and that it is all you've wished for (and our favorite elf Felassan to make a glorious appearance of course!!! Seriously, there should be an entire questline or something dedicated to him just for you and what you've done for the fandom in all those years! ๐๐๐) ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
I stopped looking at stuff online after the preview event happened, so that's how I'm going in. ๐ Whenever I post about my first playthrough or screenshots or something, I'm gonna put it all under a "read more" and tag it with "datv spoilers". :)
Other than that, I'll just be posting this gif without any context whenever something happens that warrants it. ๐
๐ฒ Today is October 31st, the worldwide release date of Dragon Age: The Veilguard!!! ๐
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The global release time is 4pm GMT. (some timezone comparisons below) At that time, PC users will be able to download the game. (preload was available for consoles)
yall. in a few days we're getting new dragon age. new companions who will stick with us for years. new narratives to pull at our heartstrings and occupy our thoughts and drive us a little crazy. new banter to delight at, new jokes. new dialogue to pick apart for hidden meanings. new dialogue options that don't match the voiced lines. new locations to explore, new architecture to admire, new flora and fauna to study. new codices to collect. new spells to toy with, new builds to create. new npcs to meet. new outfits to gush over or criticize, to see in fanart over and over again until it's like meeting an old friend. old mysteries to finally solve, new mysteries to uncover and chew on for however many years. NEW LOREEEEEE
this game just so does not even feel real to me. it genuinely feels as if they reached into my brain and pulled out my wildest, most self indulgent ideas. before 2018 and the dread wolf rises trailer, we didnโt even know if solas would BE in the game AT ALL? sure trespasser sets it up, but that doesnโt mean it would deliver. most people thought heโd only show up at the very end, as a clear villain that had to be defeated. the only frame of reference we had was how characters carried over from previous gamesโฆ in minor cameosโฆ often unsatisfying ones. people used to argue over whether or not the inquisitor would return, and the consensus was usually that the would not. sure corypheus comes from a da2 DLC and Hawke shows up to help butโฆ hawke and cory never even interact in da:i? would that be what we got in the next game? a few quests with the inquisitor, no satisfying confrontation, and then disappearing for the rest of the game? if you talked about getting a satisfying narrative conclusion for solas and the inquisitor, people would literally make fun of you and call it wishful thinking, but ultimately unrealistic. and then combine this lack of information with the information we DID have: horrible development issues, scrapping the entire original project, the failures of andromeda and anthem, and resignation after resignation after lay off after lay off. devs working there for 20 years deciding to leave, and we havenโt heard a single word about this game in 5-8 years? WE DIDNT EVEN KNOW IF IT WAS BEING MADE OR IF EA WOULD SHUT BIOWARE DOWN. literally every time a major awards ceremony/gaming conference came and went with no news, everyone would go โbro we are never getting this gameโ. and now we are literally getting a freudian exploration of solas's entire psyche where unpacking his 8,000 of family trauma is a central game mechanic, memories of ancient elvhenan, narrative driven over open world, concept art cocky young solas, inquisitor's presence confirmed, da2 inspired personality based dialogue, lore drops we cannot even begin to imagine, beautiful graphics, milf morrigan with mythalโs soul, and soooo much more like i canโt emphasize enough that this was unthinkable even 3 years ago.
