Reset!

 After a lot of interruptions  calls to duty, and rejected reorganization and rules variants, I finally got to play the game today.  More on the end result later but here's a quick look.

The initial Rebel attack suffered heavy losses followed by a flank attack by Dominion cavalry.

A renewed assault fared a little better but ran out of steam when command control issues held up the reserves. This enticed the Dominion General to launch an attack by the Highlanders supported by cavalry and artillery.

The Rebel reserves finally made it to the front, threw the highlanders back and followed up, threatening the vital central hill.

\

Concentrated firepower halted the attacks and as the line wavered, the Gentlemen Pensioners charged home  and broke the Rebel morale.

12 turns played out of 15 before  Blue's army break point was reached.

 

Hiring: Audio Lead / Sound Designer

Title: Audio Lead / Sound Designer
Focus: Creating and implementing sounds, managing audio content
Type: Full-time, permanent
Last day to apply: Monday 15th of April 2019 /CLOSED
Location: Malmö, Sweden (Doing remote work from EU/EEA countries welcome)

You remember it: a faint rustle in your periphery, dragging footsteps around the corner, a raspy breath. You still break in cold sweat when you hear that high-pitched screech that means a monster is near. All the iconic soundscapes that make Frictional games what they are.

We are now looking for an experienced audio designer to work in-house and continue this tradition of keeping a new generation of gamers on their toes with lovingly designed, eerie and memorable soundscapes.


What will you work on?

We are quite a small team, but we consider that our selling point. As a sound designer you will get to work on everything from small effects to the overall mood of the project. This means your contribution will greatly influence how the final game sounds, feels and evokes emotions.

Here are some of the things you will be working on:

• Collaborating with designers to create soundscapes, taking both artistic and gameplay aspects into account.
• Being a part of designing the overall mood of the game.
• Creating some of sounds used for our monsters, machines and other otherworldly noises using libraries, or from scratch if possible.
• Creating sound effects timed with specific events and animations.
• Refining events by working with both our map editor and scripting tools.
• Researching various technical features needed to achieve certain effects.
• Handling the music, either by creating it or working with a musician.
• All in all, helping the game world come to life.

We also encourage working outside of your area of expertise, and always learning new things. The more areas of development you are willing and able to  take part in, the better! For example you are encouraged to participate in our fortnightly testing and leave feedback on other aspects of the game.


What are we looking for?

You have to be a European (EU/EEA) resident to apply.

The person we're looking for is creative, driven and self-sufficient. With a remote team such as ours, the ability to organise your own work is a fundamental skill.

We have recently set up a central hub in Malmö, Sweden, and will help you move to our seaside city if it suits your situation.

Here are some essentials we require:

• Hardware and equipment to work with.
• We don't expect you to have a fully equipped home studio, but enough to work on most of the sounds. Additional equipment can be provided if needed, but it is important that you have the hardware needed to start working.
• At least one year of experience in audio production for games.
• Good understanding of sound and music, and how they affect the player experience.
• Ability to challenge yourself, make bold creative decisions, and try non-conventional things.
• A critical approach to your work, with the ability to take a step back and reflect.
• A strive for structure, efficiency, and clarity.
• Strong self-drive and ability to organise your own work.
• Interest in and ability to do research for interesting sound and music solutions.
• Love for working on a variety of tasks.
• Fluency in English.

And here are some more techie skills:

• Familiarity with FMod or Wwise.
• Basic knowledge in programming.
• Basic knowledge of creating maps in a level editor.

If you want to impress us:

• Love for horror, sci-fi, and narrative games.
• A major role in completing at least one game.
• Experience in level design.
• Strong game design skills.

What do we offer?

We make games, because that's what we love. But we know there are other things we love, like playing games, taking part in sports, or spending time with our families. We believe a healthy balance between work and life reflects positively on your work, which is why we don't encourage crunch.

We also offer:

• Flexible working hours.
• Opportunities to influence your workflow.
• Variety in your work tasks, and ability to influence your workload.
• Participation in our internal game Show & Tell sessions, so you'll have input into all aspects of the game.
• Social security and holidays that are up to the Swedish standards.
• An inclusive and respectful work environment.
• An office in central Malmö you can use as much as you please.
• Fun workmates, game and movie nights, and other outings!

Apply!

If all of the above piqued your interest, we would love to hear from you! Send us your application 15th of April the latest - but the sooner, the better!

Please attach your:

• Cover Letter 
• Why should we hire YOU?
• CV
• Link to your portfolio site
• Link to a video reel demonstrating sound design abilities
• A document describing a game soundscape you have worked on. Please write about the following:
• What you worked on.
• What you were going for with the design.
• What went well in the project and what you would prefer to change in retrospect.

Please note that we require all the attachments to consider you.

Send your application to apply@frictionalgames.com!




Wonder how we hire? Read our blog on How we hire at Frictional Games.
What kind of application are we looking for? Read our blog on Writing the best application for a Frictional Games job.

