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Thomas Reiffer - Experienced Game Designer

Hullo everyone - I'm on the hunt for my next opportunity. I'm an experienced generalist/technical designer, and I've worked for Supermassive Games and Larian Studios. If anyone has any leads, feel free to send them my way. In the meantime - peep the portfolio: www.thomasreiffer.com

thomasreiffer.com

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Yes! LN in particular so so frequently uses its level design to misdirect and then surprise players, and then ramp that surprise into dread. Great pull.

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"We need to look like we're growing to placate our investors!" alright well off to jail with both of you then.

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This is different to a speculative application option. At least there you're being honest about the fact that you're not hiring.

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Keeping a job listing up even when you're not hiring just to "see what candidates are out there" feels like it should be illegal.

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Slay the Princess was a good example of this for me. Different characters starting saying the exact words I was thinking, dialogue options that put my nebulous thoughts into clear sentences. All of it grounded in the psychology of close romantic relationships, as well. Took me back to my undergrad!

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Reposted by Thomas Reiffer

The Markov Eclipse - Early Access P&P by Reiffer

#ttrpg Time for another plug for my sci-fi TTRPG: The Markov Eclipse reiffer.itch.io/the-markov-e... 4-player RPG thriller about the cost of ambition, losing your faith, and shooting a thousand bullets in a single turn:

reiffer.itch.io

What will you do, when the fire is gone and the ashes are cold?

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Thomas Reiffer - Experienced Game Designer

thomasreiffer.com

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Reposted by Thomas Reiffer

Has anyone on here implemented full-3D pathfinding? Like, for creatures that can hover or fly. That kind of thing. I've got my own solution I'm working on, but now I'm interested in how other people have tackled this.

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It's tough though, right? Enough technical gristle for your most enfranchised players to be able to chew on, without making the game a brick wall for novices. And being in the mix while this kinda discovery is happening has gotta be nail-biting for designers.

I'd wager that wavedashing turned out ok because every character had access to it, and only the competitive scene really cared. Further to that - it was another way to express technical mastery, and never felt cheap (at least from what I remember).

Multiplayer - if the discovery flattens the meta (ie, it just becomes a case of "busted thing" vs "counter to busted thing") then that's when I'd want the developer to step in. If it births a new style and opens up strange new playstyles? That's good juice right there.

I like when I feel like I've "broken" something, but the game throws so much insanity at me that I don't feel cheap using what I found. Vampire Survivors is my go-to for this. If what you find turns that game into a cakewalk? That's when it feels bad for me. So... it depends I guess 😅.

While I was working at Larian the folks there would pester me for the next chapter. The combat slaps, the characters are fun, and the plot is pacey. If you pick it up, let me know! I've put it down for the time being, but will immediately pick it back up if anybody wants more.

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