The Faces of Full Circle: Get to Know a UI Software Engineer
UI Software Engineer Peter shares his journey into game development, and what it’s like working at Full Circle.
Give us a quick intro - who is Peter Bradshaw?
Who is Peter Bradshaw? Alright, let's get a little existential here. I am a UI Software Engineer on skate., and have been in games professionally for almost 10 years. I’m from a small town in BC called Trail, but moved out to Vancouver for school and work. I enjoy a rather social life; if I’m not out doing something with friends, there’s a good chance I’m on Discord playing a game with them, or in the kitchen cooking something up. But, more than anything I’m a dog dad to my little Bloodborne creature, Ren.
The ever-faithful Ren returns from the hunt.
For people not working in the industry, can you tell us a bit about what a UI Software Engineer III does?
The easiest way to explain the role of a UI Software Engineer III is that we take the raw ingredients of a game, all that good stuff that the gameplay team has lined up for us, and we write the recipe that turns those raw ingredients into delicious, fun-filled experiences for our players. “UI” stands for user interface, which includes all the components players interact with to actually play the game. What we do is try to make those interactions as intuitive, engaging and enjoyable as possible. Basically, we want players to have all the information they need to have a great time at their fingertips. Oh, and the III part? That’s like a journeyman in a trade, we are experienced enough to handle larger chunks of work and guide ourselves to a certain degree.
How did you end up working in the gaming industry, and what brought you to Full Circle?
I started dabbling in programming in my early years of high school and enjoyed playing games a lot, but at that stage it hadn't really occurred to me to make that my career. I remember one day I was horsing around in GMod, having a blast making random modes and weapons, when it just hit me - this is what I should do.
After graduation, I moved out to Vancouver for a quick year of school, where I shored up my self-taught engineering skills with some proper textbook learning. Smash cut to 8ish years later; after working for a couple of studios making games primarily for the mobile market, I wanted a change of pace, to be part of something bigger. That was when a buddy reached out to me about a position here at Full Circle working on skate. I loved playing 2 and 3, so I jumped at the opportunity to work on an AAA game from an IP that I had such fond memories of!
What does the average day in the life of a UI Software Engineer at Full Circle look like?
On any given day, my work can range from planning out a system, to actually coding, to basically building with Lego in our scripting system. By nature, UI requires a lot of collaboration. I need to be in constant communication with the designers whose vision we’re trying to achieve, and with the other engineers in charge of various parts of that vision. Luckily, even meeting-heavy days are fun, because the people I work with are just as into the project as I am, and are also just having a good time!
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Okay, okay... I have 2 for this.
Firstly, if you were to ask my friends, they would probably say I’m a bit (okay, a lot) obsessed with the need for good user experience (UX) in games. So in our game, when we’ve finally polished off a feature after a long push and it’s time to test it all out, that moment where it not only just works, but it feels right, not just my part but the system as a whole, the sound, the look, and the ease of use - that moment is amazing.
The second one is pretty simple, I love it when a bug comes up and I can just go "oh, it will probably be this…" and it's exactly that. The gratification of knowing the ins and outs of a system is just so reassuring that you’re doing what you’re meant to do.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to do what you do?
You don't have to have a master's degree to be a good engineer. Schooling is definitely helpful for teaching you some of the basics that make things tick, but what’s more important is having a passion for programming and a willingness to learn. A lot of the nuance and specific knowledge about making games and software as a whole is gained on the job, so don’t be intimidated if your credentials aren’t a perfect match.
Also, a lot of people think programming is purely a logical by-the-book skill, but you would be surprised! There’s a lot of room for creativity in this line of work, and for trying out zany things to see what happens. Sometimes, checking your preconceived notions at the door is the quickest path to growth.
What does gaming mean to you?
To me, it's experiencing the un-experienceable. In my life, I most likely won’t be able to wingsuit through downtown New York, or go mining in a space rock fighting weird bug creatures, or grappling hook through a simulated cityscape with my friends to steal a vault from some other side. But you know where I can do that? In games. They let me experience those things with (ideally) zero consequences to myself and have fun the whole way through. They let us experience gorgeous, fantastical worlds that we could never dream of, and tell us the wildest stories that are completely unimaginable in the real world. Or, you can just… ya know, clean dirt off the sides of buildings (I don't judge).
If you could wake up as a master of one new skill what would it be?
Cooking, final answer! I'm not a terrible cook now by any stretch, but I’d love to take it to the next level. I get so much satisfaction from seeing people enjoy my cooking or ask for recipes. If I could do that to the highest degree it would let me make all the ideas I have in my head that I either don't have the time or skill to try and refine now.
EDITOR'S NOTE: After sharing his meatball meal prep with the studio, Full Circle disputes Peter’s claims of not being a master chef.