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David Gaider is Back!

VasculioVasculio Member Posts: 482
edited February 2016 in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
One of the original lead writers of Baldur's Gate is back as the creative lead for Beamdog. Can't wait to see what projects he might be attached too.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/09/former-dragon-age-writer-david-gaider-joins-beamdog

Comments

  • ReadingRamboReadingRambo Member Posts: 598
    Very good news! He's been behind many of my favorite games. I'm pumped
  • LuridelLuridel Member Posts: 25
    Eeeeexcellent.
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    Awesome!!

    I guess it is rather fitting that he work with the current owners of the baldurs gate game.

    Congratulations, if you're reading this!
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    @Vasculio Read the Beamblog, it gives more information on other people who joined Beamdog :)

    http://blog.beamdog.com/2016/02/beamdog-achievements.html

    http://blog.beamdog.com/2016/02/beamdog-welcomes-david-gaider.html
  • KavainKavain Member Posts: 4
    We've got David Gaider? What an honor!

    *cough* In your face BioWare / EA. *cough*
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    @beamdog
    Just don't let EA buy out beamdog, too!
  • Excalibur_2102Excalibur_2102 Member Posts: 351
    Just wanted to see I'm really happy that beamdog seem to be doing well (as far as we know), and are still grabing employees that worked on the original bg games when they can. I have purchased all the enhanced editions, and used to post ocassionaly here on the forums. Though I have not played the games yet, I know they received a lot of flak and criticism for certain things in the EE games (rightfully so in some cases), but had faith that with a little experience they would begin to shine. So far SoD looks great, and I really look forward to what you guys manage to come up with in the future. Im hoping more classic D&D RPGS (even if it must be 5th ed) :).
  • O_BruceO_Bruce Member Posts: 2,790
    "Excellent!" - Lee Chaolan
  • FlashburnFlashburn Member Posts: 1,847
    Keep him on a short leash, lest we be treated to a third masterpiece like Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition. :unamused:
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Opinion on DA2 seems pretty one sided. But I've heard a lot of good things about Inquisition.
  • ArgyleArgyle Member Posts: 48
    All things must come full circle. Just as the protagonist must return to Candlekeep, so does Dave Gaider eventually return to the Baldur's Gate franchise. Then after a few years of this, he might end up working in a hotel again.

    I played AD&D with some school friends maybe seven or eight times at most. I loved the books. I later cut my teeth on Baldur's Gate, loved Shadows of Amn, felt closure with Throne of Bhaal, passed the time with Icewind Dale, hated Neverwinter Nights, enjoyed Neverwinter Nights II immensely, and then scored with that French girl in Dragon Age. But in Dragon Age I started to get bored fighting the same monsters over an over, so that was it for me for a long while. Then BGEE came online, and I have been diving back into that game to see all the things I missed the first time. Ha, a trapped chest in the room right behind Winthrop! Took me over 15 years to figure that one out! And thank goodness for BGEEKeeper!

