#davidgaider

[phonemantra-blog]

The world of video game adaptations is a curious one. Beloved franchises leap from the interactive realm to the silver screen (or streaming service) with varying degrees of success. But what makes a good video game adaptation? Recently, David Gaider, former head writer for the Dragon Age series, sparked a discussion on Twitter, expressing his belief that Dragon Age itself wouldn't translate well to a live-action format. This surprising statement begs the question: is there a future for Dragon Age on television, and what does it take for a video game adaptation to truly resonate with audiences? Dragon Age Creator Throws Shade Why Gaider Thinks Dragon Age Would Make a "Terrible" TV Show Gaider's reasoning centers around the concept of originality. In his own words, "[Dragon Age] would be a terrible idea... Many of the artistic and narrative elements of these stories have already been seen in dozens of other forms, in dozens of other stories." He argues that the fantasy genre, particularly, has become saturated with familiar tropes and archetypes. Audiences crave fresh takes, and a straight-up adaptation of Dragon Age might struggle to stand out from the crowd. Gaider goes on to suggest alternative properties that, in his opinion, hold more potential for a unique television adaptation. He mentions David Lynch's surrealist style applied to Disco Elysium, or a show based on the lesser-known Banishers IP. These choices highlight his desire for something more unconventional, something that pushes the boundaries of storytelling within the fantasy genre. The Challenge of Adapting Rich, Player-Driven Narratives Part of the challenge in adapting Dragon Age lies in the video game itself. Dragon Age offers a sprawling world, a complex tapestry of lore, and a narrative heavily influenced by player choices. Translating this into a linear television format presents a significant obstacle. Certain aspects, like the world-building and character backstories, could translate well. However, capturing the essence of player agency and the multitude of branching storylines that define the Dragon Age experience would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Is There Hope for Dragon Age on Television? Despite Gaider's reservations, the possibility of a successful Dragon Age television series shouldn't be entirely dismissed. Here are some potential approaches that could breathe life into the franchise on a new platform: Animation: An animated series could offer more creative freedom, allowing for a visual style that reflects the fantastical elements of the Dragon Age. Additionally, animation can handle complex narratives with multiple branching paths more effectively than live-action. Anthology Series: An episodic format could explore different corners of the Dragon Age universe, featuring new characters and stories that complement the existing lore. This approach would allow for a broader exploration of the world without being beholden to a single, linear narrative. Focus on a Specific Storyline: Instead of attempting to encompass the entirety of Dragon Age lore, a television series could focus on a specific story arc from the games, allowing for deeper character development and a more focused narrative. Ultimately, the success of a Dragon Age television series would hinge on the creative team's ability to find a way to capture the essence of the franchise while offering a fresh and engaging experience for audiences. FAQs Q: Why does David Gaider think Dragon Age wouldn't make a good TV show? A: Gaider believes the fantasy genre has become saturated with familiar tropes, and a straight-up adaptation wouldn't be original enough to stand out. Q: Are there any alternative approaches for a Dragon Age television series? A: Yes! Animation, an anthology format, or focusing on a specific storyline from the games could all be potential avenues for a successful adaptation. Q: Have there been any previous attempts to adapt Dragon Age to television? A: There was a web series called Dragon Age: Redemption released in 2011, but no major live-action or animated adaptations have been produced.

[thesecondbatgirl]

https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/305013435693940736?t=Z5PKbnvZnPOjqJlSL8In_g&s=19

https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/954462077971718144

[lily-orchard-gossip-blog]

“…Mein Kampf was the inspiration for Sith philosophy in KotOR…” - David Gaider the creator of the Sith code

So Lily “the Sith aren’t inherently evil” Orchard’s favourite piece of Star Wars media does not agree with her.

https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/954462077971718144?s=46&t=5FD1PvkD7262qClqTf5v7g

We've discussed before how the Sith are simply reworkings of Nazi ism, but I think it bears repeating:

The Sith are Nazis.