Want to know how sounds were made in the days of Amnesia: The Dark Descent? Check out the video starring our old sound designer Tapio Liukkonen below.

Privacy Policy

By sending us your application, you give us permission to store your personal information and attachments.

We store all applications in a secure system. The applications are stored for two years, after which they are deleted. If you want your your information removed earlier, please contact us through our Contact form. Read more in our Privacy Policy.

GeneFunk 2090 By James Armstrong, RPG Review

You tap into your bioware to send a signal to your cadre you've spotted the guy you're targeting. You then slip into the crowd with the knowledge Taggert has already hacked her way into the local security cameras. You move onto a side street and kick in your cybernetics to get to the other end of the security dead zone he's heading toward. As expected, Taggert forwards you the view of him leaving her field of vision and you pick him up. He moves with confidence down an alley and to the back door of an antique shop.

-----

GeneFunk 2090 is a 5e based game set in a dystopian future where practically everyone has body hacks of one form or another. This is a more extreme type of a cyberpunk setting. Along with cybernetics there are genetic hacks and nanotechnology that live inside the body, and practically everyone has something, which also connects to the World Digital Sea (WDS)—an advanced of our current web.

I received a PDF version of GeneFunk 2090 for review purposes. The game book was released earlier this past January and was designed by James Armstrong and released through Crispr Monkey Studios.

Setting Overview

The book begins with a brief chronology of events leading up to the Earth of 2090. The world is a dystopian society for those who aren't part of the controlling corporate structure. Of course there are governments, but for all practical purposes they are marionettes dancing on the strings pulled by the executives. Those suits also have strings stretching far and wide into other aspects of society. Staying in a position of power requires activities that can't be done openly, even if everyone knows what's going on. That is where your group plays a part.

Cadres do the dirty work for the suits. These small teams are hired to do those tasks that would dirty the hands of the executives and give a bad appearance for the companies they work for. That means your cadre works on a contract which allows plausible deniability to your employer. Cadres start out small and through continued success can build credibility and experience to get high paying jobs.

Characters

GeneFunk 2090 uses the same structure as the 5e system for character creation. The structure of this section of the book jumps a little. The design structure presented in the initial overview isn't parallel in the structure for where the parts are listed. However, each section has the page numbers referenced for where to find the information. So even if it doesn't flow straight through the sections, you can still find what you are looking for.

Genomes

Genomes are equivalent to races in other settings. There are about 20 genomes to choose from. These go from different types of Engineered, Mutts, Optimized, Transhuman, and Unmodified. Genomes provide a template of the character and how they were modified before play begins. Although genomes may affect characters in somewhat predictable ways, the overruling factor is still the personality of the individual.

If the pre-created genome templates don't provide the style of character you desire, there is a sidebar on how to create new ones. Some genomes are better than others for classes, but like character disposition, any combination is possible.

Classes

There are around 20 character classes. These allow for all the archetypes you would expected from a cyberpunk setting. There are also some designed specifically for the GeneFunk setting.

The classes include pretty much everything you may be looking for, the name may different, and how they operate is adjusted to fit into the setting of this possible future Earth. Some characters even have spell like capabilities as they have learned how to hack another person's bioware.

Additional Information

There is a lot available in this 300+ page rule book. It covers what's needed to run a game or play a character. The book is designed for everyone at the gaming table and there's a section for the game master only. Its referencing makes easy to use to determine what you need to do in this brave new world you and your players are navigating through. This plays well into a setting that everyone is highly connected with the WDS and can access information pretty much on demand.

There are sections for determining missions and creating encounters. This includes non-player characters, creatures, and other entities (robotics) now part of the world. The structure for developing missions for your player's cadre was easy to work through for scaling the adventures as the characters advance in their abilities.

Overall

GeneFunk 2090 provides a good cyberpunk setting combined with the ease of use of the 5e system. James Armstrong has done a great job of providing the setting and having it work with the structure of an established system.

The game setting provides a lot of variability for players who desire to create unique characters. For newer players and those who want to get into the setting faster, there are archetypes available—there is always a time and place for a street samurai.

I've been a fan of cyberpunk for a long time. I read Phillip K. Dick's classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (wikipedia link) in the 1970s and watched his story when it was turned into Blade Runner (IMDb link). Genefunk 2090 is one of the better games I have played designed to bring cyberpunk to the tabletop.

-----

When you get back to your flat, the rest of your cadre is already there. "You identified what he picked up for transport, right?"

"You're not going to believe it." Taggart says as the rest of the crew tells you how she hasn't told anything yet.

You can see she is relishing the moment of having everyone focus on her.

"A toy. It's called a Power Rangers. Whatever suit's backing him is high up in a Corp though. That thing is worth a lot and probably hot."

Everybody turns to you. "Then we better snatch that thing real careful like so we don't have a corporate army coming down on us."

