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Join the award-winning team that created God of War
Santa Monica Studio is seeking a Senior Encounter Designer for the development of a new, unannounced title!
In this role, you will assist, collaborate with, and take direction from the Combat and Level Design teams, Design Directors and Game Directors to place, tune and maintain combat scenarios and encounters throughout the game.
Senior level applicants are expected to be able to drive features forward by representing them with confidence and knowledge, and keep all feature stakeholders well informed, as well as using their skills and experience to bolster the team via process improvement, mentorship, and leading by example.
Responsibilities
Work with existing AI cast, level mechanics, and environmental components to create scenarios that map to the desired pacing and difficulty for each combat encounter in the game
Collaborate with level and environment teams to address performance issues, bugs, and adhere to metrics and best practices
Liaise closely with the combat team responsible for design, creation, and maintenance of AI cast members
Learn and become effective with both the combat design and level design tools and workflow
Support and champion the gameplay vision and align encounter experiences with game and player needs
Be aware of varying play styles and build encounters that provide accurate level of challenge for different audiences
Work closely with production partners to establish and maintain the timely completion of encounters
Gather, respond to, and implement feedback from both playtests and director reviews
Play and replay encounters and tune for quality
Drive and create opportunities for value addition within the team and studio
Requirements
4+ years in game development, with at least 2 years in a Combat or Encounter Design role
Experience using a text-based and/or visual scripting language to set up character logic
Basic knowledge of scripting languages and code (e.g., XML, C++, PERL) is preferred but not required
Experience building 3D layouts in support of combat encounters
Must be able to grasp and work with code-based proprietary tools to implement and troubleshoot issues
Must have knowledge of competitive products and various gameplay genres, as well as a personal understanding of video game fun
Ability to think logically with a strong level of attention to detail
Must be able to professionally communicate and work with other members of the game production team
Preferred Experience
Basic knowledge of scripting languages and code (e.g., XML, C++, PERL)
Prior experience building and tuning combat encounters in a 3rd person action game
Experience with Maya
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$106,600—$159,800 USD
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.