Game Development Experience
Past Project Contributions
Content Design
ArenaNet | 2013- 2017
Heart of Thorns - Auric Basin Team Lead
Auric Basin was one of four expansion maps in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, built around the golden city of Tarir, home to the ancient Exalted. Its core meta event, Battle in Tarir, required four groups to coordinate across separate lanes to defeat Octovine bosses simultaneously. Failure in any lane ended the event, while success unlocked Tarir’s treasure chamber and high‑tier rewards.
Role on Team
Served as the Auric Basin Map Team Lead, delivering a high‑impact expansion zone that showcased new systems, creature archetypes, locations, and reward structures. Oversaw internal milestone delivery and ensured the zone remained aligned with broader gameplay and narrative goals.
Partnered closely with external design service teams to integrate new combat behaviors and enemy types that elevated player engagement. Collaborated with the Commerce Team to align future MTX offerings with the zone’s thematic direction, reinforcing visual consistency and narrative cohesion across content.
Goals to Hit
Senior Leadership and the Game Director established clear goals for the zone, focused on maximizing the use of the entire gameplay space – including keeping focus on our newly introduced vertical gameplay.
These goals included:
- Delivering a single, multi‑phased meta event designed for full map‑wide player participation. Integrating the new Mastery system, a lock‑and‑key account‑wide progression feature introduced in the first expansion.
- Incorporating map‑specific mastery content while leveraging future Mastery Lines from other maps to encourage replayability.
- Adding diverse content types to enrich exploration and long‑term engagement, including jumping puzzles, mini‑games, and environmental storytelling.
- Meeting KPI metrics such as daily active user targets and ensuring players could complete one full map‑meta cycle per session.
Team Make Up and Process
The Auric Basin map was developed by a focused embedded team consisting of:
- 3 Designers – Built all non‑story content, including the multi‑phase meta event, points of interest, enemy archetypes, mini‑games, lock‑and‑key mechanics, mastery progression, and reward systems.
- 1 Environment Artist – Executed the zone’s visual direction and created supplemental exploration content such as jumping puzzles.
- 1 Producer – Managed scope, scheduling, and delivery cadence across internal and external dependencies.
- 1 Engineer – Supported backend integration for new AI behavior systems and vertical gameplay features introduced in the expansion.
Design Process
With the new vertical gameplay directive in mind, the 3 Designers first planned the map‑wide meta theme and then designed the event chains that would communicate that story, keeping enemy army composition and encounter variety in mind. After establishing the meta structure, we created a paper map outlining where open‑world events would take place and filled the remaining areas with additional content types to support exploration and pacing.
The feature was designed, built, and shipped over 12 months, from initial concept through live deployment.
Product Outcome
Auric Basin became an immediate hit with players.
It ranked among the top three most‑played maps for more than two years after launch, was named the best map in the Heart of Thorns expansion by MMORPG.com, and featured a repeatable, rewarding meta‑event loop that became a fan favorite and a benchmark for future map design.
ArenaNet | 2013- 2017
Living World - Ember Bay Team Lead
Ember Bay, released as part of Guild Wars 2’s Living World Season 3, was a volcanic island map designed to showcase dynamic environmental hazards and fast-paced exploration. Its meta events and lava-themed mechanics offered a fresh gameplay experience, blending verticality, mastery integration, and storytelling in a compact, replayable space.
Role on Team
Served as the Ember Bay Team Lead, delivering a time‑sensitive episodic release that aligned with both creative and production goals. Managed a small embedded team, driving milestone execution and maintaining momentum across disciplines.
Collaborated closely with the Game Director to ensure content met the established quality bar before entering full production, balancing scope, polish, and player‑facing impact while navigating tight timelines.
Goals to Hit
The goals for Ember Bay were established by Senior Leadership, the Game Director, and Team Leads prior to the season entering production, and every Living World team adhered to them. Key objectives included:
- Designing and implementing a new Mastery line tailored to the zone’s volcanic hazards and traversal challenges.
- Creating a new zone‑boss encounter using existing character assets and animations, ensuring scope efficiency while still delivering impactful gameplay.
- Aligning narrative beats with the overarching story arc of Living World Season 3 to maintain continuity and emotional resonance across episodic releases.
- Reviving the classic Guild Wars 1 location – the Ring of Fire Island – with updated lore and environmental storytelling to generate excitement for the new season.
Team Make Up and Process
The Ember Bay strike team consisted of:
- 4 Game Designers – Built open‑world content including NPCs, custom enemy archetypes, skill sets, reward systems, and in‑engine implementation; owned systemic design such as Masteries.
- 1 Environment Artist – Translated paper designs into the game world, integrating visual fidelity with gameplay and narrative intent.
- 1 Producer – Managed scope, scheduling, and external requests to maintain delivery momentum.
