| [ about | the team | Rob Hill ] |
|
|
DX Interface Implementation/Code Support
|
Rob Hill was a member of the programming team behind Worms Armageddon. Rob has several years of experience in
the games industry, so listen up as he shares his words of wisdom.
|
Rob, you're an experienced man, tell us a bit about your background and how you got into computing?
Started at age 11 when our school got an Apple II Europlus. I learned to program it in 6502, wrote my first
game on it, a Pac Man clone with apples in hi-res mode using shape tables! I then bought an Atari 8-bit, a ZX81
then Vic 20, C64, C128 then Amiga, then PC's ever since. I wrote my first commercial game at 13 for the Vic 20,
Jetman Joust after falling in love with Williams Joust in the arcades. I entered the 'industry' with a company
called Teque Software in Rotherham, doing conversion work, they later became Krisalis Software. Did some
contract work in between, and moved here to Team17 nearly 3 years ago!
In what way did you contribute to Worms Armageddon?
I wrote the front-end graphics system based on Direct X and MFC, which the others then used to produce the
content of the front end with (if that makes sense).
What makes this the best Worms game ever?
Erm, the front-end of course. I like the Skunk bombs and the fact the Worms get sick now. Those coughs and
sneezes are so cute.
Would you say the games industry has changed for the better or for the worse?
I'd say its pretty mixed up right now, there's a real danger of stagnation in the market because there's so
much emphasis placed on the commercial success of a game, even if its complete rubbish. A lot of small good
games are getting overlooked because they aren't deemed commercially viable, or haven't been taken onboard by
publishers with comercial weight. Because a game isn't 3D doesn't mean its worthless, something alot of the
larger publishers also seem to be missing. So in that respect its a step backwards. On the flip side however,
the industry's better because everything's more organised, better managed, which makes the working environment
much better through changes which occur naturally as the industry matures. All in my humble opinion of course
(I may be talking rubbish).
What advice can you give to budding programmers out there?
Learn C/C++/Windows/Direct X. Show good examples of your work, as more often than not, this will get you
further than educational qualifications alone. Interest and dedication will play a big part, as working within
the games industry is rarely a 9-5 job, so expect long hours. Thats the price you pay for being in the best
industry on the planet!
Surely it's not all work and no play, what do you get upto in your spare time?
1. Watching movies
2. Programming (for fun? Sounds dull non?)
3. Driving like a maniac in my GT4...
4. Playing games... playing Bustamove 2 with wifey, and Tekken/Point Blank/Half Life.
Is this really 'the end as we know it'?
Doh? Quite likely. We're all going to be beamed from planet earth Dec 31/1999 at 11:59pm. Well, I am
anyway.
|
| [ about | the team ] |
|
|
Since the release of the original Worms, the game has grown and the number of people who've contributed
to the game has also grown. As with all Team17 games, Worms Armageddon was a team effort. We've managed
to track down some of the team to ask them what makes this the best Worms game ever. Just click their
names to read their interviews.
|
| Producer |
[ Martyn Brown ]
|
| Assistant Producer |
Craig Jones
|
| Design |
John Eggett
Porl Dunstan
|
| Artists |
[ Jan Ruud ]
Mission Graphics
[ Rico Holmes ]
Additional Graphics
[ Paul Robinson ]
Additional Graphics
Danny Cartwright
Tony Senghore
|
| Programmers |
[ Colin Surridge ]
Menu System
[ Phil Carlisle ]
Network & Additional Programming
[ Rob Hill ]
DX Interface Implementation/Code Support
[ Martin Randall ]
DX Interface Implementation/Installer
Karl Morton
|
| Sound and Music |
[ Bjorn Lynne ]
Matinee Studios
|
| Web Design |
Paul James
Guy Palmer
|
| Quality Assurance |
[ Paul Field ]
Kelvin Aston
[ Mark Baldwin ]
[ Grant Towell ]
[ Andy Aveyard ]
Brian Fitzpatrick
[ Paul Webb ]
[ Kevin Carthew ]
|
| Localisation |
Paul Sharp
|
| Original Concept |
[ Andy Davidson ]
|
|
|
