Satisfactory

In 2023 worked for Coffee Stain Studios as a consultant on their Early Access game Satisfactory. Part of my job was propping and designing caves for exploration in the open world. I also designed and prototyped post-launch features, some of which ended up in 1.1.

Reflections and Lessons learned

I learned a lot from this project! I got to work in a larger team and with an active and passionate community. I got a lot more familiar with some of UE5's tools like the World Partitioning system, Foliage, and Mesh painting.

I also learned a lot about how nature works on this alien planet and also how it works on our own planet.

The way that nature can tell stories was something I hadn't thought much about before this and it is something that I take with me in all future projects.

  • Working in a big open world with many collaborator using UE5's World Partitioning system and perforce.
  • Advanced Foliage and Mesh-painting techniques to tell stories in the environment from a nature-centric perspective.
  • Designing for a live game where the cost of change can be great compared to closed games.
  • Designing with a focus on player problems with an active and passionate community.