At Clay Token, our software development engineer Mehmet Kardaş shares the challenges he faced while developing Steel Swarm: Apocalypse, the best advice he received in software engineering, and how he stepped out of his comfort zone in this project.

🔹Question: Can you briefly introduce yourself?

I am a Software Engineer at Clay Token. I love making games as much as playing them. I also write sci-fi short fiction.

🔹Question: What music genres and bands do you listen to while developing?

I usually listen to soundtracks, epic, or electronic music. Anything atmospheric with minimal vocals is my vibe. Less distractions the better.

🔹Question: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received about software development?

I had so much good advice, but nothing comes to mind as the best. Still looking for one.

🔹Question: What was the most challenging bug you encountered in this project, and how did you solve it? Also, what was your last "developer panic moment," and how did you handle it?

It was a particular bug about Sphinx. When its plasma charge exploded and multiple minions were killed, sometimes minions in unrelated places would die (in another lane, or newly spawned one etc.) I think it had taken about one full work day to solve, but basically, the issue was that damage was being applied to entities that would die that frame, which caused a chain reaction of wrong entities being damaged the next frame.

🔹Question: What’s something you did in this project that pushed you out of your comfort zone, and you’re glad you did?

Probably the first time I got to do anything substantial in the project. It was difficult to understand the project structure and how things worked at first, but once it clicked, it made so much sense.

🔹Question: What are you currently learning? How do you prioritize your "next things to learn" list?

I am interested in everything game development. Currently working on getting better at sound design, and learning some shader magic.

🔹Question: How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?

I don’t drink much coffee, or tea for that matter. Water is the way to go.

🔹Question: What advice would you give to a newly graduated developer?

Find stuff you’re interested in. Find how you could make anything in that area better, or different in your own creative way. Create solutions, and learn along the way.

🔹Question: Among the features you developed in this project, which one makes you the proudest and why?

The mission system. I had so much fun working on it. Though it is not a widely used system in the game, and took more time than actually required to develop, it is very modular and can be adapted to be used anywhere in the game. We could probably create an RPG with intricate quests with it.