Working on a game dev team has always been my dream since my teenage years. I remember back then I didn’t find my desired game dev position or what I really wanted to work on. Thankfully, all these problems vanished when I started to learn level design and made my first big map for Open Fortress.
After finishing Gasworks remake, I thought to myself “What about to find a modding team and expand my knowledge and mapping skills?”. One of my partners, who was a sound designer / musician, had been accepted to a modding team called Resonance. They were working on a remake version of a Valve game called Deathmatch Classic and their goals were to make it not just a simple “First Person Arena Shooter” but also something unique (more gamemodes, new weapons, new maps, references to other games, etc). So, I decided to also join Resonance as a level designer.
I contacted their leader named Lenoax, who previously worked on Hunt Down the Freeman and Industria as a 3D Modeler, to be interviewed by him and by other experienced members. It took few weeks to get accepted as a trainee due to my lack of experience at that time. Still, it’s where my journey started, and it was so exciting having this feeling of being giving a chance to prove myself what I am capable of.
My first work was to make a Black Mesa deathmatch map and test its layout. It was very simple task, and I spent few weeks working on it. Although, I also wanted to make something original for them and I had this ridiculous idea of making a space themed deathmatch map where players fight each other in a secret base from an unknown planet. The results were interesting and yet a mess because of the scale and having too many rooms. Due to these issues, I scrapped this layout and then reused this idea for a Capture the Flag gamemode. The results? It turned out to be an 2Fort (Team Fortress 2 map) clone and I was not happy with it. Once again, scrapped the layout and decided to remake an old Team Fortress Classic map called Canalzone. Canalzone is a 5 Control Point map where each team must capture enemy control points and defend their own control points. The team that scored the most points in the end of the round wins. I thought it would be interesting to use Canalzone’s layout for my space theme I had in mind. Unfortunately, the map became huge and slightly over scaled again.
During all these ups and downs, I was having difficulties of working anything that makes me happy and has potential of being accepted for the prototype we were working on for Valve. It was frustrating that came to the point that It would be better to earn more experience by my own and not slowing down that team. So, I decided to leave that team and look for other opportunities.
After these events, I became a student of Game Design course from IPB and by the half of my first semester, I decided to find another modding team. I found a job application for a Source Engine mod called Project 617 from Concussion Studios. It was a remake of an old horror game also based on Source 2006 Engine but with new features and stuff. I applied to that project, and I was accepted by the leader. To be fair, that project was put on hold and the only work I have ever done was to decompile original maps, remove technical stuff that was not working in the prototype build and push the files into the repo. I didn’t have first good impressions and decided to find something else.
I searched more job applications from a discord server, and I found one for a Team Fortress 2 mod called Sine Fortress. Sine Fortress is one of the Team Fortress 2 mods that focus of being loyal to game's aesthetics, core, and art direction, but also introducing new weapons, game modes, content, and distinct classes. I applied to the leader and got accepted. I didn’t have any requested work to do but didn’t stop me from doing something of my own. So, I planned to make a simple map for King of the Hill gamemode. Each team must capture the middle control point and defend it until the time ends, very basic. Along my work and many playtests, I was receiving positive feedback and suggestions of I could improve certain rooms, connectors, and teams’ spawn rooms. It was coming along nicely until the project was put on hold and we moved into a different and original IP.
That’s my journey so far, I have learned a lot with my work and with other members and all these learning experiences shaped my current work standards. I cannot wait what my future holds for me and what I am about to face.
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