ANDY SIMMS
GAME DESIGNER
asimmsgames@gmail.com

Skills


Design: Gameplay systems design and deconstruction, rapid prototyping, BSP, mesh, and terrain-based level construction, gameplay and event scripting, environment design, environmental storytelling, narrative design, screenwriting, lighting, gameplay balancing, level streaming and optimization, narrative and world building, level design and game design documentation

Editors/Engines: Unreal Editor (UDK), Hammer (Source SDK), Unity 3D, Torque X, Love, Creation Kit (Skyrim), Warcraft III World Editor

Scripting/Programming: UnrealScript, Unreal Kismet, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Lua, XHTML/CSS, Cocos 2D-X, Photon Server, Papyrus Script (Skyrim)

Art: Photoshop CS5, Flash CS5, 3DS Max, acrylic painting, sketching

Organization: Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio, PowerPoint (and Google equivalents), IssueManager, Redmine, Tortoise SVN, Scrum, agile and waterfall development processes

Leadership: Interpersonal communication, public speaking, strategic planning


Work Experience


Kiwi Inc, Palo Alto, CA
Game Designer - Age of Espers and Shipwrecked

  • Designed, documented, and tested the core systems and content for the mobile RPG Age of Espers.
  • Devised creative solutions to overcome technical blockers, limited development resources, and free-to-play design constraints.
  • Bridged the gap between our local team and our team members abroad by creating highly detailed documentation and keeping an open line of communication to discuss issues, questions, and suggestions.
  • Used live data to inform design decisions and planning after our soft launch on the Google Play Store.
  • Designed group-oriented competitive and cooperative events for Shipwrecked and other Kiwi games.

Kiwi Inc, Palo Alto, CA
Junior Game Designer

  • Created pitch and game design documents for three mobile games to help company leadership evaluate new game possibilities.
  • Collaborated with the leadership team to design a mobile RPG combat mini-game concept involving competitive best practices and collectible gatcha-driven gameplay.
  • Joined a five member prototyping team to build and evaluate the RPG combat mini-game.
  • Assisted the casual games team with economic modeling and testing.

UBM Techweb, San Francisco, CA
Game Sales Specialist / GDC Event Coordinator

  • Managed the day-to-day operations of the Gamasutra.com job board
  • Served as the exhibitor point of contact for sales/events related inquiries for GDC 2009 and GDC Europe 2010
  • Conducted weekly forecasting and competitive analysis for the Game Group sales team

Namco Bandai , Santa Clara, CA
QA Tester

  • Tested Ace Combat 6 and an unreleased title for the Nintendo Wii
  • Investigated and recorded gameplay, localization, and multiplayer bugs



Education


Southern Methodist University
Guildhall Graduate Program, Certification in Level Design

Santa Clara University
Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Film



Student Games Work


Crash - Gears of War
Sole Developer - 4 weeks (80 hrs)

  • Designed and built a single-player level for Gears of War featuring five to eight minutes of gameplay.
  • Scripted unique combat and cinematic sequences to provide the level with added interest and polish
  • Created level documentation and maps to guide the construction process
  • Constructed, decorated, and lit the level’s environment to be cohesive with the Gears of War campaign

Pinned - Gears of War
Sole Developer - 8 weeks (105 hrs)

  • Designed and scripted a custom boss battle for Gears of War with five to eight minutes of gameplay.
  • Created a script-driven boss AI and custom movement sequences to bring a normal NPC entity to life in a dramatic boss encounter

Guiding Eye - Half-Life 2: Episode 2
Sole Developer - 4 weeks (85 hrs)

  • Designed and implemented a single-player level for Half-Life 2 featuring five to ten minutes of gameplay.
  • Scripted a unique stealth encounter where the player guides an NPC ally past a series of enemy patrols

Secrets of the Ziggurat - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Sole Developer - (Current Project)

  • Currently building an action-RPG dungeon crawling experience with 15+ minutes of gameplay. Prominent features include: a new player companion, Falmer and Draugr combat encounters, and multiple progression routes.

The Rite of Elements - UDK
Faculty-selected Lead Game Designer

  • Led a 15-student team to develop a 90-minute third person action-puzzle game using the Unreal Development Kit
  • Devised and documented all of the game’s core mechanics, environments, and narrative elements
  • Programmed the game’s initial gameplay prototype with the help of the project’s lead level designer
  • Wrote the Game Design Document, and co-authored the Level Design Document for the game’s last level “Throne Room”
  • Worked across disciplines to address issues such as Boss AI, Particle Effects, Character Animations, HUD, Dialog, Player Checkpoints, and Quality Assurance
  • Designed and implemented the last puzzle of the game’s fourth level “Clockwork Labyrinth” and carried out revisions and bug fixes on six other puzzles.
  • Carried out build-wide testing and bug fixes prior to each milestone
  • Created ten digital illustrations for use in-game and in the introductory movie

Orbital Recon - TorqueX
Level Designer

  • Worked on a 5-student team to develop a 30-minute 2D space-shooter using TorqueX
  • Devised the game's basic premise and targeting mechanic
  • Handled the design and balance of all major gameplay systems and the first level
  • Assisted in the programming of gameplay systems, specifically weapons, bullets, and ship health
  • Created concepts for all major art assets

Rex Rocket - UDK
Level Designer

  • Worked on a 6-student team to develop a first-person shooter boss encounter to alpha quality using the Unreal Development Kit
  • Designed and constructed the introductory sandbox level
  • Created particle effects, materials, environmental assets, and art for HUD elements
  • Scripted the boss' weapons and enemy spawners





©2008-2015 Andy Simms. All Rights Reserved.