Responsibilities

• Built, iterated, and shipped competitive multiplayer maps from concept through final art pass.
• Owned combat space readability: lanes, sightlines, cover distribution, traversal constraints, and objective pressure.
• Collaborated across design, art, engineering, and production to keep maps performant, legible, and fun under real match conditions.
• Prototyped and pitched new environmental mechanics and hazards when they improved strategic depth and moment-to-moment decisions.

Terrain Heightmaps — Prototype to Ship

I prototyped and shipped terrain heightmaps for a 15v15 vehicle battle simulator, using terrain form to control engagement distances, define safe rotations, create meaningful high/low ground tradeoffs, and support multiple vehicle archetypes. This work included fast iteration on terrain silhouettes, validation in playtests, and refinements for collision/feel, line-of-fire clarity, and performance constraints.

• Terrain as macro-design: shaping engagement ranges and positional advantage without relying on heavy signage.
• Cover as a system: predictable, learnable, and evenly distributed across lanes and roles.
• Iterative tuning: playtest-driven adjustments to peaks/valleys, ditches/berms, and rotation pathways.

Physically Simulated Trees — Havok Constraints & Real-World Validation

I supported a core pillar of the game’s identity by developing and tuning physically simulated trees across the entire project. I authored documentation for consistent authoring and debug practices, then carefully tuned Havok system constraints using wood density data for different tree species gathered from real-world forestry studies. To validate the resulting feel and break behavior, I compared in-game outcomes against reference footage of real tanks crushing trees.

• Built documentation and guidelines so designers and artists could author forests consistently and predictably.
• Calibrated Havok constraints using species-specific wood density as a grounding metric for strength and failure behavior.
• Validated simulation results against real-world reference footage to hit a believable “vehicle vs. environment” signature.

Examples from the physically simulated tree system and tuning outcomes.

Selected Maps

Four maps authored at Wargaming, showing topdown and iteration artifacts (concepts → topdowns → whitebox → minimap → final → progress), plus targeted feature callouts where relevant.

Hinterland

Concept → Gold · Maramureș, Romania · Constrained Space & Hazards · Long-Range Favored

Takes place in Maramureș, Romania. New environmental features included fully dynamic Havok-based trees, forest barriers that act as translucent cover, and a Minefield mechanic that was prototyped, pitched, and optimized as a new game feature. Hinterland was selected for the launch line-up and was often cited as a team favorite.

• Design emphasis: constrained space, natural hazards, and strong positional play.
• Readability: long-range sightlines with intentional interruption via forests/barriers.
• System feature: Minefield mechanic (prototype → pitch → optimization).

Hinterland gallery pins the final image first, followed by concept/topdown/whitebox artifacts.

Cerrado

Concept → Prototype · Brazil · Low-Lying Cover · Ditches & Berms

Takes place in Brazil. Layout emphasizes low-lying cover, ditches, and field berms as constrained, tactical protection—rewarding precise positioning, rotation timing, and incremental control over sightlines.

• Design emphasis: limited cover density with deliberate “safe” contours and rotation trenches.
• Terrain language: berms and ditches as readable, repeatable tools for survival and counterplay.

Ordered: topdowns → whitebox.

Olympus

Concept → Prototype · Greece · Deep Valleys · High Peaks · Vertical Emphasis

Takes place in Greece. Layout emphasizes vertical combat with deep valleys and high peaks, enabling strong vertical play and distinct engagement layers depending on altitude and approach.

• Design emphasis: vertical combat grammar and readable height advantage/disadvantage states.
• Terrain language: valleys as safe approach corridors, peaks as commitment points and risk-reward platforms.

Ordered: topdowns → whitebox.

Yellowstone

Concept → Prototype · Yellowstone National Park · Industrial Base · Hazard: Sulfur Pools

Takes place on a geothermal power plant along sulfur pools in Yellowstone National Park. Map design emphasizes a central, industrial base with complex corners and sightlines, surrounded by hills and dangerous sulfur pools.

• Design emphasis: dense central base for close-quarters angle play, with perimeter hills enabling range pressure and rotations.
• New hazard: sulfur pools that damage and eventually destroy the player when submerged.

Ordered: topdowns → heightmaps → whitebox → minimap → final.