Introduce yourself, and what do you do in the team!
My name is Joris, better known as Jor, 10+ years programmer at Little Chicken and Lead Developer on Moonlight Peaks. I’ve set up the core programming layer for the project, including the tools our content designers use to make the game. My daily work is all about talking development strategy with team members, reviewing code, and some days even writing some code myself!
How did you get into the games industry?
As a kid, I was always drawing and writing, inspired by the games I played. I filled spreadsheets with items, locations, and enemies that I dreamed up. One day, I typed 'How to make a video game' into a search engine, and that’s where it all started! I began programming games at around the age of 12, and it was then that I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Since then I’ve worked on dozens of games, ranging from mobile games like Rescue Wings and Jungle Heroes to VR games like Track Lab and Traffic Jams.
Rescue Wings
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Problems! Nothing makes me quite as creative as a clearly defined problem. It could be for game design: “The world is craving for a vampire-fantasy life sim and it doesn’t exist”. It could also be for game development: “There is no way to wait until multiple things are finished before continuing dialogue”. Being creative is so much easier for me when done in a context of a clearly defined problem.
What are some of your favorite games, and why?
Though I might play my comfort games from time to time (Factorio, Stardew Valley) I love games that challenge me. Games like Rocket League, Chess, or (currently) Disney Lorcana TCG, that make me go “How can I break my plateau, where can I improve?”. My love for mastery even blends into my comfort games sometimes, as I’ve spent months speedrunning Factorio.
Factorio by Wube Software
What is your favorite thing to work on for Moonlight Peaks?
My favorite thing to work on is the Director Editor, a visual scripting tool we developed that our content designers use to build most of the game. Dialogues, quests, cutscenes, NPC routines, NPC relationships, and more are all created by connecting thousands of nodes in the Director Editor.
The combination of the project’s vast scope and a highly creative team brings constant challenges, which is a huge part of my work. It often feels like I get to play Factorio all day!
Director Editor
What are you most excited to work on for Moonlight Peaks?
Honestly I’m most excited to get to work with our team every day. We've known each other for so many years, shared both highs and lows, and grown together from young developers into parents. Everyone is extremely passionate and excited to get Moonlight Peaks out into the world.
Is there a specific piece of artwork or game element that you're particularly proud of?
It’s got to be the Director Editor. It allows our team to make such a high variety and amount of content, all without increasing the overall complexity of the project.
A complex Director Editor script
The second game element that I’m particularly proud of is Nokturna, the collectable card game within Moonlight Peaks. I had a blast prototyping Nokturna in physical form with my colleagues and then developing it in Moonlight Peaks. I can’t wait for players to get to play it too!
Briefly, what does a typical day look like for you as on this project?
On a usual day I’m having calls with team members to lay out development strategies for new game designs, brief those strategies to developers, review code, and solve development related problems. When all calls are done I write some code myself to develop new tools for artists and designers to work with.
Terrain Editor
What advice would you give to new developers in the industry?
My advice for new developers is to work on projects you're genuinely passionate about, and regularly seek feedback from someone more experienced. Unlike artists who spend years developing the dexterity for perfect lines, developers have the advantage of rapid skill growth with the right guidance. A few key insights from a seasoned developer, paired with your dedicated effort, can accelerate your progress by years.