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Tyler Thompson

From Hellgatewiki.com

Tyler Thompson

Tyler Thompson was a programmer on Diablo II, the Project Lead on the Diablo II expansion, and one of the founders of Flagship Studios. His official job title at Flagship is Director of Technology, and he oversees all of the game's graphics, and does a lot of design and programming. Tyler jokes that he has (by necessity) one of the fastest computers in the office.

1 Official Flagship Biography
2 Personality Profile
3 Images
4 Media

Official Flagship Biography

Tyler Thompson is a veteran of the gaming industry whose work on the Diablo series included programming and technical design on random level generation, player and monster skills, collision and pathing, client/server synchronization, monster AI, level layout tools, content creation tools, quests and the creation and implementation of special effects.

Tyler was a Programmer on Diablo II and moved into the Project Lead position for Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. He commonly worked with teams of programmers and organized the implementation and integration of both art and programming content into the game. Tyler also worked on the design of several projects in the areas of player skills, monster behavior and quest design as well as serving on the project oversight teams for Warcraft III and World of Warcraft. He left Blizzard in 2003 to join Flagship Studios with some other former Blizzard employees.

When he's not working his particular brand of binary magic, Tyler is stopping pucks with his 1337 goaltending skills several nights a week in various roller hockey leagues around the greater Bay Area. He claims not to know Tyler Durden.

Personality Profile

In April 2007, 1up.com interviewed asked numerous Flagshippers the same five questions several Flagshippers.

1. What games have you worked on before, and what did you do on them?
Diablo 2 - I was a programmer/designer. I mostly worked on the skills and random level generation.
Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction - I was the Project Lead. I worked on the design and code for the skills, monsters, random levels and items.

2. What do you do on the Hellgate team?
I'm the Director of Technology. I design the skills and contribute to the design of the monsters and weapons. Together with several other programmers, I work on the graphics, particles, skills, monster AI's, weapons, tools, animation and ragdolls.

3. What character class are you favoring in Hellgate right now and why?
Guardian - Only the Guardian can survive my reckless play style.

4. What's your favorite part of action RPGs like Hellgate?
That feeling that the next crate, zombie or boss monster might drop the best item that I have ever seen.

5. Is there anything else interesting you want to add about yourself?
My favorite hat is a black derby with a feather.

Images

See photos of Tyler Thompson and his iconic black derby in the Image Gallery.

Media

Tyler was the lead producer on Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and enjoyed/suffered through some media coverage in those days. He's done his fair share of press work on Hellgate: London as well.