Rafeal Underwood Jr. - Designer/Scripter

Professional Portfolio

Personal

Browse Projects:

Eagle-Eye: IED Detection Trainer
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Wildstar
All

Fragment Zero Playthrough

Courtesy of WildStar Arkship

Overview

While working on WildStar, I was originally charged with polishing spawning and spacing of numerous zones and instanced content as part of the Encounter Team. I was responsible for Auroria, Crimson Isle Pocket Cap, Northern Wilds Pocket Cap, the Shiphands, Algoroc Tract 3 and the Drusera instances. My responsibilities while working on these zones consisted of ensuring all encounters adhered to standards, creating new creatures, creating ambient AI behaviors, and collaborating with the Content Team to bring fresh ideas to already existing content.

Once WildStar shipped, I joined the Content department to work on post game content. My first piece of post game content was Fragment Zero: A Shiphand melding the aesthetics of 70s sci-fi with the empowering gameplay of Dynasty Warriors. My responsibilities while working on Fragment Zero included spawning the entire central area from scratch plus spawning and creating all quest content in the Incubation Complex. Major challenges I encountered during spawning Fragment Zero was avoiding both visual fatigue, from having too many mobs on screen at once, and combat fatigue from the large number of mobs. One way I conquered these pitfalls was by breaking up large groups of mobs into smaller, more spread out pockets. This adjustment in pacing still provided players with a constant stream of mobs without completely boring them. Another thing I enjoyed doing was setting up ambushes to surprise the player, evoking feelings of fear, panic, and the sense of being overwhelmed while taking care not to frustrate them. These elements along with a creative, positive team, made Fragment Zero a favorite amongst WildStar fans.

Screenshots

(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse

Combat Gameplay

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.

Screenshots

(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse

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

Screenshots

(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse

Browse Projects:

Team Projects
It's Mine!
Evening Encounter
Arena 17
Gold Rush
All

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
(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse
Highlights
Tasks
Build Time
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 wouldnt 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 maps overall flow. The Stinger Turrets provided a small yet significant change in gameplay.

Demo Reel

Screenshots
(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse
Highlights
Build Time
Tasks
Overview
Its Mine is a single-player level built with Half-Life 2's Hammer Editor. When I designed Its Mine!, my goals were build a map that took advantage of Half-Life 2s 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 HL2s 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
(Click thumbs for full-size)

Click Arrow To Collapse

Resume

Portfolio

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 (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 Builder
Languages: Lua, C#, Kismet (Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War, UDK), Hammer (Half-Life 2: Episode 2), TESScript (Fallout 3)
Applications: Maya, Adobe Photoshop, TortoiseSVN,Perforce, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Visio, Project, One Note)

Professional Experience

Carbine Studios - Aliso Viejo, CA

Content Designer, WildStar

June 2013 - October 2014

Spawning and spacing for all zones across game
Conceptualizing and scripting Non-Combat AI for NPCs
Collaborated with Artists, Designers, Programmers, and Producers to ensure high level of polish across game

Bioware Austin, LLC - Austin, TX

Contract World Designer, Star Wars: The Old Republic

May 2011 - 2012

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 (Intific). - 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

Professional Certificate in Digital Game Development, Specialization in Level Design

January 2009 - May 2010

The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

Bachelor's of Arts in Film Studies

Professional Portfolio

Fragment Zero Playthrough

Overview

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Combat Gameplay

Spawn Team Reponsibilities

Combat Team Reponsibilities

Overview

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Overview

Design Team Reponsibilities

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Personal Portfolio

Highlights

Tasks

Build Time

Download Gold Rush

Download LDD

Overview

Demo Reel

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Highlights

Tasks

Build Time

Download Arena 17

Download LDD

Overview

Demo Reel

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Highlights

Build Time

Tasks

Download It's Mine!

Download Deconstruction

Overview

Demo Reel

Entity Scripting for Impact Mine

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Highlights

Tasks

Build Time

Download Evening Encounter

Overview

Demo Reel

Screenshots

Click Arrow To Collapse

Resume

Skills

Professional Experience

Carbine Studios - Aliso Viejo, CA

Content Designer, WildStar

June 2013 - October 2014

Bioware Austin, LLC - Austin, TX

Contract World Designer, Star Wars: The Old Republic

May 2011 - 2012

Total Immersion Software, Inc (Intific). - Austin, TX

Contract Associate Designer, Eagle-i IED Trainer

January 2011 - March 2011

Graduate Experience

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University

Level Designer/Scripter

Education

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University - Plano, TX

January 2009 - May 2010

The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

September 2003 - June 2008

Download PDF version