Simon Halliday

• Design Owner on single-player and co-op Side Missions
  • Guided the missions through every step, from proposal to completion.
  • Implemented missions in Blueprints
  • Designed and scripted missions in Blueprints designed to be played single-player and co-op for ultimately unreleased content.
  • Laid out points of interest within the open world map that supported the missions whilst also fitting logically and aesthetically within the world itself.
  • Worked with Unreal’s Behaviour Tree system to implement appropriate AI.

Working closely with Arkane, I helped to augment the existing open world with missions that supported proposed new features for the game. I owned, and was responsible for, designing the missions, scripting the logic in blueprints, constructing the physical space, and handling NPC behaviour which included pathfinding and spawn behaviour.

• Designed and scripted gameplay content to populate Overland and Forbidden Forest area of the map
  • Designed puzzles and activities within the space constraints within a specific area.
  • Given the current setting, I designed content that fitted the themes and style of points of interest.
  • Took into consideration the player’s projected progression, both at the character and narrative level, in order to design meaningful gameplay.
  • Utilised Blueprints to script functionality and bring the design to life.

Working on the Forbidden Forest and outdoor areas of the iconic surroundings of Hogwarts castle, I was tasked with creating content that helped break the pace and improve the flow of content to keep players inquisitive. This involved identifying key areas that would be suitable for side missions and puzzle content that players could engage in between main missions. I was also responsible for designing and scripting some of the existing points of interest with naturally fitting and intuitive challenges that would occupy player attention and foster a sense of exploration.

• Designed large PvPvE maps for Tencent’s co-operative zombie-like shooter while considering the interplay between team-mates, players, and AI.

On Synced: Off Planet, a PvPvE FPS, I was tasked with creating some of the large maps that the game plays out on. I took these maps all the way from initial theming and photo reference to block-out, and finally being ready for a full art pass.

My goals at a high level were to:

• Establish a location for the map that fitted the game’s themes and style.
• Ensure that the space supported the major mechanics of the game.
• Structuring the map along multiple points of interest to provide breaks in pace and flow

At a lower, and more nuanced, level my focus was on:

• Crafting spaces within points of interest that would generate interesting combat by channelling and gating enemy AI around the scene.
• Balancing pickups and loot across the area
• Keeping spaces between points of interest engaging for players by crafting encounters and still providing cover and occlusion for interesting combat.