UI Technical designer
Action RPG, July 2021 - December 2021
Platform:
PC / console
Game type:
Action RPG
Made with:
Fledge
Rise from the dust and glide the sands of a timeless land, filled with ancient dangers, mysteries and fragments of the past. Hunt legendary monsters with powerful sand-infused weapons and abilities in spectacular, super-powered combat.
I worked on the projet as UI technical designer, in charge of designing the interfaces of the game, Integrating these interface design in the engine and working closely with the UI artist to integrate the UI assets
Main roles:
Designing interfaces:
When I joined the team and started working on the project, the interface was still at a prototype state : the assets were still rough and there was no real design made for each. My first mission was to review all interfaces and propose new solutions for each when necessary. By following the designers intentions for each screens, the objectives was to create intuitive interfaces, displaying all the information needed. Sometimes I had to retake entire menuflows and deconstruct it to make a more suitable menuflow for players.
As the project was still ongoing, removing systems and adding new mechanics, i needed to adapt myself to these changes, modifying my work or already existing interfaces to follow the new design.
In the game, players can interact with anvils to upgrade their character potentials and fast travel between anvils, which can be done in the anvil screen. when I first arrivied, the screen took the entire screen, with different TABs giving access to each screens. The menuflow felt heavy as everything was available in the same screen with a TAB bar. I proposed a new menuflow by adding a first choice menu, visible on the left side were players could choose which part they want to access (fast travel, character improvements,etc...) and creating single screen for each part. Removing the TAB bar gives more space for each screen, and adding a first choice menu helps player focusing on what they want instead of having every options available at all.
Integrating interfaces
As UI technical designer, I had to integrate interfaces in the engine, following the design I made, or added new functionnalities to existing interface already integrating in the engine
The game was made with fledge, an engine I never worked with. Fledge is similar to unreal engine as it works with visual scripting and C++, but being a homemade engine means I still need to learn how the engine works and how I can translate my logic to that engine.
From that point, I worked on many different interfaces : sometimes on my own from scratch and other time from existing worked from my teamates, where I needed to understand how to implement my work without destroying theirs.
I mainly worked with visual scripting: most of the time, technical designers are supported by programmers when they need something that can't be done with visual scripting. I sometimes touched C++ files to add new input controls, modify or add new assets textures
different interfaces I integrated in the engine
Integrating UI assets
When designing new interfaces or when integrating those interfaces in the engine, I worked closely with UI artists to also integrate UI assets made based on those design in the engine.
Before starting the interface integrations, there are talks with the UI artists regarding the new interfaces design, what we need in terms of assets and it is also a way for UI artist to challenge it or propose new alternatives.
And from that points, UI artists give me the final aspect expected and all the necessary assets needed for that interfaces. When some assets must be changed, I do it on my own or ask UI artists based on the need