Studio: Hangar 13
Job Opening: Principal AI Designer
Location: Brighton, England, United Kingdom
Type: Full-Time
Responsibilities:
- Ownership of some of the AI behaviours and features from prototype to shipping.
- Own the feature development for AI game design, combat, and non-combat NPCs in the game.
- Craft new archetypes that fit the vision of a Mafia game. All the way from creative and technical design prototypes to enemy behaviours and abilities.
- Evangelise core gameplay features to the rest of the team and help develop best practices for the designers to utilise in their content.
- Ensure that players can understand the AI’s intention and plan their combat accordingly.
- Analyse, validate, and incorporate feedback from the team and external user testing.
- Collaborate in cross-disciplinary pods to implement, tune, and balance combat.
- Author and maintain design documentation.
Qualifications & Skills:
- A deep understanding of game design principles and the role of AI in gameplay loops.
- Understanding of how AI, tactical space, and player verbs combine to create unique moments.
- Experience working with Unreal Engine.
- Passion for creating complex, balanced systems and linking those to desired player experiences.
- Keeps up to date with current industry trends, features, and techniques related to the execution of engaging AIs.
- Has proven ability to create fun, engaging combat or non-combat NPCs in a previous role.
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration is second nature, and you know how to use diverse opinions to bring the best out of your features.
- Shipped one or more AAA game titles in an AI Design role or similar.
- Ability to drive prioritisation and scheduling of work for owned feature(s).
- Creative problem-solving skills, able to consider both the details and the bigger picture.
- Can independently understand and solve technical challenges related to your features.
- Strong documentation skills, proficiency with Wiki systems or Confluence is a plus.
- Strong collaboration skills, able to work well with team members from other subject areas and in other locations.