Juan Pablo Chandias

Druids AI is a startup specializing in building AI tools for Unreal Engine, founded by recognized game industry veterans.

I was hired to develop the backend needed to support the Unreal client plugins.

Some of my responsibilities are:

• Proactively set my own goals, estimate, and organize my own work in sync with the rest of the company.
• Research and test different technologies in search of the ones that best fit the task at hand and the company's requirements.
• Create proof of concepts and prototypes of new features
• Design and implement a REST API to expose functionality to the Unreal plugin.
• Design and implement the AI agent workflows using a variety of LLM models, attached tools, and patterns.
• Design and implementation of the required databases needed to support the backend
• Implementation of authentication and user validation.
• Implementation of unit and stress tests.
• Implementation of analytics.
• Manage backend production deployment and live ops.

• As a Technical Consultant, I have been instrumental in helping game studios streamline their production processes, leading to increased efficiency and cost savings. I have been key in optimizing production pipelines and enhancing overall performance.
• Full analysis of the company workflows and production bottlenecks
• - Development of pipelines and automation to achieve cost reductions across the board
• - Definition of the company's technological strategy
• - Team formation and hiring
• - Team mentoring on topics from Leadership and organization to specific technical solutions for gameplay AI, software architecture, graphics optimization, and anything involved in game development.

Arrivant is a startup created with the purpose of bringing to life the beautiful world of Project Eluüne : Stargarden

I was hired by the head of engineering, whom I knew before to be part of the small engineering team, developing the game.

Stargarden is an MMO heavily focused on Social aspects and cooperation to achieve the game goals. It also contains components of Web3 to give the players ownership and added value.

Some of my responsibilities so far:

• Implementation of the base architecture of the game that supports a scalable way of building it and working in networked mode.
• Implemented and integrated Unreal's Online replication into the architecture, and created examples of the different network interactions available to the player
• Implemented Vivox Voice service for online voice and chat
• Take charge of the team direction if the head of engineering is unavailable or on vacation

Technical Director/ Manager of the Central Tech Team

My responsibilities were:

• Translate the company's general objectives into actual tools, workflows, and initiatives that solve them
• Coordinate with other tech directors, understand their needs, and find ways to collaborate
• Keep my team engaged and help them to fulfill their personal and professional goals
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to efficiently complete large-scale projects on time and within budget constraints.
• Evaluated emerging technologies for potential integration into existing systems or future projects.
• Managed implementation of new technological improvements, resulting in increased efficiency.
• Develop suggestions for technical process improvements to optimize resources.

I was hired to be part of the newly created Central tech team, composed of highly experienced game developers from world-leading game companies

Our team's main objectives are:

• Develop tools and workflows that improve the productivity of Game Developers ( engineers, artists, game designers, etc.)
• Bridge the gap between the different game teams by identifying great solutions and practices implemented by them and sharing them through the company in an effort to standardize processes
• Tackle big technology problems by taking advantage that our team is not bound by strict deadlines and milestones that the game teams must comply with to keep releasing content for the games.
• Think ahead and identify technical requirements to meet the company's future needs
• Managed a team of 3 senior developers and answered directly to the head of engineering of the company
• Developed a pipeline for the game Tennis Clash that cut the asset creation time of its characters by half

Company Overview: https://www.sandbox.game/en/

The Sandbox metaverse is a virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain where users can create, own, and monetize their gaming experiences. It's a community-driven platform that allows users to build and own virtual worlds, create avatars, and interact with others. The platform utilizes blockchain technology, specifically NFTs (non-fungible tokens), to verify digital asset ownership and enable users to monetize their creations by selling them on the marketplace or charging for access.

I was hired to take charge and implement everything related to the multiplayer systems and architecture design of the game.

Some of my responsibilities:

• Evaluate different multiplayer technologies, and select the one that fits better with the game requirements and vision
• Identify and implement all the required refactoring to produce a multiplayer-compatible software architecture
• Implement server infrastructure using Amazon Gamelift and create automated deployment processes
• Design a feasible roadmap for the multiplayer implementation
• Led cross-functional teams to complete complex projects on time and within budget.
• Innovated new solutions for complex engineering challenges, resulting in improved product functionality and user experience.
• Designed custom tools and resources tailored to specific project needs, increasing productivity without sacrificing quality or safety standards.
• Developed robust technical documentation, ensuring clear communication of specifications and requirements among team members.

The work was implemented in two phases:

Phase 1 :

• The objective was to implement the basic infrastructure, matchmaking service, and to perform the first refactor aimed at having a scalable architecture that enables me to implement all the new required application states. We delivered the first POC of the multiplayer systems that allowed the player to connect and roam the metaverse.

Phase 2 :

• Centered around a big overhaul of the entity and behaviour systems that removed all the remaining constraints limiting the implementation of multiplayer features.

I was hired to build and lead a team to port the Gloomy Eyes VR movie to Oculus Quest.

Gloomy Eyes is an award-winning, state-of-the-art VR experience delivered in 3 chapters. At the moment of my hiring, the first chapter was already released for PC, and the second was in the making.

