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Dave Gross joins as writer for Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition

DanBoulosDanBoulos Member Posts: 146
edited June 2012 in Archived News
Overhaul Games is happy to announce that Dave Gross has joined the team as a Writer for Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition™.

imageDave first joined TSR as an editor for Polyhedron Newszine. Later he edited Dungeon and Dragon magazines, while also writing fantasy fiction on the side. His Forgotten Realms novels include Black Wolf and Lord of Stormweather. More recently he's published Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils for Pathfinder Tales, and was a co-author for Winter Witch.

“I was sitting in a coffee shop complaining about the lack of classic RPGs for the iPad,” says Dave, “when Trent appeared in a sulphurous cloud and said, 'Have I got a job for you.'”

While the opportunity to play his favorite RPGs on a tablet was strong incentive, Dave says the most exciting part is working with a talented team whose knowledge of games and the Realms makes him insist they take the front in marching order.

You can follow Dave's infrequent Twitter posts @frabjousdave. For all information regarding Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, visit www.baldursgate.com


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Post edited by PhillipDaigle on

Comments

  • Lord_ToastLord_Toast Member Posts: 7
    Yay!
  • RazorRazor Member Posts: 436
    Good to see the forgotten realms crew getting together again.
  • NeoDragonNeoDragon Member Posts: 169
    Although I spent hundreds (if not >>1000^^) of hours in the Forgotten Reamls I have to admit that I didn't know the name Dave Gross before he joined the team. So I was sceptical at first. I'm so ahamed :-( ... After a quick research I'm sure he is fully capable of writing a story/dialogues/... in the spirit of such a RPG masterpiece.

    I think I have to get my hands on one of his books^^
  • TheFunkeyGibbonTheFunkeyGibbon Member Posts: 1
    I'm confused why does a port need a writer? The dialouge is already written...
  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    @TheFunkeyGibbon

    They are adding new adventures with new areas and new npc's
  • DKnightDKnight Member Posts: 307
    Welcome Dave!
  • Isildurs_BaneIsildurs_Bane Member Posts: 7
    Awesome to have one of the greats involved with the project. Im stoked
  • DaveDave Member Posts: 200
    Most of my writing is for the new NPCs and adventures, although I'm also doing some editing of the original text--not radical changes, but correcting spelling, fixing typos, regularizing punctuation, and so on. I'm definitely NOT rewriting the original or adding a substantial amount to the existing game.
  • NeoDragonNeoDragon Member Posts: 169
    Dave said:

    Most of my writing is for the new NPCs and adventures, although I'm also doing some editing of the original text--not radical changes, but correcting spelling, fixing typos, regularizing punctuation, and so on. I'm definitely NOT rewriting the original or adding a substantial amount to the existing game.

    I have a hypothetical question that came to my mind after reading your post:

    I assume that you don't rewrite and/or add something to existing dialogues due to 'contractual reasons' (that was mentioned several times here in the forum if I recall correctly).

    Now my question:

    Would you change anything if you had the chance ?
    What would it be ?

    I'm fully aware that such a question could be pretty difficult for you to answer. The reactions could be ... let's say ... undesirable (depending on your answer). That's why I will fully understand if you don't answer it. But I'm just too curious and at least wanted to ask :-) I hope you don't consider that as rude or somthing, because that wasn't my intention.
  • Space_hamsterSpace_hamster Member Posts: 950
    Can you do a quest for Gullykin, those halflings were awfully neglected.
  • DaveDave Member Posts: 200
    @NeoDragon

    No, I feel no desire to change the original beyond tidying up punctuation, spelling, and so forth. Baldur's Gate is a classic for good reason.

