12 réponses à ce sujet

[oneshotgame]

Dear Mr. Gaider

 

Thanks. Honestly.

 

With Morrigan you created one the most intriguing characters gaming has seen for
years. Moreover, if the player romanced her, the whole relationship between her
and the main character had an emotional impact that is – if anything - second
only to Aerith’s legendary death in Final Fantasy VII. The sheer amount of
threads and postings dealing with the topic may serve as proof.

I do want to encourage you to continue the story of Morrigan’s child. We as players have
made the decision whether to accept her offer or not. It does not matter,
whether we choose to do so from selfish motives (saving our character) or from
romantic feelings (maintaining the established emotional ties with her).

It’s the most important decision, both regarding the story’s ending and regarding our
player character. It’s the final decision and the only decision in the game
that truly matters. Whether werewolves or elves fight by our side does not
change the game’s main plot that much. How we respond to Morrigan’s offer does.

Even though fictional, accepting her offer made us establish one of the most fundamental
social relationships, fatherhood. By allowing us to establish this relationship
you finally made us co-authors.

As “the maker”  of Dragon Age’s universe you do
have the responsibility to continue that story. More precisely, give us the
chance to continue it. Be it in the main plot of a forthcoming Dragon Age 2 or
– keeping in mind the players who chose differently – via DLC for DA:O. I
myself am in favour of the latter.

Let me put this straight: It’s not a one-way road. You do not own this the fans or their
player characters respectively. You do own this our concerted creation:
Morrigan and her child.

Yours sincerely

 

MAB


PS: I have read in the forums that it is already your plan to continue Morrigan’s tale. So
please understand this letter as a thank-you letter and an approval of your
work.

Modifié par oneshotgame, 16 décembre 2009 - 05:45 .

[David Gaider]

oneshotgame wrote...
Thanks. Honestly.

You're quite welcome.

PS: I have read in the forums that it is already your plan to continue Morrigan’s tale. So
please understand this letter as a thank-you letter and an approval of your
work.

While you're still welcome, I've stated no such plans.

[David Gaider]

Adria Teksuni wrote...
And...um...I love Gaider too, have for a while, but...he wasn't the only one working on the storyline...

Indeed. Some people seem to have the impression that I wrote a story that the rest of Bioware scurried about to implement. Amusing as that image is, it's not accurate. I am not the Lead Designer on the game, and writing is just one part of the Design department. We must work in tandem with (and are limited by) the other departments and their goals, and to a point I create what I am directed to.

As Adria points out, I also do not work in a vacuum. We writers have bigger parts to play when it comes to certain areas or certain characters, but we all are involved. Mary and Sheryl were with DA the longest, but there's also Luke Kristjanson, Jennifer Hepler, Jay Turner, Dan Whiteside and many others who took part. I deserve the credit (and blame) for a great many things, but so do they.

[David Gaider]

OneBadAssMother wrote...
So David Gaider is the one responsible for driving my wife to tears with Alistair?

My proudest moment.

I know it probably makes me a bad person, but there are moments when the thought of all the Alistair fangirls and Morrigan fanboys tearing out their hair and rending their shirts pleases me inordinately.

[David Gaider]

Kerridan Kaiba wrote...
How do you sleep at night?!

Well, after I wipe the one, single tear from my cheek -- shed in anguish at the thought of all the grief I have caused -- eventually pure exhaustion takes me. It's a rough existence, but the booze helps.

[David Gaider]

thenemesis77 wrote...
I will say this, just because David has no plans, does not mean it wont happen, he just cant' tell you what they might work on.

My words -- deciphered!

All my power unraveled!

[David Gaider]

Thyrza wrote...
Second, is this what one should expect from Bioware games?  This is the first one I've played: my previous experience has been mostly in mmorpgs.   It boggles my mind why a game developer would write the relationship with the "natural" sidekick to be so ultimately unsatisfying. 

What anyone finds satisfying is going to vary... in this case, if what one requires is their HEA in order to be satisfied then yes, they're going to be unsatisfied. Being satisfied isn't the goal, however. Being emotionally engaged is.

That said, I wouldn't suggest that "Bioware games" are always going to strive to hit the same note. There are lots of different kinds of stories to tell, even in a dark heroic fantasy setting.

[David Gaider]

Taleroth wrote...

Squiggles1334 wrote...

David Gaider is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.

Well, that's like, your opinion... man.

I think by "ever known" what he really means is "never met".

[Mary Kirby]

TrinityDivine wrote...


I think you're right about this. I once told one of the writers of Guild Wars that I cried when Prince Rurik died and his reaction was a wide satisfied grin and a  "Yes!".  I guess writers like the idea of their stories being powerful enough to move the reader/player to tears but personally, I worship at the altar of Tolkien, whose story ends so beautifully it makes me want to read it over and over again. I too, hope that the sequel will have a happier ending. It gives you more satisfaction knowing that you as the hero, truly made things right with the world.

Well, of course we want you to cry when you reach the sad parts.  If you cared enough about him to feel sorrow when he died, then you were immersed, and as the forums have often declared, immersion trumps everything, right?  All writers generally want their audience to get the emotion they were trying to convey.   Nobody writes a horror story thinking, "Man, I hope nobody anywhere finds this scary in the slightest!" and nobody writes a tragedy hoping the reader will say, "Meh, I never liked any of those characters anyway." and nobody writes a comedy with the secret wish in their heart of hearts that it does not get even a single chuckle. 

Well, maybe some writers do.  I've watched some truly horrible comedies lately.

Modifié par Mary Kirby, 17 décembre 2009 - 10:34 .

[David Gaider]

Mary Kirby wrote...
Well, maybe some writers do.  I've watched some truly horrible comedies lately.

Yeah, what was with the Road anyway?

Not a single laugh. I left disappointed.

[Mary Kirby]

David Gaider wrote...

Mary Kirby wrote...
Well, maybe some writers do.  I've watched some truly horrible comedies lately.

Yeah, what was with the Road anyway?

Not a single laugh. I left disappointed.

I know!  I kept waiting for someone to get hit in the family jewels, or slip on a banana peel or something.  Put a little effort into it, at least! Cormac McCarthy is such an amateur.

[Mary Kirby]

SpaceAlex wrote...

Can't you two talk in person.

J/K. I like it.

He's all the way upstairs!  Like, three whole flights!  I'd have to *shudder* walk to do that.

Or use IM.  What are you, some kind of slavedriver?

[Mary Kirby]

imported_beer wrote...

Yowza-

Um..just to clarify my comment was not meant in the "How could you make me cry, dg!!! :(" vein.,"

It was more in the - "AHA!!! So if we DON'T show any reaction to the next tragic turn of events, WWGD?" [rubs hands together, cackle evilly] vein.

I imagine something like this would happen:

Gaider: Huh.  Nobody reacted at all to that romantic self-sacrifice.  What's up with that?
Mary and Sheryl: I guess next time we have to kill the puppy, too.