About Me
My name is Josh Heyde, and I am currently studying BSc Computer Games Programming at Teesside University.
I am originally from Devon, but moved to Teesside to study in order to further my career. Currently on my final year of study, I am mainly studying C++ and C#. If you wish to see examples of my work, please visit the portfolio page. Those pieces of work were produced in my second year as I applied for placements. I’m obviously doing something right, as I got a placement at Assyria Games Studio for 9 months.
I held the position of Technical Director during this time, which heaped a large role onto my relatively inexperienced shoulders. However I rose to the challenge, seeing the opportunity for experiences that most standard placements would not offer. Sure, I missed out on having industry veterans to turn to, but I gained the freedom to drive the technical direction as I wanted. I came to thrive in the responsibility I had, and developed both my programming and project management skills further than I could have anticipated.
My main area of interest is AI programming. I have always been fascinated by the way the computer can interact with a player to make a challenging, yet believable response. Currently I have a few samples on the site of my AI projects. I have focused my final year dissertation on the area of RTS pathfinding and collision avoidance. This is partially due to my interest in the genre of gaming, and also because I constantly strive to improve systems that I implement. Not just in terms of efficiency, I also seek to make the experience as simple and enjoyable for the user. Something as basic as a unit going where you tell it to go is important to get right.
For my other final year modules, I’m studying various different modules:
- Multiplayer Games Programming: Using Java to introduce network and concurrent programming. Through learning Java, we are also looking at the use of design patterns and ways to improve our overall coding ability.
- Artificial Intelligence Applications: An overview of general AI techniques and topics, some not immediately related to games, such as Natural Language Processing, and others more directly related, such as Fuzzy Logic.
- Advanced Game Software Development: Working on a limited platform, the GP2X, in order to learn the importance of efficiency in both code and assets. The module emphasises thorough profiling and careful coding to get the maximum out of the device.
- Game Development: Producing a small game with team of people. I am currently the project leader/lead programmer of 14 people (myself included). The game we will be producing is a combat oriented platformer.
Alongside programming for games, I like to actually play them. The games I play the most include Street Fighter 4, Left 4 Dead 2, Starcraft 2, and the Dawn of War series. I have a tendency to get extremely competitive with games (even when I should technically be working with the other players…)
If you wish to find out more about me professionally, I have a LinkedIn profile