Interview David Gaider Interview Part II

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; David Gaider

Following up the <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=42777">first part</a>, the Grey Wardens now released the <a href="http://greywardens.com/2010/04/exclusive-interview-with-biowares-david-gaider-part-2/">second part of their interview</a> with David Gaider.
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;"><b>At the end of The Calling, The Architect lost his hand (right if memory serves), in recently released footage the Architect is clearly shown possessing two hands. Additionally, there appear to have been a significant aesthetic change in the Architect’s physical appearance and attire. Would you be able to shed any light on the reasons behind these choices?</b>
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It was a decision made by the art department, to make the Architect a more visually impressive figure. I can’t fault them for the decision, to be honest, even if there are some people who feel the character should have been adapted directly from the book. A game is a much more visual medium, whereas with a book I need only to construct an image with words. A book also doesn’t have to deal with resource limitations, which was part of the issue with the Architect’s appearance in Awakening (he needed to have a unique silhouette compared to the other darkspawn, but his model and animation rig also had to be based on one currently existing–in this case the one belonging to the Arcane Horror).
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His hand grew anew.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/97478-david-gaider-interview-part-two.html">GB</A>

 

[Deleted Member 10432]

whereas with a book I need only to construct an image with words.

And write shittily he did.

 

[TheCowburner]

Who in their right mind would read a book by Gaider?

 

[Spectacle]

Who in their right mind would read a book by Gaider?

No one, but how is that relevant to the topic at hand?

 

[Azrael the cat]

Hold on a moment...in a setting so overflowing with magic that they basically have magic-powered sewerage systems, they couldn't come up with some in-lore magical explanation for the healing of a hand. I'm pretty sure my characters gpt hacked into multiple pieces more than a few times before getting healed, and even if you distingush those kind of gamey combat mechanics it's got to be possible to have some demon-pact or collaboration of uber-healing-mages, or rare artifact, or artificial golem hand (I vote the last one for coolness factor) to keep things consistent.


I'm wondering the same regarding the regenerating health in DE3. So much of what is said is sounding good aside from the regenerating health (not saying it WILL be good, but even the stuff that initially sounded retarded are now sounding ok - ala their clarification that by 'boss fights' they mean skippable character faceoffs ala Gunther and Simons. Then on my recent replaying of Bloodlines I realised that regeneratng health wasn't bothering me one bit - no more than it did in PS:T. What those games dd right is that the regen is slow as hell, and it takes some serious investment in a particular skill is you want to use it to rest up between fights rather than between dungeons. And it had no 'in-fight' usage unless you REALLY pumped stamina/con - which again felt like a suitable skill payoff rather than cheapness. And there were non-retarded lore reasons in both cases. Which you could easily apply to DE3 - just that part of the initial implant involves a slow self-repairing function, but a SLOW one that just does small tissue stitching, morphine/cortizone injections etc over tme. If you want fast healing, then that's a whole different upgrade and sklll system that is suitably expensive.

Mind you, they'll probably just go 'cover and heal in 5 seconds cause that's what they did in MW'

 

[TheCowburner]

Who in their right mind would read a book by Gaider?

No one, but how is that relevant to the topic at hand?

Good question, and you obviously have a point so point taken. So why did I write it? Well, Djadjamankh mentioned that Gaiders book was full of shitty writing and for some reason I typed the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[Sceptic]

but his model and animation rig also had to be based on one currently existing–in this case the one belonging to the Arcane Horror

Err... why did it need to be based on an existing model? The Arcane Horror is demonic and doesn't even have anything to do with the darkspawn so there's no possible lore explanation for this. Is it because Bioware were so lazy they couldn't even be bothered to come out with an original model for the main antagonist of the expansion?

 

[J1M]

So... why is the lazy art department dictating game design to the game designer and overruling him?

Would it really have been so difficult to make it looks like a mechanical or demonic replacement? Vader had one and he was somewhat visually impressive...

 

[hoochimama]

It's an art decision, not a game design one. Gaider is a writer and this is not a lore-breaking thing.

The architect's model looks distinct and that was the point. The fact that it's a demon's skeleton isn't relevant , lore has nothing to do with what goes on under the hood.

