Interview

Hey everyone! I've been following somebody on twitter for a while and recently thought it would be fun to interview her for the blog. She developes levels for games basically and I've never really spoken to anyone about that before. So here it is!

What's your name and age?

Vanessa Reynolds, I'm 25

What's your profession?

Currently, I bartend to pay the bills and at home, I am a set dresser for Interceptor Entertainment working on the remake of an old classic Rise of the Triad.

What's your favorite thing to do?

Play video games, paint and working in level editors making beautiful worlds.

Any other nerdy traits about you except games? Like Math, Star Wars, Harry Potter, science etc...

Harry Potter fan for life \m/(>_<)\m/

What do you hate the most?

Building light for a level.... Trust me on this one, it sucks.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm a really laid-back person. I love making people laugh but I can be shy at first in a new group of people. Get me on the subject of video games and I will never shut up.

What types of games do you like and why?

Oh, man... I pretty much love all kinds of games that aren't sports related. I have never gotten into sports.

For how long have you played games?

My umbilical cord had a controller attached at the other end. 

Have you taken part in any torunaments or LANs, what do you think of those and what's the most fun part about it?

Surprising as it may be, I've never attended any tournaments, but I went to a LAN earlier this year for the first time. It was a cool experience. I was pretty shy at first because I only knew one person at the entire event (my friend Emily; the girl that invited me) and it was really cold in our section, but I totally want to do it again. They have raffles and give away tons of prizes. I won a computer case and gave it to Emily after the event.

What's the best thing about gaming? 

The best thing about gaming is the ability to immerse yourself into any world possible and escape the reality of your every day life. You can be anything you want to be at the click of a button.

What's the worst?

The worst thing is the gaming community, I'm afraid to say. Not all gamers are bad, but their general outlook on a game is totally different than the developer. They have less appreciation for what it takes to make a game. They are too quick to judge the studios and companies for any mistakes or changes they make. Gamers get way too worked up over the slightest thing, it drives me insane. I could talk about this for hours.

Have you had many girlfriends that played games?

Totally! Not as many as dude friends, but I do. Most of these gal friends have come to me through twitter, but my best friend is also a gamer.

Did you ever feel alone playing games?

Never. The game keeps me company.

What's your favorite game?

The game that inspired me is Ratchet & Clank. That series will forever be my favorite. I hold the company responsible in high regard. They are amazing.

When did you start to get interested in games?

The womb.

Do you think you're good at games?

I'm not nearly as good as I used to be, but I'm decent. I miss playing all the time. Developing them is so time consuming.

When did you decide to start making games and not only play them?

I made the decision to be a part of the dev team when I was 15.

What's the difference in experience in making and playing games?

It's a daylight and dark difference. The comparison is close to none.

What's the best thing you've programmed? 

I don't program, really. I mostly do level design/environmental work. You can see my portfolio here however:  http://www.vr00mie.com/

Can you tell me about how it's like? You start studying it, how long etc? When you start working what do you do? Do you have to start with apps and supersmall things or can you apply to Blizzard immediately? ;)   and where in that progress are you atm?

Pick up a free engine like CryENGINE, UDK, Unity3D, Source, or whatever is available--AND LEARN IT. Try your hand at learning java. It's not so hard. Then, decide if you can learn it on your own or if you need help. If you need help, go to school or find a super smart dev that can help. School is expensive, but it does give you dat degree.

I graduated a few months ago. I consider myself about 70% to where I want to be.

Was it hard learning all the languages?

It's difficult learning programming languages, to be honest. Best thing to do is learn one, become really great at it, then branch out.

What would you suggest to me, if I had never ever programmed anything, what language would I use, any tutorials you know? Just n00b-tips!

Java. http://www.codecademy.com/ You can start there.

What do you think about being a girl-gamer/programmer? Has it had advantages/disadvantages?

I feel pretty overwhelmed at times. Currently, I am the only girl that is active at Interceptor Entertainment.

Do you know many girls that share your interest?

I know a few, yes, but not many. Most are into community areas of the gaming industry.

What's the biggest prejudice about girls in gaming according to you?

OMGRLGAMERWOOOOO. Being sexy and waving a controller around. Real girl gamers don't care. We are just gamers. 

And that's Vanessa for you. If you're interested in her work go to her portfolio or just follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/vr00mie

Gnbth

Bye guys!