New Braunfels, Texas, United States
I love video games and I love to code! I've been programming on and off since I was 10, when I taught myself BASIC on my dad's "luggable" Compaq computer he brought home from work. That turned into learning FORTRAN, C, Pascal, and IBM 370 Assembly Language in my undergrad programs. Then it was Java, C++, OpenGL, and some Blender in grad school. I've learned a bit of C# along with Unity, as well as Python. I've also been playing video games for as long as I can remember, starting with ASCII games on that computer, like Lode Runner. My gaming tastes are wide and varied, on all kinds of platforms: PC, Playstation, and a little XBox. While the programming languages I learned and the game platforms I played on have evolved over the years, my love of code and turning creative ideas into games has only grown stronger. I picked up some Game Script Code (unique to Call of Duty) during my journey, but I now use Unreal Engine (C++ and Blueprints) daily, including Behavior Trees, Blackboards, Environment Query System queries, contexts, generators, tests, and data providers, Animation Blueprints, UMG widgets, and more. Easily teachable and a fast learner (and I'm always learning), I love making awesome games that people WANT to play from a studio that cares about the players first! If you're a veteran looking to get into the games industry, please reach out and connect. I'd love to help you make the transition as I did into this challenging, fun, and rewarding field.
Current contracted with Ghost Story Games as an AI Engineer on Judas.
Contracted to Ghost Story Games as an AI Engineer for Judas. - Revamped AI behaviors (Behavior Trees (BT), Environmental Query System (EQS) queries, generators, and tests, as well as associated Blueprint (BP) logic) for a high-visibility bot that had languished for some time, but was crucial to rewarding the player for completing tasks. Improved many of the behaviors and have extended their functionality to meet design desires. - Learned the game's save/load system enough to incorporate the bot mentioned above so that it had a consistent player-facing state upon loading a save point. Reworked the spawning, state tracking, and despawning of said bot into the core level logic for better centralized management. - Segmented behaviors for an additional assigned bot to create unique challenges for a variety of play styles. Developed several entirely new behaviors (BTs, Blackboards (BB), custom EQS generators and tests, AI data providers, and BP logic) for these behaviors. - Significantly revised C++ code related to AI targeting, improving efficiency and effectiveness for coupling data to affiliated systems and animation. - Designated as the lead engineer for AI animation support, where I work closely with the Animation team to improve animation performance and presentation across the board for all AI in the game, within native code, BPs, and animation BPs (ABP). Coordinating with the Animation team, we identified numerous areas for improvement in visual presentation (blending smoothness, locomotion state changing, etc.) for my implementation. - As the new AI sound support engineer, I've learned the voice-over system to implement new features to support the narrative writing team's design direction. - Designated as the lead AI engineer supporting the game's scenarios, working closely with the Narrative team to provide challenging, enjoyable, and engaging gameplay experiences for the player, no matter their play style.
Contracted to Consortium 9 to work on an unnamed title. Working with an international team, I am part of a small software firm that develops projects in Unreal Engine (Blueprints and C++). I converted most of our core game logic over to the Gameplay Ability System (GAS), mentoring my fellow developers along the way. I am quite fluent in many aspects of GAS, from tags, events, effects, and cues, to wrapping GAS into animation Blueprints with tag property maps, and thread-safe operations through property access, all designed for efficient networked multiplayer gameplay. I authored custom environment query system (EQS) generators and tests for crafting a dynamic respawn system validation system that placed the player back on the map at a point that conformed to the design specs. I created core game loop logic for multiplayer animation-based movement and melee combat. I imported, retargeted, and fixed root motion for the vast majority of the publically available placeholder animations used for testing while hand-crafted animations were created to replace them. Filled in as a level designer, creating two detailed maps for developer testing core game functionality over both the local network and Steam. I worked with a variety of user interface Blueprints to give the project a front-end for hosting and joining games, as well as user settings and debug information for gameplay development. Working with a large library of freeware sound sources, I implement SFX into our core game functionality. I authored custom Blueprint callback proxy and Blueprint function libraries to access Steam online subsystems for reading and storing Steam stats, leaderboards, and remote storage files. My supervisor had this to say about me in my recent appraisal: "a great team player and enthusiastic about working with others," "a great communicator [who] expresses his ideas clearly and with detail," and "mature and seeks out tasks and work when his plate is not full."
As part of the military Skillbridge program, I served as an intern, learning how to debug Game Script Code and Radiant entities with this Activision subsidiary. During this internship, I corrected two additional two gameplay bugs. My work contributed to the on-time shipping of the AAA FPS title, Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific. As a Sailor, I learned a long time ago how to work with people with different perspectives, cultures and capabilities to build consensus, especially between the non-vets and those who served in uniform. I put that experience as an active member of the studio's internal DE&I group and the ABK Veterans Network. Furthermore, my company capitalized on my 27 years of Navy leadership to help them work with others in the Veterans Employee Network to build teams and develop processes for their gameplay tourney, VETCON Pacific. This tournament was designed to help the non-vets get to know the veterans they work with. Participated in the 2021 ABK Veterans Game Jam on the platformer team, working on game mechanics in Unity.
The U.S. Navy recognized my team with the "Installation Excellence Award," citing them as the best of 71 navy bases. In this role, I worked with more than 450 people, with 20 direct reporting supervisors. My team and I managed infrastructure, security, housing, social services, and other services found in a community similar to a small town. My commander would say I leveraged my years of military city management, organizational leadership, and human resource management to restructure processes for employee training, facility management, administration, and employee recognition, which resulted in numerous accolades and certifications. He would tell you that I revolutionized organizational development by bringing tangible positive change to working conditions and processes through a unique approach that built trust with employees, boosting their resiliency to challenging times, notably the terrorist attack on May 21, 2020, and the COVID pandemic. That work was heralded as "the most transformational" by our Regional Navy leadership. My commander would also tell you I developed revolutionary policies that embraced work policies resulting from the COVID pandemic. When we had to adjust most of our support services, my team and I developed the processes that allowed us to continue our operational services. Attained accreditation in fire and security services that supported a small town of 10,000 while earning the top industry award for military employee professional development and retention. Instituted an anonymous online feedback mechanism to improve responsiveness to the voice of the organization’s employees.
Ensured that staff provided a high level of service satisfaction to more than 450,000 customers by integrating and coordinating informational and decision products on complex operational and fiscal issues by 420 employees. Increased timeliness of internal product delivery, expanded visibility of responses to corporate headquarters and public servants, and streamlined visibility on staff turnover through directed administrative process improvements. Sustained support to 20 main operating locations by ensuring employees were thoroughly staffed, integrated, and executed work products by leveraging vast industry knowledge while supporting the organization’s senior leadership. Orchestrated the most thorough and effective organizational development effort in years, engaging more than 50% of the employees, which cultivated accountable department-level ownership of improvements.
Refocused security measures to protect the organization’s facilities and personnel that service more than 90,000 customers across 3 states from natural and man-made hazards by establishing thorough policies, procedures, and emergency response actions. Introduced procedural and material security improvements, prioritized through a critical examination of risks to facilities and people; increased key performance indicators by 21% to reach an 80% minimum industry standard. Returned 6 families to their homes promptly and provided peace of mind by thoroughly resolving concerns of safety, wellbeing, and property during an electrical fire in the residential area. Oversaw staff of 47 through a thorough compliance audit, finishing with a 99.15% score, within the first week of office.