| Thomas Hoeg | Designer / Scripter |
| 6600 Preston Rd, Apt 423 | tom.hoeg@gmail.com |
| Plano, TX 75024 |
804.239.6708 |
Professional Game Experience
| Gearbox Software – Unannounced Title |
Plano, Texas | July – August 2008 |
| Level Designer (Intern) |
- Worked with a team of interns and professional developers to implement an entirely new multiplayer game type
- Created concept documentation for game type and map layout concepts
- Coordinated with another level design intern to implement prototype map for testing game type
- Scripted game type functionality as well as map-specific level design elements
- Organized and participated in testing game type with quality assurance department
Skills
Engines/Editors: UnrealEd 3 (Gears of War, Unannounced Gearbox Title), Radiant (Doom 3), Hammer/Source (Half Life 2: Episode 2), UnrealEd 2 (Unreal Tournament 2004), Elder Scrolls Construction Set (Oblivion), Aurora (Neverwinter Nights), Torque X Builder, Google SketchUp
Level Design: BSP construction, texturing, lighting, scripting (entity and code based), trigger systems, enemy placement and pathing, optimization, concept and design documentation, level and gameflow planning, model creation (low polygon modeling, unwrapping, & texturing)
Languages: C++, C# & XNA, Lua, Kismet (Gears of War, Unannounced Gearbox Title), DoomScript (Doom 3), UnrealScript (Unreal Tournament 2004), NWScript (Neverwinter Nights), TESScript (Oblivion)
Tools: 3DS Max 9, Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Premier CS2, TortoiseSVN (1.4.5), Perforce, Microsoft Office 2003 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, Project, Visio), Audacity
Game Experience at The Guildhall at SMU
| Extraction – Individual Half Life 2 Project | August – December 2008 |
| Level Designer |
- Created new Half Life 2 experience focused on exploration and decision making
- Created and maintained all level design documentation
- Designed and implemented BSP geometry, textures, lighting, models, sound, and scripting
- Integrated feedback from faculty and students to continually improve level over several iterations
| Dissonance – Team Half Life 2 Modification | June – December 2008 |
| Game Designer / Level Designer |
- Designed all gameplay and systems around a predefined core concept
- Created and maintained Game Design Document throughout the project lifespan
- Managed additional development tasks including testing, sound integration, and user interface design
- Coordinated with department leads to ensure team was consistently working toward a central vision while maintaining a manageable project scope
- Supported level design department by designing initial level layouts, creating particle effects, and implementing gameplay scripting
| Separation Anxiety – Individual Doom 3 Project |
March – May 2008 |
| Level Designer |
- Created entirely new Doom 3 level focused on using scripting and environmental storytelling to create tension
- Designed and implemented seven unique interior areas from initial layout and documentation to final polish
- Delivered high quality end product while simultaneously learning the tools in an extremely short timeframe (less than eight weeks)
| Nightfall – Individual Half Life 2 Project | June – July 2008 |
| Level Designer |
- Created a unique, survival-horror gameplay experience appropriate to the Half Life 2 universe
- Designed and built entire level including BSP construction, texturing, lighting, model placement, sound integration, enemy placement and pathing, and scripted events
- Scripted unique level elements including an objective display, player inventory, and new enemy type
- Delivered a production quality level under strict requirements and extreme schedule pressure
| Extinction – Team Unreal Tournament 2004 Modification | January – May 2008 |
| Level Designer / Producer |
- Created Asset and Development Plan, co-authored pitch, proposal, and game design document, and managed creation of all other pre-production documentation
- Worked with other leads to design initial concept and gameplay
- Coordinated team of sixteen peers to deliver a polished game experience under extreme schedule pressure
- Operated as project manager as well as working directly with level design team on level production
- Created and implemented all level lighting, particle effects, and audio in the game
| The Murder of Jean d’Elesse – Oblivion Quest Line | January – February 2008 |
| Level Designer |
- Designed Oblivion quest line featuring multiple side quests and endings, a unique location, and 200+ unique lines of dialog
- Designed and implemented three interior locations from initial layout to final lighting and decoration
- Scripted complex dialog trees and quests paths including a final scene that reacted to player actions throughout the quest and revealed one of four possible endings
Education
| The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University | Plano, Texas |
| Masters of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development, specialization in Level Design | December 2008 |
| 3.99 GPA |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Masters of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering | May 2006 |
| Bachelors of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering | May 2005 |
| 4.00 GPA, Co-Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude |
Work Experience
| Capital One Financial Corp. | Richmond, Virginia |
Sept. 2006 – June 2007 |
| Operations Analyst |
- Coordinated cross-functional team to deliver innovative, holistic quality reporting within short timeframe
- Masterminded analysis of escalated customer complaints in order to reduce overall complaint volume by 25%
- Operated autonomously as well as collaboratively on multiple teams and projects of varying size/complexity
| Case Western – Biorobotics Laboratory | Cleveland, Ohio | May 2005 – June 2006 |
| Research Assistant |
- Operated independently to accomplish research objectives
- Reported research results in several published technical papers
- Presented papers to large, professional audiences at technical conferences