Jennifer was on Dragon Age for quite a while, and she had a big hand in defining the dwarves and writing the Paragon of Her Kind plot (along with Luke Kristjanson).EbenBrooks wrote...
Well...I'm brand spanking new to these forums, but I wanted to ask a question. I have two friends, a married couple in fact, who both work for BioWare: Chris and Jenny Heppler. I was wondering what parts of the game story they contributed to.
Writers of Dragon Age
Débuté par
Ginasue
, janv. 06 2010 11:11
#501
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 03:46
David Gaider
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Retour en haut
#502
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 03:58
atwatters
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To all the writers at Bioware, thanks for making such a brilliant and in-depth story. I have played Bioware games for years but I was taken back by the number of choices and outcomes Dragon age has.
I had a question regaurding the involvement of Leliana in the expansion, if it can not be answered for what ever reason I understand completely. I was just wondering if the player romanced Leliana and survived the ending, what is Leliana's level of involvement going to be in the expansion? I would hate to see such a brilliant character get writen off.
I had a question regaurding the involvement of Leliana in the expansion, if it can not be answered for what ever reason I understand completely. I was just wondering if the player romanced Leliana and survived the ending, what is Leliana's level of involvement going to be in the expansion? I would hate to see such a brilliant character get writen off.
#503
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 04:01
Ginasue
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a****ters, as much as we would love to have our campions with us in the expansion, so far there is only one who will be joinning us in it. Who it is, we don't know, and won't know until it comes out. I think from what I've read, the new companion that we will be getting will be just as good if not better then what we have now.
#504
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 04:07
Sandtigress
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Just thought I'd mention that I hunted through three bookstores yesterday evening to find both Dragon Age books, and I'm halfway through the Stolen Throne already. Not bad for a hour or two before bed, a lunch break, and a short reading session this afternoon, huh? Enjoying it, and loving the backstory on Maric and Loghain. Maric strikes me as being very similar to Alistair in personality - I'm rather surprised that Loghain doesn't see that. Kudos on the enjoyable tale!
#505
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 04:10
David Gaider
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Well, I don't think Loghain ever took Alistair aside and attempted to get to know him. Mind you, Loghain's very adept at not seeing what he doesn't want to.Sandtigress wrote...
Maric strikes me as being very similar to Alistair in personality - I'm rather surprised that Loghain doesn't see that.
#506
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 04:14
tallon1982
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So we can think of Loghain as a horse with blinders then? I can see that. He's driven by a goal and he doesn't detour from it no matter what's going on around him. So you have two opposites Maric being somewhat scatterbrained and Loghain being one track minded lol.
#507
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 04:21
Sandtigress
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tallon1982 wrote...
So we can think of Loghain as a horse with blinders then? I can see that. He's driven by a goal and he doesn't detour from it no matter what's going on around him. So you have two opposites Maric being somewhat scatterbrained and Loghain being one track minded lol.
Heh so Alistair and Anora would be the perfect couple, huh? Just like old times....
#508
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 06:27
rogue1983
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so mr.gaider if there was going to be a part 2 to dragon agte would your choices affect that world or not?. it is something I would really like to know before I get any deeper into dragon age a sincere answer would be appreciated. oh and thanks for writing the calling it was a great book. hope you have more books coming later for dragon age.
#509
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 06:34
MyKingdomCold
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I have a question about the city elf origin. I made a topic about it but never felt comfortable with any of the answers.
Was Shianni just supposed to be a friend of the city elf at first, and became a cousin later? She's the only one that calls you cousin. Everyone else calls you her friend. Nesiara, your fiance, and Valora, Soris' fiance, refer to you as her friend. When you talk to the king, you refer to her as your friend.
Was Shianni just supposed to be a friend of the city elf at first, and became a cousin later? She's the only one that calls you cousin. Everyone else calls you her friend. Nesiara, your fiance, and Valora, Soris' fiance, refer to you as her friend. When you talk to the king, you refer to her as your friend.
