NATHAN CHANDLER GIBSON
TECHNICAL GAME DESIGNER
PvPvE Extraction | PC, Console | 2021 | UE4
A competitive 3rd-Person heist title where 2 teams of outlaws fight to extract a wealthy sum of stolen gold.
Contributions
Progression
Within the Character strike team, I defined the Perks for the initial 4 Heroes as a unlockable perks to enrichen gameplay styles and co-operative play. ​​​Perks were refined by playtests, where lesser chosen ones were merged to bolster meaningful options, then allocated into 3 slots to encourage player discovery of "hidden roles".
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I introduced Trinkets and Legends as lore-filled collectables obtained by interacting with the AI/environment to build attachment to the "steal from the rich" setting, and balanced the Daily Challenges variety and EXP distribution to support the macro engagement loop.
Onboarding Mission Scenario
To aid setting the tone, I championed and prototyped an opening narrative mission to supplement a standard tutorial sequence at a low-cost, considering project time constraints.​ I co-lead a small strike team to craft this mission using a light-weight finite state-machine Mission System for tracking objectives and checkpoints.
To further highlight the co-op game pillar of "Unity", checkpoints fire up previously-acted character recordings via Anim Sequencer, and visual-scripted ranged-combat actions for non-controlled allies to work and fight alongside during your first heist. Camera sequences play when transitioning between participants to frame the wheels of a heist mid-motion and all participants have a role to play.
Game Modes
The game released during my time on another project, however community feedback highlighted a dominant passive game-winning strategy which motivated me to review match data and propose alternatives to increase player interactions. I showcased the team multiple playable proposals of varying costs towards an overhauled scoring system; addressing the team-play moments, come-back opportunities, UIUX clarity, and fantasy of the core game mode.
The Game Mode changes were included in Season 1's update, showcasing a +230% increase of the player-base.
Combat Design
Temporarily returning to the project for a Season 1 update, I championed and prototyped the 5th Character's kit via combat Anim Montages and visual scripting, leading a small strike team to deepen combat options.
An expansion to the combat system introduced directional-actions and stances to allow opting into and weaving advanced combat actions while working within a predefined control scheme (e.g., Hold Forward/Backward on Heavy Attack for different outcomes).​​
Using collated live ops and server heat-map data, I introduced abilities to fill gaps in team dynamics, such as area-denial for controlling dominant pathways, and a shield counter-play to the instant-kill arrow ability.