Some of my responsibilities:

• Build a small team of developers and artists to work on the port
• Identify and resolve all the technical challenges to run the movie on an Oculus Quest device
• Design Pipelines and optimal workflows for the production of art compatible with Quest limitations
• Implement new Quest-only features
• Set general objectives and priorities. Work with the producer to manage the team's everyday work
• Act as a consultant to evaluate the needs and requirements of other Quest projects of the company

Some great technical achievements of the port :

• We reworked all the assets of the game to be able to draw 150k triangles at any frame ( Quest limitation) from the 2 million+ triangles from the original version without losing significant Quality
• We were able to use up to 4 dynamic lights, something unheard of for a Quest App, by defining a set of clear guidelines and rules on how the Assets needed to be created and processed to get the most from the Quest graphics card.
• We implemented bundles to comply with the Quest store APK limitations.
• We implemented hand tracking to navigate the menus. We were one of the first, as hand tracking was an experimental feature not yet released to the general public
• We implemented a new export system for Maya assets that automated the process, reduced human error, and allowed all modelers to export assets to Unity without intermediaries

Some outstanding feats of Gloomy Eyes:

• Narrated by world-renowned actor Colin Farrel
• Winner of SXSW 2019 Film Festival
• Winner of Best VR film at Sundance Film Festival 2019
• Annecy Festival 2019 Best VR works

The Lifefuels bottle is a smart bottle that can track your daily hydration and nutrient needs and can prepare custom beverages using "fuel pods", each with different flavors and nutrients.

Website: https://lifefuels.com/pages/smart-bottle

I was hired to fully remake the existing iOS application,done in Swift, to Android using Kotlin

The work consisted of :

• Make a development plan and organize the work ( 3 milestones, 1 month each )
• Fully rewrite the Swift code to Kotlin and redesign the class architecture where needed
• Fully remake the user interface and make sure it follows the Android standards
• Create custom Android views and widgets to implement graphs and visual FXs
• Implement the Bluetooth pairing protocol with the bottle and "over the air" firmware update

A few years ago, I was approached by Javier Entelman (CEO of Sixth Vowel), who had a wild idea: build a gaming studio that would export new IPs to the world and not just be a provider of services for the big companies abroad. He wanted me to be the head of the development department. He was crazy, but I was crazy too =)

Four years later we released the biggest game produced in argentina with a team of 60+ people at peak production, we built a company that influenced every part of the Argentinean industry, from education to relationships with the government ( We were selected as the first Accelerator/Incubator for the gaming industry by the Ministry of Production ) and founded the first latin american publisher, Inca Games.

As head of the development department, from the very beginning, my tasks included, but were not limited to:

• Prototyping and technology research
• Create, design, and implement the processes and workflows for the development area and their coordination with other departments.
• Building and leading a team of 7 developers, which included recruiting, planning, controlling, code review, and managing the psychological aspects related to the activity
• Decide and plan the long-term objectives of the development department to best support the opportunities and challenges the company could meet in the future
• Represent the development department at meetings with investors, government officials, and partners

No doubt that building a company and making the biggest game of the country was and is an enormous challenge. I learned an amazing wealth of knowledge.

The Game Work Jam is a monthly gathering of indie developers looking to learn the ropes of thriving in the game industry.

It is a place where people can connect and develop their ideas under the supervision and mentorship of experienced game developers from the local game industry

I was one of those mentors, giving advice and feedback to many starting developers.

MICA is a regional forum for education and training for producers, businesses, and cultural professionals

It is the first space in Argentina where the different sectors of cultural industries gather at a single place with the purpose of generating business deals, exchanging information, and presenting their production to key personalities and organizations from all over the world. Participating sectors include: performing arts, audiovisual services, design, publishing, music, and video games.

Held by the Ministry of Culture together with the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Culture, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services

After leaving Gameloft, I set out with two partners and founded Motin Games. we specialized in games for mobile platforms and worked as a freelance team that can take over a whole project for industry clients.

• Streamlined internal processes for increased efficiency and productivity within the team.
• Optimized operational strategies by analyzing performance metrics and implementing improvements accordingly.
• Managed budgets and resources effectively, ensuring projects were delivered on time and within scope.
• Oversaw project management activities from inception through completion, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality results for clients.
• Established and maintained strong relationships with customers, vendors and strategic partners.

As a creations developer at Gameloft was part of the team tasked with the development of the new products of the company

Some of my tasks were:

• Developing gameplay systems and software architecture from scratch
• Be ready to jump into any ongoing development if needed ,and be able to deliver features quickly ( we produced around 4 games at the same time in any given moment )
• Finding and coordinating the best solutions possible, taking into account the constraints of the project.
• Estimate and self-manage my own work.
• Optimization of the games for a wide range of devices.
• Debugged complex software issues, leading to a more stable product release.
• Updated old code bases to modern development standards, improving functionality.
• Estimated work hours and tracked progress using Scrum methodology.

A1 Sistemas was my first job as a programmer, and I was really lucky to work with excellent professionals who became my mentors. I still apply up to this day many of the lessons I learned from them.

A1 Sistemas was dedicated to developing and maintaining all the software and infrastructure of Argentina's Buildings Workers Union, which is a national organization with thousands upon thousands of registered workers across the country.

Quickly became responsible for maintaining and developing some of the biggest pieces of software there.

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• Developed and maintained applications made with Visual Basic 6
• Responsible for maintaining and developing the software for the Union's University
• Responsible for maintaining and developing the software for the Union Pharmacy
• This software made thousands of transactions each day and provided service to hundreds of union workers; they had be online 24/7