Stormgate - Frost Giant Studios

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System Designer

Associate System Designer

System Designer Intern

Jan 2024 - Aug 2025

Jan 2023 - Jan 2024

Aug 2022 - Dec 2022

My responsibilities as a Technical Designer (System Designer at FGS) :

Supporting other designers: How to use editor & unreal and why things don't work.

Scripting: Adding new gameplay features for the Snowplay Editor with C++.

Using Snowplay Editor: Prototyping and Implementing units, heroes, level triggers, etc.

Keep Iterating: Polish around player control with Uneal 5, Snowplay Editor, and C++ Scripting.

Addition: COOP Hero Kit Design & Implementation:

Designing Hero Kit for COOP mode: Hero Unit, Army Unit, Abilities, Tech Tree, Player Progression, etc.

Being the source of truth for the COOP Hero Kit Pipeline, help 2 designers worked on 3 heroes.

Scripting: Adding new gameplay features for the Snowplay Editor with C++.

Here is an example: I want to polish an ability I made with our snowplay editor, but I can not do it by editing data only, since there is no such feature. I need to write some C++ script to add some new gameplay features to our snowplay editor, then implement it in our snowplay data editor.

Scipting Editor

Cinder Storm is Maloc's ultimate ability that selects multiple random enemy units around him per second, then drops a delaying aoe on them.

But what if there is no enemy around?

To polish this ultimate, I added GameEffect Ref
effect_no_target_found in GameEffectSearch that
will be executed when no entity has been found.

Now, Cinder Storm will attack random locations even if no enemy unit is around, so the ultimate will still look cool and make players feel powerful.

Other designers also get a new toy within our editor : )

Other selected works below:

Add Attack Ground Ability: Units with this ability can attack at a location instead of requiring a unit as the target.

Add DeathType: Damage can be tagged to trigger different Death Types. If an entity has been killed by a certain DeathType and it has the special DeathActor set up, it will play it.
Burning DeathType versus Normal DeathType in the video.

Add 2nd Resource Archetype and a new Type ResourceGenerator to the game. Iterate the spawning logic of this resource.
Iterate the related selection, constructing grid, ability validating, etc. of this resource.

Deprecated: Blocked 2nd Resource Generator.
Player needs to destroy an entity to make the Resource Generator start spawning resources.

Add the Field attack_range_minimum in Weapon Type so a weapon can not fire at entities that are too close to the weapon holder.

Add EnergyType: Units can use different kinds of Energy with different Energy Bars.
Ability may cost a certain EnergyType.
Most units are using Energy.
Kastiel Arkhos Arcship is using Animus.

Update Harvest Ability Logic regarding the 2nd Resource and its Dropoff Structure.

Prototype the first version of Worker Saturation UI. Show player how many workers are harvesting a Resource Node.

Prototype the first Bouncing Projectile and update Projectile in both snowplay and Unreal side to make it able to bounce visually.

Using Snowplay Editor: Prototyping and Implementing units, heroes, level triggers, etc.

Selected works below:

Using Editor

Implement Infest_Debuff Archetype
(Prototype in the video): an Infernal faction-wide Buff doing DOT & creating a unit when the host dies.

Implement Mortardon Archetype (Prototype in the video): Long-Range Siege unit whose projectiles will launch to random locations around the original target.

Implement Fire Giant Archetype (Prototype in the video): Melee unit does multiple AOE bursts, good against large units.

Maloc's Serve the Flame ability can consume corpses and summon Burned Ones with various size based on the number of corpses it consumes.

Warz has multiple conditions that affect his basic attack.

When throwing his weapon out: Spectral Weapon.
When applying Infest to his weapon (green).
When using the Ultimate: 360 Degree AOE.

This means he has 8 versions of the basic attack.

Prototype the "Stormgate" with Level Trigger Editor for level designers to design & implement more rewards.

"Stormgate" is the objective that will be spawned every few minutes in the 1v1 versus mode.

Players need to contest it to choose 1 out of 3 randomly generated rewards.

