Interview David Gaider Interview

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; David Gaider

<p>Bitmob conducted an interview with BioWare's Dave Gaider.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's an excerpt from <a href="http://www.bitmob.com/articles/david-gaider-interview-part-i-working-for-bioware-and-the-writing-process" target="_blank">the first part</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>LG: How much freedom did you have with writing different aspects of the game?</strong></p>
<p><strong>DG:</strong> Some. As lead designer, I have a little more freedom. If someone is a senior writer, I would give him a plot with a general plan, and he would be responsible for going ahead and breaking it down into more detail.</p>
<p>He doesn't usually have the freedom to create his own characters&hellip;minor ones -- yes&hellip;but the major ones -- no. They don&rsquo;t get to decide the major plot. A more junior writer basically gets handed a much more detailed plan. They&rsquo;re more responsible for implementing that.<br /> <br /> As a lead writer, you get a little bit more freedom -- I&rsquo;m given parameters as in "this is what we need the story to be" or the lead designer talks to me about the overall vision for the story.</p>
<p>We toss ideas back and forth. And then in the end, once I understand the parameters that the game&rsquo;s story has to be made with, and I create that.</p>
<p>Inside those parameters, I actually have a lot of freedom, so that part is gratifying. It&rsquo;s not a case of me deciding I want to write this story. In that respect, I have little freedom [laughs].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And this one's from the <a href="http://www.bitmob.com/articles/david-gaider-interview-part-ii-creativity-and-the-novels" target="_blank">second part</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>LG: What do you think about the video-game medium and its story telling ability?</strong></p>
<p><strong>DG:</strong> Well, it has a lot of limitations that you don&rsquo;t necessarily deal with in other mediums. Like in a book.</p>
<p>I&rsquo;ve written a couple of novels now [<em>Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne</em> and <em>Dragon Age: The Calling</em>].<em>&nbsp;</em>When it comes to a book, I can put down on paper anything that&rsquo;s in my imagination; however, in a video game, you have physical limitations in technology and of what you can actually show.</p>
<p>Where games are excellent is in the interactive part. You don&rsquo;t get that in passive entertainment.</p>
<p>In those, you watch a character, but I don&lsquo;t think you would identify as strongly as in a game where you&rsquo;re the one who directs the action. You have agency in a video game, whereas you don't in a movie or a novel. I think that changes the nature of the entertainment substantially, and that&rsquo;s where the opportunities come in.</p>
<p>Anything that gives the player more immediacy in their agency will cause them to feel more of an element from it. And it&rsquo;s not necessarily an element of choice. I know that&rsquo;s intrinsic to a role-playing game, but I think stories are possible in genres other than RPGs.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/99429-david-gaider-interview-part-two.html">GB</a></p>

 

[tunguska]

LG: [Gaider veered onto this topic during the question.] On Dragon Age: Origins finally hitting stores and filling eager gamers’ consoles.

DG: It was sort of a justification. Before it came out there were a lot of people that said, "Oh, it’s a little too old school for modern audiences."

It did really well, so there was a lot of...you kind of want to call some of the people up and say "I told you so." I think the result speaks for itself, right?

This hurts my brain. I want to laugh until I cry. But notice how he says "consoles" and not PCs. I guess PC gamers were not so eager. So Dragon Age = Old School. I guess Old School has been born again as a seamless blend of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy.

Oh, sure. A lot of it is time. The game we’re working on now, Dragon Age 2, has a pretty short development time

<cough> This really speaks for itself. EA-ware

Right before a game goes out, we’re literally at a point where all we can see are the flaws and we think "oh god, they’re going to hate this,"

Still, like MCA and Torment, I will always view David Gaider at least a bit like a living god due to BG2. It does seem a bit sad that he can't see how badly DA sucks though.

 

[KalosKagathos]

When it comes to a book, I can put down on paper anything that’s in my imagination

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

 

[Archibald]

When it comes to a book, I can put down on paper anything that’s in my imagination

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Seconded.

If limitations are THE problem then why are we getting more shit now than we did ~10 years ago?

 

[Achilles]

Because, instead of using their resources to create with a single great game, they use them to churn out multiple pieces of shit in the same time frame.

