News 'Meet the Team' Interviews
- Thread starter Ashley Barley
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Great questions so far! I already have 8 members of the team that are more than happy to take part. To help inform future questions here is a breakdown of the roles of people that have agreed to take part already:
Programmer
Concept Artist
3D Artist
Designer
Technical Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Producer
I don't make coffee
Programmer
Concept Artist
3D Artist
Designer
Technical Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Producer
I don't make coffee
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Concept & 3D Artists: How bloody hard is it to backwards design a ship from a vague 3D outline that was originally chosen to minimise RAM usage?
Thanks for your questions, here are a few I can answer for you right now:
I'll try and get David to take part at some point but these interviews will be focusing mainly on those team members that aren't a part of our public face. Michael will be taking part though, he's just confirmed
Before being a community manager I worked in marketing for a variety of extremely tedious industries that I had no passion for. I did an unpaid internship for another game company for a while, to get some industry experience before being offered a full time job at Frontier. Its nice to finally be doing something that I'm passionate about.
In regards to what my role involves, its basically managing all dialog we have with our fan base, across all of our games. So the forums, social media as well as all the emails we get, from game play tips and technical issues, to more general inquiries. I also do a lot of copy write and will be involved in the marketing drive for Elite Dangerous later in the year. My role is quite a mixed bag!
Yes, after every interview I'll highlight who will be interviewed in the next edition, so people can submit more directed questions.
I'll try and get David to take part at some point but these interviews will be focusing mainly on those team members that aren't a part of our public face. Michael will be taking part though, he's just confirmed
Before being a community manager I worked in marketing for a variety of extremely tedious industries that I had no passion for. I did an unpaid internship for another game company for a while, to get some industry experience before being offered a full time job at Frontier. Its nice to finally be doing something that I'm passionate about.
In regards to what my role involves, its basically managing all dialog we have with our fan base, across all of our games. So the forums, social media as well as all the emails we get, from game play tips and technical issues, to more general inquiries. I also do a lot of copy write and will be involved in the marketing drive for Elite Dangerous later in the year. My role is quite a mixed bag!
Yes, after every interview I'll highlight who will be interviewed in the next edition, so people can submit more directed questions.
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Another one for you Ashley: Why aren't you coming to LaveCon?!
He's not??? Yeah, I want an answer to that one too. There are people coming from SCOTLAND and HOLLAND!
There ARE no excuses.
I have a question. Having raised the money for Elite: Dangerous far and above the original Kickstarter target, are the team needing to make a game that will be profitable?
To clarify: obviously everybody wants the game to be a success, but is the sustainable profit already made from the backing, or does the game still need to be made with an eye on the wider market and people coming to the game and buying it who have never heard of the Kickstarter or Forums. Does the game still need to hard sell in March 2014 or is the money already made? Most importantly, what hard development decisions may need to be made for the game to have features that may appeal to the wider gaming community but not to the Elite hardcore?
Does that make sense?
To clarify: obviously everybody wants the game to be a success, but is the sustainable profit already made from the backing, or does the game still need to be made with an eye on the wider market and people coming to the game and buying it who have never heard of the Kickstarter or Forums. Does the game still need to hard sell in March 2014 or is the money already made? Most importantly, what hard development decisions may need to be made for the game to have features that may appeal to the wider gaming community but not to the Elite hardcore?
Does that make sense?
I just want to add to this:
How are you planning the games procedural generation in respect to future updates (AKA landing on planets)? Being able to see lights from cities/settlements has been talked about previously. Adding points of light to the planet is one thing, complete cities another. How are these type of features planned for in respect to the future of the game.
I'm very curious about this too. Presumably Frontier have to keep the landing on planets update in mind when you're designing everything else. It's not a trivial little addition. Particularly if we're talking "seamless" landings. Although I imagine the visuals of the planets could change quite dramatically if/when the add-on arrives.
A lot of these questions are design-related rather than people related - maybe we should keep things stuck to asking about their job and them as people? This isn't just about the game, after all.
Oops. Quite right.
Art/Graphics: How easy is it to create art procedurally? There's presumably a closer connection between the artists and programmers than you'd get on a normal game.
Art/Graphics: How easy is it to create art procedurally? There's presumably a closer connection between the artists and programmers than you'd get on a normal game.
Artists Overlap
I make my living in design, but I am untrained. It would interest me greatly to know how much overlap there is between the various roles of the artists/designers, is their training very much different and what tools they mainly use in their jobs, software especially, and whether any of your work is pen and paper?
I make my living in design, but I am untrained. It would interest me greatly to know how much overlap there is between the various roles of the artists/designers, is their training very much different and what tools they mainly use in their jobs, software especially, and whether any of your work is pen and paper?
Hi there Bingo Brewster,
I'm a concept artist by profession, but I trained in Illustration.
We all work slightly differently, but personally I use pencil and paper very rarely for professional work, I work straight into photoshop normally (using a wacom), as time and the ability to change work quickly are priorities in the field. This gives me time to get the work right and produce more work than it would using traditional means. It also allows work to be shared and discussed quickly and easily.
I try to draw in my sketchbook everyday though, just not for work.
Hope that helps.
Josh.
Oh wow, invasion of the devs Great to see more Frontier faces pop up
Great to see more Frontier faces pop up 
Hi Josh, My wife invested in a Wacom Cintiq 22HD due to her disability... and it has made her life complete again, she can at last paint at any angle her pain levels demand. They are wonderful devices.. what I wanted to ask you is your name...
How would you pronounce your surname? Or do u not like people called Josh?
Its seems an interesting surname...
If anyone wants to see my wife's artwork, its all over her brand items http://www.gorjuss.co.uk
Hey psykokow
Joshs are everywhere, it's a real problem and has been from biblical times, we need to stop this!
I'm just joshing! I mean to say,
A- tack, like blue tack, I've heard a variety of thoughts on the origin, the most concrete seems to be that it's olde english for at oak or under oak.
But really I don't mind how people say it, I think I've heard all the possible variations.
I'm glad your wife has found a way to create again, I can't imagine having to stop.
Cheers,
Josh.
.......Although the most surprising thing I've heard today is there is a Mrs Psykokow...
It still surprises her i tell you... never mind the calves!
Josh. Thanks for taking the time to answer. Very much appreciated.
BB
.......Although the most surprising thing I've heard today is there is a Mrs Psykokow...
Mrs Psykokow must have infinite patience ...
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