Designers can specify

Which Tier of "Stormgate" to spawn
- (As the game goes, the Tier of "Stormgate" increases and will give better rewards)
Possible rewards of each Tier
Weight of rewards in a certain Tier
Possible spawn point of "Stormgate"

It can be spawned from 5 random locations that the level designer can specify per map.

Location: Designers can choose from:

Spawn One in the center
Spawn Two in the symmetrical positions
Spawn any number in the rest positions

Keep Improving approachability: polish around player control with C++.

Selected works below:

Polishing Feel

Attack Ability Target Filter: No more excuses! Accidentally attacking a resource node will become an Attack-Move to that location.

Smart Command Filter: Units that can attack a tree will no longer try to attack a tree when issued a smart command (right click); they will walk toward it along with the whole army.

Ray Trace Multi & Ability Validator: Air unit blocks your targeting to the ground unit under it? Now, the ability will validate multiple targets if they are overlaid.

Resource Harvest Polish (Smart Command):

Different Resource: Harvest the new one.
Same Resource: Return if Full, Harvest if not Full.
Dropoff Structure: Return, then Harvest.
No Valid Resource Node: Stay and Wait.

Designing Hero Kit for COOP mode. Being the source of truth for the Hero Kit Implementation Pipeline.

How Hero is Implemented efficiently:

COOP Hero

In Stormgate’s coop mode, players choose a Hero with a unique combination of army, tech tree, top bar abilities, and progression to defeat different missions with 2 other players.

While the progression (tech tree) of a Hero can be upgraded in a single game, the Hero can also level up to unlock new units, upgrades, and abilities after playing each match.

Even though it is called a "Hero", what the player actually chooses is a new Faction of that "Hero", which is based on the base faction, so that it can inherit the units, tech trees, etc. of the base faction.

For example, a player that plays Amara in COOP is using a new faction that inherits from Vanguard with modified new units & tech tree, additional Hero unit, and extra player buffs & other modifiers.

Designing & Implementing Hero Kits:

I have implemented 3 out of 7 Heroes as the tech design owner in Stormgate's COOP mode: Maloc, Amara, and Warz.

I helped 2 other designers working on Auralanna, Kastiel, and Ryker with my expertise in the hero implementation.

I also designed the final pass of Maloc and the first pass of Warz. Including Hero Abilities, Army Units, Top Bar Abilities, Tech Tree, Player Progression, etc.

If you want to know more, here is the distribution of my works : )

System Designer & Technical Designer's responsibilities can be various in different studios.
Mine is focusing on prototyping, gameplay scripting, supporting other designers, and polishing.

Tech Work (60%)
- C++ scripting on the editor's gameplay functionality that will be used by other designers.
- Unreal side C++ coding & Blueprints for new gameplay functionality and units.
"Shoulder Tapping" (20%)
- Helping non-technical designers implement units & triggers with the editor expertise.
- Helping other designers & artists fix Bugs.
Design Work (20%)
- Tuning the existing unit & ability. Adjusting different volumes & sockets for units & structures.
- Prototype & implement 1v1 units & abilities with the editor.
- 3vE Coop Hero Implementation (Hero Unit, Army Unit, Tech Tree, Upgrades, Progression).
  - Tech Design Owner of Maloc, Amara, Warz.
- 3vE Coop Hero Design
  - Maloc final pass
    - Top Bar: Felhog Charging, Mortardon Strike.
    - Lv1 - Lv20 Progression.
    - Other tuning based on feedback
  - Warz initial pass
    - Hero Abilities, Unique Units, Upgrades, Lv1 - Lv20 Progression.

Stormgate - Frost Giant Studios

System Designer

Associate System Designer

System Designer Intern

Jan 2024 - Aug 2025

Jan 2023 - Jan 2024

Aug 2022 - Dec 2022

My responsibilities as a Technical Designer (System Designer at FGS) :

Supporting other designers: How to use editor & unreal and why things don't work.

Scripting: Adding new gameplay features for the Snowplay Editor with C++.

