Having grown up knowing he was going to be a computer programmer, he now has the responsibility of being a father and raising a child in a culture he helped to create. That is, if he doesn't see her fly off in jets, the only other dream he hasn't yet realized.

GamersInfo.net: What was your very first video game experience (not necessarily the first game you played) and why do you think that has "stuck in your head" to this day?

Adrian LaVallee: Hmm, that's hard to answer. I've always been a fan of all things electronic, and recall with fondness "handheld" (large by today's standards) LED games I played as a small child. My first real video gaming system was the ubiquitous Atari 2600. When I think back to playing Atari 2600 games, I invariably think of "Adventure!" I guess even at that early age (I was probably 8 at the time) I appreciated its non-linearity, sense of exploration, character development, and danger.

GamersInfo.net: Did you grow up wanting to work in the gaming, not necessarily electronic, industry? Or were your goals different? And if so, what were they?

Adrian LaVallee: I've always known I wanted to be a programmer. My dad was a programmer when I was growing up, so I'm sure that was a large part of that. I specifically recall being in elementary school and the class being asked what everyone wanted to be when they grew up. Most kids had the usual answers, "Doctor", "Fireman", "Policeman", then there was me, "Computer Programmer". It usually got strange looks from the other kids, but an approving nod from the teacher.

Since getting into games, particularly computer games in the late 80's, my goal narrowed to that of a Computer Game Programmer. Short of flying fighter jets for the Air Force, there's nothing else I'd rather be doing.

GamersInfo.net: Tell me about your "professional" life before Horizons. What experience do you have? And what are you most proud of?

Adrian LaVallee: My first jobs were summer internships, including some at some well known companies like HP and 3Com. My first job after moving to Arizona was in the IT department of a flexible circuit manufacturer, at which I then moved toward database development. During this time I worked on a couple Quake total conversions. I had some programming and script programming jobs after that before starting my professional game development career at Cinematix Studios. After about a year there, I came to Artifact.

An interesting experience I had long ago was while I was a summer intern at HP. I was working on a database project for the R&D department at the time when Intel was just about to release Pentium processors. Being the R&D department, we were receiving some samples to test out and fit into our cases. Even in my short time working there, I was well known as the Game Player, generally doing so during my lunch break. So, when it came time to test out the new Pentiums and see what they can really do, my boss decided to give me one to try my games on, as it was true then just as it is now that games are power-hungry applications. So, I got to play my games on a Pentium before just about anyone else in the world. That was pretty cool.

GamersInfo.net: Outside of work, what are your passions and hobbies? What would you be doing RIGHT NOW if you could get up from the keyboard and go do it?

Adrian LaVallee: If you asked me this question 9 weeks ago, the answer would have been different. Now I would be home with my wife Heather and our beautiful baby Maia. Other than that, I'd be getting up from this keyboard to go to my keyboard at home and play games.

GamersInfo.net: You've recently had a child. Has the way you've viewed video games changed? Or do you find you have a duality in your views as a father and a gamer?

Adrian LaVallee: I don't think my views of games has changed, but I did notice that the majority of the games I play I wouldn't want my daughter to play/watch until she is a teenager. When she does start playing games, she is going to be limited in how much time she is allowed to do so, even if that makes me a hypocrite (isn't that a parental prerogative?). It's important for a child to have varied experiences as well as be active and social.

GamersInfo.net: Name the five greatest games of all time:

Adrian LaVallee: Hmm, this is tough. It can be hard to compare games of disparate genre. But I'll give it a try:

1. Darklands - Best RPG ever. No computer game has come close, or even tried, to replicate the pen and paper feel like it did.
2. Civilization - Responsible for my viewing of more sunrises than any other game.
3. Battlefield 1942 - I had long dreamt of such a game, where I could hop in a plane, bail out and hop in a tank instead, so it was a dream come true.
4. Quake (1) - Thanks to QuakeC, it finally provided an outlet for my game programming desires. You can still download my Fantasy Quake total conversion, where I and my team made effectively a totally new game with classes, leveling up, and even a story.
http://ch.telefragged.com/fq
5. IL-2 - I'm a big-time simulation fan (I almost went to the Air Force Academy after high school, but decided I'm just not the military type), and it's the best one yet.

GamersInfo.net: What was the process that brought you to working on the Horizons team?

Adrian LaVallee: I was working at Cinematix Studios doing script programming and some technical design. My previous experience lended me well to the role of liaison between programming and design. Artifact was looking for script programmers, and the above fact also made me attractive to help bridge the gap between technical and non-technical people.

GamersInfo.net: Before working for Artifact Entertainment, you spent time with Cinematix Studios. What projects were you responsible for with Cinematix and how did they prepare you for your work with Horizons?

Adrian LaVallee: I worked on a couple Playstation 2 titles - an arcade shooter and a platform game. Neither was published. In terms of preparation, I learned more about the process and pieces of making a game, as well as an introduction to some programming aspects of gaming.

GamersInfo.net: Please give me a description of your job in about 5 sentences.

Adrian LaVallee: I was hired as a simulation programmer. My initial responsibilities were programming all the simulation logic related to player characters and combat. This includes inventory management, trade, schools/statistics, abilities, spells, weapons, etc. Because of this role, I also had a hand in the technical design of the game, influencing combat formula and other calculations based upon direction from the design team. I have since inherited some other systems, including guilds, communities (including construction), and additions to and maintenance of the development database. Like everyone else here, I wear a lot of hats.

GamersInfo.net: OK, I "think" I've got a handle on what you do, but can you explain your job in laymen's terms? Use an example of something you've done recently in game.

Adrian LaVallee: Whenever your character does something, it's almost certainly my code that determines what happens. A recent feature I added was the application of techniques to an item that already exists. This was recently released in the form of dye kits. I also handle the community system code; a recent example of that would be the new system of receiving Novian Resources when deleting a building from your plot (which I'm still trying to determine why it doesn't always work...) I also am responsible for the development database, such as creating the "snapshots" (which we call "deltas") of changes to the database to be applied on the live databases. I hope that helps...

GamersInfo.net: What do you feel is the most important lesson you've learned that you could pass on to someone new to the business from your time on the team?

Adrian LaVallee: Hmm. Communicate. Make sure what you're doing suits the needs of others and does not interfere with other things in development. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and working toward the same goal. Do not program (or draw, or design) in a vacuum.

GamersInfo.net: Is there any "design" that you can lay claim to as "yours" in the game that you are proud of?

Adrian LaVallee: Let's see... the road bonus was my idea, which I think is pretty special (if obvious, in retrospect). I was also the main architect and proponent of the consignment system. Other than that, most of my design work is "behind the scenes", such as the numbers involved with combat calculations and the like.

GamersInfo.net: Having been with Horizons since the early days of its design and watched it grow and develop, what would you say is its biggest strength? Biggest weakness? and how to change that?

Adrian LaVallee: I'd have to say the biggest strength is the multi-schooling system. While it could definitely be improved in some of the details of the schools and what carries over from previous schools, the basic concept allows for a much greater level of character customization and development than a single class system.

As for the biggest weakness, Horizons needs to do a better job of directing the player through the gameplay. It's far too easy to not know where to go or what to do. This is something we're working on with a new tutorial that carries into the greater world and more quests to help guide the players.