We are a team of multidisciplinary talents with a drive to deliver deep and meaningful gameplay experiences on PC and Mobile.

Solid Clouds

We're back with another round of insights from our team! This time our Technical Artist Jonathan Dunn is under the spotlight. Let’s take a closer look at his role here at Solid Clouds.  


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#### What are your main responsibilities, and what does an average workday look like for you?

I am the bridge between the art and tech teams, so my role as a technical artist involves solving audio-visual problems that require combining output from both departments.

I primarily achieve this by coding systems that implement a variety of other graphical and audio systems, and then building internal tools for these new systems to speed up asset production for myself and other team members.


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#### It seems like you have a wide range of tasks, what do you enjoy doing the most and why?

My single biggest responsibility is the combat system, and creating the movements and abilities you see the ships use.

It’s a lot of fun making things explode and react in a satisfying way. I really love the process of dialing in and fine-tuning FX so they feel weighty and responsive,in the industry we appropriately call this ‘the juice’.

A lot of the magic in well-made FX comes from the timing and layering of the various elements, and so my love for making music also likely informs my approach to ensuring these systems feel good to experience.


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#### What are some of the challenges you face when programming visual effects, especially for the combat system, and how do you overcome them?

It is relatively straight forward to make an individual ability look good, but making the entire range of skills and abilities work together as a whole is much trickier. We currently stand at over 300 skills in the game, which is a lot of assets to manage. 

To make our lives a little easier we have developed tools to help author new assets where code can handle a lot of the repetitive tasks. This means creating new FX or improving older iterations can be done much faster, with a smaller chance of human error. I find eliminating this busy work keeps me sane and able to focus more on being creative.


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#### Do you get any creative oversight when adding visual elements to the game?

At the start of a task, there will be some guidance and idea generation, and a design document if it’s a big feature. Many plans don’t survive contact with reality though, and thankfully there is a lot of autonomy in the role, so I often experiment with solutions as I am building a system.

Once the first pass is complete we will review what works and iterate from there. We are very open about gathering feedback from outside the department and from the wider community, good ideas can come from anywhere, and if something is not working we’ll try a different approach.


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#### How do you balance the artistic vision with the technical constraints when implementing assets into the game?

One of the more challenging aspects of the job is managing the scope of the ideas that come from the art department, as developing for mobile enforces tight restraints.

Instead of always saying no to lofty ideas it is necessary to sometimes explore how to make unrealistic ideas feasible by finding novel solutions and carefully balancing the render budget. This often requires communicating to the relevant team members any strict requirements the implementation may have, and also to advise on which techniques they could use in order to produce optimized assets. 


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#### How do you work with the art team to ensure the best result?

We are always in a state of educating each other on the specifics of our processes so we get a better understanding of where the limitations are, but also where optimizations can be made. Over time this knowledge becomes solidified as best practice, which only increases the quality of our work as we continue to develop and gel as a team.


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#### You mentioned that you add audio effects to the game. Does this also include incorporating the soundtrack? If so, what considerations do you have to take into account when integrating the soundtrack into the game?

We are fortunate to work with some very talented composers and sound designers, so implementing their work just requires respecting the original material and trying to find the balance so that everything works together. For example, we've used special techniques to make certain sounds more noticeable and blend better with the music. Think of it like adjusting the volumes of different instruments in a band, so you can hear everything more clearly in the mix.



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#### What is your favorite part about working for Solid Clouds?

I really enjoy being part of a team of dedicated and talented people, who respect each other's disciplines and champion collaboration and the common goal. We are the perfect-sized company for knowing everyone well and that makes a big difference when it comes to team cohesion and the quality of our output. I am truly blessed to spend my days working with such people.
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Interview with Starborne: Frontiers Technical Artist, Jonathan Dunn

The update, known as the Vault update, was released on June 21st for both iOS and Android platforms, marking the largest update since the game's launch in February 2023. Packed with new and content-rich features, this update has been highly anticipated by the gaming community.


