|-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-| Author: John "Chief" Phillips Date: 2006 - 01 - 04 Link: http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View714b.php?view=Previews.Detail&id=4 Link: http://web.archive.org/web/20060110080315/http://www.planethalflife.com:80/features/articles/bwg/day03.shtm |-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-| Black Widow Games: Five Days of Fear (Day 3) Today, we'll be taking a look at what it takes to make a game such as They Hunger: Lost Souls, with the younger generation over at Black Widow Games. Talking with four of the developers at Black Widow Games, we dive into a bit about what They Hunger: Lost Souls is, what working in a professional environment entails, and some tricks of the trade for those of you who are interested in breaking into the game development field yourself. > hunger01.jpg > Who says a gardener has to use a sissy hoe! Chief-Phillips: Let's start off with some introductions. Who are each of you, and can you tell us a bit about your technical background? Björn: I am Björn Sörensen, also known as cgmonkey. I'm a 20 years old Computer Graphics student at gsCept, Sweden. My technical background isn't as comprehensive as my artistic background. I started out developing simple games in DOS as a small kid. Years later I came in contact with 3D design through a friend, and from that day I was hooked. Hollowmind: My name is Richard Askren aka Hollowmind. I live in southwest Michigan, USA. I'm 28 years old and have 3 daughters and I've been gaming since I was at least 9 years old. I remember the first console system I ever had was an Atari 2600. I also used to steal quarters from my mom's purse and go to the local laundry mat to play the arcade games they had there, hehe. I don't think I'll let her read this interview because I don't think she knows about that even to this day. I started modelling about 5 or 6 years ago making custom deathmatch models for HL1 and Quake 3 and I worked on a few mods (most never got finished). I first learned how to model using free demo version of Truespace way back then that came with a book on modelling a friend of mine gave me. I started making models for games when I picked up MilkShape 3D. I've since moved on to using 3DS Max. Magnus: Hi! My name is Magnus Bernekärr and I'm 23 years old. I live in Skellefteå, a town in the northern part of Sweden, and yes its coooold! I study Computer Graphics at gsCEPT and most of my time is currently dedicated to schoolwork and They Hunger: Lost Souls. Playing games has been a part of my lifestyle for as long as I can remember – just like everybody else in the team here. Teddy: Let's! My name is Teddy Bergsman Lind and I have been modifying games for about half my life now, starting at the age of nine. I have always been a very creative and ambitious person; I satisfy my aesthetic hunger by, amongst other things, drawing (both digitally and on paper) and playing guitar. Early in life I realized that the computer was the perfect tool to get an outlet for my artistic needs. However, I could only do what my computer allowed me to (which was really not much at all). I started to develop a taste for games and I soon started to modify them or make my own projects. Then I have pretty much just followed the very same path (updating software when hardware allows me to), the one that led me to where I am today, working for Black Widow Games. > hunger02.jpg > The darkness and textures used in some areas of the game truly add to the frightening atmosphere. Chief-Phillips: What kind of development experience have you all had? Björn: I've been making games for as long as I can remember, my earliest modding experience however dates back to Half-Life 1. I worked on several small mods as a level designer (Raven, Dark Age, HL matrix among others), then I joined Silicon Ice as a modeler and that's when my spark really lit for game development. The team was working on an Enemy Territory version of the Quake 3 mod hit Urban Terror. Right before I joined Black Widow Games I'd been working on a commercial fantasy RPG called Dawnspire which was a very fun project to work with. Hollowmind: Not a whole lot of experience unfortunately. I've worked on too many mods to remember for various game engines. To this date I don't think a single one of them has been finished except for the original They Hunger mods. Magnus: I started working on Half-Life mods back in 1999, mostly designing maps, models, skins and Skybox textures. Later I designed weapons and player models for a Quake 3 mod called Full Metal Jacket, and I even started my own mod for UT2004 – but I had to cancel the project just a few weeks later when I joined military service. After 1 ½ year establishing military networks across the coldest areas of Sweden, I finally restarted my gaming activities in early 2005. Valve's map contest motivated me to learn development for the Source engine, and soon after I joined BWG as a modeler. I still enjoy mapping but it seems pointless when you have a one-man-army level designer like Neil on the team! Teddy: I have been working on many projects for various engines during my years as a texture artist, but the one modification I have ended up spending the most time working on would probably be Sven Co-op (a co-operative based modification for Half-Life). Working with this modification taught me a great deal about game development and teamwork, without the experience it gave me I doubt I would have been working with Black Widow Games. Other projects I have been/am involved with are amongst others "Jurassic Rage" (dinosaur infested team deathmatch) and "Black Mesa: Source" (a complete remake of the original Half-Life game), both for HL2. > hunger03.jpg > These zombies are quite the "hot" commodity... Chief-Phillips: How did you get the opportunity to work for Black Widow Games, and what inspired you to work on this development team? Björn: If I remember correctly I sent Neil an e-mail asking if he needed some help, before they had announced what they were working on. I didn't hear from them until a few weeks later, when they needed some help on an unannounced project. Being a huge fan of the classic They Hunger series, I didn't hesitate one minute to work with these guys, and I was pleasantly surprised when they told me I was hired to work on a new They Hunger title. Hollowmind: I worked on They Hunger 3: Rude Awakening. I really enjoyed playing the first two They Hunger mods and when I saw they were making a third I sent Neil Manke an email asking if they could use any extra help on it. They were already familiar with my modeling work from a couple of my Half-Life deathmatch models being featured on PHL. I created the zombie bull and the zombie chicken for They Hunger 3. When they decided to make a new They Hunger for the Source engine they contacted me again to see if I wanted to work on it. There's no way I could turn down working on another They Hunger title. Magnus: Björn and I attend the same Computer Graphics course. Björn was already working for Black Widow Games and, when asked to recommend another modeler, he indicated myself. I contacted Einar, he liked my work, and so here we are. I really like the Lost Souls concept and the people behind it. Neil and Einar are two very talented guys that deserve credit for their hard work on They Hunger, so they inspire me to work on the game a lot. And the of course the other guys on the team deserve credit also for their hard work. Teddy: A friend of mine told me that Black Widow Games were seeking new talents – I was immediately interested having their previous projects in mind, I applied the minute I received the news. I saw this as a great opportunity to work with and learn from new and greatly talented blood. By that time I had no idea what so ever of what they had in mind for their next project, they were very secretive about this. I simply wrote about myself, my background and attached some samples of my previous work and that was all I needed to do to get accepted. Chief-Phillips: What are your respective jobs for Black Widow Games? Björn: My title on the team is "modeler". I make everything from small map objects to characters, whatever is needed. I've also taken models other team members have made and integrated the models in the HL2 engine. Usually I make the object in 3D, painting its textures and then finally import it to the engine, it's often the latter that takes the most time. Hollowmind: I make zombies. Mwahahahahahahahaha Magnus: I'm a modeler, working on all kinds of models that can help the story or increase the level of detail in the maps. I also work on textures and help with additional ideas for design and story. Lately I have been working on a new secret weapon for the game and I can hardly wait to show you guys and the zombies this baby. Muhaha! Teddy: My main task is to create textures and skins but I like to help out in other areas too (such as audio related work or additional 2D-art). For those unfamiliar with the terms "texture" and "skin", these basically mean digitally painted 2D-art applied to, respectively, map-brushes and 3D-models. A texture is often associated with environmental surfaces such as grass, rock, brick and what not. A skin on the other hand is often related to the texture applied on models, such as clothes on a human character model. This does not only involve painting the materials in an editor such as Adobe Photoshop but also properties configuration (telling the engine what the texture is supposed to do) is necessary (Source-engine specific). > hunger04.jpg > Careful detail is paid to lighting in the levels in They Hunger: Lost Souls. Chief-Phillips: How do you enjoy working in a professional atmosphere such as Black Widow Games? What kinds of challenges present themselves in this field of work? Björn: At first I was very intimidated to work with such talented people, but I've grown to love it. The challenges I face every time I work is a great experience for me. The leaders also push me to perfect everything I do. It's a great environment for an artist to be in. Hollowmind: Right now it's still very much like working on a mod. I work remotely for them and communicate pretty much exclusively through the internet using various chat programs. I've yet to meet any of the other members in real life and I've only talked to Neil on the phone. The biggest difference between this and any of the mods I've worked on is the much larger amount of exposure that anything by Black Widow Games gets. It's definitely a challenge working from home. There are a lot more distractions than being in an office environment. It can be hard to stay focused and get my work done at times. Magnus: When you work as a team, especially working remotely, communication is the main challenge. We have to ensure that everybody involved has a proper understanding about the required "look and feel" of each model before building it. The most valuable lesson I have learned while working on They Hunger was the importance of good concepts and drawings, and how to better plan my modeling work. Teddy: The Black Widow Games team is ultimately the kind of team I have always been in the search of – as all team members are greatly talented in what they do you never have to worry about quality. Besides