    Now with a growing development team, what will Beamdog do? After my few experiences with other games, I must say I like the basic D&D system. Now that D20 is open source, can that be used in a game format? For me, the "AD&D nostalgia factor" has regrown in 2016. I would love to play a real Illusionist per 1st Ed AD&D ... i.e., be the only class that gets unique spells such as Improved Invisibility, get that Alter Reality at only 14th level, etc. I would love to see the Efreeti's City of Brass, and fight the forces of Chaos with the Wind Dukes of Aaqa. We did see the Mad Hermit in Dragon Age, but I imagined him more of a woodsy fellow, and I think he could be re-done more true to the Keep on the Borderlands. How about a Ki-Rin encounter, what would that be like? Does the Egyptian Book of the Dead contains secrets how to access the Duat (ethereal plane) if I decode it using the heiroglyph translation page contained in the old Deities & Demigods book? Can these things be worked into a game which will also appeal to high school age gamers, too? I think this is an exciting time for Beamdog and I hope some of these things are on their minds, too.
  • AerakarAerakar Member Posts: 1,054
    @Argyle, I am an old school former PnP AD&D player from the '80s and the nostalgia factor has kept me hooked on first BG, then NWN, and then back to BGEE for years. I also would love to see some of the scenarios you mention. I am looking forward to SoD and also afterwards hopefully a new BG-esque scenario from Beamdog.
  • RazorRazor Member Posts: 436
    Just heard about this, and thought about returning to the forums and welcome David. I don't know all the details but he is one of the great minds behind bioware's best games. Bioware, sadly, seems to have lost some of... what it was, and honestly, already more than 1 important person left.
    David leaving was natural to me because that's the natural path for someone who isnt content with strict rules in storytelling. Joining beamdog was great news and that will no doubt allow all his creativity to emerge again.
    Inexile and Obsidian are other devs I appreciate.
  • Mikey205Mikey205 Member Posts: 307
    I am really hoping they announce more BG content after Siege of Dragonspear. David Gaider working on BG2 would be like coming full circle.
  • Stormheart83Stormheart83 Member Posts: 6
    Sweet! Haven't had cause to use this in a while, but I feel this qualifies.
    [img]http://i.imgur.com/U2J5rZB.jpg[/img]
  • BhryaenBhryaen Member Posts: 2,874
    edited March 2016
    Holy frijoles! I was over on the Bioware forum when his departure was announced, but no one mentioned where he went, just a variety of byes. But, no. He's coming here to... you mean... does this mean we're getting even more BG content after SoD- written/creatively-directed by Gaider himself???? Is there an Adventure Z now???!!??!?
  • BhryaenBhryaen Member Posts: 2,874
    bengoshi said:

    @Vasculio Read the Beamblog, it gives more information on other people who joined Beamdog :)

    http://blog.beamdog.com/2016/02/beamdog-achievements.html

    http://blog.beamdog.com/2016/02/beamdog-welcomes-david-gaider.html

    "We also hired a writer named Dave. He seems pretty cool so far." lol Actually there was another @Dave who wrote for BG a while back...
  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    Bhryaen said:

    Is there an Adventure Z now???!!??!?

    Nope, definitely not. Calling it Z would imply that it's the last adventure, and we cannot have that.
  • AndrewFoleyAndrewFoley Member Posts: 744
    Internally, we're calling it Adventure Three-Toed Sloth, or A3TS.


    Also, we're not really calling it that yet, but I'm very hopeful this snowballs into something that sticks because three-toed sloths are cute.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited March 2016
    Going to have to suggest the Adventure of the Coconut Crab. Mostly just because they are ridiculous large and cool.

    image

  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    edited March 2016
    @AndrewFoley

    Yes, but they also have a reputation for being slow and un-exciting. Perhaps a different name would motivate and sell better? I don't know....like maybe Lightnig Quality (LQ), or Super-Soon-Best-Game-Ever-Ever (SSBGEE), or Already-Written-And-Programmed-In-The-Name-Of-Our-Loyal-And-Dedicated-But-Ultimately-Impatient-Fanbase (AWAPITNOOLADBUIF, pronounced AH-wah-PIT-new-LAD-boof).

    Catchy, right?
  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    dammit, we used Boiling Panther too soon
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    he pretty much left bioware to work at pre ea bioware.
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    elminster said:

    Opinion on DA2 seems pretty one sided. But I've heard a lot of good things about Inquisition.

    I might be in the minority in my opinion when I say that to me, perso, DA2 is to the best penmanship in Dragon Age series, and my favorite DA game.

    And in fact, with Planescape Torment, my favorite game written by BioWare thus far.

    I probably do not have to explain why I love PS:T, right?

    As to DA2 - it is one of the most topical games I have ever played, boldly so; even, if you look at what is going on in the world right now.

    To me, it delivers an affirmation to the question of PS:T, that nothing changes the nature of man, though individuals may be movers and shakers.
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