Straight Up Gaming Interviews: Bungie's Dan Miller

Straight Up Gaming (S.U.G) : Hi Dan, Please share with the group your name and position at Bungie, not necessarily in that order. I'm all about choices…

Dan Miller: Hey there, I'm Dan Miller, I'm a mission designer at Bungie. A mission designer basically focuses on the gameplay aspect of a level, starting from paper/whiteboard concepts to scripting AI, placing game objects and bug fixing.

It's my job to work with art, engineering, sound, effects and QA and bring them together to make a level that fits an overall story arc, has a gameplay flow, makes sense and most importantly is fun to play.

S.U.G : What aspect of mission designing are you the most passionate about? Where do you see your role in game development evolving too in the future?

Dan Miller: I've been in the industry for over seven years now. Five of those years have been in design. My role hasn't changed too much over that time. I've never been much of an artist, and my brain isn't fully set-up for programming. I'm most passionate about the overall scope of a game and can see myself moving into a producer or lead role someday. I've found that my interest lies much more with the 'macro' of a project. For the moment, I'm very happy where I'm at though.

S.U.G : Here at S.U.G we feel that co-op implementation into the single player component, especially via the internet, is an extremely important feature in the future of gaming. How important is co-op gaming to you, as well as to the development community?

Dan Miller: I love co-op- it's one of the most enjoyable ways to play a game. It's also part of the reason why I took the gig at Bungie. With Halo at least, they've brought co-op into the spotlight and I feel are mostly responsible for it's increasing acceptance. I loved playing System Shock 2 co-op. I also have very fond memories playing Contra 3: The Alien Wars and Secret of Mana with my brother in co-op mode. There is something irresistible about working together as a team to take down a common opponent.

S.U.G : We've noticed a trend of first party Microsoft titles supporting co-op via Xbox Live, do you believe this is intentional?

Dan Miller: Co-op isn't easy to implement from a technical or a game design perspective. Most games with co-op are built from the ground up with this in mind. It costs a lot of money to implement the feature in a polished manner. I just hope that the trend continues.

S.U.G : Xbox Live marketplace has pioneered additional content via the web, does this option change or enrich your role as a Mission Designer? What opportunity does it provide from your end of the spectrum?

Dan Miller: I really like the way the guys at Ubisoft provided additional co-op scenarios for Ghost Recon- unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to playing with these yet. Maybe if I get some time soon I'll take the plunge. I'm pretty busy right now though!

S.U.G: With increasing developmental costs coupled with the push for even more interactivity within the game environments, has this added any additional complexity to your position?

Dan Miller: Game scripting has definitely increased its complexity, but in terms of design, the increased interactivity in the environments really hasn't affected me as much as it has affected art and engineering. Maybe I'm just fortunate that I have an awesome set of tools that allows me to implement and iterate faster than I used to.

S.U.G: Describe your favorite Halo or Halo 2 moment. If possible tie in the word bacon.

Dan MIller: Playing co-op with a friend for the first time in Halo 2 was incredibly fun. I've never laughed and yelled so much playing a game in my life. My current project is better than bacon.

S.U.G:Thanks for your time Dan!