Ahoy, tech enthusiasts and oceanic visionaries! After a brief hiatus, the Navy Logbook Series is making a splash back into the scene this year.
We're committed to delivering a new logbook every month leading up to the simulator release and beyond, so keep those eyes peeled on the screen of the photonic mast.
In this edition, we're pulling back the curtain to introduce the team—actually, they'll be introducing themselves. You're likely familiar with the two dynamic Maslas brothers, Kyrmitsos and Kyrgiannis, one is good looking and smart, the other is smart and good looking!
But behind the scenes, there's a fresh squad of up-and-coming developers and 3D artists who recently joined our studio.
Amidst their challenging tasks, our talented team graciously took the time to answer some questions about themselves and their contributions to the project. Rest assured, no developers or 3D artists were harmed or injured during the course of this interview.
So, plunge into the pixelated depths with our coding and artistic crew as we set sail on a journey to craft Modern Naval Warfare, a simulator that'll have you exclaiming, "the sonar, the merrier! (I know, it’s a bad joke but I had to do it).
Let’s start!
Michael-Evangelos Diamantis (MAD) - Game Developer, QA/QC and Integrator.
I'm currently 23 years old - soon to be 24! As a character, I find myself constantly evolving, learning from experiences, and cherishing the relationships that shape me throughout my life.
With a small background at programming that started as a hobby back in to 2012, I began experimenting with various Game Engines, Programming languages and steadily began self-teaching myself through high quality programming books and of course a lot of tinkering. The rest is history because I've lost count of how many things I've done since then.
I joined the studio in 2022 because aside from the Maslas Bros being a damn good, internationally recognized development studio (OBVIOUSLY!) I chose to apply for the position of the -then- Internship Game Programmer to hone my skillset and further develop my programming skills in my line of work. As to why they chose me, aside from my then skillset they saw the "spark" and passion about my work and hobby called programming.
In the span of one year with them, I've developed several features (and bugs) inside MNW and not only these. I really can't "count" the things I'm doing in the project because it's a "love about my work and the subject of it" not "work I have to do so I get paid" situation.
I am a gamer, of course! I've played countless games in my lifetime and I've yet to play even more! Right now, I'm playing Baldur's Gate 3 and - still - trying to play Command (it's hard).
I am using a PC for everything except couch-gaming, this is where the consoles win.
Outside work I like to socialize, partying, make new friends and NOT stay inside in a Saturday night - although I do so many times heheh. When I'm not doing any of these I like studying about my field, playing games, having a coffee with a friend and trying new things. LEGO building is my guilty pleasure...
My favourites games are TESV: Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077 and of course every LEGO game in existence. In the field of books, I'd say that the following are must-read:
When Nietzsche Wept - Irvin D. Yalom
The Anti-Christ - Nietzsche
Ecce Homo - Nietzsche (still reading it for the 4th time...)
As of movies I love any kind of movie but psychological thrillers/horrors, action-packed and fantasy/sci-fi movies are my go-to e.g. "The Shadow People" or any John Wick and Harry Potter movie. My music taster varies based on my mood, but my non-changing music group is Rammstein. A martini Bianco with three ice cubes - other drinks do not exist.
Petros Daskalakis (DSK) - Game Developer
Well, I'm 20 years old and as far back as I can remember, I was always obsessed with consoles and computers. Even though my age, you would always catch me playing some very old school games, mostly 2D top-down or platform games.
From an early age, I loved the idea of programming and the opportunity it gave people to transform their ideas, in functional realities. The ability to bring concepts to life through code fascinated me. So, because I played those classic video games that gave many children like me moments of freedom and joy, I decided to become a Game Developer, so through my ideas I can give to other people those exact feelings I had while I was playing.
I join Maslas Bros because of my good posture? Well, who wouldn’t want to work with highly experienced developers and passionate people about their work? Since then, I've been involved in a variety of aspects within the project, including widgets development, tools creation, and systems managers.
I've been a gamer since I could understand how a console or a PC works! Currently, playing Shovel-Knight: Dig and Cyberpunk 2077 (yes, two completely different genres I know, don't judge me for being diverse...) I really don't have a preference between PC and consoles. I started my gaming addiction with an NES and then followed with PCs and other consoles. Anything that can run a videogame is good enough! My favourite games are Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Crash Bandicoot, Days Gone and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
With my free time, I mostly blast some music on my headphones, play guitar, I pursue photography as a hobby and of course gaming. Should I say that I try to socialize? Well, I'm a very social person so I try to have fun with my friends and family also!
Music is a big deal to me. I listen to lots and lots of Blues and Soul music. Favourite music group I'd probably say Snowy White & The White Flames, but I listen a lot of solo artists like Rory Gallagher etc.
My favourite drink is Whiskey...just any kind of Whiskey is good for me.
Evagelos Vasilakis (ZX) - Developer and Technical Artist.
