Lead Engineer / Network Engineer
Feb 2020 - Aug 2020
Ensured that we had very consistent and stable netcode as well as working on much of the gameplay and core systems. One of two engineers, acted as Lead. Handled Steamworks webpage and uploading game using SteamTools.
My Role
I joined the Five Finger Gunslinger team after Greenlight, where I was tasked with adding networking to the game and creating a full game experience. My roles quickly expanded throughout the project, and by the end I had touched most of the systems to ensure they were network ready. Once summer development started, I went up to Lead Programmer.
Team
I cannot thank my team enough for their great efforts in making this game. There is a piece of every single person in this game, and it would not be the same without them all.
- Systems Designer: Griffin Carlson
- Level Designer and QA: Tyler Lamon
- Lead Programmer: Jake Rose (me)
- AI Programmer: Kyle Murray
- Producer: Amy Zebrowski
- Lead Artist: Lee Siassi
- 3D Artist: Jodi M.
Gameplay Clip
Development
Here is an extended list of features and responsibilities held by me. In each system I design, I prioritize creating many different variables for the designers to modify to their hearts content. They should never need my help to modify the behavior of a system, and I love to utilize Unity's variable Tool-tip System to help explain variables further without needing to dive into the code.
Semester Achievements
- Implemented full networking into the game using Photon PUN.
- Created third person camera and character controller, ensuring this transferred over to online play.
- Created menu and lobby system. Added random matchmaking for all online players.
- Added effects system so all players would experience same visual effects without sending unnecessary data over the network.
- Applied networking framework to Kyle's (other programmers) AI System.
- Upgraded rendering and lighting, baked scene lighting, and added post processing to make the game sparkly.
- Bug Hunter Trophy Achieved. Game worked perfectly among all connected parties by the Semester Beta version.
Summer Achievements
Going into the summer, we wanted to commit and get our game up for a full Steam release.
- Created extension to Photon to allow for multiple local players in an online game. This is how bots are added to the lobby as well.
- Utilized Steamworks SDK to create depots, upload builds to Steam, and publish the build to the public.
- Cross-Platform support added for Mac and Linux + SteamOS, with unique depots for each platform.
- Added the final level of systems needed for a full release, with additional options, menus, a profanity filter, all the goodies for a complete packaged experience.
- Optimized frame rate to allow the game to run on low-end computers.
- I got to hit the big green "Release" button on Steam! 😊