Professional Portfolio
Browse Projects:
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Combat Trailer
Spawn Team Reponsibilities
- Worked with the Writing and Scripting teams to spawn ambient/combat NPCs
- Scripted NPC behaviors to ensure that environments felt alive
- Created and maintained extensive spawning documentation
Combat Team Reponsibilities
- Conceptualized and implemented numerous NPC combat abilities
- Used proprietary tools to balance combat abilities
- Implemented and balanced over a dozen boss battles
- Worked closely in a four-man team to implement and balance combat
- Created and maintained extensive combat documentation
Overview
STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC is a massively multiplayer role-playing game based on the Star Wars Universe. Players can choose to be apart of either the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire as they journey across an expansive universe filled with rich story telling, beautiful worlds, and exciting combat. As a World Designer, I was apart of two different teams tasked with spawning NPCs and implementing combat.
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Overview
Eagle-EYE IED Detection Trainer is a simulator designed to help U.S. Soldiers quickly recognize and detect improvised explosive devices using four different gametypes. I designed and implemented 6 out of 12 levels, each level containing three different variations.
Design Team Reponsibilities
- Created and maintained extensive documentation for 6 out of 12 levels
- Implemented and scripted 6 out of 12 levels using LUA
- Scripted various A.I. pathing behaviors
- Collaborated closely with Art, Design, and Production department to ensure a high level of quality and polish
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Personal Portfolio
Browse Projects:
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Highlights
- Large, detailed cavern interior
- Exciting scripted events
- Interactive Environment
- Memorable, strategic battles
Tasks
- Designed four, distinct combat encounters
- Blocked out, textured, and lit BSP
- Scripted numerous events using Kismet
- Made considerable use of static meshes to create a believable space
- Improved overall quality based on feedback from faculty and peers
Build Time
- 4 weeks
Download Gold Rush
Download LDD
Overview
Gold Rush is a single-player map made in Gears of War that focuses on combining beautiful visuals with memorable interactive scripted events. My biggest goal when designing this map was to create scenarios through scripting where the player could use alternative ways of defeating enemies. The player must take a drill elevator to escape an old COG factory commandeered by the Locust after Marcus and Dom have detonated a Resonator. On their way to the top, the elevator malfunctions several times and the player must hold off Locust forces until Jack fixes it. After getting to the top, Marcus and Dom must survive the Locust siege until help arrives in the form of a King Raven. Through out the map, there are several scripted elements, such as a weakened stalactite and gas kegs, available for players to dispatch their enemies more quickly.
Demo Reel
Screenshots
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Highlights
- Shock turrets provide even more combat options
- Gigantic futuristic cityscape
- Exciting scripted events that include a ship warping in from hyperspace
- Fast, frenetic, and fun gameplay
Tasks
- Designed multiplayer map based on DM17
- Blocked out, textured, and lit BSP
- Placed gameplay elements
- Extensive use of static meshes to flesh out level
- Utilized Kismet scripting to make world feel alive
- Created Matinee sequence where ship warps in from hyperspace
- Constantly iterated to ensure polished and fun gameplay experience
Build Time
- 4 weeks
Download Arena 17
Download LDD
Overview
Arena 17 is an Unreal Tournament III map that puts a new spin on the classic Quake III: Arena map, DM17. The goal when designing this map was to create something that felt similar to the original DM17 map with just enough tweaks to change things up so it wouldn’t feel too familiar. The biggest changes I made were adding two Stinger Turrets flanking both sides of the arena accessible via two Portals and more Jump Pads to increase the map’s overall flow. The Stinger Turrets provided a small yet significant change in gameplay.
Demo Reel
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Highlights
- New Impact Mine mechanic provides players several new and exciting options
- Destroy walls and ceilings
- Obliterate Combine troops and Combine Hunters with Impact Mine
- Detailed abandoned atrium environment
Build Time
- 4 weeks
Tasks
- Designed level taking advantage of HL2's scripting and physics system
- Blocked out, textured, and lit BSP
- Scripted Impact Mine and descructable walls/ceilings
- Scripted numerous combat encounters
- Utilized static meshes and terrain to create believable space
- Constantly polished level based on peer and faculty feedback
Download It's Mine!
Download Deconstruction
Overview
It’s Mine is a single-player level built with Half-Life 2's Hammer Editor. When I designed “It’s Mine!”, my goals were build a map that took advantage of Half-Life 2’s extremely robust entity-based scripting language while simultaneously making a visually polished play space. I wanted to create a fun mechanic that made full use of HL2’s dynamic physics system, which led to the creation of the destructive Impact Mine. As Gordon Freeman, the player must escape Combine control and explore an abandoned office building to help Alyx on the ground floor. The player must use the Impact Mine to demolish walls, ceilings, and the Combine themselves while navigating a structurally unsound environment.
