Hi! My name is Robert, but I also go by Robbie and Robbo!
Welcome to my digital space! After graduating with a Masters in theoretical physics, I then struggled in the pandemic with a major deterioration in my mental health. I overcame these struggles however, and one way I did this was by teaching myself programming through the Unity game engine! This website presents the journey I've been on and the things I've made along the way.
My most recent complete work is Quick Turret, a demo for a tower defence game. I'm really proud of how the game's code is structured internally, and it really shows how my software engineering skills have developed over the last few years.
Timeline
Double Precision Unity Maths Library
2021 - Present
When working on the KSP Companion, I needed more precision that the Unity maths libraries could offer. I could've solved this issue in a few ways, and I felt the most conceptually simple would be to rewrite the Unity functions I needed but with double precision floating-point numbers. After that project was complete, I then began gradually adding double precision implementations for the rest of the Unity functions.
I have now finished this work, and am in the process of getting it onto the Unity Asset Store!
Restaurant Waiter at Norton Grange Coastal Resort
June 2023 - Dec 2024
After returning from Brighton as a transformed man, I found a job in the hospitality industry as a hotel waiter. I'm very grateful for how this role allowed me to feel complete in my mental health recovery, and I met some great people that I've stayed friends with.
I ultimately quit this job at the end of the year, in anticipation of a move away from my native Isle Of Wight to somewhere new.
My latest and proudest achievement - a dynamic tower defense game. This project showcases my blossoming skills in modular software design. Furthermore, during this project I made a surprising discovery: I might have a passion for making Editor tools?
Healing and Transformation: Confronting The Past
November 2021 - March 2023
Upon arriving in Brighton, I embarked on a new journey of healing and transformation. Whilst continuing to work on my projects and skills, I confronted my long-standing challenges with depression and anxiety with the help of a therapist.
By the end of our tenancy, I really did feel transformed by my time in the city. I once felt that the tendrils of depression were all-pervasive, and that they had wrapped around the threads of my life in an unbreakable knot. While I always felt a strong sense of determination, now I surprise myself with optimism and rapid bounce-backs, and I've never felt more excited to see where the journey of my life goes next.
My first major project - an intricate tool for Kerbal Space Program players. I gradually put this together as I taught myself Unity and C#, and it introduced me to Git, unit testing, and how complexity can dramatically scale in software systems.
Awakening to the Dream: The Covid Catalyst
July 2019 - The Pandemic - November 2021
After struggling with post-graduation job hunting, the Covid pandemic then brought both adversity and space to reflect. My pursuit of a physics PhD gave way as conversations with old friends sparked self-acceptance of my interest in video games, and my desire to create them. Furthermore, it was in these conversations that I first acknowledged and disclosed my struggles with depression, and I first began to believe that those difficulties could be overcome.
An opportunity for a fresh start in Brighton arose and I took it, bringing this difficult but pivotal chapter of my life to a close.
Other Projects
I also have projects that are either still in progress or on an "indefinite hiatus".
These include a chess variant, a "KSP-like" game, a Total War inspired battle engine, and an arcade racing game.
Robbo the Creative Gamer
As a gamer, I like immersive worlds that offer mechanical depth. While there is an art in designing different games, upon release each and every game also becomes a kind of micro-artform - each game is like a canvas that presents players the opportunity to explore and express themselves. I like games whose mechanics offer a broad canvas for successful play, and when I play these games I find I have a particular style. I am a very patient player, and relish every moment of a drawn out and inevitable victory. I also like to frustrate and surprise my opponents with unconventional and original techniques - I'll only learn the meta so I know how to leave it behind.
While the patient core of my style is more aligned with Iron Tigran, it is this quote from the 8th World Chess Champion, Mikhail Tal, that best describes how I approach a skilled opponent:
You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2 + 2 = 5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.
Terrifying!
So what do I play? My favourite game of all time is the first Dark Souls, which I love for its originality and immersive world. That said, it is Dark Souls III that I believe offers the best canvas for play. Typically I'm more of a strategy gamer than an action gamer however. I love Total War, Chess, Civilization, Crusader Kings, Dwarf Fortress, Tropico, Motorsport Manager, and more. I also adore the creative world of indie games. Some major inspirations for me include FTL, Risk Of Rain, Enter The Gungeon, Hades, Bomber Crew, Battle Brothers, and the truly museum-worthy Celeste. Finally, I love a blast from the past! I still dust and maintain my old PS2 for playing Burnout 3 and a few other old favourites, and I use Flashpoint to revisit my favourite flash games, mainly the brutal Mud and Blood 2!
One final aspect of my gaming personality! You will never, ever, catch me putting down a teammate who has made a mistake, or disrespecting an opponent who has frustrated my style. Many of the games I play have quite toxic communities, but I don't identify with that. I love competing for the sake of the game, and I always try to be magnanimous in both victory and defeat. That said, I am a ruthless and brutal competitor! In my opinion, a merciless pursuit of victory is done out of respect to the potential skills of the opponent, not as an act of disrespect.
To those that lose their heads and take it out on teammates and opponents: If you're really so desperate to win, and if you truly love and respect the game you're playing, you'll accept whatever has happened and keep trying your best - in my experience, this attitude guides you back onto the path of victory anyway!
Beyond Gaming
Did you know there is more to the world than video games? No, really.
I am also a pretty sick bass player, and love the music of Daft Punk, The Strokes, Tame Impala, King Gizzard, and countless others. I read an awful lot, mostly non-fiction. I like football (Wolves), F1 (McClaren), the NFL (Seahawks), I've run the London marathon (once), and I surf (badly).