![]() ![]() “Back then, there were very few internet-experienced programmers, but I had done a good amount of network programming in college and got to see the web really start, evolving from the text-based Gopher to the first web browsers. “I was also very interested in the internet, network programming, world simulation, and game development,” Spangler explained. After all, computers were changing, and he wanted to be at the forefront. Using Snell’s wisdom as his guide, Spangler completed a double major in computer science and mathematics. While still in high school, Spangler started taking classes at nearby Kent State University, enrolling full-time at Youngstown State University after graduation. Snell kindly replied to the letter, offering insight meant to keep the youngster motivated. Wanting to walk a path that might one day put his new knowledge to use, Spangler sent a letter to Origin cofounder Dallas Snell-who served as producer for more than 30 original games at the studio-seeking advice on what skills and experience one should have in order to obtain an entry-level developer position at the company. “I had also made a 3D wireframe graphics demo that actually explained the linear algebra used as it showed samples of each transformation.” “I had made a clone of Gyruss for Linux that used dynamic bitmap scaling and rotation-like what was used in Wing Commander to emulate 3D graphics,” Spangler said. Inspired by his early experiences, Spangler began working on his own games, building a foundational knowledge for himself on how they went from initial idea to finished product. “These games had great depth of gameplay, great storylines and atmosphere, good music, and pushed the boundaries of what games could do on available hardware,” Spangler said. Spangler noticed that all the games had one thing in common … they were either developed or published by a company called Origin Systems. Among his favorite games were the Ultima series, the sci-fi space flight simulator Wing Commander, and the first-person action-adventure System Shock. Throughout the 1980s and into the ’90s, Spangler visited countless fantastic worlds through gaming. Seeing his enthusiasm for the system, Spangler’s parents surprised him with a Commodore 64 with a tape drive the following year. Having grown up with games, Spangler’s first setup was an Atari 2600 his grandfather gave him after winning the console through a McDonald’s-sponsored contest in 1980. “And with UO being a virtual world, I thought it would be important for players to feel some ownership in the world by having their own home there.”īut before Spangler would come to implement one of Ultima Online’s most iconic features, he was a fresh college grad desperate to carve a path into the video game industry. “I had a gut feeling that player housing could be a killer feature,” Spangler said. ![]() Spangler was determined to get the rumored housing system working, especially since, from a programming perspective, houses wouldn’t be much different than the boats and ships that the design team had already implemented successfully. The feature for player-owned housing had been cut from the schedule weeks before, but Spangler had been working on it in his free time. “The ship on my screen was on land and had a door and a sign on it,” Spangler laughed. ![]() Glancing over at Spangler’s computer screen, Garriott’s eyebrows raised slightly. ![]()
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