❓- Who are you?
Hi, I’m Manuel, a 34-year-old dad of two, living in Salzburg, Austria. I work full-time as a hardware developer specializing in electronics for renewable energy and am also the co-founder of Fire Totem Games. I enjoy creating 3D content in Blender, including assets, scenes, and animations. I began learning Blender during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which was also when I started developing games with my friends, Sebastian and Michael, through many game jams. In my limited free time, I enjoy playing video games, hiking, skiing, and occasionally reading.
❓- How did you start to work at Fire Totem Games?
I’ve known Sebastian for well over 12 years, and as mentioned earlier, we started participating in game jams together in 2020. At some point, he began experimenting with procedural animations, which eventually inspired the idea for a game. Since 3D models were needed, I joined the project, which later became A Webbing Journey. In 2023, Sebastian, Michael, Noel, and I officially founded Fire Totem Games, and we’ve since expanded our team to six members!
❓- What is your role at Fire Totem Games?
As a 3D artist, I’m responsible for creating all the objects in our levels—furniture, plants, toys, and more—everything except our spider! We’ve also acquired many assets that need to be edited to match our art style and shaders. When creating or editing 3D objects for A Webbing Journey, it’s crucial to keep the polygon count low (a technique known as “low-poly”) and to implement “LOD” (Level of Detail) versions. This means that the further an object is from the player, the less detailed it becomes, ultimately saving computing power.
❓- How does your job work?
The primary tool I use for 3D development is the free and open-source software Blender, which anyone can download—and even support by voluntarily funding the Blender project! The Blender community is massive, with thousands of tutorials available on YouTube and other platforms (some free, some paid), making it accessible for anyone to learn the software independently. Once I finish an object and export it to Unity, another team member reviews it to ensure its functionality, appearance, and overall behavior. If any issues are found, I make the necessary fixes, and we review it again.
❓- What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the creative freedom that comes with working in 3D. While there are always requirements and guidelines, I get to decide how to bring an object to life. I absolutely love using Blender, so I naturally enjoy working with the software whenever I can.
❓- What is your favorite video game?
That’s an easy one: World of Warcraft! Yes, really. I love playing it with Sebastian whenever we have the time, especially in my role as a healer during dungeon runs. There’s so much to do, and it never gets boring—and if it does, I just take a break. WoW is the game I always come back to, and I’m certain I’ll play it for the rest of my life (sometimes more, sometimes less). The excitement of joining millions of players on launch day for a new expansion is a feeling like no other!
❓- What is your favorite thing in A Webbing Journey?
The attention to detail we put into the game and the freedom to explore and play without any stress are things I truly appreciate. I also have to mention how much I love the sounds and music in the game, especially the holiday event variations. Hats off to Michael for that!