Hi, I'm Ashley!
I'm a systems engineer for Old School RuneScape at Jagex!
I love to undertake personal projects to challenge, adapt and extend my evolving skillset — I try to never stop learning.
Professionally, I have the most experience with C++ after graduating university and spending 2 years in the games industry working with the Unreal Engine. Personally, however, my favourite language is Haskell as I have a keen interest in the applications and methods of adopting the functional paradigm in the context of video games.
Journey at Jagex
2021-Present
Systems Engineer for Old School Runescape at Jagex
2022-Present
Old School RuneScape, a game which I and many other people have enjoyed since childhood. I am so proud to say that I have the opportunity to work on the game and make it even better for all the current and future players!
I am now Mod Crystal, and I’m working on the engine and systems for the game, that is, the server and client as opposed to the content. Performance, new features, graphics and client enhancements are all in-scope for me to get my hands on. Can’t wait to work on a game with an in-house engine and focus on the technology that powers the game rather than the game itself!
Unannounced Open-World Survival Game at Jagex
2022-2022
I also got the opportunity to work on Jagex’s survival game. Obviously I can’t say much about the content of the game or any of the specifics of development but what I can tell you is that I learned a lot of soft skills on this project especially when getting used to a new team and how they work.
Unfortunately I’m not a fan of survival games and I wanted to try and step away from the Unreal Engine and so my stay on this team was short. I wish them all the best on their current and future endeavours!
Unannounced MMO at Jagex
2021-2022
Jagex, a company I dreamed of working for when I was a child, finally opened its (virtual and fully-remote) doors to me in 2021. We were working on an MMORPG, a genre I was excited to work with due to having spent (and wasted) countless hours in many MMORPGs throughout my life.
After working on an asynchronous team like mine, I learned how important communication was and what my best methods of communication were. My confidence grew tremendously as I was relied upon as a bridge between design and engineering; solving technical problems while designing a fun experience for players. I can’t thank Jagex enough for these opportunities — I truly feel like my career has fast-forwarded!
Education and Graduation
2015-2021
TimeSplitters at Deep Silver Dambusters
2020-2021
When I came out of university and got interviewed to join Deep Silver Dambuster Studios, I had no idea that I would be working on the next TimeSplitters game. I was overwhelmed with excitement to see how the newest entry would turn out.
This was my first job in the games industry and I’m very grateful for the opportunities presented to me while working there. I became proficient in working with Unreal Engine 4 and 5 while also learning to work with other disciplines towards a shared goal.
Hogs of War: Reheated at Steel Minions
2019-2020
In my final year of university, one of our assignments gave us the opportunity to design and create a game of our choice. I however wanted to experiment on making software and tools, and so I asked if I could assist the university’s in-house game studio: Steel Minions.
It was a fantastic experience getting to work with a ‘client’ and trying to articulate their requirements and create a tool that satisfies them. This assignment gave birth to the Hogs of War level editor. It was exciting working on my first commercial project!
Computer Science at Sheffield Hallam University
2015-2020
Despite going into university with zero knowledge of programming, I very quickly became one of the more consistent and performant students in the year. After finding the difficulty of assignments trivial, I learned very quickly that university was never the real challenge I needed — I had to work on things in my spare time if I wanted to get something out of my student life.
It was during my self-study where I switched to Linux, learned Vim, started learning about making custom engines and finally made my entrance into the world of functional programming. I believe that the culmination of this self-study was what lead me to not only earning a first-class master’s degree but also getting my first job shortly after graduating.