Senior Game Developer - Unity

Objective: The goal of this task is to lay down the foundation of a game project by conceptualizing a clear game design and creating an architecture plan. As a Senior Game Developer - Unity, you will outline the game mechanics, story, and visual style, while also planning an efficient and scalable code structure. This is the first step in the development process and is critical to ensuring smooth execution in the later stages of game development.

Key Steps:

• Draft a detailed game concept including gameplay mechanics, target audience, and narrative elements.
• Create a high-level system architecture plan highlighting the key components, such as scene management, physics, UI, and backend integration if applicable.
• Develop flowcharts and diagrams that outline the interaction between various gameplay systems.
• Prepare a list of Unity tools and plugins you plan to use and rationalize their selection for your workflow.
• Document your design decisions and potential challenges with proposed solutions.

Deliverables: Submit a comprehensive design document (PDF or DOCX) that includes descriptive sections, annotated diagrams, and architecture charts. Your file should evidence clarity in thought and demonstrate an understanding of an organized project structure.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be evaluated on creativity, clarity of presentation, thoroughness of the system and architecture planning, and the ability to foresee challenges and propose innovative solutions, all within an achievable timeline. This task will require approximately 30 to 35 hours of work.

Objective: This task is designed to test your practical skills by developing a functional prototype using Unity. You will implement basic gameplay mechanics, integrating character control, environment interaction, and a simple scoring system. The prototype should reflect your ability to quickly translate design ideas into a playable experience.

Key Steps:

• Set up a new Unity project and design a simple level or environment that supports the intended game mechanics.
• Create a prototype demonstrating core gameplay elements: movement, collision, item collection, and score tracking.
• Implement input handling for character controls and integrate basic UI elements that reflect score or status changes.
• Include simple animations and visual feedback to enhance the gameplay experience.
• Use version control practices to maintain the project and provide documentation that explains the code structure and functionality.

Deliverables: Submit a Unity project folder (compressed) along with a README file detailing the prototype features, controls, and any challenges you encountered during implementation.

Evaluation Criteria: The prototype will be evaluated on its functionality, code quality, adherence to design specifications, usability, and the practical demonstration of core gameplay mechanics within the allocated 30 to 35 hours.

Objective: In this task, you are required to enhance your Unity project by integrating advanced scripting techniques while focusing on performance optimization. The emphasis is on writing efficient, modular code and integrating best practices for performance improvements. You will also analyze the performance of your project and document optimization strategies applied.

Key Steps:

• Identify parts of your current Unity project (from Week 2 or a new mini-project) that require optimization. Design and implement improvements for those components.
• Develop modular scripts that enhance the functionality and maintainability of your game. Utilize design patterns and proven coding practices where applicable.
• Integrate performance diagnostic tools to monitor frame rate, memory usage, and other performance metrics within your Unity application.
• Refactor existing code, remove inefficiencies, and document the changes made.
• Prepare before-and-after performance benchmarks that highlight the improvements achieved.

Deliverables: Submit the updated Unity project folder, along with a detailed PDF report that outlines the optimization strategies, performance metrics, and the rationale behind the coding decisions. Ensure that your documentation reflects at least 200 words of explanation and insights.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be judged on the innovativeness of the scripting techniques, clarity of optimization strategies, measurable performance improvements, and overall code quality.

Objective: The final task is designed to simulate the real-world process of bug fixing, final polishing, and preparing comprehensive project documentation. This task integrates aspects of debugging, quality assurance, and refined documentation to ensure that the finished product is robust and ready for further development or release.

Key Steps:

• Perform a comprehensive threat and bug analysis of your Unity project. Identify and document any logical, runtime, or performance-related issues.
• Implement fixes and adjustments to eliminate bugs and improve stability without compromising on performance.
• Optimize the user interface and user experience based on standard industry practices.
• Create detailed documentation that includes an overview of the project, code architecture, troubleshooting steps, and user instructions. The documentation should also reflect lessons learned and suggestions for future enhancements.
• Use debugging tools within Unity, and capture logs or error screenshots to support your adjustments.

Deliverables: Submit an updated Unity project (compressed folder) along with a comprehensive documentation file (PDF or DOCX) describing the entire debugging process, final adjustments, testing procedures, and a reflective summary of the project’s evolution.

Evaluation Criteria: Your submission will be evaluated on thoroughness in debugging, effectiveness and clarity of final adjustments, quality and depth of project documentation, and the overall professionalism of the submission. This stage is expected to take around 30 to 35 hours.