At Cloud Imperium Games my tasks where split up into multiple lines of work. First and foremost I was responsible for developing new AI behaviors, focusing on combat AI (FPS/Pilots) using the in house behavior tree tool “subsumption”. I also developed none combat AI when they where closely interwoven with my area of expertise(i.e. ATC/Pilots, Patrolling/FPS). My second biggest area of attention was workflow development and data structure (XML). With a project of the size and scope of Star Citizen it is important to have a clean data structure based on inheritance and modularity to ensure that the massive worlds can be populated. Outside of that I designed the skill/resource system for AI and the player, ensuring that it works across all the jobs existing in Star Citizen.

Main tasks:

-Designing and prototyping new AI behavior

-Optimizing workflow and data structure

-Work on core gameplay features

-Supporting convention and demos (CitCon/GamesCom)

Starting at Microsofts Lionhead Studios proved to be a welcomed challenge. After a short time integrating myself into the 300 man strong team adjusting to a different work flow and learning all the possibility's and quirks of the new editor I dived right into my main line of work, bring all kinds of evilness to their new game Fable:Legends. Working in the villain and creature team I was responsible for implementing and designing new creatures, improve villain gameplay/flow whilst also working on multiplayer performance/security. While this mainly occupied my time I also worked on tutorials, character customisation and overall user experience.

Main tasks:

-Designing and prototyping new gameplay objects

-Implementation and design of creatures

-Design and create enemy AI’s(Behaviour trees)

-Closely collaborate with Programmers to increase performance and stability

-Integration of effects and animation

At Lords of the Fallen my main task was the creation of enemies and bossfights. I coordinated a small team of professionals (animator, programmer, character designer) in order to create 90% of the AI behavior, movement systems and combat styles in Lords. My background in computer science and knowledge of C/C# helped me a lot to work closely with programmers as well as animators. In addition to my internal work I also worked with outsources (animation/concept) and with an external team (authors/designers) to create a strategy guide for Lords of the Fallen.

Main tasks:

-Implementation of combat systems

-Design and create enemy and boss AI’s

-Closely collaborate with Programmers to implement difficult boss behavior and abilities

-Integration of effects and animation

-Quest & story design

-Game balancing

-Work with externals in order to create an strategy guide for Lords of the Fallen

During the first months of my internship at Deck13 I mainly worked on a serious game called project portal. My main tasks where the structuring of conversation trees and the implementation of basic objectives. From there I moved to Deck13 main Project Lords of the Fallen and switched from intern to part time game designer, so I could work on my bachelor thesis about a modular system to create and design bossfights in cross-platform games, exemplified at bossfights in Lords of the Fallen.

Main tasks:

-Designing and prototyping new gameplay objects

-Creating and maintaining conversation trees

-Creating my Bachelors thesis

-Basic combat design

-Implementing thesis results into Lords of the Fallen

During my time at University I build the groundwork for my future career in the gaming industry. Learning the basic of coding, design, 3D math and modeling in the first semesters and then moving on to more complex C#/C++ and procedural generation in my senior years. This lead me on the path of my first two gaming projects: Aeroslide and Dreamworld: Borderline.

Final mark: 2.4 (equivalent to B-)
Major subject: Computer Graphics, final mark: 1.0 (equivalent to A)
Minor subject: Special Issue in Digital Media: Development of Video
Games, final mark: 1.7 (equivalent to B+)
Bachelor’s thesis: “Video Game Bossencounter – A modular system
for cross-platform bossfight development”