Gameplay Engineer at AVALON

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Define the technical vision for the creative mode gameplay, working closely with the lead architect to ensure alignment with overall project goals and industry standards.
• Collaborate with the project team and multiple operations teams within Avalon to establish and validate service requirements, ensuring they are clearly defined and met through coordinated efforts.
• Ensure the efficiency, maintainability, and scalability of the services and technologies developed by the server team, optimizing performance for large-scale player interactions and system stability.
• Act as the primary point of contact for cross-team development on the creative mode, facilitating communication between the central-service shared game engine team and platform team to execute project requirements effectively.
• Mentor a small team of engineers responsible for creative mode development, providing guidance on technical challenges and fostering a culture of innovation and best practices.
• Partner with the Production staff and leadership team to plan and track development milestones, ensuring timely delivery of features while maintaining quality and alignment with project timelines.
• Conduct thorough evaluations of internal and external technologies and tools, identifying solutions that best meet the project's requirements and goals while balancing cost, complexity, and performance.
• Author comprehensive documentation for the engine and gameplay stack, communicating technical constraints, best practices, and implementation guidelines to both internal teams and external operations departments.
• Educate intermediate and junior team members on best practices for gameplay development, including the intricacies of MMO architecture, system design principles, and collaborative workflows.
• Collaborate with QA and testing teams to ensure the robustness of creative mode features, identifying and resolving technical issues before deployment.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies and industry trends, proposing innovative solutions that enhance the creative mode experience while maintaining technical feasibility.
• Lead the integration of new features and technologies into the existing gameplay framework, ensuring compatibility with current systems and future scalability.
• Coordinate with design and art teams to translate creative concepts into technical specifications, ensuring alignment between gameplay functionality and visual/interactive elements.
• Monitor and analyze performance metrics for the creative mode, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for optimization to enhance player experience and system efficiency.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to define long-term technical strategies for the creative mode, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation within the game's architecture.

Job Requirements

• Proven experience as a gameplay engineer or similar role, with a strong background in developing scalable and efficient game systems for multiplayer environments.
• Deep technical expertise in game engine architecture, including knowledge of C++ and/or C# for implementation, as well as experience with networking protocols and distributed systems.
• Strong understanding of MMO development principles, including server-client architecture, synchronization mechanisms, and performance optimization techniques.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including architects, designers, producers, and platform engineers.
• Ability to mentor and guide junior engineers, providing technical leadership and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the team.
• Experience with agile development methodologies, including sprint planning, backlog management, and iterative development cycles.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues and implement effective solutions for gameplay systems.
• Proficiency in documentation and technical communication, with the ability to create clear and concise documentation for game systems and share knowledge with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and collaborative development tools, ensuring efficient workflow management and code integration across teams.
• Knowledge of cloud computing platforms and scalable infrastructure solutions, with experience in deploying and managing game services in distributed environments.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate new technologies, ensuring they align with project requirements and enhance the creative mode experience without compromising system stability.
• Strong understanding of performance optimization techniques, including profiling tools, memory management, and latency reduction strategies for multiplayer games.
• Experience with cross-platform development, ensuring creative mode features are compatible with multiple platforms and devices while maintaining consistent performance and user experience.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet project deadlines while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, balancing individual contributions with collaborative efforts to achieve project objectives.