W3D Hub is looking for hobby programmers!

Coolrock · January 22, 2021

Hi everyone! We're currently actively looking for talented hobby programmers to join our code team!

Who are we?

W3D Hub is a non-profit team of developers that focus on further development of Command & Conquer Renegade's W3D Game Engine.

C&C Renegade's W3D Engine is an enigma of sorts. Around the time when games like Unreal and Quake were popular, Westwood Studios released their own FPS into the market; C&C Renegade. The special thing about this game was the unique multiplayer mode that it released with. Two teams attempt to destroy each others bases with infantry and vehicles that are purchased using credits generated via an RTS-style economy model featuring harvesters and refineries. To this day there has not been a game that has come close to emulating the unique experiences found in C&C Renegade. We still develop on this engine today because it's fun and we have a good amount of flexibility with what we want to accomplish for our projects. The engine is also fairly easy to develop for which allows for rapid iteration and easy onboarding.

Formed in 2015, W3D Hub's mission statement has been to preserve and develop the W3D Engine to not only keep Renegade cheats and hacks in check, but to also further develop the engine with new features past what was previously thought possible. Over the years, reverse engineering has allowed us to access parts of the engine that were previously inaccessible, so we now have a number of overhaul projects for various areas of the engine in progress, as well as quality of life updates and other interesting new features.

W3D Hub also makes games that take advantage of the development being carried out on the engine. Most of our game concepts involve taking existing C&C titles like Red Alert, Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 and attempt to remake them as FPS games, but we also house a number of original projects as well. All of our games are free for C&C fans to enjoy, and as our operation is classed as a "C&C extension project" we are able to distribute them freely without players needing a copy of the original game.

What are we looking for?

We are currently looking for seasoned hobby programmers who are looking for a new challenge, as well as newcomers that are looking for some experience working on C++ projects. We are strictly a non-profit organisation and are bound by IP limitations (EA, Command & Conquer), so we can't offer any kind of salary. Our community has a long established history of making games to the point where several of our members also work in the wider games industry professionally, so it is a great place to socialise and grow your skills (especially if you're a fan of C&C).

Here's what we are looking for skills-wise:

Essential Qualities - All of the following are preferred:

Intermediate to High level of C++ programming knowledge including modern C++ features.

Working knowledge of Visual Studio 2019 for Windows Development.

Working knowledge of Git and how to use it and work with repositories.

Good communications skills, being as we are a satellite team.

A passion for video games and programming.

Desirable Qualities - Any of the following are preferred but not mandatory:

An interest in Command & Conquer or Frank Herbert's Dune would be nice, but is not necessary.

A friendly attitude and the ability to work well with others.

Experience reading existing code and understanding what it does, sometimes in the absence of documentation.

Knowledge of how to profile code to find out where slowdowns are (and identifying how to make code faster or better on memory use, especially math heavy code).

Experience with Direct3D 11 (including HLSL and programmable shaders).

Good 3D Math skills including boxes, lines, frustums, vectors, matrices, quaternions, collision detection math, curves and splines.

Knowledge of physics types and how to create/edit them (e.g. Fixed Wing Aircraft, Walkers/Mecha etc.).

Knowledge of the FMOD sound engine.

Knowledge of font rendering including foreign languages and character sets.

Knowledge of the WxWidgets UI library.

Knowledge of the 3D Studio Max API.

Why should you join us?

Joining W3D Hub presents a unique opportunity to work on an older game engine with a team of likeminded individuals, but on top of that, here's a few more reasons why you should consider joining us.

Working with Renegade's W3D engine and building upon it's code base is a unique opportunity that presents many interesting challenges.

We're a reliable team with a history of development spanning over a decade, so your work won't go to waste.

Working on the Renegade engine is good experience for your Résumé/CV and also great for honing your C++ skills.

The mission statement of translating the RTS C&C games into a First Person perspective is a unique prospect in itself.

We're all a friendly bunch of people (from both inside and outside of the games industry) who enjoy developing and playing games together.

How to apply!

If you wish to join our team, please send an email to jonwil, our lead programmer, at [email protected] and let him know why you're interested in joining us as well as what skills you can offer!

Hopefully, with your help, we can further development of C&C Renegade's W3D Engine!

Here are a few quick links:

W3D Hub Official Website

Thanks for reading!

Edited January 22, 2021 by Coolrock