- 1 Content Programmer – Supported backend system design and implementation for core zone functionality.
Design Process
Our design process centered on:
- Creating dynamic event chains that leveraged new vertical traversal mechanics.
- Designing a custom lava‑tube‑themed Mastery Line that launched players across the map while encased in a fiery projectile.
- Breathing new life into classic Guild Wars 1 locations through updated lore, environmental storytelling, and modern gameplay hooks.
Signature Encounter: The Sloth Queen
We also developed a new zone boss, the Sloth Queen, whom players had to subdue so her captors could transport her back to Tyria. The encounter blended narrative and gameplay into a memorable, season‑defining moment.
Product Outcome
Shipped on time and this release served as a preview for the upcoming Season 3 Living World episodic content.
38 Studios | 2010 - 2012
Content Design Lead
Project Copernicus was an ambitious, unreleased PC MMORPG developed by 38 Studios, set in the Amalur fantasy universe with lore by R.A. Salvatore and art direction by Todd McFarlane. Intended to launch a multimedia franchise, the game was ultimately cancelled when the studio shut down in 2012.
Role on Team
Led two embedded content teams as Content Design Supervisor, managing five direct reports and overseeing milestone delivery across multiple zones while maintaining consistently high‑quality output.
Contributed to zone design documentation and partnered closely with marketing, art, and tech teams, resolving issues through cross‑functional collaboration that supported both player engagement and overall usability.
Goals to Hit
The goals for the team were established by Senior Leadership and the Content Design Supervisors. Our focus centered on producing thorough, actionable design documentation that supported clear communication and efficient implementation of content into the game engine.
A key part of the mission involved building long‑term content development pipelines and standardization processes for the design team, ensuring consistency, scalability, and smoother cross‑department collaboration. These efforts laid the foundation for a more efficient and sustainable content‑creation workflow.
Team Make Up and Process
Our team consisted of:
- 3 Game Designers – Developed zone‑wide narrative, including main story beats, POI placement, NPC scripting, and side‑quest integration.
- 1 Environment Artist – Translated paper designs into immersive open‑world spaces, aligning visual storytelling with gameplay intent.
- 1 Producer – Oversaw scope, scheduling, and cross‑discipline alignment to ensure timely delivery.
Design Process
We began with a comprehensive paper design of the zone, mapping out the main storyline, side content, and event areas. During this phase, designers partnered closely with the environment artist to shape engaging gameplay spaces, supported by regular playtesting to validate pacing, flow, and overall player experience.
Once the zone was fully built in‑engine, the team transitioned to placing and implementing content—bringing narrative, events, and exploration elements to life within the finalized world space.
Product Outcome
While Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning successfully shipped, the MMO project I contributed to at 38 Studios did not reach release before the company closed in 2012. Despite this, the work we completed included detailed design documentation, pipeline development, and in-engine content implementation. These efforts laid a strong foundation for a scalable and robust RPG experience.
Cryptic Studios | 2005-2010
Content Designer
Cryptic Studios is a California-based developer known for pioneering MMORPG experiences with strong character customization and genre-defining systems. They are most well known for the superhero MMORPG City Of Heroes.
Role on Team
I served as a Content Designer during my time at Cryptic Studios. I implemented mission scripting and zone population across four major MMORPG titles: Star Trek Online, Champions Online, City of Heroes, and City of Villains.
I partnered closely with the Writing, Art, and Engineering teams to deliver immersive gameplay experiences that supported narrative depth and systemic cohesion.
Goals to Hit
The goals were set by the Senior Leadership group.
Our primary objective was to ensure all required content was completed in alignment with the shipping schedule. This meant coordinating closely with design and development teams to scope, implement, and deliver content and zone population on time.
Hitting these milestones was essential for maintaining project momentum and supporting smooth launches across multiple MMO titles.
Team Make Up and Process
I worked as part of a cross‑functional team composed of:
- 1 Writer – Ensured narrative consistency and emotional engagement across all content.
- 1 Producer – Maintained alignment with project timelines and deliverables.
- 1 Engineer – Collaborated on technical implementation and system feasibility.
- 2 Environment Artists – Integrated visual design with gameplay and story elements.
Design Process
This collaborative environment was essential for aligning narrative, technical execution, and visual design across multiple MMO projects, resulting in cohesive and engaging game content.
Product Outcome
Over a 5-year span, I successfully shipped 3 MMORPG’s and contributed to ongoing content updates for a live service product – ensuring sustained player engagement, technical stability, and high-quality output across releases.
Systems Design
ArenaNet | 2015
Mastery System
Masteries are Guild Wars 2’s account-wide progression system for PvE, unlocking powerful abilities and bonuses as you complete content and gain experience. Unlike traditional systems that offer incremental stat boosts, Masteries evolve alongside the world, granting meaningful powers that reshape how you interact with the game and unlock new possibilities.
