Principal Systems Designer (Rewards)

Who We Are: 

Founded by Greg Street who has led AAA teams for over 20 years, our new studio Fantastic Pixel Castle (FPC) is building an original fantasy IP from scratch. Players will be regularly engaged in our development process from early stages as part of our open and transparent studio culture, and we aim to craft an IP that will be worthy of their passion and dedication for decades to come.
We are committed to being a fully remote and global studio, so that we can hire world-class people and have them live their best lives. We think top-heavy bureaucracy stifles creativity, so we aim to stay small as we focus on delivering a game and a world that you will love. We are fully-funded, and the team will share in all of our studio's successes.
Position Overview: 

We’re looking for a Principal Systems Designer to join our growing MMORPG team to lay the foundation for our rewards and progression systems. This role is perfect for a designer with a deep passion for MMORPGs and the tremendous challenges presented by the genre to design balanced, long-lasting reward systems across a variety of activities. As a member of our team, you’ll help create, prototype, and implement designs in Unreal Engine. 

Additionally, you’ll have opportunities to develop and own features for the game, lead and mentor other designers, collaborate with other disciplines, and get direct feedback from our players through regular playtests.
Responsibilities:

• Design and implement progression systems to make players feel suitably rewarded for their investment and accomplishments.
• Design rewards structures that incentivize players to participate in a variety of activities and reinforce pro-social behaviors.
• Partner closely with the Class and Combat Design teams to ensure character power progresses at the desired rate.
• Partner with Production and Creative teams to ensure that rewards design asks are commensurate with asset creation pipelines.
• Develop a compelling vision and design for gear that provides interesting decisions and aspirational goals.
• Implement strategies to prevent economic inflation or deflation that could undermine gameplay.
• Design reward systems  that support multiple player motivations.
• Help bring our world to life by designing items and other rewards that reinforce the pillars of the IP.
• Work alongside user researchers and business partners to ensure reward rates have players actively and happily engaged with the game.
• Collect, prioritize, and integrate player feedback through regular team and external playtests.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in software or video game development
• Strong mathematical skills related to the underlying systems of Roleplaying Games
• Proven experience designing reward systems from concept through implementation
• Ability to combine quantitative in-game data and qualitative player feedback to form a complete picture of player behavior and motivations
• Proficient in spreadsheet tools such as Excel, Sheets, or equivalent tools
• Passion for video games and understanding of current industry trends
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills, with the ability to translate abstract design concepts into specific designs and reason about design tradeoffs
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively work in a multidisciplinary team and make and explain design decisions in a way that builds the team’s confidence in our Rewards approach

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency prototyping or implementing designs in Unreal Engine using Blueprint or C++
• Familiarity with designing for gamepad and/or consoles
• Strong portfolio demonstrating successful commercial game projects or personal game development initiatives
• Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, Game Design, or a related field
  

We are an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other protected status as required by law.

US Salary Band: $140,000 - $175,000 USD
Canadian Salary Band: $110,000 - $150,000 CAD
The expected annual base pay ranges reflected in this job description are applicable to individuals residing in or working within a designated location. Any final compensation offer will depend on various factors. As part of an overall package, NetEase employees can take advantage of NetEase's comprehensive benefits and discretionary incentive plans, provided that they comply with the policies and guidelines governing those programs.