#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.

[mageknife]

gaider wrote a short story about dorian and his father's funeral after he left bioware called "the final conversation". it seemed like something youd be interested in and it occurred to me you might not have heard about it yet because people don't bring it up often

https://medium.com/@davidgaider/the-final-conversation-d6258fa6cbdb

thank you. thank you so much i’d heard about this but hadn’t read it. it’s so fascinating. i’m going to make a post on this later

[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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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

[biowarefangirlism]

[drcisko]

David Gaider - Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne (2009) Written by David Gaider before the first Dragon Age game was even out, this is one of those rarest of things, a computer-game tie-in novel which is great in its own right and might even be enjoyable if you know nothing of the game it relates to. In fact it takes place years before the events in the game and most of the characters are either dead of secondary in the game itself. Here you learn of Maric, the orphaned son of the rightful rulers of Ferelden, a wild country occupied by the imperialistic Orlesians. As would be a feature of the game the human relationships are a lot more important than actual battles or military events into which these kinds of things usually devolve. The book does a great job at fleshing out characters and the world in which the book is set, this is particularly the case with Loghain, who would become a main antagonist in the first game, but which through this book becomes a much deeper and sympathetic character. He's not the villain here at all, he is one of the hero-protagonists in fact. The novel also has a couple of main women characters in Rowan and Katriel, competent warriors, spies and conflicted characters which kind of buck the trend in most fantasy novels. I have read reviews which seem to indicate that the ending of the book feel rushed, however it felt pretty appropriate to me. As soon as the character arcs are completed and the relationships are established, as the story is going into battle mode, the whole thing jumps into the future, the book cares little about the battles and a lot about the human (or elven or dwarven) relationships and character arc. A thoroughly enjoyable read and weirdly enough I'm looking forward to other novels set in the same universe. (4/5) #dragonage #book #books #bookstagram #bookgram #bibliophile #fantasy #bookporn #stolenthrone #bookworm #booklover #bookaholic #bookish #book #davidgaider (at Ribeira Grande, Azores, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6j-jfiF8Os/?igshid=10zue4rvjo4c9