With all sorts of Champions
Online
information coming out of Comic Con, it's safe to
say that Champions is generating plenty of attention and hype.
Recently, the official Champions
Online
site was updated with a Q&A from one of
their producers who gives us an inside look into his personal thoughts
on the Champions project and what kind of background he had before
joining Cryptic. Don't hesitate, make sure you check it out!




Q: What do you do on style="font-style: italic;">Champions Online?

A: I am the
associate producer for the content team. I work closely with the
mission designers and environment artists to design and create the
world you will explore and the stories you will unravel. I also have a
hand in some of the systems that are related to the world and
everything that inhabits it. PvP calls to me.


style="margin: 10px; border-collapse: collapse; float: right; width: 148px; height: 185px;"
border="1">

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/40170"> src="/image/view/40170/preview" width="200">

Rob Overmeyer,
Associate Producer

Q: How long have you been
in gaming, and what did you do before style="font-style: italic;"> Champions Online
?

A: I have
worked in the industry for about six years. I started as a QA tester
working at various game companies before joining Cryptic. Before style="font-style: italic;">Champions Online I
worked in the design support group on style="font-style: italic;">City of Heroes and style="font-style: italic;">City of Villains.



Q: What is your typical
workday like?


A: After a
quick sip of the Juice of Safu I enter the building. Most of my day is
all about the status of the game and communication of that status. I
make sure I talk to everyone on my team to see if they need anything
from me or any other group. Another large part of my job is to figure
out everything that needs to be made, created, thought of and planned
for the world you are going to run around in and to make sure that it's
planned, thought of, created, made and placed in that same world. It's
kind of a nonstop job!



Q: What is your favorite
part of Champions Online?


A: I really
like the pace of the combat. Combat feels faster than any other MMO I
have played. I really like playing with a controller, too. There is
something about playing with a controller that makes the game feel
different than a PC keyboard control. I no longer have to hunch over my
monitor and slowly lock my hands in that all too familiar gamer claw!



Q: What do you like to do
in your free time?


A: Very little of my time is actually free. I spend every second I can
with my kids. We play Lego
Star Wars
and paint minis or go on adventures to far away
places. Late nights and early mornings are usually spent in-game.



Q: What is your secret
superpower?


A: Keeping
secrets.



Q: What three things can
you not live without?


A: My
family, games and junk food … ooohhh, the foods that are
junkifed and foodlike. So it's that, or style="font-style: italic;">Futurama.



Q: What games are you
obsessing over currently?


A: Final Fantasy XIII
or anything and everything ever made by Squaresoft. I'm a bit of a
games packrat. I guess I could be called a collector, but I don't think
games qualify as collectibles. At any rate, I'm a fan of Squaresoft to
a fault … as has been pointed out on several occasions.
*Cough*X2*cough*



Q: What is something
interesting about you that players would be surprised to know?


A: I listen
to early jazz when I PvP. It really puts me "In the Mood."



Q: What advice do you
have for someone who wants to break into gaming?


A: Getting
into the gaming industry is a strange task. It is neither easy nor hard
to get in.



Depending on the aspect of gaming that you want to get into, you will
need determination, dedication and/or a degree. For a role as a
programmer, you will need proper training and knowledge of magic. I say
magic because so many times I see the impossible manifest when no one
is looking. An artist does better when they have a nice portfolio
showing their visual style and talents and they keep on top of the
latest tools. Design is a group that requires more of your personality
and analytical abilities. A designer is best when they dissect a game
and rebuild it. A vivid imagination or a fanatic appreciation of all
things geek doesn't hurt, either.



Being near a studio that needs quality assurance or customer service
help is a good way to get in and see what the industry is like. You can
work on a seasonal basis and get exposure to most, if not all, of the
different aspects of game development.



Q: Do you have anything
else you would like to add?


A: Numbers
mostly, but on occasion I'll get some small wooden pegs and amphibians.
I'm pretty open to the world of accretion. 


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Champions Online Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

Comments