Using Snowplay Editor: Prototyping and Implementing units, heroes, level triggers, etc.

Keep Iterating: Polish around player control with Uneal 5, Snowplay Editor, and C++ Scripting.

Addition: COOP Hero Kit Design & Implementation:

Designing Hero Kit for COOP mode: Hero Unit, Army Unit, Abilities, Tech Tree, Player Progression, etc.

Being the source of truth for the COOP Hero Kit Pipeline, help 2 designers worked on 3 heroes.

Scripting: Adding new gameplay features for the Snowplay Editor with C++.

Here is an example: I want to polish an ability I made with our snowplay editor, but I can not do it by editing data only, since there is no such feature. I need to write some C++ script to add some new gameplay features to our snowplay editor, then implement it in our snowplay data editor.

Cinder Storm is Maloc's ultimate ability that selects multiple random enemy units around him per second, then drops a delaying aoe on them. ​ ​

But what if there is no enemy around? To polish this ultimate, I added GameEffect Ref effect_no_target_found in GameEffectSearch that will be executed when no entity has been found.

Now, Cinder Storm will attack random locations even if no enemy unit is around, so the ultimate will still look cool and make players feel powerful. Other designers also get a new toy within our editor : )

Other selected works below:

Add Attack Ground Ability: Units with this ability can attack at a location instead of requiring a unit as the target.

Add DeathType: Damage can be tagged to trigger different Death Types. If an entity has been killed by a certain DeathType and it has the special DeathActor set up, it will play it. Burning DeathType versus Normal DeathType in the video.

Add 2nd Resource Archetype and a new Type ResourceGenerator to the game. Iterate the spawning logic of this resource. Iterate the related selection, constructing grid, ability validating, etc. of this resource.

Deprecated: Blocked 2nd Resource Generator. Player needs to destroy an entity to make the Resource Generator start spawning resources.

​Add the Field attack_range_minimum in Weapon Type so a weapon can not fire at entities that are too close to the weapon holder.

Add EnergyType: Units can use different kinds of Energy with different Energy Bars. Ability may cost a certain EnergyType. Most units are using Energy. Kastiel Arkhos Arcship is using Animus.

Update Harvest Ability Logic regarding the 2nd Resource and its Dropoff Structure.

Prototype the first version of Worker Saturation UI. Show player how many workers are harvesting a Resource Node.

Prototype the first Bouncing Projectile and update Projectile in both snowplay and Unreal side to make it able to bounce visually.

Using Snowplay Editor: Prototyping and Implementing units, heroes, level triggers, etc.

Selected works below:

​

Implement Infest_Debuff Archetype (Prototype in the video): an Infernal faction-wide Buff doing DOT & creating a unit when the host dies.

Implement Mortardon Archetype (Prototype in the video): Long-Range Siege unit whose projectiles will launch to random locations around the original target.

Implement Fire Giant Archetype (Prototype in the video): Melee unit does multiple AOE bursts, good against large units.

Maloc's Serve the Flame ability can consume corpses and summon Burned Ones with various size based on the number of corpses it consumes.

Warz has multiple conditions that affect his basic attack.

When throwing his weapon out: Spectral Weapon.

When applying Infest to his weapon (green).

When using the Ultimate: 360 Degree AOE.

This means he has 8 versions of the basic attack.

Prototype the "Stormgate" with Level Trigger Editor for level designers to design & implement more rewards. "Stormgate" is the objective that will be spawned every few minutes in the 1v1 versus mode.

Players need to contest it to choose 1 out of 3 randomly generated rewards.

Designers can specify

Which Tier of "Stormgate" to spawn

(As the game goes, the Tier of "Stormgate" increases and will give better rewards)

Possible rewards of each Tier

Weight of rewards in a certain Tier​​

Possible spawn point of "Stormgate"

It can be spawned from 5 random locations that the level designer can specify per map.

Location: Designers can choose from:

Spawn One in the center

​Spawn Two in the symmetrical positions

Spawn any number in the rest positions

​

Keep Improving approachability: polish around player control with C++.

