Plunder Panic
Plunder Panic is a pirate themed, up to 12-player, action-arcade game where two teams race to one of four win conditions.
In 2017, Plunder Panic attended IndieCade and won the Audience Choice Award. Development on the game continued with a substantial graphics overhaul and the addition of AI bots. In 2019, the game was asked to be part of the IndieCade Esports showcase. The game was released on Steam in September or 2021.
I began work on Plunder Panic in May of 2019. I was brought onto the team to develop AI bots and rework some existing gameplay features and systems, including the following.
Designed and created a dual-utility AI for decision making among bots
Created a node based movement system and used a modified A* algorithm for pathing
Designed and created an interchangeable action system for developing bot behavior
Implemented a universal data tracking system to help track and balance victories
Utilized a virtual controller to create bot behavior and allow for easier networking implementation down the line
Designed and created new character select scene with variations for both Arcade and Nintendo Switch versions of the game
Implemented new menu system featuring updated art
Implemented new game startup loop and pause functionality
Reworked functionality of the heavy gold chest item to prevent imbalanced gameplay