#510
Posté 14 janvier 2010 - 07:24
Astranagant
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j_j_m wrote...
I hope your opinion weighs heavily on the decision then. I'd hate Bioware playing it safe and be afraid to change the setting when there is a chance. "Too many people emotionally involved with the characters and places, so might as well do it all over again not to alienate our fans. Let us not disappoint their expectations of DA being like Mass Effect with a continuous storyline".....David Gaider wrote...
If it were up to me alone, of course we would go elsewhere. If you look at Origins as a baseline, we've introduced a world and in the future you would want to show the player what else is out there now that their familiar with the basics. It's easy to compare a setting like this to the Forgotten Realms or to Middle Earth, but one has to rememeber that it took multiple stories/adventures for those settings to reach the level of coverage that they achieved. We'll get there, with any luck.
Naturally it never is up to me alone, so the question is mostly academic.
I think a change of locale should be something determined by where the overall direction of the series goes, rather than the opposite. The more recent Elder Scrolls games are a good example of what happens when you craft a series around changing geography rather than any kind of focused scenario or story. While each installment is well and good on its own, the series' fans don't really have anything to look forward to or anticipate in the next installment but a change of geography and updated graphics.
But anyway, Bioware: superpro writing, you earned my $60 and then some.
#511
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 03:54
EbenBrooks
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David Gaider wrote...
Jennifer was on Dragon Age for quite a while, and she had a big hand in defining the dwarves and writing the Paragon of Her Kind plot (along with Luke Kristjanson).EbenBrooks wrote...
Well...I'm brand spanking new to these forums, but I wanted to ask a question. I have two friends, a married couple in fact, who both work for BioWare: Chris and Jenny Heppler. I was wondering what parts of the game story they contributed to.
Oh, most excellent! Yeah, now that I think on it, that quest sounds an awful lot like her. Though I was never in one, the legend has it that in her Legend of the Five Rings games, she pulled out all the stops on the psychological horror. Our mutual friend Dave played in those games, and he found them to be quite ... disturbing at times.
#512
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 04:13
savagesparrow
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I have a question for David: After playing through DA:O and reading The Calling and part of The Stolen Throne, just how obsessed with cheese are you? Do you really dream of cheese? Cuz if so, that's totally awesome. XD
#513
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 10:54
madebynike
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...I WILL GLADLY PAY to port my party members over to the expansion...you hear that BIOWARE...aargh! ..there, I said it!
#514
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 10:56
madebynike
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...of course I have already emailed EA and BIOWARE and offered to PAY ANYTHING to get a game patch to romance Alistair, and all I got was a reply from an automated worker (as opposed to an automated reply from a worker)...is no one motivated by money anymore? How long could an Xbox 360 gay romance game patch take to make? ..everything has a price, everything...
#515
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 11:34
Xandurpein
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I have been a loyal fan of Bioware's games since BG1. I loved Baldur's Gate, and have played the whole series through multiple times, but I must say that I am beginning to be little annoyed by the repeated acolade "Dragon Age is the best game since BG2", implying that BG2 is still the pinnacle. I think that the general level of writing and the depth of the characters in Dragon Age is in many ways superior to BG2.
I was curious if anyone of you could comment on this. Obviously writing isn't just a talent, but a skill, and as you have been doing this for while now, so your writing skills must have improved, but do you feel that is the main reason, or are you are now freer to create the stories you want to, or that you had other constraints in telling stories before you don't have now.
I was curious if anyone of you could comment on this. Obviously writing isn't just a talent, but a skill, and as you have been doing this for while now, so your writing skills must have improved, but do you feel that is the main reason, or are you are now freer to create the stories you want to, or that you had other constraints in telling stories before you don't have now.