Come spring 2011, Bioware will have released three full-blown RPGs (DA, ME2, DA2) and one major expansion (Awakening), as well as a shitload of DLC while working on their Star Wars MMO, all in the space of 14 months. There's your problem.

 

[Phelot]

LG: [Gaider veered onto this topic during the question.] On Dragon Age: Origins finally hitting stores and filling eager gamers’ consoles.

DG: It was sort of a justification. Before it came out there were a lot of people that said, "Oh, it’s a little too old school for modern audiences."

It did really well, so there was a lot of...you kind of want to call some of the people up and say "I told you so." I think the result speaks for itself, right?

This hurts my brain. I want to laugh until I cry. But notice how he says "consoles" and not PCs. I guess PC gamers were not so eager. So Dragon Age = Old School. I guess Old School has been born again as a seamless blend of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy.

I suppose he's referring to ME2 which seems to have invented this "If it's broke, then just remove it!" policy that Bioware is apparently now putting into DA2. That also explains why DA2 has such a short development time.

Still, like MCA and Torment, I will always view David Gaider at least a bit like a living god due to BG2. It does seem a bit sad that he can't see how badly DA sucks though.

My only real problem with David is that his writing never seems inspired or "deep" if you will. It's always solid and clear, but most of it is just plain boring...

Also, I don't know if he's responsible for the "humor" in some of these games such as ME and DA, but that shit needs to stop.

 

[Quilty]

When it comes to a book, I can put down on paper anything that’s in my imagination

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

I think he should. Because so far, he hasn't put anything from his imagination on paper. It's all just recycled fantasy bullshit any teenager could come up with in half an hour.

 

[tunguska]

David is not a great writer by any means. He certainly can't compete with the likes of MCA and the other Team Torment and MotB writers. But he did a lot of design work for BG2. I am not one of those who believes that the writing in BG2 was any good, but the quest design, fighting mechanics and really every aspect of the design not related to the writing was superb. I wonder how much of the text he actually wrote for various Bioware games. I don't think he did much of the text for BG2. Or at least he wasn't credited as a writer. Very often people talk like Gaider is Mr. Baldurs Gate 2. That probably isn't fair, but I think he is responsible for a lot of the design. I don't really know much about the story in DA except what I read in reviews. It sounded pretty generic and uninspired. I personally was impressed with what few cutscenes I saw before I had to stop the game because the combat/grinding was so bad. If it doesn't have a good story I am glad, because I could never get through all the combat to watch the cutscenes.

 

[racofer]

 

[Andyman Messiah]

I hate.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

That also explains why DA2 has such a short development time.

Hey, question, since I've been out of the loop on this; are they reusing DA assets for DA2, or is it all new? If it's the former, it doesn't necessarily spell bad game...

 

[Hoodoo]

 

[Phelot]

WHAT THE FUCK IS FUCK

 

[Castanova]

So basically David Gaider comes up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN" and then a few of his subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR" and then their subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR AND IT IS FOUGHT BY X, Y, and Z CHARACTERS" and then the entry level writers sit down and churn out text?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

David is not a great writer by any means. He certainly can't compete with the likes of MCA and the other Team Torment and MotB writers. But he did a lot of design work for BG2. I am not one of those who believes that the writing in BG2 was any good, but the quest design, fighting mechanics and really every aspect of the design not related to the writing was superb.

What superb fighting mechanics? It's basically bastardised AD&D - with a lot of stuff unimplemented or badly implemented (like shields providing all around protection, hitting mirror image causing special effects of weapons like paralysis, poison, etc. to affect the target, all-around backstabbing for the AI, etc.) stuff. With fighters not having any options to fight offensively/defensively, without ability to charge, etc. With fascinating stuff like characters dry-humping other characters in combat because they can't go around them and lack of dynamism.

 

[tunguska]

Whatever you say, but I have played a lot of cRPGs, and I cannot think of a single one where I had more fun fighting than in BG2. To me at least it really had something special. I can't describe it but it was there. And I have never replayed any game as many times as I have BG2. Arx Fatalis is maybe a distant second. Another game where the combat was a great deal of fun.

