Update 1.15
Weather System
In update 1.15, I refactored the current weather system and added the ash bloom weather condition. The new weather system can combine different weather presets and its phases. During gameplay the weather transitions smoothly between these presets.
Ash Bloom
This weather condition significantly impacts gameplay, enabling strategic moves during its heavy phase due to low visiblity. Additionally, during the heavy phase, the behavior of our animal characters is affected as they become easily frightened.
Drilling Compact
Design
This drilling variant is a sawed off version of the original. It gains a lot of possibilities in loadout combinations due to being a medium slot weapon. However this cut down version comes with some drawbacks in the form of reduced damage output and its effective range.
Technical Implementation
Implementing this weapon was a challenge from animation perspective since we had to make a complete new set of animations to support the front barrel being cut off.
Drilling Hatchet
Design
The drilling hatchet is a weapon similar to the drilling handcannon, but it has a large hatchet attached. The hatchet makes its melee attack stronger but you consume more stamina. Heavy hatchet increases weapon sway but reduces recoil for better control when shooting.
Technical Implementation
Implementing this weapon was quite straight forward. The only challenge was the blending between the hip fire pose and the shoulder pose. Since these poses are so far apart linear blending can only do so much.
Progression Rework
Design
I worked alongside multiple designers to rework our progression system. I was responsible to merge some existing traits together into new traits. We combined these traits because they didn't provide players enough value while being seperate. We were able to measure this by the usage rate of these traits. So we decided to group similar traits together to provide more value to players.
Implementation
I worked together with our backend engineers to design and implement a trait deprecation system. The system refunds or replaces any traits marked as deprecated on existing players profiles. If the deprecated trait has a replacement defined the trait is replaced with it.
General Support and Onboarding
During 1.15 we had some new collegues join and I was tasked in onboarding them into our systems providing them with support and documentation on our systems and workflows.
I also supported other designers in creating their content due to the workload and a shorter development cycle.