Posts Tagged ‘Level Design’

What do you do at Hi-Rez Studios?

I am a level designer. I assist in creating the worlds that the players interact with in the game by pulling all the facets of all departments together into a cohesive experience that, hopefully, enhances the overall gaming experience within Global Agenda. Simply put, I design the maps/levels players play in.

How long have you worked in Gaming, and what did you do before Global Agenda?

I have been doing level design work professionally for ~4 years. Prior to working at Hi-Rrez I did contract work at Secret Level designing training missions for America’s Army: Rise of a Soldier. Before (and during) that I was a systems administrator.

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

I first started playing video games back in the 70s with the Atari 2600. I sure liked playing games but it was not until the latter portions of the 90s that I first cracked open the editor in Unreal 1. I really did not do much more than totally ruin my install of Unreal if you do not count getting totally hooked on the concept of making game worlds. I got into community projects with Unreal Tournament and landed a level design slot for Troopers: Dawn of Destiny after some time. It was on that project that I truly felt the passion of the design process in all it’s glory. We, Kinetic Studios, were in a community competition to make a "total conversion mod" for Unreal Tournament 2003/4. It was sometime during a deadline induced crunch while I watched the sun rise, knowing I would be calling in sick to work soon, that I realized I would love to do this for a living. I had to convince my wife and daughter that it was a good idea first. My first daughter was only 2 at the time so it was an easy sell with her. My wife, surprisingly, was totally supportive of the idea providing I could continue to … provide.

What is your favorite Global Agenda character/class to play?

Assault

What are your Favorite Games?

Ultima IV
Aliens vs. Predator 2
Racetrack Destruction Set

In my free time…

Most of time is tied up being a family man to my wife and two children. When I have spare time beyond that I work furiously to rid the world of the zombie infestation.

What is your favorite aspect of Global Agenda?

I am really excited about the locations that the game takes place.

What inspirations do you draw from when creating the art/levels/environment you do for the game?

Generally I use real locations as the basis of my designs then I spin in the flavor of espionage by creating huge facilities in those locations. An un-seeming botanical garden becomes a contention spot for battles, for example. I also use a large amount of the conceptual art for Global Agenda to derive spaces for play.

Name three things you can’t live without?

Water
Air
Chocolate

What superpower would you want, and why?

To run really, really fast. I hate having to sit in traffic.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Droid, Slayer, Phish, Janes Addiction, Intricate Unit, My Ruin

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Get involved in community projects to find out if you really want to make games. If you can make/assist in making a successful product in the community, most likely you can assist in making a successful product in a studio.

General Info..

Zombies + anything = awesome