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One notable addition is the inclusion of new Side Missions with unique loot, providing players with fresh challenges and rewards within the Normal level Campaign difficulty. 
Furthermore, based on valuable community feedback, the PvP Arena experience has been improved, making it easier for players to progress through rank brackets and gain ratings. The update also introduces a history of Arena battles. 
To assist players, particularly newcomers, Solid Clouds has introduced the Unit Formation feature and Unit Rating system. These enhancements allow players to explore successful formations utilized by others and identify the best-rated unit features based on peer feedback.


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However, the most thrilling change lies in the introduction of the reworked Alliance Boss - the Vault. Within the game, the Vault serves as an interstellar repository for the incredibly wealthy, guarded by advanced weaponry and notoriously challenging to breach. Successfully raiding the Vault presents an exciting new challenge for players, offering rewarding treasures as a result. Learn more about the Vault fight [here](https://starborne.com/post/raiding-the-vault).


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While celebrating the success of this significant update, the dedicated team at Solid Clouds remains committed to ongoing game improvements and the development of new features. Stay tuned for more exciting updates to come!


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Solid Clouds Releases Major Update for Starborne: Frontiers

![Nýsköpunarsjóður námsmanna](https://starbornecdn.azureedge.net/media-images/misc/ns_namsmanna.png)

Solid Clouds has established a successful partnership with the [Student Innovation Fund](https://www.rannis.is/sjodir/menntun/nyskopunarsjodur-namsmanna/), engaging in three impactful collaborations to develop cutting-edge services and products. This collaboration not only fuels innovation but also serves as a platform to cultivate and empower aspiring talents by providing them with valuable hands-on experience in their respective fields. Supported by state contributions, the Student Innovation Fund scheme has been dedicated to nurturing talent since its inception in 1992. We are proud to have been awarded a prestigious grant this year from the fund, enabling us to spearhead the development of innovative systems aimed at effectively addressing and resolving game bugs.

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In 2021, we were fortunate to retain two of our summer recruits funded by the Student Innovation scheme. Stefanía Ómarsdóttir, an extraordinarily talented 2D artist, has become an invaluable member of our art team, producing high-quality characters for our game. One of our skilled programmers, Ólafur Diðrik Halldórsson also chose to continue their journey with Solid Clouds. The success of the scheme is indisputable, and we are optimistic about another fruitful year.

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We are thrilled to welcome Erla Óskarsdóttir, Freysteinn Þórhallsson, and Viktoriia Oleksiienko to our team this year.

![Erla Óskarsdóttir, Freysteinn Þórhallsson, and Viktoriia Oleksiienko](https://starbornecdn.azureedge.net/media-images/misc/ns_employees_2023.png)

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Erla, our newest game designer, is on the verge of graduating from Reykjavík University with a BSc in Computer Science, specializing in Computer Game Architecture. We eagerly look forward to her contributions to our projects and can't wait to see what she brings to the game. In addition to game design, she also checks the quality of newly designed game features. 

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Freysteinn joined the team as QA (Quality Assurance). He has been studying game design at Noroff University College. His skills will be invaluable in making sure new game content is bug-free, which will guarantee a smoother process when we release game updates.

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And finally, Viktoriia Oleksiienko has joined as a Data Analyst. She is currently studying Advertising & Public Relations at the National University of Food Technologies (NUFT). While NUFT is based in Kyiv, Viktoriia is studying remotely from Iceland, due to the current situation in Ukraine.

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At Solid Clouds, we believe in offering opportunities to all talented individuals, regardless of their circumstances. We are particularly proud to be able to provide Viktoriia a Ukrainian refugee, with hands-on experience in marketing, especially considering the challenges posed by language barriers and the lack of opportunities for refugees in Iceland. 

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Stefán Gunnarson, CEO of Solid Clouds says: 

"At Solid Clouds, our partnership with the Student Innovation Fund bolsters our team with fresh perspectives and skills. It's a two-way street - we benefit from their insights and they gain real-world experience. This synergy fuels our mission to innovate and elevate the local gaming industry."


Solid Clouds

Company News

Interview with Starborne: Frontiers Technical Artist, Jonathan Dunn

Solid Clouds Releases Major Update for Starborne: Frontiers

Solid Clouds recruits fresh talent with the Student Innovation Fund

Press Releases

Investor Announcements