Tim Cain

Timothy Cain, called Tim, is an American computer game developer. Among his best known works include the development of computer role-playing game released in 1997 for Fallout Interplay Entertainment. Cain was still a co-founder of the former developer Troika Games. In 2009 he was counted from the Games IGN 's best 100 game developers of all time.

Training

Cain attended the University of Virginia and a graduate school in California. During this time he helped a friend when programming a card game called Grand Slam Bridge for Cybron Corporation, which was published in 1986. In 1989, he earned a master's degree in computer science at the University of California, Irvine.

Career as a game developer

In August 1991, Cain started as a freelancer for the California game developer Interplay as a programmer in the creation of the editor, The Bard's Tale Construction Set to work. After completion of the project in 1991 he was hired full time. Together with the then freelance Artist Leonard Boyarsky, he worked as a designer and programmer on the economic simulation Wall Street Manager: The simulation of the financial market, which was published in 1993.

In 1994, he worked for several months as the only employee on a new game, which later became the post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game Fallout. He developed the basic concept, based on the role-playing game GURPS rules and started with the programming work on the isometric game engine. He also took over the role of producer Thomas R. Decker, who had to monitor a number of other projects at this time. After a development period of three and a half years Fallout was finally published in 1997. During this time, Cain was also providing advice on the programming of Stonekeep (1995) and helped with the coding of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy ( 1997). Before he left Interplay in January 1998, he was involved in the development of Fallout Fallout 2 's successor, for which he contributed the framework for action and some design work.

Together with his colleague Leonard Boyarsky Fallout and Jason D. Anderson he founded in April 1998 development studio Troika Games. He served as project manager and lead programmer of the first project Arcanum: Of steam engines and magic, a Steampunk-/Fantasy-Rollenspiel for Sierra On-Line, which appeared in 2001. Also for the next project, which is based on Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game The Temple of Elemental Evil, he served as project manager and at the same time as the lead designer. The title was released in 2003, after a development period of 20 months, on Atari. The title has been heavily criticized by the press because of its numerous bugs. Although Cain the development of the game great joy had prepared, he was disappointed with the final result, as it did not meet his original ideas. In troika third and last project, which in 2004 published by Activision Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Cain helped with the programming from. He also worked on the pitch of a new postapocalyptischen role-playing game for the Troika but could not find a publisher and financier. It was therefore necessary Troika end of 2004, most of the employees laid off and eventually suspend the operations of lack of orders in February 2005.

In August 2005, Cain got a job as Programming Director at Carbine Studios, where he worked on a fantasy MMO for NCSoft. In October 2007 he was appointed Design Director. In July 2011, he left the company.

In October 2011, Tim Cain joined as a Senior Programmer at Obsidian Entertainment. He is currently working on the upcoming RPG title Project Eternity, which was funded through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.com.

Private life

Cain suffers from hereditary color blindness. Own account, he can now only perceive significantly less than half of the color spectrum. He is a passionate amateur cook with a passion for Japanese and Chinese cuisine. On July 14, 2011, he married his life partner Robert country.

Ludography

• The Bard's Tale Construction Set (1991 )
• Wall Street Manager: The simulation of the financial market ( 1993)
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy ( 1997)
• Fallout (1997)
• Fallout 2 (1998)
• Arcanum: Of steam engines and Magic ( 2001)
• The Temple of Elemental Evil (2003)
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (2004)