Responsibilities

I worked as a systems and combat designer with my primary contributions being:

• Conceptualizing and iterating on the crafting mechanics.

• Iterating on core combat mechanics.

Achievements

While conceptualizing and iterating on the crafting gameplay, I learned the importance of maintaining an overview of tweakable gameplay variables and using tools such as Excel to simulate and assess the impact of balance changes before implementation.

When the team received feedback from the client that combat needed sweeping changes to fit the desired experience, I focused on identifying the client’s needs and translating them into design changes.

Results

Arboreal was my first foray into designing larger gameplay systems such as crafting and combat. It taught me about the interdependencies that arise when systems interact with each other.

The changes I made to overhaul combat also highlighted that complexity is not necessarily better when it does not contribute to the player’s expectations of the experience.