Watch_Dogs
Ubisoft Montreal
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Level Designer
Project Overview
Watch Dogs was my first released work at Ubisoft Montreal. Moving from the relatively small teams at Ruffian Games to a much larger AAA production was a significant change, but I continued to work closely with designers, artists and writers to develop missions that balanced gameplay, narrative and believable environments.
My work spanned a variety of mission types, from open-ended combat encounters to heavily authored sequences combining exploration, stealth and action. Working alongside the combat team, I was able to contribute to the refinement of the game’s combat through iterative level design, whilst my collaboration with the writing team gave me opportunities to explore optional storytelling and environmental narrative within an open-world setting.
Level Designer
Ubisoft Montreal
Disrupt Engine, Domino Visual Scripting Tools
26 May 2014
PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Responsibilities
Watch Dogs was my third open-world game, and I brought experience of the challenges involved in designing missions within large, systemic environments.
I worked on mission and level design from concept through to release, primarily across the middle of the campaign, whilst also supporting missions in the penultimate act of the game.
- Mission and level design for multiple pivotal campaign sequences, from concept to final implementation
- Designed two major areas of the open world, including one used in multiplayer
- Championed the implementation of Criminal Convoy side activities
- Level audits and refactoring of junior designer content
Selected Work
Campaign mission: Collateral
Designed from paper through to ship, Collateral turns the player’s established motel headquarters into a burning combat encounter as Aiden and Clara escape an assault by Fixers.
I designed the space, mission flow and ally behaviour, with the level becoming a regular test bed for the game’s combat systems. Working closely with combat designers, I iterated on the layout, cover and hacking opportunities, whilst feeding back on combat ranges and enemy behaviour.
Campaign mission: A Risky Bid
Developed from an initial narrative concept through to ship, A Risky Bid takes Aiden undercover at an illicit auction before escalating into stealth, hacking and combat.
I owned the level design and scripting, collaborating with narrative, cinematics and environment art. Working with the writing team, I introduced optional conversations and hackable details that rewarded players for investigating the auction and its participants.
Side Activity: Criminal Convoys
I designed the gameplay rules and routes for every Criminal Convoy activity. I structured their progression and worked with the writing team to establish narrative justifications.
Each convoy followed a predetermined route through the open world, leaving players free to choose where and how to intercept it using Watch Dogs’ systemic tools and emergent gameplay.
Additional Mission Work:
“Thanks For The Tip” / “Hold On, Kiddo” / “One Foot In The Grave” / “Stare Into The Abyss” / “No Turning Back”
In addition to level building and scripting mission content, I supported the final stages of production through tasks including the distribution of crafting items across the campaign and scripting assistance on other missions.
Game Trailer
Reception
Watch Dogs broke Ubisoft’s company record of first day sales and went on to become the fastest-selling new IP at launch, selling 4 million copies in its first week. As of December 31, 2014, Watch Dogs has shipped over 10 million copies.