Interview: David Gaider- Lead Writer For Dragon Age

Well I'll be a Nug's uncle; it looks like Bioware and Dark Horse have teamed up to bring the world a new six issue digital only Dragon Age comic! Check out the review for it here. It’s written by Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider, who tells us that this story tells the tale of three heroes from the game Alistair, Isabela and Varric.

All of them have traveled to Antiva, an exotic land of assassins, to chase a secret from Alistair's past that will draw all three of them into danger -- and also reveal a surprising truth about the nature of dragons in Thedas.

Side bar-- I love me some Dragon Age. It took all of my resolve not to “geek out” and ask Mr. Gaider tons of worthless fanboy questions that would have made him sick.

Comic Bastards) First off, where does The Silent Grove story arc fall in the DA universe? Does it take place after the adventures in Kirkwall or is this working on an alternate timeline where there really is no “Champion”?

David Gaider) It takes place after the adventures in Kirkwall, yes, though it is indeed an alternate timeline in a sense. A comic can't respond to player choice like a video game can, so that means selecting one particular set of outcomes for this story (such as Alistair being the King of Ferelden) and running with that.

CB) Isabela and Varric seem like daring choices for a, let’s be frank, “passive soul” like Alistar to bring along. Do they have their own adventure waiting in the wings or are they just for snarky comic relief?

DG) A little bit of column 'A' and a little of column 'B'. They're fun characters, but I also want them along for the potential to dive some more into their personal stories.

CB)  So, with there being Dragons in Thedas, is there any chance we’ll get to see some Old Gods in action? If so, doesn’t that mean that there will be some blight inspired Dark Spawn running around?

DG) There's a difference between dragons, Old Gods and the Archdemons (which are Old Gods that have been corrupted by the blight). You're talking three different levels of creatures, there. All I can say is that dragons play an important role in Thedas beyond simply being the scary flying creatures that try to bite your head off, and there's some meat there for a nice storyline.

CB) What are the odds of the guys making it into The Fade? It doesn’t need to make any sense for the story; it’s just one of my favorite things in the DA universe and I’d love to see it again.

DG) I adore the Fade, particularly when one explores the dream aspect of it. I've gone there in two of my novels-- I certainly wouldn't discount the possibility of going there in the comics. :)

CB) Any chance we’ll see a few more familiar faces we recognize from any other of the DA tales? Please throw in Sandal! Again I don’t need any reason.

DG) You may indeed see (or hear of) some other characters familiar to fans of Dragon Age.

CB) With the massive script that comes with doing such a complex RPG, did you find writing a comic more or less fulfilling?

DG) It doesn't hurt that comics allow a bit more freedom to a storyteller-- not everything you bring into the tale needs to first be modeled and created by a horde of people taking weeks and weeks of time. So on the front, it's a delight. It's also quite a challenge, as the process is completely different from making a game. At first I thought it would only be a little bit of work-- certainly easier than a novel, right? It's not quite that simple, of course. Overall I'd say it's been very fulfilling getting to try something new.

CB) Did you find it hard to ease people who are unfamiliar with the DAU and appease long time fans at the same time?

DG) Sometimes. You have a limited amount of space to work with in a comic, and it's tempting to avoid the introductions and explanations that long-time fans don't really need. So you need to find a way to explain things in a context where it feels natural. That's always a struggle.

CB) You’ve been doing a lot of interviews/press about this book. Is there a question you get sick of being asked?

DG) Aren't you supposed to ask me that before the other questions, and not after? What if my answer was one of them? Ha! No, it's fine. I'm always happy to talk. If you ask my co-workers, they would agree that
it's much harder to get me to shut up.

CB) Now a real personal question…How close is Dragon Age 3 to being finished? I don’t need details;  just throw out a year and a quarter. Is that too much to ask? Please dear sir, please!

DG) What is this 'Dragon Age 3' you speak of? I have no knowledge of
such a game. Honestly. :)

No idea about Dragon Age 3? Not knowing what I speak of?! Well played Mr.Gaider,well played. In all seriousness a big thank you to David Gaider for spending time with us.

The is a review for for Dragon Age: Silent Grove #1 can be found here and you can pick up the first digital issue here!