I work on the magical “Flashies” that you see in the game. We have to think up how we want all of the abilities to look on screen. After we decide how the ability should work and how it should look we create the effect in Max. Effects tend to be an all encompassing area as well. When creating the effect we need to do modeling, texturing, and animation. So you get your hands into a little of everything. After we create the effect we have to ‘hook it all up’ in game so that it works the way you see it in game. If a guy casts a spell, then throws a fireball which then hits your target, that all has to be set up so that all those effects get tied into that particular ability. In addition to the spell effects, we also work on scenery-based effects like waterfalls, burning buildings, and torches. You can see effects in just about every area of the game.
What is your background? College? Degree? 1st job out of school? 1st game industry job? How long
have you been with Mythic?
I’m originally from Greensburg, PA and went to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. My first job out of
school was working on virtual reality simulations for MRI research. My first job in the game industry
was working for Stainless Steel Studios in Boston. I came to Mythic about 2 years ago. I love RPG’s
and MMO’s and really wanted to work on games set in a fantasy based realm.
What other titles have you worked on in the past? In what capacity?
I’ve worked on Empires and Rise and Fall which are real time strategy titles.
On those titles I worked
on character art and effects.
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?
I love the art style. I just love the large bulky armors with spikes and body parts hanging from them
(that sounds disturbing, but it does look cool). I think Warhammer is perfect for an MMO. There are
so many unique races and classes for people to find their favorite play style. The universe and
background story of Warhammer also make for an interesting plot line to pull from when doing quests
and NPC’s.
Do you collect Warhammer figures? What army do you play?
I do collect Warhammer figures. I’m currently playing a Dwarf warband, but I tend to pick up a little
of everything since I like to buy what I find interesting to paint. Currently I’m painting a Wood Elf
army. Painting the miniatures is a good way to do something artistic at home that doesn’t involve
sitting at a computer after you spent your entire day at work sitting in front of a computer.
What are your hopes/goals for the game?
My hope is that we can make a game that is just a blast to play, while keeping true to the entertaining
characters and classes that are in the tabletop.
What are your favorite video/computer games of all time? What games are you playing right now?
I like a lot of the games in the Final Fantasy series. They have great stories and great visual effects.
Right now I’m playing Final Fantasy XI, Guitar Hero, and Puzzle Quest.
What music are you listening to right now?
I’ve been listening to 30 Seconds to Mars a lot lately, but in general I have very broad musical taste.
Is there a recent movie you’ve seen or book/comic you read that you’d recommend to others?
Grindhouse was one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in a long time. I laughed at so many things
that they did in those movies. The fake trailers were great.
