Fallen Earth's latest developer interview introduces us to writer/designer "Aro Sei", who's working on her first game project and she's a fan of Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy:
Alias/Forum Name: Aro Sei
Title / Position at Fallen Earth: Writer/ Designer
What games have you played and worked on?
This is the first game I've worked on but I'm a long time gamer -tabletop and console.
How long have you been working on Fallen Earth?
2 years
How did you get involved with your job position?
Lee Hammock saw my writing partner and I speaking on a panel at a comic convention, we're both freelance comic writers in our spare time, and thought we would be a good fit for the company.
What type of college courses or schooling did you have to prepare you for your position at Fallen Earth?
Honestly - none. I've been really lucky and I've had jobs that gave me practical experience with some of the less glamorous aspects of game design -hitting deadlines, data entry, spreadsheets, the tools I had to learn on my feet.
What in particular inspired you to work in the gaming industry?
A love of games and a desire to prove to my mom that all those hours I spend playing Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy weren't wasted.
What games stand out in your memory for positive reasons?
The first games I played stand out the most - Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda. Those were games I could spend hours playing and replaying.
What advice would you give to budding games / software developers?
Work hard and be willing to learn. Also, never burn a connection, you never know where it could lead.
On an average day, what do you do at Fallen Earth?
There is no average day at Fallen Earth. I could be working on balancing items, writing missions, implementing missions, editing other people's missions, testing missions or planning for further content. Sometimes I do all of these things on the same day.
What is your favorite:
Game: Don't make me choose! It rotates out on a pretty regular basis and usually involves whatever I'm currently playing. Lately I've been playing Fallout 3 on my PS3 to the exclusion of everything else. Although I got into a pretty serious Professor Layton groove earlier this year.
Book: The Devil's Candy - it's a behind the scenes look at how the movie "The Bonfire of the Vanities" fell apart. It's a must read for everyone in the entertainment industry as a cautionary tale of the power of too much hype.
Song: Just What I Needed by the Cars.
Season: Winter. There's nothing better on a cold day than hanging out on the couch all day covered in blankets and watching horror movies.
Past time: Apparently laying around the house covered in blankets and watching horror movies
Drink: Any hot tea.
Color: Black. It's easy. It goes with everything.
Food: Tamales.
PnP: D&D - it's a gateway game!
Faction: CHOTADo you:
roleplay? Not in about a year.
have any pets?[/b] 5 cats. Yes, I am a crazy cat lady.
like beer or wine? Why is Scotch not an option here?
like coffee or tea? Tea
like cake or pie? I feel that there are factors to consider that are not accounted for here. What kind of cake? Is it homemade pie?[/b]
Coke or Pepsi? Coke 0
Pizza or Hamburgers? Hamburgers, rare with bacon and cheese.
Chocolate or Ice Cream? Chocolate Ice cream?
Boxers or Briefs? umm..Have you ever styled/had a mullet?
Nope. Not even the rare femullet. Although I did rock a bowl haircut for longer than was necessary.
If you could have one wish what would it be?
World Domination.
Name one thing you would take to an abandoned island and why?
Sunscreen. I have a lot of tattoos and I would die if they faded cause of the sun.
Does the Landshark really exist?
Other kids at school tell me it's a lie. Yes, there is a Landshark. He lives in all of us.
Are you willing to be bribed for an alpha spot and what would it take?
I could never disrespect the Captain like that! Pouches demands loyalty!
You can drop "Aro Sei" a line at the official forums here.