[gameforestdach]

In einem aktuell kursierenden Twitter-Thread gibt David Gaider, ehemaliger Narrative Lead für Dragon Age, preis, dass seine Autorenkollegen bei BioWare als "Bürde" angesehen wurden. David Gaider äußert sich über den Wandel bei BioWare Autoren wurden als "Bürde" betrachtet Branche unterschätzt weiterhin die Wichtigkeit von guten Geschichten. Der steinige Weg der Schreiberteams bei BioWare Der ehemalige Narrative Lead für Dragon Age, David Gaider, enthüllte kürzlich in einer Twitter-Diskussion, dass das Schreiberteam bei BioWare im Laufe der Zeit als eine Belastung betrachtet wurde. Gaider war 17 Jahre lang in der Branche tätig und verließ BioWare im Jahr 2016. https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1653551445491482624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Von Wertschätzung zu Gleichgültigkeit: Die Wandlung bei BioWare Laut Gaider habe sich die Einstellung des Unternehmens im Laufe der Zeit gewandelt. Während BioWare früher ihre Autoren schätzten und diese als wichtigen Teil des Erfolgsrezeptes ansahen, sei dieser Stellenwert mit der Zeit verloren gegangen. Gaiders Meinung nach hatte BioWare seinen Erfolg auf guten Geschichten und tiefgründigen Charakteren aufgebaut, aber dennoch wurden die Autoren immer mehr zur Bürde. Der unterschätzte Wert guter Geschichten in der Gaming-Industrie Die Wichtigkeit von Geschichtenschreibern in der Gaming-Industrie wird oft unterschätzt. Gaider vergleicht die Situation der Autoren in der Gaming-Branche mit den Hollywood-Autoren, die derzeit für mehr Stabilität in der Branche kämpfen. Allerdings sei der Gaming-Bereich ein anderer, dennoch bleibt das Schreiben eine unterbewertete Disziplin in der Industrie. Unternehmen sollten daran denken, gute Geschichten und deren Autoren angemessen zu würdigen und ihnen gerecht werdende Bezahlung zukommen lassen. Fazit: Die Gaming-Branche sollte Autoren mehr schätzen Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die Gaming-Branche die Bedeutung von Geschichtenschreibern und deren Arbeit häufig unterschätzt. Der ehemalige BioWare-Narrative Lead David Gaider betont, wie wichtig gute Geschichten und tiefgründige Charaktere für den Erfolg eines Spiels sind. Die Industrie sollte daher ihre Autoren entsprechend wertschätzen, supporten und entlohnen.

[vallaslins]

[Image ID: Screenshot of a tweet by Mary Kirby @/BioMaryKirby and a quote tweet by David Gaider @/davidgaider.

The tweet by Mary Kirby says: So. Hey, if anyone's looking for a writer/narrative designer with kind of an absurd amount of experience, I'm available.

The tweet reply by David Gaider says: BioWare laid off Varric's creator, Mistress of the Qunari, Writer of the Chant, who was there since Dragon Age's inception. How incredibly sad.

I'll echo others saying that any studio in need of narrative expertise should snap her up immediately. Mary is amazing, full stop.

/end ID]

i have zero faith in dragon age 4 being worth a shit now. how do you let such phenomenal talent go to waste like this? what the fuck is happening behind closed doors at bioware?

[sonjaquinn]

My good boy Ripley thinks you should check out these high fantasy recommendations like he did! These are my favourite high fantasy series of all time, have you heard of them all? #bookrecommendations #fantasy #fantasybooks #seaofshadows #kelleyarmstrong #graceling #kristincashore #fable #peterdavid #dragonage #thestolenthrone #davidgaider #eon #alisongoodman #theelderscrolls #theinfernalcity #gregkeyes #throneofglass #sarahjmaas #sjm #acourtofthornsandroses #acotar #eragon #christopherpaolini #thewitcher #thelastwish #andrjezsapkowski #thepalacejob #patrickweekes #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CiSaAOrOZqB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[knightfinch]

Maevaris Tilani “I should take you home and have you spanked.” "Although she was called a male at birth, Mae has always identified herself as a woman. Brave and bold, she decided to openly live as a woman at the age of 15. According to David Gaider, Bioware considers her the first true transgender character in the franchise." #pridemonth #pride #pride🌈 #bioware #dragon #age #dragonage #dragonageinquisition #comics #davidgaider #trans #transgender (at North Arlington, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQa1vpLjsVq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[drcisko]

David Gaider - Dragon Age: The Calling (2009) Another pretty fun novel in the Dragon Age setting, it follows an expedition of Grey Wardens into the Deep Roads, dwarven underground tunnels part of their lost civilization, they are joined by the person who has been down those roads in the previous novel in the series, Maric, King of Ferelden. None of this makes much sense if you haven't played the games, but fortunately the novel itself is quite accessible to people new to the universe. In fact, it works pretty well as a stand-alone novel, other than Maric none of the characters of the previous entry have much of a role and you get new characters like Duncan, who are pretty interesting. Again this is an above average effort for a game tie-in, but it's also written by the guy who wrote the game itself, so he clearly has a love for the universe, which isn't always the case with writers for hire. Actually Gaider perhaps has too much of a passion for the universe as this novel stretches out over some 500 pages, it's never dull but it is exhaustive. The previous novel in the series was somewhat shorter and more varied in terms of settings and plot, here you go on one big mission underground for the vast majority of the novel. In the end you get a nice Easter egg to reward you for going though with it, so it's worth it. (3/5) #dragonage #book #books #bookstagram #bookgram #bibliophile #fantasy #bookporn #thecalling #bookworm #booklover #bookaholic #bookish #book #davidgaider (at Lisbon, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8HOIGMFYXB/?igshid=d1jw166vqssx

