Bethesda Softworks Inside the Vault Q&A: Justin Reynard

Another “Inside the Vault” Q&A feature is online over at the Bethesda Blog, with this latest entry featuring a smattering of questions posed to Fallout: New Vegas gameplay programmer Justin Reynard.

What’s your favorite part of your job? Least favorite part?

The best part is seeing your work in action. If I had stuck with doing database programming, making an algorithm that could run queries a few milliseconds faster, I don’t think I’d get the same gratification. When I program a new weapon or a new ability and I turn on my dev kit and see my character use it, it’s instantly satisfying for me. And then seeing the end product be something that you or your family can go to Target or Best Buy and see on the shelf for sale is really great. My girlfriend and I still get a kick out of going to the local game stores and picking up a copy of a game we helped make. We talk very loudly about how it’s the greatest game ever, even though the other customers probably just think we’re weird.

My least favorite part has to be reading negative press/comments about my games. I always get so defensive and want to explain to them why it (the thing they hated) worked that way and turn their opinion around. I want to tell them how hard we worked and just make them love it! But I know that’s never a good idea so I just vow to stop reading the reviews comments.