They could have made his hand invisible if they wanted to, but that would have worsened his look, there are two things that grab your attention when it comes to the architect, the head and the large disproportionate spellcasting hands.

To make it look worse in order to please the 10 people who read the book would be pointless, especially if you consider the high magic nature of the setting where an amputated hand on a magical superfreak doesn't have to be permanent.

They could have used a different texture or slightly different model for the hand(same skeleton) as a nod to the fangirls but that's as far as it goes.

 

[Volourn]

"Err... why did it need to be based on an existing model?"

It's called a budget. Moran.

 

[denizsi]

It was a decision made by the art department, to make the Architect a more visually impressive figure

This is it, guys. Japs are finally getting back at Kwa for the H-bomb. They've successfully penetrated western art direction with their JRPG emofag bullshit trends.

First came the huge shoulder pads.

Then huge swords.

Than emo faces.

Then Squirt Enix acquired Deus Ex IP.

And now this. In your revival western RPG game:

HOW EDGY AND K-K-KOOL! I'M LIKE TOTALLY IMPRESSED. FUCK ME ARCHITECTURE; FUCK ME NOW!

Nxt-gen villains are all about fashion-statements, now.

Enjoy the fagdom!

 

[GarfunkeL]

It's an art decision, not a game design one. Gaider is a writer and this is not a lore-breaking thing.

Since when has art department decided what goes?

And yes, they could have colored the other hand differently but they didn't. Speaks volumes, right there.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

"Err... why did it need to be based on an existing model?"

It's called a budget. Moran.

Must be a really shitty budget if they can't be arsed to change one hand of the main antagonist of the expansion of an AAA title

If the point is that they have to make him look kewl, just make it look skeletal or mechanic. Hell, hust put an existing gauntlet model over it. FFS

 

[Sceptic]

Hell, hust put an existing gauntlet model over it. FFS

And waste all of 5 minutes of work and $10 just so that they can get some basic consistency in their products? especially when fans are more than happy to discard consistency "as a nod to the fangirls"? Are you mad?

 

[Azrael the cat]

It was a decision made by the art department, to make the Architect a more visually impressive figure

This is it, guys. Japs are finally getting back at Kwa for the H-bomb. They've successfully penetrated western art direction with their JRPG emofag bullshit trends.

First came the huge shoulder pads.

Then huge swords.

Than emo faces.

Then Squirt Enix acquired Deus Ex IP.

And now this. In your revival western RPG game:

HOW EDGY AND K-K-KOOL! I'M LIKE TOTALLY IMPRESSED. FUCK ME ARCHITECTURE; FUCK ME NOW!

Nxt-gen villains are all about fashion-statements, now.

Enjoy the fagdom!

Actually I would so buy 'Zoolander the crpg', fighting the dark wizards of fashion design, the zombie hordes of cosmo readers and so forth. Back in the 80s, a game like that might just have stood a shot at getting made. Or at least knocked back in favour of earthworm Jim.

 

[Hory]

Nxt-gen villains are all about fashion-statements, now.

Well, can't expect all those male developers to have your sense of fashion...

 

[Sirbolt]

(he needed to have a unique silhouette compared to the other darkspawn, but his model and animation rig also had to be based on one currently existing–in this case the one belonging to the Arcane Horror)

The model is obviously newly made, and even if it's an "old rig" they can remove the hand and still reuse the rig. Hell it could have looked like an AIDS monkey with leprosy and still used the same rig. If they wanted it to, that is.

 

[Heresiarch]

Actually, the architect looks more like H.R Giger design.

 

[CrimHead]

I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT ARCHITECTS HAND

 

[Clockwork Knight]

OH GOD I JUST NOTICED THE BELTS

Spoiler

THOSE THINGS ON HIS SHOULDERS REMIND ME OF BELTS TOO

 

[GarfunkeL]

I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT ARCHITECTS HAND

I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND COHESION, DEVELOPER MISTAKES AND LAZINESS

 

[Achilles]

Well he doesn't seem impressive at all. I think he looks kind of gay actually. All in all, a pretty lame model.

 

[Felix]

Lot of belts, gay....and remind me of Final Fantasy X.

 

[Bah]

Why is Lady Gaga in this game?

 

[hoochimama]

Quite the striking resemblance.