    @Space_hamster

    I haven't actually written any quests and probably won't for a while. I've been writing dialogue for characters and stories already outlined by @PhillipDaigle. He's the mad genius behind the new content. I'm the typist.
  • PhillipDaiglePhillipDaigle Member Posts: 654
    Direct all hatred towards me.
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    @PhillipDaigle : I know right? Hasted Beholders using machine guns if I recall correctly XD

  • PhillipDaiglePhillipDaigle Member Posts: 654
    Well, if Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition does not live up to any of your expectations, you can hold me personally, financially, and emotionally responsible.
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    So if I expect rainbow Koalas armed with Blades of Fancy +6 and I don't get them, I can hold you responsible? :p
  • AlkutrazAlkutraz Member Posts: 1
    I recently installed Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II SoA, and Neverwinter Nights so that I could replay these classics, as well as show my sons what the fuss is all about with Biowares storied past. That being said it is refreshing to hear that there is no intention on altering the original contents story. The addition of new content has me very excited beyond the intial news of this coming. I would hope that this is a trend that continues. As PC's and the OS' that run them render classic games virtually unplayable to the average PC user, we can still enjoy these classics thanks to teams such as yourselves.
  • Space_hamsterSpace_hamster Member Posts: 950
    You guys sound like you're having fun with this project, must bring back a lot of good memories.
  • HawkHawk Member Posts: 3
    Congratulations Dave, Christina had mentioned you were doing something but the message got garbled on what it was. I hope Phil isn't being to cruel to you.
  • tpowltpowl Member Posts: 35
    PhillipDaigle said:

    Well, if Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition does not live up to any of your expectations, you can hold me personally, financially, and emotionally responsible.

    LOL LOL LOL

  • ShapiroKeatsDarkMageShapiroKeatsDarkMage Member Posts: 2,428
    PhillipDaigle said:

    Well, if Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition does not live up to any of your expectations, you can hold me personally, financially, and emotionally responsible.

    Thank you.

  • Papy_SilkPapy_Silk Member Posts: 44
    @Dave Do you plan on writing more books like the ones found in Irenicus bookshelves ? I really enjoyed collecting them and reading them. They shaped my vision of the world. The first time I played, I remember dropping all the swords and axes on the ground to keep the books and take them out of the dungeon.

    The thing is - they are awesome at giving you a feeling of "this world is gigantic and doesn't give a damn about you : it was here before, will be here after - you're just a random traveler". You don't travel in most of these places and that's part of the point. I hoped to find a road to Waterdeep during the 400 first hours of play. :D
  • DaveDave Member Posts: 200
    @Papy_Silk Those books are one of my favorite parts of the game, too. We haven't added any to BG1 nor to the first few elements of expanded content, but I think it's very likely you'll see some if and when we expand BG2. I know just where they'd be found....
  • CentoparCentopar Member Posts: 17
    Wonderful to see that the original text is at least getting a polish; the odd typo and bits of weird punctuation were irritatingly immersion breaking back in the day. Amazing how the industry's changed since; I was still a student when I played BG1 the first time, back in the days when it *looked* as if nobody was really doing any copy-editorial work on in-game text. I ended up in publishing, then some years later found myself being hired as a freelance copy editor for mobile phone games (among other things), once vendors had realised that consistency and spelling *really kind of matter*.
  • artificial_sunlightartificial_sunlight Member Posts: 601
    @Dave
    I just love Lord of weather and Black Wolf (I have Black wolf 2 times with differnt covers :P )

    And I think you could perfectly write an expansion to the Islands of Balduran. Maybe an infected NPC, to join the party (and go with you to BG2). Just don't forget to put a cage in your Bag of Holding ;)
  • SleetSleet Member Posts: 5
    Great news, I loved both books. Glad to have ye aboard Dave!
  • DaveDave Member Posts: 200
    @artificial_sunlight Thanks for the kind words. If you liked those books, you might also dig Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils in the Pathfinder setting. The new one, Queen of Thorns, arrives in mid-October.

    @Sleet Thanks for the warm welcome!
  • artificial_sunlightartificial_sunlight Member Posts: 601
    If I start reading Pathfinder books, my girlfriend will burn all my FR books I think. I have ~200 unread FR novels by now :P. Maybe if they are available as ebook.
This discussion has been closed.

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