#516
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 06:02
Sandtigress
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How much interplay was there between the various writers and the game designers when putting locations together? Was it a "writer comes up with the scenery and designers try their best to put it together" or a "here's what the place looks like now write about it" or more of an interactive thing? I suppose I'm referring mostly to the books (finished Stolen Throne last night and I loved the way it wrapped up, laughing at Duncan now at the beginning of the Calling - that is NOT what I expected young Duncan to be like though it doesn't really surprise me) but I guess it could apply to all the writers.
I've never really thought much about the writing behind a game, but really, Dragon Age is superb on that account. I was sharing some of the banters with friends of mine on another author's forum, and they enjoyed them very much. They wholeheartedly agreed when I asked them if they could see why this game has just sucked me in!
I've never really thought much about the writing behind a game, but really, Dragon Age is superb on that account. I was sharing some of the banters with friends of mine on another author's forum, and they enjoyed them very much. They wholeheartedly agreed when I asked them if they could see why this game has just sucked me in!
#517
Posté 15 janvier 2010 - 06:25
Varyen
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Ferret A Baudoin wrote...
Although I didn't write any of the companions, I can say it was wonderful writing in the Dragon Age setting. I especially enjoyed writing Master Wade and Herren. People were staring at me when I was writing them and laughing to myself. I'm not mad I tell you. No, the voices tell me I'm quite sane.
I must say that Herren getting upset over the dragon & drake scales was by far the best in the game next to companian chatter.
#518
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 06:03
Dlokir
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David Gaider wrote...
While no specifics were mentioned, some people have indeed been inadvertantly free with some details of the plot. I'll move it to the spoiler forum.
What's weird is that now I finished the game I don't understand at all how what I felt as nasty spoil was matching the end I get, perhaps alternate ending stuff. Other than that I consider plots being the source of the most spoiling spoils.
#519
Posté 17 janvier 2010 - 07:58
EbenBrooks
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Awwwwww... I just found Jennifer Heppler's tomb in Haven. You guys are awesome! 
#520
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 03:43
Ginasue
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Ok, I'm going to bump this back up to the first page. I know I shouldn't, and will get yelled at for doing it, but I want some who havn't seen it to see it.
#521
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 04:10
Star
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Actually I read through the topic a couple of days ago and thought about posting but didn't at the time since so many of my thoughts had already been expressed. But given another less positive thread on the front page, I thought I'd add my comments. Thanks for bumping the thread up Ginasue -- made it easier to find!
I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed this game. I've been a Bioware fan for a long time and have played pretty much every one of their games since Baldur's Gate came out. And what I've always noticed and appreciated is how much effort goes into the writing of these games, how frequently writers such as Dave, Mary and Sheryl go on-line to ask questions, research and talk with fans about the game and the characters.
I know this is probably a sign of age, but I remember seeing Dave on a number of fan websites like The Attic and Ladies of Neverwinter, writing fic and asking questions about how we viewed characters or about our thoughts on the differences between males and females in forming friendships. The willingness of Bioware staff to interact in a variety of ways outside of standard marketing and their responsiveness to us has always been a bit of a warm fuzzy for me.
And I really notice that with each game , the characters become more and more real. Thank you Dave, Mary and Sheryl for such memorable characters and great story telling. This is one of the bst games I've ever played and I look forward to playing it several more times!
I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed this game. I've been a Bioware fan for a long time and have played pretty much every one of their games since Baldur's Gate came out. And what I've always noticed and appreciated is how much effort goes into the writing of these games, how frequently writers such as Dave, Mary and Sheryl go on-line to ask questions, research and talk with fans about the game and the characters.
I know this is probably a sign of age, but I remember seeing Dave on a number of fan websites like The Attic and Ladies of Neverwinter, writing fic and asking questions about how we viewed characters or about our thoughts on the differences between males and females in forming friendships. The willingness of Bioware staff to interact in a variety of ways outside of standard marketing and their responsiveness to us has always been a bit of a warm fuzzy for me.
