Responsibilities

My first tangible role at SSI was working on a squad-based CRPG set in FASA’s Renegade Legion universe. For that project, I built several tools and systems, including

• an input queuing and management system written in x86 assembly language for speed

• an asset bundling tool called GFF (Generic File Format) and its game APIs that were used in Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, and Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2

• a 2D tile rendering system (built on top of a low-level graphics library from John Miles) that supported tile caching, double or triple buffering, unchained mode, 32-bit memory-to-memory tile BLTs, and completely smooth scrolling - and it was super efficient for orthographic and isometric tile systems.

• a tiny UI and sprite framework that handled pixel-perfect collision testing

All or most of these tools found there way into Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and subsequent SSI games, as well as Neverwinter Nights 1/2.

The GFF tools and APIs were long-lived and enhanced by my friends and colleagues Kerry Bonin and Kathy Bayless.

Lastly, to SSI I brought my extensive knowledge of developing in C and x86 assembly language, and helped them spec and install their Novell Netware 386 network.