Role on Team
I worked with Design Leadership to develop the original framework for Guild Wars 2’s Mastery System, the game’s account‑wide PvE progression feature. I also led the design and creation of the first Mastery line, which introduced Gliding, a new open‑world traversal mechanic.
As the System Owner for the Mastery Line system, I was responsible for ensuring its design, implementation, and long‑term usability met both gameplay and technical standards. I championed the system across the design team by driving alignment, encouraging integration, and ensuring it was leveraged to its full potential throughout the expansion.
Goals to Hit
The endgame progression system was a strategic initiative set by Senior Leadership, the Business Development team, and our Game Director. Our goal was to design a compelling horizontal end‑game progression system for players who had reached the level‑80 cap in the base game, offering meaningful post‑level growth without relying on traditional vertical power scaling.
Because Guild Wars 2 did not follow the standard MMO gear‑grind model, we focused on systems that rewarded exploration, mastery, and evolving mechanics. The intent was to keep players engaged through discovery, skill expression, and long‑term investment—deepening gameplay while preserving the game’s core philosophy of horizontal progression.
Team Make Up and Process
Our core team included Design, Engineering, and UI. I began with a paper design for the Mastery System, and once it received stakeholder approval, I led implementation across disciplines to bring it into the game.
The team consisted of:
- 1 Programmer – Ensured the system was technically feasible and could be implemented within engine constraints.
- 1 UI Artist – Collaborated to make the system intuitive and accessible for players.
- 1 Producer – Partnered to keep the project on schedule and within scope.
Design Process
When designing the system, I had to ensure it was infinitely scalable. By structuring the Mastery System so each map could introduce its own themed line with unique player skills to unlock, we created a framework that supported limitless expansion. I worked closely with our UI designer to make sure players could easily understand the system, even though it presented a dense amount of information.
Throughout development, I actively used the system and gathered feedback to ensure we were building something with long‑term value and strong player engagement. I also ensured the system was fully functional in‑game, with the necessary tools and documentation in place for other designers to use in future releases.
Finally, I created the first Mastery Line (Gliding) as a reference example for designers to follow when building their own release‑specific Mastery tracks.
Product Outcome
The Mastery system remains a core feature of Guild Wars 2’s live experience, continuing to engage players more than a decade after its introduction.
Its design contributed to map replayability through successful lock-and-key content, where progression-based mechanics gated access to specific areas and experiences. This approach encouraged return visits, fostered layered exploration, and added long-term value to the game’s open-world design.
ArenaNet | 2014
Guild Wars 2 China - Royal Club
Royal Club is a premium VIP membership model introduced in the Chinese release of Guild Wars 2. Members receive exclusive in-game perks and benefits, designed to enhance the player experience and reward long-term engagement.
Role on Team
I was initially hired at ArenaNet as a Game Designer on a small team of fewer than 15 developers supporting the Chinese release of Guild Wars 2.
I designed a purchasable in‑game item, Royal Club, which served as the foundation for a Battle Pass like style system that provided players with a structured, gameplay‑driven path to earn additional rewards.
I owned both the system design and the creation of the player facing reward content, ensuring it was compelling, culturally aligned, and met player expectations within the region.
Goals to Hit
My goal was to boost daily active users by designing a reward system that offered enticing and exclusive incentives – such as premium finishers, high‑value weapons, exclusive titles, mini‑pets, and convenience items that resonated with our player base.
We aimed to convert free‑to‑play users into subscribers by creating a VIP membership model that delivered meaningful progression and premium content.
The system was built to encourage long‑term investment through gameplay‑driven rewards and enhanced player value, reinforcing sustained engagement and supporting the overall growth strategy for the region.
Team Make Up and Process
The team consisted of myself and one Engineer, working together to build the system and implement the associated in‑game Royal Club rewards.
I collaborated directly with the Game Director for the Chinese version of Guild Wars 2, conducting weekly syncs to review feedback on the system and its reward offerings.
Design Process
The process began with research into what our Chinese players were most interested in and which in‑game items would motivate them to log in daily. After gathering this data, I created a reward list that identified both existing items we planned to reuse and the new items we needed to develop, along with a breakdown of the associated asset and engineering requirements.
Once we aligned on a paper design, I worked with our Engineer to implement the additional gameplay features required for the system and to set up backend hooks for telemetry. These tools allowed us to track player engagement, reward progression, and overall system performance.
This process ensured the system was technically sound, aligned with regional player expectations, and built with long‑term usability and scalability in mind.
Product Outcome
The Royal Club became a cornerstone of the monetization strategy for the Chinese release of Guild Wars 2. It was the highest-selling item in the in-game store for over a year, demonstrating strong player interest and sustained engagement.
The system successfully encouraged daily logins and subscription-style participation through exclusive rewards and convenience features, helping to drive long-term retention and revenue.