Plunder Panic
Role(s): AI Programmer, Gameplay Programmer
Genre: Multiplayer arcade action Platform: Nintendo Switch, Steam Development Time: Ongoing (since 2017) Team Size: 10+ Engine: Unity Awards/Accolades: 2017 IndieCade Audience Choice Award, 2018 SXSW Gaming Pitch Convention Finalist, Official Selection for Indie Mega Booth at 2018 PAX East Showcase |
Plunder Panic is a multiplayer arcade game for up to 12 players releasing on Steam and the Nintendo Switch in 2021. It has been in development at the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab at Michigan State University since 2017. The game has won several awards, including the Audience Choice Award at Indiecade in 2017. Since then, development has been focused on bringing the game to the Nintendo Switch.
I started working on Plunder in May 2019. I was added to the team primarily to develop the AI players in the game and to create a new character select system in the menu. A full list of my contributions can be found below. |
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Contributions
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Takeaways
- Adapting to work within an existing codebase
- Joining an experienced team and learning how to effectively communicate ideas across disciplines
- Optimizing code for consoles, specifically the Nintendo Switch
- Designing AI that provides a fun and interesting challenge within the rules of the game
- Debugging and tuning our AI systems to meet the goals for the project
- Applying my knowledge of design patterns, algorithms, and data structures to a problem
Gameplay
Alpha gameplay - 1 human player and 5 AI teammates against a team of 6 AI