[dyspunktional-leviathan]

ID: A tweet from David Haider (@/davidgaider), sent on May 3 2023:

Even BioWare, which built its success on a reputation for good stories and characters, slowly turned from a company that vocally valued its writers to one where we were... quietly resented, with a reliance on expensive narrative seen as the "albatross" holding the company back.

/End ID

well.

[doorinthegrove]

Who here has played Dragon Age? It's a recent obsession of mine - all thanks to my sister and a few friends who've been raving about it online for a couple of years 😅 My sister bought this graphic novel at the Sci-Fi Bookshop earlier this week and told me to read it before we part ways tomorrow. I rarely read graphic novels, so this will be interesting 😉 . . #bookstagram #instabooks #booktography #yalit #bibliophile #booknerd #bookaholic #bookgram #yabooks #bookphotography #yafiction #booklove #booklover #bookaddict #bookworm #gorgeouscover #coverlove #graphicnovel #dragonage #alistairdragonage #dragonageomnibus #thesilentgrove #thosewhospeak #untilwesleep #davidgaider

[verenalattanzi]

Clean Sketch for “Rhys”, a character from the Dragon Age novel “Asunder” written by @davidgaider.

Originally, I planed to just quickly design the character to paint an illustration that would fit more of his personal characteristics, but than realized that he should be wearing a circle robe of an orlesian circle of magi.

So it had to be kind of simple, to say “circle”, but on the other hand it must also say “orlesian”, which is the total opposite, opulent and kind of fancy.

Finally it went a bit more work into that, than anticipated.

[felassan]

TheGamer DA Week article - The Oral History Of Dragon Age: Origins

We talked to nine developers who worked on Dragon Age: Origins about where BioWare's legendary fantasy series all began. Now, 12 years later, we’re telling the story of how Dragon Age: Origins was made from the perspective of the developers who made it. This brings us back almost two decades, given how long Origins was in development. [source]

---

Here's the oral history of Dragon Age: Origins. This features interviews with nine devs, which amounted to almost 40,000 words' worth of transcripts. It tells the story of what is probably the most pivotal game BioWare ever made, connecting the likes of Baldur's Gate and NWN to Mass Effect and, later, Anthem. Huge thanks to @davidgaider, @DanielAErickson, @DanTudge, @JBHepler, @dcfedor, @InonZur, @StubbyGB, @DigitalCyclops, and @IdeaPlague for speaking to me for this. I hope DA fans enjoy reading about where their favourite series came from, and all the passion that went into it. [source]

This article is extensive and is a good, interesting and behind-the-scenes-insightful read from start to finish; make a cup of tea and check it out.

[minathered]

Hey OP, so I had a look through your blog and I see you think Qimir and by extension the Sith aren't inherently evil. That poor Qimir is being unfairly persecuted by the Jedi just for existing and trying to teach his students. Interesting.

So, I'm gonna assume you don't know the origins of the Sith code? The out of universe origin, I mean. By the man who first wrote it. David Gaider, when he wrote it for KOTOR.

Now, I know, I know KOTOR is legends canon, but Qimir quotes the first line of the Sith Code in the Acolyte "Peace is a lie" and Mae's reaction to it suggests she knows the rest of the code too.

So, wanna know what Gaider based the Sith Code off? It was a pretty influential book in its time and place. A certain central european state during the 1920s and 30s. Written by a failed art student, whilst he was in prison for trying to overthrow the government in the Bier Hall Putsch.

You might have heard of it? Its called MEIN KAMPF.

But hey, I'm sure the guys who's guiding philosophy are based on Mein Kampf are just a poor persecuted minority who just wanted to teach their teachings before the mean old Jedi persecuted them, right?

Congratulations you fell for the fact that the Sith use the language of Liberation as an excuse to enforce their will on any they deem weaker or lesser than them. Its almost as if they're fascists or something.

:)

https://x.com/davidgaider/status/954462077971718144

I think The Acolyte is such a needed show and people really should seek out minority voices speaking on the conflicts within because it is really bringing to the forefront our culturally-taught biases when it comes to assessing 'both sides'.