this, deadlines are held and promises are kept. My biggest support has without doubt been Einar who has provided me with all the information I have ever needed and then some. It's hard to lose motivation with a coordinator such as him. To take part in the development of a game is in truth a wonderful experience. It teaches you lessons valuable in any profession where team functionality is crucial. However, most of all it is fun! I like to see my work as interactive art, where people all over the world can interact with a product I have taken part in completing. Developing games however requires a great deal of free time. As I am a full-time student, school often hinders me to do work for They Hunger: Lost Souls. School is very important to me and I try to never let game development get in the way of my studies. However, since I can't miss project deadlines either, I often adjust my schedule with Einar to work out solutions. I tend to be most active on holidays. > hunger07.jpg > What better refuge than an abandoned church? Chief-Phillips: Are you able to input your own thoughts and suggestions into the game? Are the senior developers receptive to your suggestions? Björn: We always discuss the object I'm going to work on before I begin. They are really open-minded about suggestions while still maintaining a certain goal. Hollowmind: Neil and Einar are very open to hearing different ideas. I don't think any of mine have been implemented LOL, but they were both willing to listen. ;) Magnus: They have been very open to new ideas, as long as they don't add too much development time to the schedule they have already established for Lost Souls. I don't think I can mention any stuff I have implemented because I fear Einar's wrath if I reveal too much and spoil the surprises! Teddy: Yes! Einar and Neil are both very open minded about implementing new ideas. Besides this, I'm always allowed to take my own approach to the tasks I am given, even though I'm always provided with predefined guidelines. For the sake of quality I usually make several different versions and then let Einar and Neil decide which they think is better. Chief-Phillips: What do you have to say to our readers who wish to enter the professional game design field as a career choice? What suggestions can you give? Björn: It's really cliché to say "work hard" because I assume that if you're serious about anything, you will work hard to achieve it anyway. So my best advice to anyone would have to be to travel a lot. Find something else to do than just sit in front of a computer all day. If you're not happy, you'll never be able to achieve 100%. Also a bit more practical advice would be to plan everything in advance before you actually do it, you'll save time and you'll get a much better end result. Hollowmind: From a modeling stand point the best thing you can do is get your work seen. Get it noticed. Post your models on sites like Polycount, Cgtalk, and Cgchat. Many professionals visit and post on those sites regularly and give lots of good feedback to new modelers. Plus if your work is already great it'll start getting you attention by the right people. Work on mods. You never know which mod will be the next big thing, but keep in mind most mods never get finished. Even if the mods you work on never get finished you'll at least possibly end up with some pieces to use for your portfolio. Or take a chance and offer your help on an already existing mod that's already proven itself. The worse they can do is say sorry we don't need you. Mods, especially finished ones, are good for showing that you're capable of working within a team and are able to produce artwork from other people's ideas. Also creating a portfolio website of your work helps a lot, too. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just a simple site that's very easy to navigate and showcases your work. Magnus: Learn as much as you can about 3D modeling, get some education, and always work hard to improve your skills. Studying other people's games and analyzing their good and bad aspects can also teach you useful lessons. Teddy: Most important of all is to never take on a task too big for you to handle. Before working on a large commercial project such as They Hunger: Lost Souls I had several other smaller projects to keep me busy. Working with other people really helps you keep the motivation you once generated. Also, never hesitate to exchange experiences, there's always something more to learn. When applying to a new project, it is very important to be honest about your skills and experience, and show material that you are honestly proud of. Make sure you are not too modest about your abilities, but don't exaggerate them either. Taking the time to develop your skills is crucial so try not to rush. Be prepared to spend a lot of your free time on training, no skills come for free. I have spent up to 15 hours in total on some of the skins for They Hunger: Lost Souls. Something else you must learn if you work in a team is to take criticism and, most importantly, analyze and learn from it. This will really help you develop, that I promise you. > hunger05.jpg > hunger06.jpg > From start to finish, the maps in They Hunger: Lost Souls will bring you back to the memories of the classic, except with the power of the Source engine, and the detail it can hold. Chief-Phillips: Thank you for sitting down with me, and I wish you all the best of luck with They Hunger: Lost Souls, and all future endeavors you may encounter. Björn: Thank you! Hollowmind: Thank you for the interview. Now if you'll excuse me I must continue my work on the zombie hordes… Magnus: Thx! Teddy: Thanks a lot!