Developer Interview: Behind the Ducks - Christian!

One of our favorite parts of working on Always Bet on Quack is the people who bring it to life. Today, we’re excited to spotlight one of our programmers, whose work helps bring much of the features to life! Christian started as a student on one of Sam’s classes, and has most recently been helping make all of the mini games.

What got you interested in game design in the first place?

I would have to say that just growing up playing video games most of my life got me into game design. Watching people make mods for games and change games in interesting ways definitely inspired me to want to eventually delve into some form of game development. I was always interested in the intricacies of how games are made, but I never knew how to actually make anything. Once I got my hands on Unity in high school and started making things in it, my interest only grew from there.

When working on Always Bet on Quack, what has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge for me personally when working on Always Bet on Quack has to be the multiplayer aspect of it. This game is the first one I’ve worked on that has multiplayer, so it’s definitely been a process trying to learn and understand how things need to be made to work with multiplayer.

Do the duck elements of the game influence how you design things?

They definitely do! While working on the game I've given thoughts and ideas to duck related mechanics and features. Some things don't change too much by the fact that the player is a duck, but it's always a consideration.

What was something you learned when you first started working on a game?

Something that I learned when I first started working on a game is that someone almost always has an answer and better way of doing something. Sometimes the documentation of a game engine isn't quite the best, with enough research and looking around you can find out how to do almost anything.

How do your school experiences compare to working with a studio?

Working with a studio feels a bit different compared to my school experiences. It's a lot more organized, and it feels a lot easier to go to someone for help as there are more experienced people around. The teamwork aspect of game development doesn't feel any different when comparing my experience in school versus a studio, though people's roles are definitely a lot more established than being put on a group project in school.

What games inspire you?

Some games that inspire me are Minecraft and Terraria, and as of late Hytale as well. I've mostly been a sandbox game player, and seeing the creativity those games have definitely inspired me to make things of my own. Those games have made me want to pick up multiple avenues of game development as well. I mostly do programming, but in my own time I’ve been inspired to pick up modeling and texturing because of those games.

If you’d like to follow along and support development, wishlisting the game on Steam is the best way to stay informed and help us reach more people! If you’d like to stay in touch with us directly, please feel free to join our Discord: https://discord.gg/SUjXUfmumx