 

I'm working at keeping my material free of subscription charges by supplementing costs by being an Amazon Associate and having advertising appear. I earn a fee when people make purchases of qualified products from Amazon when they enter the site from a link on Guild Master Gaming and when people click on an ad. If you do either, thank you.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

I have articles being published by others and you can find most of them on Guild Master Gaming on Facebookand Twitter(@GuildMstrGmng).

 

Hiring: 3D Artist

Title: 3D artist
Focus: Environment design
Type: Full-time, permanent
Last day to apply: 17th of June 2018

Frictional games are filled with terror, intrigue, mystery, and emotion. We want our environments to reflect that, from the shape of the landscape to the smallest rock, while subtly guiding players and helping to enhance the gameplay.

This is where you come in.

We are now looking for an experienced 3D artist, who will focus on environment design for our upcoming games. This means working closely with our gameplay programmers / designers, and using modelling, texturing, and design skills to create memorable, interesting, and functional environments for our players to experience.


What will you work on?
We are quite a small team, but we consider it our strength. As an environment artist you will get to work on everything from props to high-level design. This means your contribution will greatly influence how the final game looks, plays, and evokes emotions.

Here are some of the things you will be working on:

• Collaborating with designers to create level layouts, combining both gameplay and an artistic perspective.
• Taking levels from whitebox to a polished product.
• Creating basic models that make up the levels, such as walls and floors.
• Modelling props of various complexity, both with and without the help of concept art, and often having to take gameplay concerns into account.
• Constructing particle systems, both by drawing textures and using parameters in our editor.
• Combining various techniques to create special effects, such as flowing water or fire.

We also encourage working outside of your area of expertise, and always learning new things. The more areas of development you are willing and able take part in, the better!

For some examples of our environments, please check the video above!


What are we looking for?
The person we're looking for is creative, driven and self-sufficient. We have recently set up a central hub in Malmö, Sweden, and hope you can move over to our seaside city sometime in the future.

You have to be a European resident to apply.

Here are some essential skills we require:

• Good understanding of composition and player guidance.
• Ability to challenge yourself, make bold creative decisions, and try non-conventional things.
• A critical approach to your work, with the ability to take a step back and reflect.
• A strive for structure, efficiency, and clarity.
• Strong self-drive and ability to organise your own work.
• Interest in and ability to do research for interesting prop and environment solutions.
• Love for working on a variety of tasks.
• Fluency in English.

And here are some more techie skills:

• Excellent skills in 3D software. Modo preferred.
• Familiarity with Zbrush/Mudbox/similar.
• Excellent skills in Substance.
• Excellent skills in Photoshop or similar software.
• Familiarity with issue-tracking software.
• Experience in classic/non-PBR workflow.
• Basic rigging and animation skills.

If you want to impress us:

• Love for horror, sci-fi, and narrative games.
• A major role in completing at least one game.
• Great free-drawing skills.
• Experience in level design.
• Strong game design skills.
• Experience kitbashing/working with modular sets.

What do we offer?
We make games, because that's what we love. But we know there are other things we love, like playing games, taking part in sports, or spending time with our families. We believe a healthy balance between work and life reflects positively on your work, which is why we don't encourage crunch.

We also offer:

• Flexible working hours.
• Opportunities to influence your workflow.
• Variety in your work tasks, and ability to influence your workload.
• Participation in our internal game Show & Tell sessions, so you'll have input into all aspects of the game.
• Social security and holidays that are up to the Swedish standards.
• An inclusive and respectful work environment.
• An office in central Malmö you can use as much as you please.
• Fun workmates, game and movie nights, and other outings!

Apply? Apply!
If all of the above piqued your interest, we would love to hear from you! Send us your application 17th of June the latest - but the sooner, the better! Please attach your:

• Cover Letter 
• Why should we hire YOU?
• CV
• Portfolio 
• Link or PDF
• Preliminary work test
• See the test below
• Examples of works that have inspired you or blown you away 
• PDF, screenshots preferred.

Please note that we require all the attachments to consider you.

Send your application to apply@frictionalgames.com!


Preliminary work test
After 3 years of failed experiments, Professor Kim finally managed to reverse gravity. However, the professor died just as he succeeded, and the whole thing ran amok.

The player enters the research facility where the experiments took place. As they go through the level, they gradually learn about what the professor was trying to achieve. At the end they're met with a revelation, and see the disturbing results of the experiment. As they reach the end, the level must loop in a way where the player finds themselves near the entrance, where they first started.

We are looking for a simple design, done as a rough 3D sketch/white box. You are free to write notes and do paint-overs on top of the 3D.

This test is a first step in the evaluation process, showing us your basic skills, so we are not looking for you to spend a lot of time on it. Imagine this as a quick proof of concept you would present before doing a pitch or a design.

We will evaluate your artist vision, creativity as well as level design skills.

Put everything as a collection of images into one folder on Dropbox, Drive or similar, and send the link to us.

Privacy Policy
By sending us your application, you give us permission to store your personal information and attachments.

We store all applications in a secure system. The applications are stored for two years, after which they are deleted. If you want your your information removed earlier, please contact us through our Contact form. Read more in our Privacy Policy.