I've seen a lot of takes thinking they understand the Acolyte by saying "It's great because BOTH SIDES are the same! They both made mistakes and share an equal part of the blame for what happened!"

And to that, I just have to take a deep breath and say as calmly as I can: Just because the storytelling isn't black vs white, pure good vs pure evil, because the show IS being told with nuance, it DOES NOT MEAN "both sides" are the same!!!

One side is an oppressed group living in solitude after having been pushed out of the 'republic' by a militant religious force. They are minding their own business, by themselves, simply existing.

The other side is that militant religious force who pushed them out of the republic who has come to the planet the coven is on, goes to the coven, interferes with their lives with the express purpose of disrupting who they live, and demanded to take their children.

Any 'mistake' made on the part of the indigenous group is NOT EQUAL to the 'mistakes' made by those coming in and trying to impress their own culture on the native one. The coven didn't go to Coruscant. They didn't march into the Jedi Temple where they were training padawans and demand to test them to give them the choice to come be trained as witches. The Jedi came to them.

I think, especially Westerners, have been so indoctrinated in the idea that it is their RIGHT to go anywhere in the world they want and interfere with every single other people group because well, Westerners are civilized and good - we need to make sure the savage 'others' are living according to our own standards and 'morals' - it's a GOOD thing to "make sure all people are being treated well". Plus, they might have resources that could benefit the rest of the world! It's not right that they hoard it all for themselves! It's our right to come and enjoy the beautiful land and local foods (that we of course change to fit our palettes) and entertain ourselves by watching the natives live in their 'unique and quaint' ways that are just SO FASCINATING to watch!!

It's the white savior mindset that leads to missionaries. It's the colonist mindset that led the Manifest Destiny in North America and the subjugation of Africa, India, the Middle East, South America, and I'm sure I'm forgetting many other non-Eurocentric colonist behaviors.

Read the personal writings of the colonists at that time: many BELIEVED they were doing the right thing. Many BELIEVED that they were 'helping' the other culture they were in fact, really subjugating. I would bet that the nuns who ran the Residential Schools for Native children in the Americas believed they were helping the children they stole - but that doesn't change the horrific harm they caused. The way a lot of oppressive regimes work is that they get people who truly believe they're helping people on board to enforce their will upon others. Those at the top (largely) know it's a lie, but moral superiority has always been a great motivator for humans. And individuals indoctrinated from birth (or 4 years old) can get that self-important self-righteousness so ingrained in them that even when their leaders tell them to leave well enough alone, they've been taught their entire life that they're the only 'correct' way to live, so it's their MORAL DUTY to 'save' others even when everyone else is telling them to stop.

THAT is where the nuance in The Acolyte comes from: The Jedi (specifically Sol and Torbin though Indara chose to bully her way into 'appeasing' Sol's concern about the girls rather than insisting on a sit-down with the adults of the coven) truly believed they were doing what was right, that they were 'protecting' the children of an indigenous group they knew nothing about.

The nuance is NOT "both sides are equally culpable". As though both the witches and the Jedi are in the exact same position with the exact amount of power and resources as the other.

If the forces were equal, one side wouldn't have been wholly massacred while the other all walked away alive - able to go back to a home that wasn't destroyed and all it's people killed.

Yes, it's important to show the repercussions on those who unwittingly caused a massacre (Torbin's Borash vow, Kelnacca's self-imposed exile) but that IS NOT TO SAY 'both sides suffered equally'. It IS to say "neither side was maliciously evil and got a kick out of causing a massacre, both sides genuinely had good intentions for their actions". Which again, is NOT saying "both sides are equally at fault for what happened".

It's just been very concerning seeing how many massacre-apologists there are out here blaming the coven for their own slaughter rather than...the ones who slaughtered them. No, protecting yourself against an invading force IS NOT being to blame for that invading force using your resistance as an excuse to wholesale slaughter everyone.

It is the responsibility of the invaders to bend over backward for the local population to prove they mean no harm - it is NOT the responsibility of the local population to immediately kneel to the invaders and do whatever they want in complete submission so that the invaders don't kill them all.

[beckily]

https://mobile.twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1254832171144974336

[lateforjianghu]

Anyone up for some Dorian Pavus fanfiction from David Gaider?

art by @slugette

[schattengerissen]

“I thought I knew love, but I was…parched, you see. The world was a soulless, arid place, and I’d no idea an ocean awaited.”  @davidgaider - dorian on love

-- Dorian & Kai Trevelyan--

Between You and Me  All tales of true love have a beginning. This is how it happened for Dorian Pavus and Kai Trevelyan...

The Contours of Shadows Their ongoing series