Hey guys and gals!
We often mention our team in terms of "Amplidudes and Amplidudettes", but we decided we should give you folks an idea of who we mean. You've guessed it, it's time for another installment of our (semi-)regular feature, Meet the Team! If you want to know more about us, or your nephew wants to learn more about the career path of a game developer, or if you're just curious, read on.
When you squeeze him he makes noise, meet Thibault, aka ExplodingDragon!!
Who are you and what do you do at Amplitude?
Hello ! My name is Thibault AKA ExplodingDragon on the forum, or Tibo for the lazy ones. I’m a Programmer, I’m 22 years old and I’m the youngest person at Amplitude (yeah that’s why I’m going under the table for the galette).
My job is to integrate all the UI elements of the game following the design of our designers, and then to make them work properly. But that is the easy part, the most time- and effort-consuming part is all the polishing work that has to be done after, in order to make the interface pretty, easy to use and juicy at the same time!
What were you doing before you joined Amplitude?
Before joining Amplitude, I was a student at Isart Digital, a school based in Paris that teaches how to create games from the ground up. There are several courses, from Game Art to Game Design to Game Programming. I studied there 3 years in a formation called Game Design & Programming, where I learned a bunch of things, both game design and code. One of the best parts of the school was the work-study contract, since we could gain experience as interns while studying. I managed to get 2 long-duration internships during my studies, for the most part in the mobile and web industries.
And then I tried to join Amplitude because it was my 1st choice after school, and here I am, all lucky to be a part of the wonderful adventure that is Amplitude! :D
When did you join the studio?
I joined right after the end of my studies, so almost a year ago, during the month of August 2015. Two months to go and I will be able to celebrate my first Amplibirthday! Yay! (NDE: Bring croissants)
What feature have you worked on that you're super proud of?
Mmmh, that’s a hard question. I’m still learning things every day, and when I look back at what I did months ago I’m like “hurg that’s gross, I was a noob!” But the making of the Altar of Auriga Screen in the Shifters expansion of Endless Legend was a real challenge since I was alone on it (GUI-side) and with not so much experience within Amplitude. More recently, I’m pretty happy with how the star system labels look and feel in the galaxy view of ES2, even if they still need some work. :)
What are you currently working on?
Right now I’m in charge of the GUI on Endless Space 2, and with Benjamin being on parental leave for 6 months, I feel very lonely in the ES2 island, surrounded by evil Gameplay and AI programmers. :’( Thankfully Mathieu helps me with the GUI when he has the time, between two meetings! The problem with being so few on the UI of an interface-heavy game like a 4X is that you can’t focus on one part of the game, you have to be everywhere, on all fronts. But as of right now I’m mainly working on the Diplomacy screens and the Ground battle. :)
What's your favorite game of all time?
My favorite game is, by a good margin, Transistor by Supergiant Games. I’m a HUGE fan of these guys, Bastion was a blast to play and Transistor tore my heart apart so many times. Besides Supergiant, I’m a big fan of Blizzard’s games, and I’m currently spending my free time on Overwatch with my friends (or fellow Amplidudes and Amplidudettes during the high noooooooon break!).
Is there anywhere on the Internet where I can see more of your stuff?
I have a website/portfolio at http://www.thibault-eynard.com/ but it’s not up to date :3 I also have a twitter account but I never use it so…
What's your favorite faction or character in our games?
I looooove dragons so of course I love the Drakkens in Endless Legend. Gameplay-wise, I prefer the Cultists though, I think their unique gameplay is awesome!
Is there a funny story that happened to you at Amplitude?
There are so many funny stories at Amplitude that it is hard to pick only one of them! But I think that my passion for rubber ducks is the most popular. I have like a dozen of them spread across my desk (or hanged on François’s desk), of all sizes and colors. I have a batman one that makes weird noises when you squeeze it, and it’s like my best way of defense when Rémi, our lead programmer sitting in front of me, keeps staring at me with his big frightening eyes. O_O
(NDE: We use them for target practice)
What's your favorite fictional character?
Red from Transistor. It’s why I love this game so much. Red can’t even speak, and yet you can’t but love her and her relation with her lover, trapped in the Transistor. And since I’m currently reading The Name of the Wind, which I totally love, I think Kvothe would be my second favorite character.
What's your favorite quote?
« On va manger... des chips. T'entends ? Des chips. C'est tout c'que ça t'fait quand j'te dis qu'on va manger des chips ? »
Translates to: "we're gonna eat... potato chips. You hear? Potato chips! Is that your whole reaction when I tell you we're gonna eat potato chips?"
Because « La Classe Américaine » is the best movie ever created by mankind.
That's it for Thibault! We hope you found this interesting. Comments or additional questions, feel free to comment!
If there's a question you would like us to ask the interviewees, let us know!
