Economy: Designed micro and macro economy, both in main game and metagame. Includes working directly with gameplay programming and level design on loot distribution setup and execution.
Metagame: Established design for survivor camp management systems, vendors, and character upkeep. Collaborated with UI on screen design for all metagame menus.
Console Design: Worked closely with console developers to design gamepad features such as aim assist, input, and UI.
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Progression: Created unique XP progression system and rarity system. Worked on unlockables system with gameplay programming, enabling cosmetics, questing, and more.
Ranged Combat: Designed ranged weapons in a spread-centric atmosphere based on player psychographics. Worked with gameplay programming to keep data replication needs to a minimum and weapon art on weapon necessities.
Melee Combat: Worked directly with animators and gameplay programming to establish notify-based CQC combat system enabling light/heavy attacks.
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Abilities:
Collaborated with technical designers to create abilities/effects using
UE’s ability system. Includes team effort with UI, gameplay, and level
design to match combat tempo and expectations.
Analytics:
Spearheaded need for analytics as a method to understand/leverage player
behavior in a positive way. Worked directly with programmers and
marketing to establish design necessities.
Gameplay Balance: responsible for gameplay balancing on assigned features as well as performing weekly internal/external playtests, providing full feedback as needed.
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Overkill's The Walking Dead (OTWD) is a four player cooperative first person looter shooter in the same veins as Left 4 Dead. It features multiple characters with unique abilities, over 30+ weapons, 250+ weapon mods, and an episodic format for DLC releases.
Many of the systems below were created with scope in mind: due to our limited time (1 year) from the engine swap, we had to drastically cut scope while maintaining as much of the original vision as needed. |
Progression SystemsCharacter XP: We went with a system that pushes for no single level to be the most optimal for XP or gear. Players are given XP dependent on their current progression status, so we can accurately predict a full progression model, and one that would stand up to a lower amount of testing time.
Character Abilities: Abilities were designed with the time frame and IP expectations in mind. Each character has a special innate ability that is never shared, a signature ability that is shared once the character is max level, and a secondary ability slot. All abilities were balanced with player "power fantastic" being married to playstyles that lean into synergy with other characters. Looting: Loot drops rely on "power level", similar in design to light level that you see in the Destiny franchise. Player's with a higher power level receive stronger rewards. Playing on higher difficulties gives stronger rewards as well, with chances to get higher end rarities. We also had safeguards and multipliers to ensure player's continue to not only receive relevant loot for their current character, but also maintain an even spread. Camp System: OTWD also had a camp system complete with survivors who had their own classes, health, missions, and building assignments. Assigning survivors to buildings gives the player unique upgrades in the main action phase of the game that was not gain-able in any other way. |
Combat Systems
General Balance: Given the shortened time frame, we went for simplicity where possible. Ranged weapons adopted the spread bloom-based approached as players should be accurate, but not have itchy trigger fingers due to the local and region-based noise systems we have. For melee, we went with a notify-based system, utilizing UE4 where possible to create light and heavy attacks. Players were not given the ability to shove with a ranged weapon to push for meaningful decisions: If you choose a ranged weapon, you are going for ranged combat. This means that with a ranged weapon out, walkers are naturally stronger, and with melee out, humans become the main threat to the player. Ranged Weapons: All ranged weapons were balanced on the principle of player "power fantasies", and choosing real life weaponry that meets these expectations, then aligning those expectations with our cast of characters. Aidan, being a classic bruiser with moments of high defense, we have the SPAS-12 or other high damaging shotguns. However, players who wish to remain more agile as Aidan can use a double barrel to get huge bursts of damage in sporadic combat instead. Getting a higher power level weapon could alter it's behavior slightly as well. Melee Weapons: Melee weapons are built around giving players the ability to control distance. Each weapon family was given a special "ability": baseball bats have a multihit heavy attack for huge damage, where the staff has two hits in its heavy, allowing for more choice. Machetes dismember, but Pickaxes excel at destroying armor. The Fireaxe is the only weapon in the beginning to 1 hit walkers, but at a massive stamina cost. Character's wielding their proficient weapon were rewarded with a damage bonus at the base level, as well as any skill point-based bonuses for that weapon family. Aim Assist: I was also tasked with implementation and balance of aim assist, both for PC and for joypads. We included systems for bullet magnetism (head only), sticky aim, sensitivity adjustment, and settings for determining aim assist targets based on distance from cursor vs. distance from player. |
Metagame/Economy Systems
Resource Distribution: Working with programming, we created a loot system to give the appearance of randomness while in the action phase. Utilizing "Loot Regions", we could control the number of lootable locations, amount of lootables spawned, and if needed, control priority and micro distribution using UE4 tags.
As difficulty goes up in OTWD, we simply alter the amount of resources that spawn, giving the appearance of scarcity by simply condensing the loot the player could potentially find, requiring a keener eye to survive. Unlockables System: Put together in only a few months, the unlockables system is designed to cover all aspects relating to unlocking content. Whether it's a player facing quest, a hidden objective, or purchaseable content, the unlockables system covers it. Survivors: Survivors are designed similar to World of Warcraft: they have their own classes, XP, and progression systems, as well as missions, all of which I was tasked with implementing and balancing. Economy: A main part of my assignments, the economy was simulated entirely in spreadsheets at first for testing, as we did not have the game version up and running because of the engine switch. We implemented caps and several stopgaps in case the economy crashed from any angle. This resulted in a stiffer, more robotic economy, but does not sacrifice the rest of the game as a result. |
Launch Trailer
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Gameplay Trailer
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