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Resistance: Fall Of Man
shipped: November 2006
platform: Sony Playstation3
by: Insomniac Games
description:
I began my third project at Insomniac Games as a member of the early
pre-production team on what would later become Resistance: Fall Of Man, a
launch title for the Sony Playstation3. In pre-production I focused on
programming core gameplay systems such as the physics joint constraints
used for rag dolls and articulated objects, tweakable dynamic joints,
inverse kinematics, and others.
When the project transitioned into full production I moved into a
management role, leading the gameplay systems team. The team was
responsible for developing our proprietary physics engine, the inverse
kinematics system, the effects conduit, the HUD and UI, breakable objects,
dynamic glass and simulated flexible hoses. I was involved in planning and
scheduling the team's work, handling programmer reviews, managing sweeping
code projects to get the game with its memory and performance budgets, and
organizing technology transitions to keep pace with the Playstation3
launch. I introduced several improvements to the scheduling and goal
tracking processes to encourage efficiency, fairness, accountability, and
a sense of team morale. As a programmer I implemented several key gameplay
systems including inverse kinematics for dynamic foot placement on uneven
terrain and an enemy artificial intelligence.
Click to visit the official
Resistance: Fall Of Man home page. |
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Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal
shipped: November 2004
platform: Sony Playstation2
by: Insomniac Games
description:
This was my second project at Insomniac Games. Just like the 2
previous games in the series it is a 3rd person action adventure game.
This latest game builds on our previous formula by adding even more
amazing weapons, some very nice visual effects, and a really awesome
online component where you can turn your over-the-top weapons and gadgets
on your friends. For a majority of the production cycle of this game I was
actually working on core game systems and R&D for Insomniac's future
projects. But when the team needed some extra programming done to meet the
deadline I was assigned to the project for a couple of months. I
programmed the weapon effects for the enemy Tyhrranoid attack ship and the
2-eyed Tyhrranoids in the first level, Planet Veldin. I also worked on the
enemy AI and effects for the Amoeboids in the sewers of planet Aquatos.
Finally I added some improvements to the AI and effects for the Soldier
Bots and Sharpshooters on Planet Daxx and the Joral Nebula. A funny story
about the Soldier Bot weapon effect is that when I originally coded it,
each shot fired was a flaming ball with a little meteor inside it. The
meteors were cut out later in production to make the effect more
efficient, but they can still be seen immortalized in their full glory in
a screen shot on the back cover of the game box. Its nice to see that the
hard work did not go to waste.
Click to visit the official Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal home page. |
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Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
shipped: November 2003
platform: Sony Playstation2
by: Insomniac Games
description:
This was my first project as a gameplay programmer at Insomniac Games.
It was also the first game that I worked on as a full time programmer in
the video game industry. Like the original Ratchet and Clank, this sequel
is a 3rd person action platformer featuring tons of outrageous weapons and
gadgets. I joined the company in the middle of the project and was thrown
right into the rough production schedule. I programmed the enemy behavior,
game logic, enemy weapon effects and other level specific special effects
for 3 levels of the game.
The first section I worked on was the Gladiator Arena in the Maktar Nebula
for which I coded the AI and effects for 4 enemies, the arena hazards, and
the game logic for more than 10 battle challenges. I also wrote the weapon
effects and AI for 2 bosses, Chainblade and the B2 Brawler.
The second part of the game that I programmed was the Megacorp Games Arena
on planet Joba. For this arena I programmed 2 new enemies and augmented
the enemies that were used in the previous arena to make them more
challenging. One of the more interesting challenges of this level was
getting all of the enemies to work in the Cage Match cylinder high above
the arena. Enemies had to be able to target the player and navigate the
inner surface of the cylinder cylinder in accordance with the crazy laws
of cylindrical gravity. It was fun coding the lava effect that fills the
arena before the cage match and also the flailing behavior for the enemies
when they get knocked out of the cage match and plummet to their doom. I
also wrote the code for the 2 bosses in this arena: Megapede a giant
insect made of segments that blow off and attack you, and Arachnoid a
giant spider (with only 6 legs...go figure) that shoots lightning at you
in the cage cylinder.
My final level for the game was Planet Damosel. For this level I coded
2 enemies: the evil protopets which just keep on multiplying and attacking
everything in sight, and the protopet exterminator bots that shoot
lighting bots at anything furry...including Ratchet. I also wrote the AI
for the robot citizens which run for their lives from the protopets. In
this level I also did a pretty cool freezing effect for the water fountain
and all of the effects and logic for the grind rail segment, in which
trains warp in through wormholes just in time for the player to ride on
top of them.
Click to visit the official Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando home page. |
