What is your job at EA Phenomic?

I'm responsible for the music and sound effects in the game.

What does your daily work look like?

I design the audio concept for the game, that is all audio components that will be in the game later, and the style of the music and the sound effects. That means that I work closely with our dedicated composers to reach the best possible quality for the soundtrack.
I also create loads of sounds to be used in the game and then integrate them with our in-house tools. Voice and sound effect recordings and creating audio tracks for trailers are also part of the job.
Additionally, I work with nearly all departments of our studio to be always up-to-date regarding new units, spells and buildings in need of new sounds and effects.

I'm especially proud of this personal contribution to BattleForge…

I love the music we've created for BattleForge! Our team of composers, Dynamedion, has done a fantastic job in realising the style I had in mind.
I'm pretty proud of the complex faction music system, since it brings a lot of dynamics to the game. Each faction in BattleForge has its own soundtrack, its unique musical identity. So for the BattleForge players, the soundtrack changes whenever they try out new factions or recombine them. Our music system even allows to step it up a notch when there's a lot of action going on in the game. This results in a wonderfully subtle dramaturgy which the players will surely enjoy.
Finally, we've created a great "Squad Sound System“ in collaboration with our audio programmer, which allows us to make big battles actually sound like big battles. This has turned out pretty well too.

What do you like best about working in the games industry?

I have been playing games actively since I bought my first Amiga 500 in 1990, and it's one of my main hobbies. And who wouldn't want to turn their hobby into their job? Here I have the opportunity to work with a bunch of extraordinarily creative people who demand high standards of themselves. And that is simply fun!

What do you like most about BattleForge?

The unbelievable variety of the cards. To try out new cards and new strategies. I'm also a huge PvP fan, and I think that this mode is the true strength of BattleForge! Which other RTS offers so many variations? You can surprise your opponent again and again in every single match by changing your deck!

Fire, Frost, Nature or Shadow?

I prefer Frost. I have always been a defensive player in RTS games, so Frost is ideal for me. The coolest are the Shadow boys, however.

Do you have a favourite unit in the game?

The Fathom Lord is one of my favourite units. He's a Nature unit, a pretty large crab who can paralyse other units. He can dish it out but also take it, and he is able to beat even the largest enemies. A great allrounder. I also really like his graphics.

What was your first video game?

Hmm, I can't really remember what my first game was, but the first games I really loved were Amberstar and Ambermoon by Thalion Software. Incredibly great role-playing games with a massive world, for their time. Unfortunately, the planned third part never came out.

Are you an active Trading Card Game player?

Yes, I have been playing Magic the Gathering for some time now, and I've tried other TCGs in the past. I really like the concept. I also like the collection aspect of TCGs because there's always an incentive to improve one's skills and deck.