 

[Volourn]

"Come spring 2011, Bioware will have released three full-blown RPGs (DA, ME2, DA2) and one major expansion (Awakening), as well as a shitload of DLC while working on their Star Wars MMO, all in the space of 14 months. There's your problem."

Moran. BIO had less than 100 employees when Bg series made. they have upwards of 500+ all of EA's cohorts. THAT'S why they can make more games. Fuck nutz.

Let's not forget they were working on multiple games then as well.Hell, NWN was in at least the planning stages before BG1 came out.

FFS

 

[Achilles]

A fair argument, but I'm not convinced. Who are these people working on the games? When we think of Bioware, we usually mean the core group, not the legions of programmers they've hired to speed up game production. The core group of Bioware is probably only handling one game at a time, leaving everything else to the drones. Doesn't that make sense? I could be wrong of course, but I don't think that the core Bioware people can be hands-on with every single Bio game.

 

[Drakron]

Well true, there are cores were technical staff being shuffled around but BioWare pre-EA had at least 3 games under development.

Look dont bother with the MMO that is not even being developed in Canada, that leaves us with ME3 and DA:2 besides the "DLC" teams, I do think ME3 have a strangely fast development cycle as they are pretty much throwing everything out, ME2 taken just a bit over 2 years and its pretty much using the same engine and the same (basic) mechanics as DA:2 will take about 1 years and 4 months.

Also the fact it had a release date on its announcement does not inspire any confidence that its anything more that a "shove out the door" title, like NWN was reduced when Atari come one and slapped the date.

 

[circ]

My Gaydar just broke.

 

[Volourn]

"When we think of Bioware, we usually mean the core group, not the legions of programmers they've hired to speed up game production."

Whose the core BIO guys to you? Gaider because he spams the internet? Who else? the only core at BIO that matters are docs. Gaider is just an employee. I can't rcall him being a major oplayer for BG1 as he he 9I think) started taking a bigger role with BG2. It should also be noted that Gaider did not even work on JE or the ME series to my knowledge which means since NWN series was done he's basically worked on DA only. Not much of a core, right?

BIO isn't a manby pamby operation.

Again, who do you think is the core, and please just don't list the BG1 manual creditss. LMAO

 

[Andyman Messiah]

I gotta say I have no fucking clue who works at Bioware. I know the doctors, Gaider, that guy Drew and that asshole who project leads Mass Effect and rapes little boys but that's practically it. Volourn, are you an intern or something? Can I add you to the list? You're canadian at least right? Alright, cool, that counts.

 

[Lesifoere]

So basically David Gaider comes up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN" and then a few of his subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR" and then their subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR AND IT IS FOUGHT BY X, Y, and Z CHARACTERS" and then the entry level writers sit down and churn out text?

I laughed, then realized this may very well be true.

 

[Shannow]

So basically David Gaider comes up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN" and then a few of his subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR" and then their subordinates come up with "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR AND IT IS FOUGHT BY X, Y, and Z CHARACTERS" and then the entry level writers sit down and churn out text?

I laughed, then realized this may very well be true.

Nonsense. Gaider goes: "A GREAT EVIL HAS AWOKEN IN THEDAR AND IT IS FOUGHT BY X, Y, and Z CHARACTERS. They have x, y and type of gimmicky characters. The ancient evil's minions look like orcs and undead. There must be 3 twists in the game. There is a main villain next to the ancient evil. After weakening chances of victory for the good people it'll be revealed that his backstabbing, lying, betraying and power grabbing was made in the best interest of the people and he can the join the special chosen one heroes as an npc. Lots of dating sim stuff must be going on. Lots of sex and gore too. Don't bother making too much sense. Our retarded audience wouldn't notice one way or another."
And then they take it from there.

Seriously, you don't seem to get how much work it is being a senior lead design writer god.

 

[Achilles]

Whose the core BIO guys to you? Gaider because he spams the internet? Who else? the only core at BIO that matters are docs.

I have absolutely no idea who works at Bioware. For me it's a matter of focus. Releasing four games in little more than a year is too many, and naturally the quality suffers. This is probably why we keep getting the same type of story and the same characters in almost every Bioware game, they've streamlined the development process in order to produce as many games as possible.