Senior Combat Designer

Summary

Join Cloud Chamber as a Senior Combat Designer to contribute to the creation of innovative AI characters and combat gameplay for the next BioShock game. Collaborate with a team of designers to craft immersive encounters, develop AI and combat prototypes, and maintain combat AI behavior. You will be responsible for creating design documentation, participating in brainstorming sessions, and collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams. This fully remote role requires experience shipping at least one AAA title as a designer responsible for encounter design or combat design, along with 5+ years of professional experience in video game design. Cloud Chamber offers a competitive salary, benefits including health insurance, retirement plan (401k), paid time off (holidays, vacation, sick days), and a collaborative work environment.

Requirements

• Shipped at least one AAA title as a designer responsible for encounter design. OR, Shipped at least one AAA title as a combat designer
• 5+ years professional experience in video game design
• Proven experience in executing an idea from concept to ship
• Knowledge of current game trends in technology
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working with a variety of established game toolsets
• Deep understanding of game mechanics, combat systems, and AI NPC design
• Fluent with game development tools, and experience with pipelines, standards and workflows
• Experience working in a collaborative environment with cross disciplinary groups
• Strong presentation skills
• Current knowledge of gaming industry development landscape, technology and tools
• Understanding of how AI, tactical space, and player verbs combine to create magic in both scripted and unscripted settings
• Extensive knowledge of behavior trees in Unreal Engine 5
• In-depth knowledge of industry standard AI, progression systems, and player mechanics features

Responsibilities

• Work with Leads, the Design Director, and the design team to craft immersive encounters throughout the game
• Act as the primary owner of combat and AI implementation in cross-disciplinary pods
• Develop working prototypes of AI and combat scenarios
• Communicate progress, workflows and availability of AI and combat standards to content developers
• Maintain and tune assigned combat AI behavior and parameters through to project completion
• Create detailed and easy to follow design documentation
• Expand and build on the ideas of player expression and emergent design experiences
• Use your creativity to execute on design goals and solve design challenges that push our games forward
• Participate in brainstorming sessions, refine and execute on ideas within a schedule
• Collaborate with cross disciplinary teams to execute on design implementation and problem solving
• Work with a team of designers entrusted with implementing combat gameplay content in an immersive sandbox world
• Help solidify best practices and workflows conducive to consistency and deliverability of game content within your team
• Participate in the cross-pollination of ideas and sharing of knowledge amongst content creators
• Collaborate with other developers to build an FPS combat paradigm that is accessible, satisfying, and allows for a high degree of player expression and experimentation within a highly reactive world

Preferred Qualifications

• A desire to work in a closely collaborative environment, a positive force multiplier with a great team-player attitude
• Self-motivated, proactive, and solutions oriented
• Intermediate level problem solving skills
• Ability to partner with a diverse group of personalities effectively and constructively
• Flexible and collaborative mindset and attitude
• Uncompromising ethics and unwavering integrity
• Willing to uphold the values of Cloud Chamber

Benefits

• 401(K) plan
• Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Minimum of 15 days of vacation leave per year (subject to proration based on start date during the calendar year)
• 10 sick days per calendar year
• Bonus and/or equity awards
• Remote work