I'm currently 21 years old, I enjoy winter (despise summer) and believe Windows 7 was Microsoft’s best OS (ok and maybe 2000). Back when I was 10, I discovered a "making of Halo 2" documentary, fiddled with game engines after and got hooked.
Well, I choose to work for The Maslas Bros because I wanted to work with games (or simulators) and they were making one! They also periodically feed us quality food which is a great bonus! The best part about my role as my tasks can range from Explosions and Shaders to the studio infamous zx map scalebar. Currently I'm working on water based explosions and I believe Damage modeling is next.(I make ship go boom)
When I am not working for the studio, I try and keep up to date with various games but I usually end up playing either the same old ones I enjoy (Halo), and yes, my favorite game is Halo Combat Evolved but I also like dabble with borderline ancient titles (Quake, Unreal, Half-Life, Wipeout etc.) on PC and Xbox 360 (specifically).
Outside work I enjoy coffees (and cocktails), limited socializing (I'm a cave goblin) and would you believe it dabbling with stuff on my computer. This usually entails failed attempts at Visual FX or studying/whining about Unity and other software. I also sometimes fiddle with music (my favourite music group is My Chemical Romance). The movie I like the most is Hackers 1995 (not a joke). Finally as you asked, what I like to drink, I will say anything with Mastiha liquor. (or lemon soda)
Andreas Konstantakopoulos (Learie) - Junior Game Developer
I am currently 24 years old going for the big 25. I am a very passionate for what I do in life whether that's working or playing video games whenever I have free time, I try to give the best parts to of me to what I m passionate about. I am very considerate of others, and I try to help out my coworkers whenever and however I can.
The inspiration to become a game developer came after years of being a casual gamer playing Pokemon, Call Of Duty and World of Warcraft I felt like this was my calling.
I recently join the studio, it is one of the very few Greek development team in the Greek gaming community and I m very happy I chose to work for them especially when I met the rest of the team. I m in training and for the time being I m still learning
As I told you earlier, I am a gamer and of course I play video games the game that i play a lot lately is World of Warcraft with some single player games along the lines. I don't have an issue with the platform because it really depends on the game for example if there is a game on console, I'll play on my PS4 or Nintendo Switch it really depends on what I feel like playing.
During my free time, I generally go out with friends and hopefully I’ll start going to the gym soon but I m mostly spend my time gaming.
Apart from that, Pokemon Emerald and WoW are my favorite games. John Green's "Looking for Alaska" is my preferred read, while Bring Me the Horizon takes the lead as my favorite band on the music front. Shrek is my favorite movie, and when it comes to beverages, I have a penchant for Weiss beer, especially for those in the know.
Nicolae Laurentiu Dulca (Dulcan) - Junior Programmer.
I am 23 years old. And I enjoy to learn new things and to constantly evolve.
Since I can remember myself, I've enjoyed playing games and I kept saying how interesting it would be to create one myself. So when i was in high school, with the support of my computer science teachers, my journey into programming began.
I join the studio last year and one of the many reasons is that they do something unique. Now that I've spent some time with the team, I really like working with the other members of the team and the vibe it has. They're not creating another shooting game. For the moment I am in training and learning a lot of new things.
As I said above, I've been playing games for as long as I can remember (my favorite game is Hollow Knight). I'm currently playing "Cookie Cutter". On the platform, I don't have a preference, I consider PlayStation a more "cosy" solution and the PC a more capable for better experience in games like Cyberpunk.
When I have free time after work, I enjoy listening to music (my favorite music group is Twenty One Pilots), walking in parks, and going on day trips. For me, the best movie is Deadpool and the book is The Da Vinci Code, and finally as you wanted to know, my favorite drink is whiskey.
Nick Michalopoulos - Game Developer/Programmer
I'm 25 years old, an only child and hail from Athens, Greece! In general, I try to assimilate and cherish all the knowledge and experiences I can while I am able, in order to better myself every way I can. I used to study Physics for a few years before acquiring my Computer Science degree, I love music and games
Ever since I was little I loved video games. Growing up, my way of thinking got a lot more analytical and this love turned into fascination, then into curiosity. So when the opportunity to study programming presented itself, I knew that was what I wanted to do.
I've worked for Maslas Bros for the last six months. I was very intrigued when I saw MNW; the combination its big scale and the small (at the time) size of the studio really impressed me. I also loved the concept of a submarine simulator, as well as the Maslas Bros' personalities. Now as to why they picked me, I have no idea. They say it was something about my decent mathematics and physics background, my personality and my potential, but I don't believe them!
In the span of this time I've developed a number of different tools, features and, of course, a lot of bugs and unstable code. Overall, I adore what I do, so it's hard to actually quantify my work; however I try to be involved, in any way, in a lot of different parts of the project, because I like learning new things
I am a gamer both PC and consoles and most likely will continue being one for the rest of my life. Currently I'm playing Resident Evil 4 Remake, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dead By Daylight while anxiously waiting for the PC port of Spiderman 2 and God Of War: Ragnarok (to my bosses if you're reading this: of course this answer is hypothetical in nature, I spend all of my waking hours working on MNW and my absolutely-minimum-necessary-sleeping hours dreaming about how I will be working on MNW when I wake up/subconsciously working in my sleep!)
