Guru Meditation Error

My name is Geir Ove Alnes, and I’m currently (as of April 2013) an unemployed game designer.

From 2008 to 2013 I worked for the video game developer Funcom, where I was primarily involved in the development of their MMORPG titles Age of Conan (4 1/2 years) and The Secret World (half a year) as an Animation Systems/State-machine designer, particle-effect wizzard (with two ‘z’s), GFX asset management monkey and – most recently – AI designer/scripter.

Incidentally, I picked up one of my monikers (yes, I have more than one!) – Xoduz – from the title (Exodus) of an old Conan the Barbarian comic I read sometime early in 1997. I’ve been collecting the comics (as released in Norway) since 1996, and it was a happy coincidence for me that my entry into game development should coincide with my interest in Conan!

Anyhow, this weblog/website will contain my personal takes on subjects such as game design, gaming in general, tidbits about books I read, interesting going-ons in the world of massively multi-player online games, and more.

I’ll also be putting up any drawings I deem good enough to show publicly on the Art-page, link any essays/tidbits/blurbs I come up with concerning game design on the Design-page, and maybe from time to time throw up some non-design related fiction on the Words-page.

Game development-related projects I’ve worked on (in chronological order):

• UOX – an open-source Ultima Online server emulator
• WorldBuilder – a GM/world-building tool for UOX
• Norwegian Wood – an UOX-based Ultima Online shard
• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures – a fantasy-themed MMORPG developed by Funcom
• Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer – an expansion-pack to Age of Conan
• Age of Conan: The Savage Coast of Turan – an adventure pack for the Age of Conan
• Age of Conan: Unchained – current ongoing Live version of Age of Conan
• The Secret World – a Funcom-developed MMORPG in a modern-day setting, where every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend is true
• Age of Conan: The Secrets of Dragon’s Spine – an adventure pack for the Age of Conan

Game development-related job positions I’ve had (In chronological order):

• BCC Designer at Funcom (Age of Conan, 2008-2010)
• Animation Systems Designer at Funcom (Age of Conan, 2010-2012)
• Visual Effects Artist at Funcom (The Secret World, 2012)
• AI Designer at Funcom (Age of Conan, 2012-2013)

Disclaimer: Everything I post on this blog will be my personal thoughts and opinions, and nothing I write will necessarily represent any official views held by my former, current or future employers.

Contact info: xoduz [insert swirly thing here] xoduz [dot] org