Page 1 of 1  Ford Dye Interviewed by William 'Phoebus' Mull  We're proud to introduce the newly hired Level Designer, Ford Dye to the community of fans of Raven's games...  Tell Us About Yourself Full Name: Ford Dye Nickname (if any): Believe it or not...Raven. This is an old nickname for me that came from my avian interests :). Age: 28 Birthplace/Hometown: Carmel, CA Marital Status (Optional): Married.  Getting Hired by Raven When were you hired by Raven and how did that come about? My first day of work was August 5th, 2002. I have had a strong interest in Raven Software since Heretic and when I became serious about level design I started watching the employment opportunities page on Raven's website. Paul Jaquays posted about openings at Raven on the Mapcenter Forums back in July of this year and that was my cue to apply.  Your New Duties at Raven What is your position at Raven? Level Designer. What project(s) are you currently working on (if you can say)? It is an unannounced PC title. What is a typical workday like for you? From the mundane to the insane, take us on a stroll through your day! Hmmmm...I start my morning early with 20 oz's of that lovely, green, fluid, rocket fuel they market as Mountain Dew and then I begin my work as a level designer. I think I should keep the rest to myself for now as it may divulge to much information.  Previous Experience Where did you work before coming to Raven? I was a marine biologist for 6 years, working on several fishery related projects in various places on the east coast. Do you have any prior experience in the computer gaming industry and/or any game project experience with mods, etc.? I was an amateur level designer, shader mangler, and tutorial writer for the Teamhuh Design Core mapping team.  Gaming Interests What are some of your favorite games? Final Fantasy VII and X, the Hexen and Heretic series, Devil May Cry, Quake 2, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, GT3, Jak and Daxter, and Jedi Knight II. What genres do you most enjoy playing? First person shooters, fighters, and RPG's. What's your all-time favorite game? Final Fantasy VII. What upcoming or newly released game you've not yet played are you most looking forward to playing? Mortal Kombat 5 Deadly Alliance.  Other Interests What other forms of entertainment are you interested in? I am a huge fan of anime and movies What are your favorite things to do outside the realm of computers (hobbies, etc.)? Spend time with my sweet wife, drawing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, wildlife photography, and organized sports. What music do you enjoy listening to? It really depends on my editing mood. I am currently listening to a wide range of things like industrial, modern heavy, progressive, classic rock, and atmospheric. What are some of your favorite bands or composers? "Some" of my favorite bands include Filter, Soundgarden, Poe, DrainSTH, Alice in Chains, Karma to Burn, Tool, Sara M., Tori Amos, Earshot, Jane's Addiction, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. I really enjoy most classical music with only a few exceptions. The only music types I avoid are pop-inspired country and RAP.  Industry Insider What advice can you give to our readers who hope to someday make it in the gaming industry? Make sure you take the time to learn about the engine and toolset and how to build efficiently. That may sound pretty thin, but you would be surprised how many designers lack a good working knowledge of why the tools and the engine do what they do, which can lead to massive efficiency/playability problems. I would also suggest that people expand their horizons and play games in a number of genres that interest them. Keep all of your work organized and keep a nice portfolio online and offline. Make sure you help others out along the way, because you can learn a great deal from helping people with different building styles and techniques. You should always be professional in your communications with others, because you never know when talent scouts are browsing the forums. You should always give out constructive criticism since there is absolutely no place for destructive criticisms in a professional environment. Make sure you troubleshoot your problems and do your best to find viable solutions. Troubleshooting is not only an excellent learning tool, but it is also a desired skill. Last but not least, leave your ego at the door and actively search out constructive criticism for your own work!  Examples of Your Work Can you give us any screenshots, downloads or samples of your work to go along with this interview, to help illustrate yourself and your talents to our readers? You can see some of my work here. I keep the site updated on a semi-regular basis.  Plans for the Future Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years? I would actually love to still be a part of Raven's excellent design team!!! Thank you for setting up this interview. I really enjoy taking the time to talk about the things I love! « Back to Raven Profiles