Senior Combat Designer - Freelance
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What you'll do
- Develop our approach to combat by building upon and refining the project's core systems.
- Pitch, prototype, implement, balance, and ship a wide variety of enemy archetypes and/or bosses.
- Tune the combat experience at the micro level: animation lengths, I-frames, Hit boxes, and frame-data polish.
- Collaborate to structure enemy behaviour in conjunction with overarching RPG mechanics and game progression, including weapon levelling, stats, and character builds.
- Implement character combat behaviours using Unreal features such as Behaviour Trees, Animation Graphs, and Blueprints.
- Provide Gameplay Programmers with comprehensive technical requirements and collaborate to achieve the desired feature implementation.
- Build basic combat level setups to communicate design intent to Level Design, Art, and Production departments.
- Address bugs and gameplay issues to ensure a stable, polished product through to shipping.
- Work with other departments (Character Art, Animation, VFX, Audio, etc.) to ship characters with state-of-the-art levels of polish.
- Create clear, concise, and visually oriented design material explaining mechanics, features, and systems.
- Help assess project progress and quality by utilizing results from usability, focus, and in-house playtests.
- Provide constructive feedback and propose solutions to improve the quality of the current project or future titles.
What they're looking for
- 5+ years of Game Design experience.
- Demonstrable prior experience as a Combat Designer for several years or in a comparable role.
- A deep passion for and expertise in the Soulslike genre.
- Excellent knowledge of gameplay mechanics, features, and what makes modern games work.
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine and experience with the creation of Blueprints.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are essential for this role.
- An open and creative mind with the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
Nice to have
- Preferably have shipped at least 1 AAA title in a design capacity.
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming. As we embark on an ambitious strategic roadmap with major releases planned for 2026-2028, we're seeking a talented and dedicated Senior Combat Designer to help us create ground-breaking experiences that captivate players worldwide.
A career at CI Games is about being part of a team working on some of the most creatively rewarding and ambitious projects to be found in any entertainment medium. You would be welcomed to a dedicated and inclusive environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.
Key Responsibilities:
Combat Systems & Enemy Design
Develop our approach to combat by building upon and refining the project's core systems.
Pitch, prototype, implement, balance, and ship a wide variety of enemy archetypes and/or bosses.
Tune the combat experience at the micro level: animation lengths, I-frames, Hit boxes, and frame-data polish.
Collaborate to structure enemy behaviour in conjunction with overarching RPG mechanics and game progression, including weapon levelling, stats, and character builds.
Technical Implementation & Oversight
Implement character combat behaviours using Unreal features such as Behaviour Trees, Animation Graphs, and Blueprints.
Provide Gameplay Programmers with comprehensive technical requirements and collaborate to achieve the desired feature implementation.
Build basic combat level setups to communicate design intent to Level Design, Art, and Production departments.
Address bugs and gameplay issues to ensure a stable, polished product through to shipping.
Collaboration & Documentation
Work with other departments (Character Art, Animation, VFX, Audio, etc.) to ship characters with state-of-the-art levels of polish.
Create clear, concise, and visually oriented design material explaining mechanics, features, and systems.
Help assess project progress and quality by utilizing results from usability, focus, and in-house playtests.
Provide constructive feedback and propose solutions to improve the quality of the current project or future titles.
Key Requirements:
5+ years of Game Design experience.
Demonstrable prior experience as a Combat Designer for several years or in a comparable role.
A deep passion for and expertise in the Soulslike genre.
Preferably have shipped at least 1 AAA title in a design capacity.
Excellent knowledge of gameplay mechanics, features, and what makes modern games work.
Familiarity with Unreal Engine and experience with the creation of Blueprints.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are essential for this role.
An open and creative mind with the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
What we offer:
5 months freelance contract with immediate start.
Remote work with flexible schedules (core working hours 10am-4pm CET), allowing you to work alongside talented individuals from around the world.
An opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and stay at the forefront of the gaming industry.
A diverse and inclusive workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status.
Company
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