Alex Williams - Creative Interactive Designer

Alex Williams - Creative Interactive Designer

 -RIGS: mechanised combat league -


Project Description

RIGS: Mechanised Combat League is a frenetic team-based mech shooter that combines science fiction, high octane team sports, and explosive competition. Developed as an exclusive launch title for the Playstation VR platform, RIGS immerses players in the driver's seat of the greatest spectator sport around.

I worked on RIGS as an intern while it was in development at Guerrilla Cambridge, a Sony first party studio and sister developer to Guerrilla Amsterdam.

I won the internship as a result of my participation in Brain's Eden 2014.


-    Level Design // Systems Design // Scripting   -    Playstation 4    -    Proprietary Visual Scripting   -   2014-2015 // 5 months // Studio  -


Project Role

On RIGS, I was involved in a variety of design tasks, fluctuating between the level and systems teams. Work included experimenting with game logic and modes, level design for both existing and prototype multiplayer content, and level/content design for tutorialisation. 

Additionally, I was asked to participate in some multidisciplinary work due to my indie background; working on a rough functional mockup of the game's front end, complete with animated UI elements. I coordinated this prototype work with the art team.

Finally, I also participated in (play)testing content and some visual scripting bug-fixing in the proprietary engine.

Challenges

Besides adjusting to the studio environment at GC (and their production software), my time on RIGS was about gaining an understanding of the game; its history, opportunities, and limitations. It was the first time I had worked on a project several years into the development cycle - that process of iteration carried on as I worked to catch up. 

For level design, the initial challenge was working with the game's scope and scale; movement, speed, flow, specific RIG class requirements, designing around game mode specific problems/opportunities (etc.), and their changing values during production.  

Another focus of my learning process on RIGS was the scope and specifics of deliverables. Coming from small team/solo productions I had to learn to more specifically scope my work and make more concrete agreements to fit into the studio whole in an ongoing dialogue with my leads.

Goals and Outcome

Besides the tried and true work experience in industry, having an opportunity to test my adaptability and find a satisfying position in a large team were particularly important to me.

I wanted to work with - and learn to work with - new people in an engaging environment while exploring my interests and testing my boundaries.  

Working on RIGS taught me a lot about my work preferences; the benefits, challenges, and problems of AAA development, and why I'm so drawn to the indie scene as well.  

 

 


Software Tools Used

 -   Adobe PhotoShop // Autodesk Maya // Proprietary Scripting Software   -  


 

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