Selected works below:

Attack Ability Target Filter: No more excuses! Accidentally attacking a resource node will become an Attack-Move to that location.

Smart Command Filter: Units that can attack a tree will no longer try to attack a tree when issued a smart command (right click); they will walk toward it along with the whole army.

Ray Trace Multi & Ability Validator: Air unit blocks your targeting to the ground unit under it? Now, the ability will validate multiple targets if they are overlaid.

Resource Harvest Polish (Smart Command):

Different Resource: Harvest the new one.

Same Resource: Return if Full, Harvest if not Full.

Dropoff Structure: Return, then Harvest.

​No Valid Resource Node: Stay and Wait.

Designing Hero Kit for COOP mode. Being the source of truth for the Hero Kit Implementation Pipeline.

How Hero is Implemented efficiently:

Even though it is called a "Hero", what the player actually chooses is a new Faction of that "Hero", which is based on the base faction, so that it can inherit the units, tech trees, etc. of the base faction.

For example, a player that plays Amara in COOP is using a new faction that inherits from Vanguard with modified new units & tech tree, additional Hero unit, and extra player buffs & other modifiers.

Designing & Implementing Hero Kits:

I have implemented 3 out of 7 Heroes as the tech design owner in Stormgate's COOP mode: Maloc, Amara, and Warz.

I helped 2 other designers working on Auralanna, Kastiel, and Ryker with my expertise in the hero implementation.

I also designed the final pass of Maloc and the first pass of Warz. Including Hero Abilities, Army Units, Top Bar Abilities, Tech Tree, Player Progression, etc.

If you want to know more, here is the distribution of my works : )

​System Designer & Technical Designer's responsibilities can be various in different studios. Mine is focusing on prototyping, gameplay scripting, supporting other designers, and polishing.

Tech Work (60%)

C++ scripting on the editor's gameplay functionality that will be used by other designers.

Unreal side C++ coding & Blueprints for new gameplay functionality and units.

"Shoulder Tapping" (20%)

Cinder Storm is Maloc's ultimate ability that selects multiple random enemy units around him per second, then drops a delaying aoe on them.

But what if there is no enemy around?

To polish this ultimate, I added GameEffect Ref
effect_no_target_found in GameEffectSearch that
will be executed when no entity has been found.

Now, Cinder Storm will attack random locations even if no enemy unit is around, so the ultimate will still look cool and make players feel powerful.

Other designers also get a new toy within our editor : )

Add DeathType: Damage can be tagged to trigger different Death Types. If an entity has been killed by a certain DeathType and it has the special DeathActor set up, it will play it.
Burning DeathType versus Normal DeathType in the video.

Add 2nd Resource Archetype and a new Type ResourceGenerator to the game. Iterate the spawning logic of this resource.
Iterate the related selection, constructing grid, ability validating, etc. of this resource.

Deprecated: Blocked 2nd Resource Generator.
Player needs to destroy an entity to make the Resource Generator start spawning resources.

Add the Field attack_range_minimum in Weapon Type so a weapon can not fire at entities that are too close to the weapon holder.

Add EnergyType: Units can use different kinds of Energy with different Energy Bars.
Ability may cost a certain EnergyType.
Most units are using Energy.
Kastiel Arkhos Arcship is using Animus.

Implement Infest_Debuff Archetype
(Prototype in the video): an Infernal faction-wide Buff doing DOT & creating a unit when the host dies.

Prototype the "Stormgate" with Level Trigger Editor for level designers to design & implement more rewards.

"Stormgate" is the objective that will be spawned every few minutes in the 1v1 versus mode.

Weight of rewards in a certain Tier

Spawn Two in the symmetrical positions

No Valid Resource Node: Stay and Wait.

System Designer & Technical Designer's responsibilities can be various in different studios.
Mine is focusing on prototyping, gameplay scripting, supporting other designers, and polishing.

Prototype & implement 1v1 units & abilities with the editor.

3vE Coop Hero Design

Hero Abilities, Unique Units, Upgrades, Lv1 - Lv20 Progression.