Demo Reel
Entity Scripting for Impact Mine
Screenshots
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Highlights
- Beautiful decayed courtyard bathed in evening sunlight
- Intelligent scripted A.I.
- Quick movement from cover to cover
- Multiple ways to approach the situation
Tasks
- Designed short combat sequence
- Blocked out, textured, and lit BSP
- Scripted a continuous combat sequence using Kismet
- Made considerable use of static meshes to create a believable space
- Improved overall quality based on feedback from faculty and peers
Build Time
- A week
Download Evening Encounter
Overview
Evening Encounter is a short, five minute firefight made in Gears of War within a limited amount of time. The goal here was to create a map that took advantage of the cover based gameplay while giving the players different choices on how they wanted to approach the situation.
Demo Reel
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Hell's Belle
Information
- Engine – Unreal Development Kit (UDK)
- Build Time – 16 Weeks
- Role: Level Designer
- Team Size: 12
- Team Name: Game Wolf
Tasks
- Designed, blocked out, textured, meshed, and lit Infernal Spa area
- Scripted various gameplay elements such as swinging axes
- Created and maintained extensive LDD for the Infernal Spa
- Maintained close line of communication with art/software departments
- Extensive playtesting
- Participated in SCRUM meetings to communicate progress
Demo Reel
Overview
Hell’s Belle is a 2D side-scrolling adventure similar to games like Metroid, Castlevania, and Shadow Complex. Players control Lily, the daughter of the King of the Underworld, in an attempt to stop her father from turning the Underworld into a ‘friendlier’ place. With her powers stripped by her father, Lily must explore six expansive levels, recover her missing abilities, and stop him.
Screenshots
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Quantum of Mollusk
Information
- Engine – Torque X Builder
- Build Time – 8 Weeks
- Role: Level Designer/Scripter
- Team Size: 3
- Team Name: Three Hit Combo
Tasks
- Designed two of the three levels featured in the game
- Blocked out and decorated two out of three levels
- Scripted various gameplay sequence
- Playtested levels extensively to ensure quality
- Maintained extensive documentation
Overview
Quatum of Mollusk is a 2D-action-platorfmer staring Octavius, the secret agent octopus. Using his abilities to stick to various surfaces, Octavius must take down the evil organization known as F.I.N. to save fish and mankind alike from the schemes of the group’s leader, Dr. E. Eel.
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Skills
Level Design: Scripting (both entity-based and visual), BSP construction, static placement, AI pathing, texturing, lighting, trigger systems, single player and multiplayer flow design, gameplay and visual polish, 3D modeling (low poly with texture/unwrap)Level Editors: UnrealEd 3(Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War, UDK), The Garden of Eden Creation Kit aka G.E.C.K. (Fallout 3), Hammer (Half-Life 2: Episode 2), Aurora Toolset (Neverwinter Nights), Radiant (Quake 4), Unity, Torque X BuilderLanguages: Lua, C#, C++, Kismet (Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War, UDK), Hammer (Half-Life 2: Episode 2), TESScript (Fallout 3)Applications: Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop, Google Sketch Up, TortoiseSVN, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Visio, Project, One Note)
Professional Experience
Bioware Austin, LLC - Austin, TX
Contract World Designer, Star Wars: The Old Republic
May 2011 - Current
Worked in conjunction with artists, programmers, cinematic designers, and combat designers to create entertaining and memorable gameplay Scripted numerous combat abilities for various enemy NPCs including bosses Placed and spawned NPCs across all planets
Total Immersion Software, Inc. - Austin, TX
Contract Associate Designer, Eagle-i IED Trainer
January 2011 - March 2011
Worked in conjunction with DARPA to create IED Training software for U.S. Soldiers Created and managed extensive level and game design documentation for 6 of 12 levels Implemented LUA scripting in 6 of 12 levels Worked in multi-disciplined team to ensure polished and detailed levels are produced in a timely manner
Graduate Experience
The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University
Level Designer/Scripter
Created and managed extensive level and game design documentation Created several mod levels on very tight deadlines Worked with teams in order to complete three short deadline driven game projects
Education
The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University - Plano, TX
January 2009 - May 2010
The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH
September 2003 - June 2008
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Contact
Contact information
Address: 2162 Hierarch Court, Grove City, Ohio 43123 Phone: 614-483-1206 Email: rafeal.underwood@gmail.com
