After a short break, we're back with the Meet the Team Q&As - today, David Salsman, senior programmer! And as an apology for the absence, I'll post a picture from SotS2 that's on the Kerb boards - an old friend returns!
Name and job title!
David Salsman, Programmer
What does a Senior/Network Programmer do?
For Sword of the Stars II I'm programming the UI and the networking (of course).
What are some of your favorite games of all time? (not counting your own)
Star Control 2 (Sega Genesis), Mario 64, GTA: Vice City, NFS: Hot Pursuit 2, Forza 3
How did you get started in the games industry?
It's what I wanted to do when I left high school. I studied at Digipen for two years, and my first job out of school was developing export tools for games. A year or so later I joined Barking Dog on Homeworld: Cataclysm.
Favorite thing about making games
Programming in general is like solving puzzles all day. Doing it for games is just icing on the cake.
The best thing about working at Kerberos is...
We're making the games that I would want to buy and play, no matter who made them. Sword of the Stars for example, is like the Star Control 2 on steroids that I always wanted.
What is your favorite race/faction in Sword of the Stars II?
That's a tough call, as it really depends on the mood I'm in. The races play THAT differently. But I would have to say Hiver. They're slow to get going, but I enjoy the flexibility in movement once a large gate network is set up.
Are you a warmonger or a diplomat?
Probably somewhere in the middle, but leaning toward warmonger. The ship combat is just too much fun.
Favorite feature of Sword of the Stars II?
The larger sense of scale compared to the first game has to top my list. Having a planet or star loom over your fleet gives a nice sense of wonder. Perhaps not a "feature", but my favorite part of Sword of the Stars II is the advancement of the storyline of the Sword of the Stars universe.
Are you listening to music right now?
Yes. Gorillaz!
Name and job title!
David Salsman, Programmer
What does a Senior/Network Programmer do?
For Sword of the Stars II I'm programming the UI and the networking (of course).
What are some of your favorite games of all time? (not counting your own)
Star Control 2 (Sega Genesis), Mario 64, GTA: Vice City, NFS: Hot Pursuit 2, Forza 3
How did you get started in the games industry?
It's what I wanted to do when I left high school. I studied at Digipen for two years, and my first job out of school was developing export tools for games. A year or so later I joined Barking Dog on Homeworld: Cataclysm.
Favorite thing about making games
Programming in general is like solving puzzles all day. Doing it for games is just icing on the cake.
The best thing about working at Kerberos is...
We're making the games that I would want to buy and play, no matter who made them. Sword of the Stars for example, is like the Star Control 2 on steroids that I always wanted.
What is your favorite race/faction in Sword of the Stars II?
That's a tough call, as it really depends on the mood I'm in. The races play THAT differently. But I would have to say Hiver. They're slow to get going, but I enjoy the flexibility in movement once a large gate network is set up.
Are you a warmonger or a diplomat?
Probably somewhere in the middle, but leaning toward warmonger. The ship combat is just too much fun.
Favorite feature of Sword of the Stars II?
The larger sense of scale compared to the first game has to top my list. Having a planet or star loom over your fleet gives a nice sense of wonder. Perhaps not a "feature", but my favorite part of Sword of the Stars II is the advancement of the storyline of the Sword of the Stars universe.
Are you listening to music right now?
Yes. Gorillaz!