Giacomo Salvadori
Born in Florence, Italy in October 1990. Graduated from the Università degli Studi di Firenze with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science.
Works as a freelance programmer and game designer with experience in diverse environments, including private game companies, NGOs, academies, and universities.
Driven by enthusiasm and passion for games, with expertise in game design and programming, focusing on AI and combat design.
Outside of work, enjoys spending time in nature and aspires to travel the world by boat.
Experience
Game Developer
Experience includes work with two of the most important engines on the market, covering both B2B and B2C game development. Projects range from games for a broad audience to specific applications for customers utilizing AR or VR technologies. Also contributed expertise to Packt Publishing as a reviewer for the book Unity AI Programming.
C++ Unreal Engine
Usage of Unreal Engine began in 2019, with a focus on game mechanics and AI.
- Worked at Stormind Games as an AI programmer
- Developed a configurator for a boat manufacturing company, enabling customization of boats using C++ and Blueprints
- Unreal Engine courses are taught, focusing on game development using both C++ and Blueprints
C# Unity Developer
Working with Unity since 2017, both as a game designer and programmer for B2C and B2B projects.
- Technical designer for Football Drama
- Lead Programmer experience
- Developed a game for Amnesty International Italy
- Developed the first demo of Hexplorando for Video Games Without Borders
- Released a VR app for university course consultations, in collaboration with Whitesock
Professor
August 2019 - Present
Facilitating groups of young adults in their collaborative effort to create their initial game as a team. Responsibilities encompass teaching sessions on game design fundamentals, including prototyping and foundational principles. Additionally, providing instruction on Unreal Engine (both Blueprint and C++) and Unity, focusing on AI and technical aspects of game development.
January 2018 - July 2019
During the academic year 2017-18, the first teaching experience involved assisting a professor in managing four teams consisting of game designers, concept artists, and programmers. Support primarily focused on fostering teamwork to develop a playable video game. Additionally, served as an assistant teacher for a game design course, guiding students in their introduction to the game development field and instructing them on Game Maker, Unity, and Unreal Engine.
Lead Programmer
October 2022 - February 2023
- Created interactive VR showrooms using Meta Quest 2
- Focused on making immersive, virtual environments for product presentation
- Developed a demo for an NFT museum, showcasing digital artwork in a virtual space
June 2020 - May 2021
- Developed an app for fashion clients to arrange virtual stores
- Managed runtime loading of 3D models and necessary data for store setup
- Took full responsibility for Unity development
- Supervised two juniors: a programmer and a 3D artist
- Wrote Python scripts for Blender to reduce polygon counts, improving the efficiency and quality of 3D models
Research Fellowship
The entire client side of the application was developed using Unity. The application, a room decorator, was built for both VR and AR environments. Data and 3D models were fetched from a remote server and downloaded at runtime. The role involved acting as the technical owner for both applications.
- AR development: Utilized the Agora plugin for screen share between devices.
- VR development: Utilized Meta Quest 2.
- Managed all aspects independently
- Defined a data structure shared between the application and the backend system
- Synchronized with backend developers
AI Programmer
- Assisted in designing and defining enemy behavior
- Implemented NPC behaviors using hierarchical state machines
- Managed multiple tasks and worked within an agile methodology
- Utilized JIRA, Confluence, and Perforce
- Gained experience in an AA team, working on an unannounced game (PC & console)
Technical Game Designer
- Releasing a new version of an existing game
- Working on an existing and released project
- Reinvent input for PC and Nintendo Switch
- Porting a project from mobile to full-screen
- Take care of the porting, I was responsible for all aspects
- Working with Nintendo dev kit
- Working on the early stages of Roller Drama, focusing on AI development. Specifically, designing and implementing decision trees entirely in C#
Programmer
Initially, interfaces were created for the new management software to enhance CRM and Back Office efficiency. Following initial front-end development, experience expanded into back-end development, where foundational PL/SQL skills were acquired. Procedures were developed to streamline the billing process, and data migration was executed for the gas segment within the new software, contributing to enhanced Oracle DB proficiency.
Over the last year and a half, participation commenced in the development of a new contract management software alongside senior programmers. This phase also involved implementing a centralized user control system and software monitoring capabilities.
Projects
- Programmer managed input for PC, console and Nintendo Switch
- Technical designer - Rethink the game in full screen version
- Programmer - Contributed to the development of the core system.
- Programmer - I am the dev owner of the project
- Concept idea - I make all design choices.
Education
Event Horizon - school of digital art
During this period, foundational game design principles were learned and initial games were developed. Key learnings included:
- Utilization of Game Maker, Unity, and Unreal Engine
- Narrative design techniques
- Integration of technical and design aspects to evolve into a technical designer
- Idea development strategies
- Application of Occam's razor principle to simplify and refine concepts
- Emphasis on project completion as a critical aspect
- Creation of Game Design Documents (GDD)
- Preparation and delivery of presentations on personal ideas and projects
Università degli studi di Firenze
The main focuses of the studies included:
- Object-Oriented Programming and fundamental design patterns
- Concurrent programming concepts
- Relational database principles and modeling
- Probability and statistics
- Artificial intelligence, encompassing search algorithms and neural networks
- Mathematical analysis
- Linear Algebra
- Discrete and logical mathematics
- Classical physics
- Web page and app development (thesis topic)
Skills
- Programming - Demonstrated technical proficiency with game engines
- Concept base - Active participation and collaboration during the brainstorming phase and initial project concept.
- Team management - Strong skills in risk evaluation and problem-solving
- Game design - Proficient in defining game rules and mechanics. Familiarity Articy:Draft
Strengths
Three strengths include
- Good Listening
- Effective teamwork capabilities
- Proficiency in problem-solving
Studies
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