Masters behind the Metaverse: Interview with Panos, Neolyfe Developer
In this fresh series, we’re taking you behind the digital curtain to showcase the dedicated team breathing life into our metaverse.
Today, we’re spotlighting the remarkable work of our dedicated programmer, Panos. Behind the scenes, he has been ceaselessly crafting the intricate code that breathes life into our vast metaverse, Neolyfe.
Crafted on the robust foundation of blockchain and supercharged by Unreal Engine 5, Neolyfe is a dazzlingly photorealistic metaverse. Neolyfe, with its focus on high-fidelity graphics, provides a matchless platform for both gamers and creators.
For gamers, it offers an immersive universe of exploration, teeming with premium quality content. For creators, it opens up a world of possibilities, allowing them to bring their most vibrant ideas to life, crafting breathtakingly stunning, high-fidelity experiences within the metaverse.
To find out how development is coming along, let’s hand it over to Panos…
Can you tell us a bit about what you did before joining the Neolyfe team?
“My academic background is in computer science with a master’s degree in Artificial intelligence applied to games. Before joining the Neolyfe team I was working as a software engineer for CERTH, a research institute in Greece.
I was part of the Game development team and the projects I worked on were mostly the so-called “serious games”. In other words, games that can be used for educational purposes (e.g. chemistry lab) or industry based (e.g. A VR app for architects). My focus was gameplay and AI-related tasks & I’ve brought this specialism with me to Neolyfe .”
There must have been some challenges when building something so innovative such as Neolyfe. Could you share with us what has been the most difficult obstacle that you and your team have faced so far?
“Neolyfe is an incredibly innovative and exhilarating project. The very essence of innovation necessitates that our design and art teams think outside the box, crafting unique and captivating experiences for our players.
Consequently, our unconventional design demands a cutting-edge backend code infrastructure, empowering and aligning with the visionary aspirations of our art and design teams.
Moreover, Neolyfe is a vast world that’s also modular, meaning that players can change it and bring their own touch. As a result, such a scenario is very challenging to accommodate and bring to life from a technical standpoint.
These challenges are why we love to develop and solve problems — so we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
What exciting projects are you currently working on and could you provide us with a tantalising glimpse into what’s in the pipeline?
“Currently I am working on the procedural content generation of the world. Our game world is vast and will take years to populate manually by hand. As a result, we are relying on procedural tactics to generate parts of the world and bring our vision faster to the public. Such procedural systems are used for example to generate the parcels that we see in the world, place roads with ready-made props, or flora and fauna and urban buildings in designated areas.”
The recent Neolyfe playtest was undoubtedly a significant milestone for the development team. Could you share with us the most significant insights that you and the team gained from the playtest?
“The inaugural Neolyfe playtest served as a richly enlightening experience for our development team. Not only did it unveil previously undetected bugs, but it also illuminated the path towards a more captivating and immersive user experience.
We’ve realised that the true essence of fun and engagement, a critical yet overlooked element in many metaverse projects, is what our world needs to truly shine. Henceforth, we’re committed to harnessing our best efforts to foster a community-centric approach that promises a more vibrant, interactive, and ultimately, more enjoyable Neolyfe for all.”
The rapid pace of technological advancements in the metaverse space can be overwhelming. As a developer, how do you stay on top of all the latest trends and developments?
“Having invested considerable time in collaboration with researchers previously, I’ve come to deeply value the merits of exploring and studying cutting-edge literature.
While there’s an abundance of resources available for Unreal Engine 5 development, our tech team makes a conscious effort to keep abreast of emerging technologies. This involves not only perusing newly minted articles in the realms of gameplay and AI but also occasionally incorporating algorithms and techniques gleaned from peer-reviewed studies.”
As a developer of an innovative metaverse, could you give us an exclusive look into the behind-the-scenes processes? What are the main tools and methodologies that you and your team use to bring this photorealistic metaverse to life?
“So, our two main tools of operation are Unreal Engine 5 and C++, the main programming language UE5 offers. Given that I am a gameplay programmer at Neolyfe I am spending most of my time writing code in visual studio and checking the developed features and tools in the editor.
In the construction of any new feature, we adhere to a well-defined, streamlined process. Initially, we undertake exhaustive research on similar and existing resources that could potentially address our problem.
Subsequently, we devise a detailed development plan to be followed by the assigned programmer, effectively breaking down the problem into manageable subtasks. Once this is established, the development phase begins and continues until the feature is fully developed and rigorously tested by the rest of our team.”
And there you have it — a fascinating inside look at the development of Neolyfe straight from Panos! We hope you enjoyed this exclusive glimpse into the world of our unique Metaverse.
But our thirst for knowledge doesn’t stop here — we want to hear from you! Who would you like us to interview next? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below, and let’s keep the conversation going.
Over the past year, Neolyfe has hit multiple significant milestones.
The excitement doesn’t stop there — Neolyfe is gearing up for its second playtest, inviting even more users to explore new modes and features.
To keep up with the latest developments and be part of the next playtest, visit neolyfe.com t. Alternatively, you can immerse yourself in the growing Neolyfe community on Discord or follow us on social media via the links below.
About Neolyfe
The Neolyfe is an immersive 3D virtual world built in Unreal 5. Within the Neolyfe, users will be able to create, own, govern and monetize their experiences in vibrant virtual environments and economies.
