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Lead Combat Designer
4 years ago
WHO WE ARE
We’re ArenaNet—we’ve created a studio that builds online worlds infused with innovation, hand-crafted excellence, and creative passion. We're not the only ones who share this passion; gamers made Guild Wars 2 the fastest selling MMO in the West with more than 3 million copies sold in its first 9 months, and players and press have consistently called it one of the best games of all time.
We cherish our relationship with gamers. For over 10 years, we've been building trust with our players by delivering a series of consistently good experiences over time. We engage. We listen. We design for them.
WHO WE SEEK
ArenaNet is seeking a creative, technical, and team-oriented Lead Combat Designer for an unannounced 3 rd -person fantasy action console title.
As the Lead Combat Designer, you will work closely with project leadership to ensure alignment in direction, and then lead and champion your team’s efforts to deliver a compelling moment-to-moment experience.
You will inspire passion and creativity in those around you. You will bring hands-on expertise to empower the combat team. You will find innovative ways to improve the experience while preserving scope. You will help us shape the product from an early stage and help drive the implementation of that vision into a reality.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Partner with the Creative Director to ensure combat design is well-aligned to the project vision.
- Work with the Lead Designer to ensure combat reinforces interconnected systems such as player progression, social interactions, monetization, and live operations.
- Collaborate frequently with other product owners to identify and maintain what's best for the game.
- Immediately assume creative leadership and ownership of a multi-disciplinary strike team of designers, animators, and engineers in a setting where strike team composition may shift over time to suit the needs of the project.
- Directly manage several designers.
- Build and iterate on core combat systems such as AI, locomotion, camera, weapons, and abilities.
- Design, extend, and maintain processes, tools, workflows, and features for the team.
- Participate in both internal and external playtests by writing test scripts, moderating sessions, interviewing respondents, and fostering a safe environment for constructive feedback.
QUALIFICATIONS
An ideal Lead Combat Designer is an inspirational collaborator. They are deeply and personally invested in their work. They embrace challenge and are excited by the opportunity to compete against other AAA titles. They can thrive and be fulfilled within a previously determined context while still finding ways to leave their mark on our game, our team, our company, and our industry.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years of gameplay design roles.
- At least 2 shipped controller-enabled games on PC or consoles.
- Experience designing and implementing 3 rd -person combat in Unreal 4, including expert-level proficiency with blueprints and the ability system.
- Experience prototyping in pre-production with a familiarity and understanding of the unique challenges of early game development.
- Ability to evolve complex and ambiguous problems into clear, actionable solutions.
- Extraordinary visual and verbal communication skills.
- Experience designing and documenting weapon systems, damage systems, abilities, or other fundamental action game systems.
- Experience tuning complex game combat systems such as aim assist cones, control response curves, and AI behaviors.
- Experience with at least one common scripting language (Python, Lua, etc.).
- Ability to creatively align with a leadership team and then take initiative.
- Practical knowledge of user-centered design methodologies and principles.
This is a full-time, on-site position at our studio in Bellevue, Washington. A casual, friendly work environment, comprehensive benefits package, competitive salary, and more are all part of what makes ArenaNet a great place to work.
ArenaNet is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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