PQ Maker Extraordinaire, Magna Carta... If You Will, "The Mean One"
What is it you do on a daily basis?
The first thing I do is gather up my teammates into a sharing circle where we all
purge our external toxins and get ready for the day. Not really… I actually usually
stare at my computer screen until my vision narrows and I nearly pass out.
Seriously, I am part of the Content Design Team. Our purpose is to mold the clay of the Warhammer IP into a fun and engaging experience for the players within an MMO environment. I have written most of the Public Quests you will see in game and have now turned my attention to monster abilities.
What is your background? 1st job out of school? 1st game industry job? How
long have you been with Mythic? What other jobs have you held in the industry?
I worked for an electronics store as a Loss Prevention supervisor before moving to
the game industry. I think that job prepared me well for the trials and tribulations
of Customer Support which was my first industry job with Sony Online Entertainment.
That experience greatly helped me in attaining a job with Mythic in January 2002
and I have been here ever since. I moved from Customer Support to Development when
Warhammer started.
What was your “welcome to the game industry” moment when it hit you that you
were really making games for a living?
The first time Paul Barnett looked at something I wrote and called it "rubbish." That
is a tear jerk moment that sticks with you forever. I think I kept the tear.
What excites you about the Warhammer property? What makes it perfect for an
MMO? What cool things in the Warhammer universe do you hope to bring to life?
The thing about Warhammer is, there is no black and white, good and evil. There are
only shades of grey. Sure, the Empire was forged by Sigmar ages ago and currently
stands against the tide of Chaos but, is the Empire really "good?" Translating that
gritty world of grey versus grey is what intrigues me the most.
Do you collect Warhammer figures? Does your spouse let you display them when
friends come over for dinner?
I have to say, without a doubt, that I LOVE Warhammer. I have been playing the
tabletop games since the old Rogue Trader days (my first game was Space Hulk) and have
always held a fond regard for Games Workshop and the Warhammer world. Thankfully
I keep most of my miniatures at work so as not to drive my wife mad with clutter.
What are your hopes/goals for the game?
My hope is that the world will unite under the banner of WAR and we will all shed a
tear at the greatness that is Warhammer Online. Barring that, my hope is that people
have fun killing and maiming each other and collecting each other's heads as trophies.
What your key influences when making the game? Anything besides Warhammer?
Every game I have ever played, from the old Ghouls and Ghosts, to Killing Game show
(Amiga) to Altered Beasts and the list goes on. I have been playing games for a long
time and I have a mind like an elephant so I draw on all those experiences.
What is the biggest problem with current MMO’s you hope to fix with WAR?
I come from a more First Person Shooter style of gaming. They are my first love and
have always been high on my list of games. That being said, I think meaningful PvP
is where it's at. If we can take what was started with Dark Age of Camelot, combine
elements of good PvP games (fighting games, FPSs, Etc.) then I think we can take MMOs
to the next step.
What are your favorite video/computer games of all time? What games are you
playing right now? What game should the reader be playing if he’s not?
My favorite video games are sports and FPSs though MMOs come in closely after that.
I like games where you compete with live opponents and have always gravitated toward
that type of game. Currently, I am playing Team Fortress 2, Madden 08,
NCAA 08,
Gears of War, Battlefield 2142 and Bioshock.
What music are you listening to right now?
I have everything from Mobb Deep to the Rolling Stones on my iPod. I am liking the
new Finger Eleven song, Paralyzer at the moment.
Is there a recent movie you’ve seen or book/comic you read that you’d
recommend to others?
The Horus Heresy series of books by Black Library are top notch. As for movies,
I am still watching 300 almost every day.
Anything else you want to add?
I would just like to say that being a video game developer is possibly the best
job in the world… other than perhaps food tester, which would be awesome too.
While it isn't all fun and games like some may think, we actually do a lot of work,
it is possibly the most rewarding job I have ever had and I would not trade it
away for anything... unless someone had a food tester job available, then… maybe.
I also would like to thank my wife for all of her support through the long nights
and tough deadlines. I do not think I could have made it without her endless
patience and understanding.
