Maks Maisak

I am a videogame AI programmer.

Basic info

Email
max.maisak@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/maksmaisak
GitHub
github.com/maksmaisak
Location
Haarlem, the Netherlands

About me

I am a videogame AI programmer, primarily in C++ in Unreal Engine.
I create maintainable, reusable, and efficient systems that meet the needs of multidisciplinary teams.
I have great communication and interpersonal skills, which I use to actively support and mentor team members to ensure the success of the project.
I am a citizen of the Netherlands.

Outside of work you can find me gaming, reading, or exploring exciting new technologies.
I occasionally dabble in web design and machine learning.

Work history

Game Programmer ⟶ Senior AI Programmer
September 2021 ⟶ January 2024 — Present
Vertigo Studios Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Was the sole AI programmer on a AAA VR title (Metro Awakening) from start to finish (3+ years)
  • Designed, implemented, and maintained all AI systems on the project
  • Successfully introduced Functional Testing which improved bugfixing speed and reliability
  • Onboarded, supported, and mentored multidisciplinary team members to build AI encounters
Game Programmer Intern
February 2021 — June 2021
Force Field Entertainment, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Created a JavaScript library for state management in multiplayer games
  • The library was used to implement all gameplay logic on a Node.js server for a Facebook Rooms game
Game Programmer Intern
September 2019 — January 2020
Force Field Entertainment, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  • Created character AI for an unannounced AAA VR title
  • Developed tools and plugins for Unreal Engine 4
  • Collaborated with designers to improve workflows

Education

Bachelor of Science (Game Engineering)
Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, the Netherlands
  • Graduated Cum Laude
  • Saxion Holland Top Talent Scholarship
  • Extended Saxion Talent Scholarship
  • Saxion Excellent Scholarship (x2)

Experience

  • 5+ years of professional Unreal Engine 4/5 experience
  • Spearheaded the development of enemy AI in a AAA VR title (Metro Awakening):
    • Designed, implemented, and maintained modular AI systems in Unreal Engine 5
    • These systems formed the foundation of AI tech in the studio
    • Implemented various enemy behaviors using Hierarchical Task Networks (HTN)
    • Closely supported a multidisciplinary team to create engaging enemy encounters
  • Created a commercial plugin for Hierarchical Task Networks (HTN) for Unreal Engine 4/5:
    • Visual HTN graph editor
    • Subplans: parts of a larger plan being planned or re-planned on demand
    • Ability to make custom nodes in both C++ and Blueprints
    • The plugin later became the backbone of enemy AI in Metro Awakening
  • Made an Entity-Component-System game engine in C++ with:
    • Cache-efficient component storage
    • Physically-Based Rendering (PBR)
    • Lua scripting support

Skills

Programming languages
C++, C#, Cg, GLSL, Lua, Python, JavaScript, Swift, Haskell, Rust
Engines, Frameworks & Libraries
Unreal Engine 4/5, Unity, OpenGL, GLM, SFML, GLFW, Lua C API, Assimp, VRTK, ShaderLab, Entitas, NUnit, DOTween, PyTorch, Matplotlib, NumPy
Tools & Software
Git, Perforce, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Rider, CLion
Other
HTML, CSS, Bootstrap
Languages
English (Fluent), Ukrainian (Native), Russian (Native), Dutch (Beginner/A2)
portfolio ⟶