About Me

Hi, I'm Myles, a games programming student whose passion comes from a lifelong love for narrative-focused, story-driven games. This passion has guided my entire education, from my GCSE in Computer Science and a distinction in Games Development at Gateshead College, to my current Games Programming degree at Teesside University. I believe deep immersion in games wouldn't be possible without their inhabitants—the NPCs. This fascination is what led me to specialise in AI.

I put this enthusiasm to work by researching the AI which became iconic for its believability and advanced decision-making. Applying this knowledge, I built a foundational system for my own advanced AIs in Unity, implementing the key mechanics I found most impactful. However, this project taught me more than just technical implementation; it taught me the crucial design principles that make an AI's actions both necessary and believable. It's this design-focused approach to AI that I'm excited to develop further in my future projects and my professional career.

My Skills

My primary expertise is in C++ and Unreal Engine, where I have built everything from core gameplay mechanics to entire 2D game engines from scratch. I am also proficient in C# and Unity, with foundational experience in Python.

Leadership & Mentorship

In addition to my studies, I volunteered to be a PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) leader. In this role, my co-leader and I facilitate study groups for first-year students to help consolidate their learning. We primarily focus on their C++ module, but also assist with Unreal Engine visual scripting and offer guidance on general university life.

My training for this role was focused on facilitation, not teaching. The goal is to guide students to discover the answers for themselves, which has been an invaluable lesson in communication. This experience has not only strengthened my own foundational knowledge, but has also developed my leadership, collaboration, and session-planning skills.

Educational Trip

During my first year at Gateshead College ('Games Development'), I participated in the 'Turing Scheme'. This involved an educational trip to Germany focused on exploring established businesses within the programming sector, as well as visiting technology-related museums, providing valuable insight into the European game development industry.

Beyond the Screen

A high-angle view looking down at a dark blue mountain tarn nestled in a deep, bowl-shaped hollow. The tarn is surrounded by steep slopes, including a craggy rock face on the left and large, rolling grassy fells at the back. A narrow footpath winds around the edge of the water and up the fells behind it. In the far distance, a hazy plain is visible under a cloudy sky.

Hiking/Walking

As someone who spends a large portion of their day behind a screen (whether it be gaming or work), finding time to get out and enjoy nature is not only calming but essential for my creative process. I frequently take walks around my local area, finding it the perfect way to refresh and often return with the solution to a stubborn coding problem.

It's a passion I've recently been exploring further, culminating in my first proper hike up Blencathra in Keswick. The experience was breathtaking, and it reinforced a lesson I often see in programming: the final view is only rewarding because of the gruelling climb. It's that same feeling of pushing through a difficult challenge to see your code finally come together.

I occasionally post photos from my outings on my Instagram, if you'd like to see more.

Carnivorous Plants

Recently, I've developed a passion for horticulture, specifically caring for carnivorous plants like Nepenthes and Drosera. It has been a surprisingly involved hobby that has served as a practical lesson in methodical problem-solving.

For instance, when my Nepenthes arrived with an unexpected spider mite infestation, the process of handling it felt remarkably similar to debugging code. I first had to diagnose the root cause of the decay I was noticing, research a safe and effective solution, and then apply a consistent treatment plan. By using decomposition to break down the issue into smaller, manageable steps, I was able to solve the problem completely, and now my plant thrives.

Beyond the troubleshooting, the process has been incredibly rewarding. Being directly responsible for something and seeing it flourish under my care is a great reminder of how gratifying it is to see the results of a long-term project pay off.

Building LEGO Sets

I'm an avid builder of complex LEGO sets, particularly the larger-scale Star Wars display models. I find the process of assembling thousands of modular pieces into a detailed, functional structure is remarkably similar to programming.

The largest set I've built to date is from the Ultimate Collector Series—the UCS Venator. It was a week-long build that required immense patience and even forced me to backtrack several steps to fix a mistake, a process any programmer would find familiar. I also believe that, much like software, a finished build is never truly "done". I enjoy seeking out modifications to improve upon the original design—a continuous improvement mindset I apply when refactoring my own code.

Ultimately, whether I'm hiking, tending to my plants, or building with LEGO, I find all my hobbies are united by a love for problem-solving and the satisfaction of seeing work pay off incrementally. This mindset is central to my passion for video games as a whole, but it's perfectly distilled in my favourite genre—roguelikes. For me, nothing captures that loop of gradual, hard-won progress better than a title like The Binding of Isaac.

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