We take a look into behind the scenes of Nightingale with this nightingale Developer update from Dominic Sabatier, the Narrative Designer. This month we’re talking to Dominic about his time with Inflexion Games and UI in Nightingale in this Developer Spotlight. We also recently published some information on the Realm Cards.
Nightingale developer Dominic Sabatier
This month we are taking a look at Nightingale UI Dev Dominic Sabatier. Its great finding out about the team behind this game we’re all super excited about.
Q: What is your name and job title?
My name is Dominic and I am a UI Programmer.
Q: When did you join Inflexion Games?
Back in May 2022.
Q: What was your background before Inflexion?
I was a programmer in the indie and mobile space for 7 years, building UI and gameplay features.
Q: Tell us what you do on Nightingale?
I work with artists and designers to build tools and features that help communicate important information to the player like how much health they have or where they are in the world and where to go next.
Q: What excites you most about working on Nightingale?
Working next to all of these industry legends! It’s been a humbling learning experience working with award-winning veterans of game development. I believe one of the best ways to improve yourself is to surround yourself with people who have the skills and experience you want. Everyone has been exceptionally supportive during my onboarding.
Q: Can you give an example of something you’ve contributed to Nightingale that you’re most proud of?
I’ve been building and improving features that help the player orient themselves in the world and find the things they need to find in order to be successful. For example, showing icons on the map or highlighting important creatures in the world with icons or other visual effects.
More Q&A with Dominic
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your role working on Nightingale?
I come from a background of indie and mobile games where collaboration happens in smaller teams of 5-15 people. Nightingale has a much larger, more talented and more diverse team than I’ve worked with before.
Q: What are you going to be working on in the coming weeks/months for the game?
It’s hard to say! As the other gameplay systems come together more UI work will need to be done. My heart is in the map and all the other tools we’re planning to give players to help them navigate the realms so that’s what I’m hoping to keep working on.
Q: What was the last game you played?
I am currently playing through Deathloop and loving it!
Q: You’re lost in the mystical Fae Realms…what’s the one thing that’s likely to kill you first?
Probably a fall while trying to explore. I try to take shortcuts when I see something interesting and often misjudge how tall and steep the cliffs are.
Q: What is the one thing that you need to survive being lost in the Fae Realms?
The best pair of boots I can find! Without warm and dry feet I’d lose hope faster than I’d like to admit.
Q: Tell us an interesting experience you’ve had whilst playing the game.
Some unexpectedly scary stuff can happen while wandering the realms. In one of our playtests I got lost while exploring at night, in a torrential downpour, in a forest, trying to evade enemies and wildlife. After a really tense combat sequence with some of our more ferocious enemies, as I was breathing my sigh of relief, I was unceremoniously punted off of a cliff by a giant boar. A totally unscripted moment of comic relief!
This was Nightingale Developer Dominic!
