Inside the Vault: Dan Teitel

cazsim83 · Post by **cazsim83** » Fri May 30, 2008 4:39 am

[ Game -> Interview ] - More info on <a href="#Inside the Vault">Community: Inside the Vault</a> | More info on <a href="#Dan Teitel">Person: Dan Teitel</a>

Today we've been taken <a href="http://bethblog.com/index.php/2008/05/2 ... l/">inside the vault with interface programmer Dan Teitel</a>. Here are some highlights from the interview:<blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px">What’s your job at Bethesda?
I am a programmer. I am largely responsible for portions of the interface but have also worked on the weather system for Oblivion and other aspects of the game, as well. My prize claim in Fallout 3 is the Hacking minigame which I was primarily responsible for implementing and also helped design...What is the best part about working as a programmer? The worst part?
The best part about being a programmer is the opportunity to be creative and to touch people’s lives. Working on games such as Oblivion and Fallout 3 that are played all around the world really gives me a sense of purpose....The worst part is fixing bugs. Bug fixing is the very epitome of tedium and will turn your hair gray and wrinkle your skin. They are thankless, unrelenting, glamourless little tasks that have the capacity to challenge your sanity. Every time you step on one, two more have spawned on either side of you. Even the ones you swore you squashed can find a way to gather themselves together and reappear. Bug fixing is the large majority of what you do toward the end of a project, so it can be easy to become convinced that they will never end.How did you get into the industry? Do you have any tips for breaking in?
From my experience, it takes talent, passion, perseverance, and luck. So put all your points into those four stats.What would you say is your personal favorite game of all-time?
That is a difficult question. I can’t say I have a single favorite game but there are a few games that stand out because they changed the way I thought about games. The earliest was probably Atari Adventure... After that it was probably the original Legend of Zelda. That was the first game I played that really let you just explore a huge game world with few restrictions. And then, truthfully, nothing really did that for me again until Oblivion.</blockquote>Spotted @ <a href="http://bethblog.com/">Bethesda Blog</a>

jetbaby · Post by **jetbaby** » Fri May 30, 2008 2:00 pm

Because I skipped Fallout and forgot what "huge game world" and "few restrictions" means and lost what you might call my "sanity" when answering your question about favorite games. Which I not so skillfully evaded without giving up a real answer. Just a game that conforms to the "huge game world without restrictions" genre that they have notched up for Fallout3.

Thor Kaufman · Post by **Thor Kaufman** » Fri May 30, 2008 2:30 pm

Babyfuck Babyfuck

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Fri May 30, 2008 3:20 pm

Minigames kill roleplaying.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Fri May 30, 2008 3:37 pm

VasikkA wrote:Minigames kill roleplaying.

What? You didn't like LOCKPICKING in Oblivion??

You're laughing, but I think lockpicking was harder, more complicated, and required more strategy then fighting.

rabidpeanut · Post by **rabidpeanut** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:31 pm

i FUCKING HATE minigames. Apparrently mass effect has quite a few

.

/-{}-\

Brother None · Post by **Brother None** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:50 pm

No talk about sex this time guyz?

rabidpeanut · Post by **rabidpeanut** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 1:02 pm

I dont want to have sex with this person. In fact i think i shall let dreadnought have his aussie way with them and let him give them a jolly good shaggin'.

You know, as if they were sheep....