And I really notice that with each game , the characters become more and more real. Thank you Dave, Mary and Sheryl for such memorable characters and great story telling. This is one of the bst games I've ever played and I look forward to playing it several more times!
Modifié par Star58, 19 janvier 2010 - 04:12 .
#522
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 05:11
Malacola
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I've got a question I've been pondering as I've been playing with the toolset and starting to write my own dialogs - what is the actual writing process like for these things, day to day?
I mean, dialog trees are a particularly queer form of storytelling beasty when you get right down to it. While there are fairly strict limitations, they're set within a structure that threatens to become almost fractal-like if you don't keep a firm grip on it. Add in the hypertextuality, the conditional statements, and the consideration that, at some point, a real live human being is going to have to say these words out loud in a cogent and hopefully affecting manner, and I feel like you've got yourself something that requires equal parts writer, dramatist and logician.
So basically, how does it happen? Say you've got the bones of a conversation in mind - where do you begin? Do you work through drafts like any other writer? Does the "first pass" focus on a primary path, with the other branches following later, or does the structure come first? Do you work out an outline, plot out different branches, chokepoints, question hubs beforehand? When does the conditionality of different branches start showing up? Any kind of distillate ruleset for what distinguishes a "good" dialog from a "bad" one? Etc, etc... Basically, I just think it would be cool to hear somebody talk shop about the work behind the writing.
It strikes me as a fairly masochistic form of telling a story, but then again so are sonnets and dactylic hexameters, so maybe it's just another one of those things that practice promises to make perfect.
I mean, dialog trees are a particularly queer form of storytelling beasty when you get right down to it. While there are fairly strict limitations, they're set within a structure that threatens to become almost fractal-like if you don't keep a firm grip on it. Add in the hypertextuality, the conditional statements, and the consideration that, at some point, a real live human being is going to have to say these words out loud in a cogent and hopefully affecting manner, and I feel like you've got yourself something that requires equal parts writer, dramatist and logician.
So basically, how does it happen? Say you've got the bones of a conversation in mind - where do you begin? Do you work through drafts like any other writer? Does the "first pass" focus on a primary path, with the other branches following later, or does the structure come first? Do you work out an outline, plot out different branches, chokepoints, question hubs beforehand? When does the conditionality of different branches start showing up? Any kind of distillate ruleset for what distinguishes a "good" dialog from a "bad" one? Etc, etc... Basically, I just think it would be cool to hear somebody talk shop about the work behind the writing.
It strikes me as a fairly masochistic form of telling a story, but then again so are sonnets and dactylic hexameters, so maybe it's just another one of those things that practice promises to make perfect.
Modifié par Malacola, 19 janvier 2010 - 05:22 .
#523
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 07:19
Nonvita
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Well since this is back on the first page...
Dear Bioware writers:
Thank you for making me spend every moment of my three week vacation in Japan just wanting to play this game... Thank you for giving me severe senioritis and potentially destroying my GPA right before I graduate... Thank you for making my boyfriend feel like I don't quite love him as much as I used to...
If any of you are ever in LA, I owe you some beers!
Dear Bioware writers:
Thank you for making me spend every moment of my three week vacation in Japan just wanting to play this game... Thank you for giving me severe senioritis and potentially destroying my GPA right before I graduate... Thank you for making my boyfriend feel like I don't quite love him as much as I used to...
If any of you are ever in LA, I owe you some beers!
#524
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 03:05
Flaming-Soul
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My favorite of the game, the interaction between characters.
#525
Posté 19 janvier 2010 - 05:38
Akrim_Drak
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I'd just like to quickly add my two cents and personally thank the writers(all of you!) as well as the whole team in general... Dragon Age is by far one of my favorite RPGs ever and as a gay gamer it's all that more sweet that I can relate so easily with the characters. You guys have gone way out of your way to make them all feel believable and alive and it's definitely one of the best written games I've ever played and you all have truly touched me with the "experience" that is Dragon Age.
