Rick

Lead Technical Designer

Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

Fiddler from Tales of the Malazan Fallen by Steven Erikson. It’s my favorite universe, and this character is stuck in a war doing his job. He’s going through extreme situations while still maintaining his character all the way through. If you have not read this series, do it now and settle in for a long journey.

What question do you commonly get asked about your job at BioWare?

Is it hard? Like any job, you get what you put in. I’ve given almost 20 years to making games and at this point I can simply say I love creating worlds and experiences for others to enjoy.

The work itself is grueling at times and self-indulgent at others. I get to work on the games I would otherwise be playing on my own, and this helps me get through those moments of 16-hour days, crusty stress levels, and order-in food.

We do this because we want to make the best product, and you need to find a base to stand on to stay sane.

If you were not in the games industry, what would you do?

Either a teacher or a chef. I’ve had the privilege of teaching classes for 15 years across several disciplines. Talking through problems and helping people see things they didn’t know before is one of the most rewarding feelings I have experienced.

I also routinely try to bring a little flare in the kitchen at home to my family. I enjoy the challenge of taking different ingredients and blending them together into something new.

What is a goal you set for yourself in three years?

At this point in my career it isn’t enough to just make the next game—I’m looking for new and better ways for developers to deliver more content to players faster. My hope is that in three years I have made my impact internally at BioWare and hopefully beyond for better tools and systems.