tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post3778979147350870565..comments2024-03-16T16:50:51.684-07:00Comments on Dumped, Drunk and Dalish: Solas, Bull and the King's Gambit: A Little Game of Mind-ChessAngela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-73272760903235948002020-05-17T19:53:33.206-07:002020-05-17T19:53:33.206-07:00I enjoy playing chess, but always hated watching i...I enjoy playing chess, but always hated watching it. With the banter, this was so entertaining. Bull, the general playing this like a battle. Keeping his strongest troops and controlling the battle field. And Solas, sacrificing any and anything in order to surprisingly come out victorious without the general ever noticing. Solas planner, puppet master. This is lovely. I heard this banter many times before but never ever did I pick up how this related so well to the overall story.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing this!!Ackeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15553812732440375036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-86620373361816562592019-09-28T01:52:04.221-07:002019-09-28T01:52:04.221-07:00Oh wow...this analysis just blew me away on two di...Oh wow...this analysis just blew me away on two different levels. One is that you are THIS smart to figure out all these meanings, the other is that i think you are probably right about them all which really shows the awesomeness of our lovely DA writters. All these careful considerations and efforts putting in some random party banter alone is more than enough to give me a ton of goosebumps!<br />I just fell into the solamance abyss recently, spent 16 hours last night(yep i did't sleep at all) just to get to the end of tresspasser and have the wolf eat my heart......Watching him turning away pains me so much to the point that i can't sleep or eat at all(it's crazy how PHYSICALLY real this break-up feels to me, all these body symptoms). And the worst part wasn't even they couldn't be together when they clearly loved each other deeply, but the thought of him going on a difficult path just to die alone.....his biggest fear......All i know is, my inquisitor would willingly throw away all she has built and gladly kill herself just to keep solas company. If Bioware doesn't give me the option to suicide with solas(as the chance of him succeed and survive is pretty slim i think), i am quitting DA4 for real. There is no way i am letting him die alone, even if he is not that easily killed. I just won't let that happen, my inquisitor is THAT protective of her lone wolf lover, especially knowing him still sadly watches her in dreams. <br />Anyway what was i rambling about LOL. SO yeah....driven mad by this great pain, i started googleing solas to read about other people's feelings and interpretations, and thus stumbled upon your excellent work! When i am reading your articles, my aching heart and belly(yes it hurst my stomach too) can find a moment of relative relief. Thank you! <br />(English is not my fist language so maybe some of what i typed above might look weird....i swear they were making perfect sense in my head...lol).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10619098898416998665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-91371744885440946042018-10-20T03:02:54.635-07:002018-10-20T03:02:54.635-07:00Thank YOU for reading!Thank YOU for reading!Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-20967849952252541032018-10-20T03:02:37.776-07:002018-10-20T03:02:37.776-07:00I can't believe I missed this lovely reply som...I can't believe I missed this lovely reply somehow for an entire YEAR. Thank you so much for reading, and for the compliments!<br /><br />You make a great point that Solas has practice in this -- that he's seen people lose their faith firsthand, and he helped them to move past that and to embrace their newfound if terrifying freedom.<br /><br />I've always found the parallels between the two genuinely fascinating.Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-63950714369412755962018-10-16T07:45:45.034-07:002018-10-16T07:45:45.034-07:00Brilliant. Thanks!Brilliant. Thanks!Paul Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05965574615578929333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-25544828156380636612017-10-14T04:35:38.680-07:002017-10-14T04:35:38.680-07:00Solas comforting The Iron Bull does also nicely re...Solas comforting The Iron Bull does also nicely resonate with his role back in the days - it was him who turned elves away from their Gods, their belief and it was him who reassured them that it was the right thing to do. I assume he had his share of people doubting themselves, being afraid of what would become of them and who they'd become now that they had turned away from their masters. In that light (and considering that he abhors nothing as much as slavery and unquestioning belief and that the Qun is even more strict here than the Chantry) it would only be natural that he'd assure Bull, more than only respecting his choice but approving of it deeply - and finding in his (Bull's) choice the first *personal* connection apart from their shared skills like insights, observance and intelligence. And only then they can actually use their shared skills as basis for a blooming respect if not friendship.<br /><br />Beautiful article, really! I love your analyses.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />JulieJuliehttps://twitter.com/julietaubenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-24577511906921260242017-09-09T01:34:01.807-07:002017-09-09T01:34:01.807-07:00Stephanie, thanks for the wonderful compliment. I ...Stephanie, thanks for the wonderful compliment. I love these two characters, so this game was a really pivotal moment for me -- one that I thought deserved a second look. I love the use of "The Immortal Game" and how it shows us who these men are -- that seemingly calm, cautious Solas is the one willing to sacrifice and risk all, while Bull is the one who protects his pieces, etc. <br /><br />Meanwhile, thanks so much for checking it out, and I hope you'll check out the rest of the blog as well! I'd love your feedback and additional insights.Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-20577212937316821232017-09-09T01:32:06.372-07:002017-09-09T01:32:06.372-07:00Thanks Carmen! I appreciate you checking this out,...Thanks Carmen! I appreciate you checking this out, and will look forward to your thoughts on other posts, too. Thanks for reading!Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-10658345556666024032017-09-08T21:43:40.262-07:002017-09-08T21:43:40.262-07:00So many layers of fantastic awesomeness abound in ...So many layers of fantastic awesomeness abound in the writing of these scenes. First of all... MIND-CHESS! I can't follow a damn thing they're doing, but I could listen to these two nerd-out all day. Secondly, The IMMORTAL Game....?! Omg, I just about can't even. Having already played through the game before hearing the chess match and knowing the ending, I chuckled a good bit when I heard Bull say "All right, take some time. Think about your life choices." But... but... you had me nearly in tears at "sacrificing his queen"... I can't thank you enough for your brilliant in-depth guide through this seemingly insignificant scene.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05446591808629344539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-47426998232557087792017-09-08T20:53:53.978-07:002017-09-08T20:53:53.978-07:00Excellent Article. I love your insights.Excellent Article. I love your insights.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13875315812235790436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-73333661490648874972017-09-04T15:46:11.298-07:002017-09-04T15:46:11.298-07:00Thanks so much for checking it out! It's easil...Thanks so much for checking it out! It's easily one of my favorite banters from the entire game. There's so much happening under the surface there.Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-51336830324448592122017-09-03T11:49:42.220-07:002017-09-03T11:49:42.220-07:00This is so cool!! Chess goes way above my head (di...This is so cool!! Chess goes way above my head (didn't stop me from geeking out over the banter though), but this is really fascinating to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com