I generally have a reputation for doing a lot of things in my spare time, to the point where I don't have time to do all of them well. Except for playing games, I also study the guitar, singing and music theory and psychology. Furthermore, I work out a few times a week, and dabble in the art of handcrafts and miniature/replica painting and chess.
I cannot for the life of me pick a single thing of the above that is my favorite, due to me being extremely indecisive. If I can give a generalized answer for each, it would look like this: For games: God Of War (old & new), Uncharted, Darksiders, Dead By Daylight, Smite, Pokemon, Half-Life, Spiderman, Tomb Raider (old & new), Assassin's Creed, all the LEGOs and more that I'm certainly forgetting!
On the books side: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Sword of Truth, Mortal Instruments, Eragon, Greek Myths (by Stephen Fry), the Odyssey, Iliad, It.
Some of my favorite group and single artists are Bon Jovi, Garry Moore, Billy Joel, Queen, Scorpions, Evanesence, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Paramore, Pentatonix, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran and many more
As for movies, I love most genres, with horror and fantasy being my go-to; some examples include Star Wars, Harry Potter, all the famous horror and slasher movies of the 80s/90s and their sequels, Kung Fu Panda, most of the superhero movies from the last decade and more.
And finally, I will surprise you about my favorite drink: Nothing beats a cup of good old water!
Konstantinos Lampropoulos – 3D artist.
I am currently 21 years old. I grew up in Corfu, Greece. While I am working I like listening to music or even podcasts sometimes. Also I love coffee, I drink two or three per day (I am not addicted I swear).
From a very young age I wanted to create video games similar to the ones I was playing. Yes I wanted to make AAA games by myself... Anyway I started by making 3d assets and I loved every minute of the process and then soon enough I realized I want to make a career out of it. So I did. And honestly it is a dream come true situation. I always wanted to break into the gaming industry and was lucky enough to find The Maslas Bros where I am mostly responsible of the 3d modeling side of things.
Like my teammates, I am a gamer. Unfortunately I haven't played as many campaign games as I wanted, I am mostly stuck on multiplayer games. The last thing I played was PUBG. My favorite games are the Halo franchise, maybe Halo 3. Personally I play on PC but consoles are great too, in fact it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun.
My free time is mostly about spending time with family and friends, watching movies (and since you asked about my favorite movie I will say Parasite - 2019) and TV series. However, I really want to learn how to draw so I think I am going start doing that.
As for book, it’s hard since I not an avid reader but if I have to choose one, it will be Stranger by Albert Camus which is fantastic. Musically speaking, I am a Kanye fan. Finally, when it comes to drinks, I'm a wine enthusiast.
Christina (Qui) - 3D artists
I am 30 years old, (sadly) and I was a waitress for most of my life until one day I woke up and I realized I hate talking to people. So I tried to make some money to enroll to SAE College in Athens and start a different career doing something I like at last. That actually DID go well.
Since I was a kid I loved playing video games with my brother, and since he had kind of a rich godfather every year on his birthday he bought him gaming consoles. (My godmother didn’t remember my existence). I continue to play games as an adult and realized that this was not a "phase" as I thought and I decided to contribute in the gaming industry.
First of all. I really needed the money to not die of starvation. BUT to be honest when we did the interview, I really thought the vibe was so good and I knew I wanted to work in that kind of environment. I also liked the idea of working in this project cause they showed me how organized this company is and how the whole vision has inspired them.
Here at the studio, I mainly do the 3D texturing in Adobe Substance Painter but also I’m trying to learn how to do 3D modeling in Blender. We did learn modeling at the college but sadly we did it in 3Ds Max which is my arch enemy.
I am a gamer since birth PC, I think and right now I’m replaying Baldur's Gate 3.
I’m very fond of sleeping (he he!). I also love gaming in case I didn’t mention. I try to go the gym because at 30 if I don’t my whole body decays and hurts and dies. I listen to music and I go do different activities with my friends like bowling, cinemas and escape rooms.
My favorite game hands down is Baldur's Gate 3, I just can’t comprehend the level of dedication needed to make such a good game. As for movie it has to be Interstellar and for music group, I’m going to pick The Jonas Brothers, joke aside, I love the Archive a lot. And since you ask my favored drink, it has to be the hated by the whole world: Campari & tonic with a peel of orange (I know, I'm a psychopath!).
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As we reach the end of this post, I want to thanks the incredible developers and 3D artists for generously sharing their time, a bit of their personal life and insights during the interview for this first Navy Logbook of 2024.
Their willingness to delve into the details and provide valuable perspectives has truly enriched the content. The passion and dedication they exhibit in their work are evident. Cheers to their exceptional talent and commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in creating Modern Naval Warfare!
We will continue to deliver more insight and unique content of the development of Modern Naval Warfare in the following months.
