Responsibilities:

At Lightspeed LA, we are developing LAST SENTINEL, an ambitious sci-fi open- world game. We are looking for Gameplay Designers who are enthusiastic about contributing to various sub-disciplines of gameplay design, including Combat, Systems, Vehicle, and Camera. This role is open to intermediate level designers and senior designers who are still early in their tenure.

The assignment of sub-disciplines is based on the candidate's previous experience and interests. A designer will be assigned a maximum of TWO sub-disciplines. This role is an excellent opportunity for designers to learn from experts and craftsmen in the fields.

In this role, you will report to Lead Gameplay Designer and sub-discipline lead or sub-discipline point designer.

Responsibilities

Sub-discipline: Combat

• Based on your experience and interest, you will be assigned to work on either Player or Enemy Combatant features and content

• Drive combat gameplay features and content from initial concepts through written specs, implementation, iteration and completion

• Alternatively, you might be dropped into features that are already in motion and tasked to take them pass the finish line

• Collaborate closely with cross-disciplinary peers from engineering, animation, SFX and VFX to implement and tune features and content

• Collaborate closely with Mission Design and World Design teams to anticipate and solve problems arise during content creation for their respective domains

• Represent combat team to various disciplines as the go-to-person for solutions of assigned features or content and manage their expectations

Sub-discipline: Systems

• Assist in brainstorming, prototyping, implementing, and fine-tuning deep game systems that are rewarding, easy to understand, and easy to use for a AAA open world game.

• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams to create memorable and engaging gameplay that aligns with the creative and holistic direction of the game

Sub-discipline: Vehicle

• Tune vehicle physics and handling for a wide range of vehicle types and ensure their mechanical characteristics are translated to fun and distinct style of driving experience

• Tune vehicular combat mechanics and AI govern hostile vehicles and their occupants

• Author and tune data related to vehicle destruction states and destructible parts

• Author and tune vehicle cosmetics data to give our faction-based vehicles a visual identity

• Collaborate closely with gameplay camera team to achieve high level of playability and presentation

Sub-discipline: Camera

• Author and tune player camera systems for traversal, ranged combat, melee combat, and driving

• Contribute to the development of a cohesive cinematographic style for moment-to-moment gameplay presentation including ambient world interacts, runtime mission/objective presentation, environment vista shots, mini-game presentation elements 

• Identify and design unique camera behaviors and compositions for various gameplay modes and narrative moments

• Collaborate with Cinematic team to ensure our cameras have a unified style and transitions between gameplay camera and cinematic are seamless

• Strive to make gameplay cameras feel intuitive for as many players as possible (UX)

Requirements:

• 2+ years of experience in gameplay design in at least one of the following areas:

  • Player 3Cs

  • Combat

  • AI / Enemy

  • Systems

  • Vehicle

  • Camera

• Must be fluent with Unreal Editor and Blueprint scripting

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey difficult and abstract concepts to all disciplines

• Excellent ability to self-manage to meet deadlines and work well under pressure

• Critical thinking, open-mindedness, resourcefulness, and flexibility

• Ability and desire to work in an extremely creative and collaborative environment

Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with at least TWO additional qualifications from the list below:

• Experience in design, implementation, troubleshoot and tuning of Player 3Cs and traversal mechanics

• Experience in design, implementation, troubleshoot and tuning of enemy combatants and AI behaviors

• Experience in collaborating with animators to create gameplay friendly animations that strike the right balance between fidelity, fluidity and responsiveness

• Analytical skills for evaluating systems and interpreting player behavior

• Analytical skills for understanding physics systems that underpin the driving dynamics of different genres of racing games (i.e. Arcade, Simulation, Extreme Sport, etc.)

• Passion for visual storytelling and fostering emotional connection to game characters

• Possess a knowledge of competing products and an understanding of the complex interdependencies of open world gameplay mechanics and systems and edge cases unique to sandbox style gameplay

 

Location State(s)

California

 

The base pay range for this position in the state(s) above is $62,640.0 to $186,840.0 per year. Actual pay is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A sign on payment, relocation package, and restricted stock units may be provided as part of the compensation package, as well as other medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the specific position offered.