CRYENGINE is the output of a diverse team and today we’re talking with our Community Coordinator Aleksei to give insights into his daily routine.

CRYENGINE is the output of a wide and diverse team working to make the engine the best it can be, every single day. Today, we’re talking with our Community Coordinator Aleksei, who we’re sure many of you will be familiar with from our various social channels, to discover what makes him tick, what his working day looks like, and how much he enjoys interacting with CryEngineers around the world.

Hey Aleksei! How did you get into your current role?

I actually came from a different industry, but I have a lifelong passion for videogames and how they are made. In fact, the whole culture of the industry! My previous work experience included organizing groups of people to work on short and medium term projects, which meant communicating with people from all over the world. 

I joined Crytek and started in the engine QA department, where I learned every corner of the engine visible to the user. I have pushed every button you see in the Sandbox 100 times at least! The editor window feels like home to me, so I figured it would be great to bring all this knowledge to community support. Joining Crytek and getting to play a role in the company that made games that I played in my youth is a wonderful experience, surreal almost. It sounds like a fairytale, but it's just an example of how far a passion can carry you.

What is your main focus at the moment?

My main task is to be there when the community needs me. We are a very lucky team since our community is really dedicated and mature. Our channels are a safe environment for developers and everyone interested in using a 3D engine. And my current task is a very exciting one, mostly related to things that are not yet public. But I can't wait to tell you about it as soon as I can!

What’s been your most satisfying moment working at Crytek?

Helping out so many different users is an inspiring process. Everyone, regardless of their level of experience, is a developer, and everyone has a project that they care about. They all use a tool that we dedicate our days to. And in a sense, we take part in the development process, pointing out answers, resources, and solutions. That is immensely satisfying and every time I answer something or help someone, it feels really good. 

What does a regular day at work look like for you?

Very much like being in an airplane cockpit. I've got many windows and tabs open on my screen, in every possible form of computer communication, as well as constant chats with developers and reading into CRYENGINE documentation. Incredible how much you can learn from devs. It’s absolutely mind-blowing how many different areas there are in which people spend their lives becoming a specialist.

What does it take to do your job well?

In a nutshell, the Community Coordinator is all about communication in different forms. We are all people working on one large project, each contributing in their own way. And outside the company, there are users, developers, companies, and gamers. So it's important for us to open a window into the development process, hear what the community has to say, and help the developers and community to articulate their concerns, interests, and wishes. And the people doing it - it's us! At a glance, it seems like I'm simply sitting in front of a trillion internet tabs on two screens, but in fact, I'm communicating to a dozen people, and a different dozen each day.

Have you got any tips for anyone aspiring to work in role?

Patience and humility. Also, you will read a lot!

What are you most looking forward to seeing come to the engine?

The best update is always the next one! When you spend so much time around people passionately working on implementing cool new things and the results are not always visible to a naked eye, it becomes a very exciting story. I basically root for every developer, each team, hoping that all their features will make it into the next version.

What are you playing at the moment?

I am a fan of tiny games, a fan of the idea that anyone can put out there their ideas, thoughts, and passions in a small compressed form. It's an a very unique form of sharing. Making a game is usually a big effort, but there are other options these days. So my favorite game would certainly be Bitsy which is a mini game engine geared towards making short story-oriented two bit experiences: https://ledoux.itch.io/bitsy. And the next logical step up would be to make it 3D and with lifelike raytracing using proprietary visual scripting… who knows?!

Thanks, Aleksei!

Say hi to Aleksei if you haven’t already by joining our official CRYENGINE Discord channel. Our team is always collating your feedback on our channels, so if you have suggestions about the engine, do let us know on the forum, or via Facebook and Twitter. If you find a bug in the engine, please report it directly on GitHub, which helps us to process the issue quickly and efficiently.

Are you looking for your next career move? At Crytek, we value diversity. We actively encourage people from all kinds of backgrounds and experience levels to apply to our open positions, so join us over at LinkedIn and check out our careers page.