Contact

Email: erikvaughn1@gmail.com

Skills

Scripting:

• Proprietary Visual and Text-Based Scripting Systems

• Lua

• Blueprint

• Papyrus

• C#

Engines:

• Proprietary Engines

• Unity

• Unreal Engine 5

• Creation Kit

Software:

• Maya

• Notepad++

• Photoshop

• Visual Studio

• Microsoft Office

Professional Experience

Bungie:

Destiny 2: The Final Shape, Season of the Deep - Senior Designer

January 2023 - Present

Contributions and Skills Learned

• Provided activity design support for Season of the Deep’s 6-player Salvage activity

• Designed and implemented linear activity content for The Final Shape from conception to shipping at a high level in a short time

• Designed and implemented open world activity content for the Final Shape

• Helped Design and Implement several new systems and content for new activity type

• Took ownership of orphaned content and brought it to shipping quality

• Maintained up to date and accurate activity documentation and supporting information to facilitate other disciplines working with me

• Interfaced with and collaborated with Audio and Narrative teams to maintain narrative cohesion with other linear activity content

• Co-Designed, scripted, and implemented seasonal systems-driven activity

• Integrated with Design Teams remotely across multiple time zones and internationally

• Secrets design

  
  

Bethesda Game Studios:

Starfield, Fallout 76 - Game Designer

October 2019 - December 2022

Contributions and Skills Learned

• Stepped into Systems Design with Skills implementation/design/iteration on Starfield

• Adapted to new role and expanded my skills and capabilities after a key departure

• Designed and Implemented several new systems for space combat

• Managed massive file structures and complex data forms for all ship modules and weapons and their documentation in Confluence and Excel

• Balanced Spaceship Combat

• Interfaced with Art, Design, and Programming teams for Ships design, implementation, and iteration

• Designed, scripted, and implemented multiple seasonal and event-oriented updates to Fallout 76’s Battle Royale mode, Nuclear Winter

• Implemented new weapons and new ammo systems for multiple updates in Fallout 76’s Main Story Mode

• Supported Fallout 76’s engine development team with usability testing and modification creation/deployment for Private Server Worlds

• Integrated with and supported Austin, Montreal, and Rockville BGS Systems Design Teams remotely

Bungie:

Destiny 2: Warmind, Destiny 2: Forsaken, Destiny 2: Season of the Undying - Designer

Destiny 2 - Associate Designer

January 2016 - October 2019

Contributions and Skills Learned

• Designed, scripted, and implemented open-world adventures and their Heroic versions from conception to completion, taking place on multiple destinations with a variety of objectives and combatant races

• Incorporated a variety of themes and gameplay, including boss fights, with a proprietary engine and text-based scripting language

• Designed, scripted, and implemented nine new silent events in the public spaces, bringing the Wanted bounty system of the Tangled Shore to the vanilla Destiny 2 destinations

• Designed, scripted, and implemented end game content to further bring the Wanted bounty system to all pre-Forsaken destinations

• Assisted in implementation of hidden bonus content for the end-game Last Wish Raid

• Stepped into the role of investment and ritual design to assist and facilitate the ritual game of Destiny 2: Forsaken

• Interfaced with many other departments and partner studios in multiple time zones to create quality content

• Created documentation on a proprietary engine, including tutorials and workaround solutions to problems found with engine development

• Massed out two new combat areas on the Titan destination

• Designed and wrote quests for early versions of the Red War campaign

• Utilized open-world systems to facilitate organic interactions and intersections with Public Events and Open-World Activities in an online multiplayer game

• Repurposed and kitbashed assets to create new experiences with existing assets

• Public Event and public spaces design

• Community Event and ritual play design

Disney Interactive, Avalanche Software: Disney Infinity 3.0 - Level Architect Intern

Disney Interactive, January 2015 - December 2015

Contributions

• Designed layout, scripting, and implementation of Hall of Galactic Heroes from the ground up

• Designed layout, scripting, and implementation of new areas of Hall of Heroes and Hall of Superheroes

• Updated, optimized, and added new areas of existing Hall of Heroes and Hall of Superheroes

• Designed Toy Box Hub levels "Heroes Ascension," "Urban Brawler," and "Paintball Monstrosity" from conception to completion

• Designed specific systems required for randomized platforming elements with more than a thousand unique combinations

• Scripted combat encounters

• Prototyped and Modularized new game play features and mechanics

Personal/Side Projects

Spacebar Pittsburgh, 2023

Experience, Unreal Engine 5.1

• Created window to space set in a fictional spaceship utilizing Unreal Engine

• Cinematics, scripting, world design, blueprint editing

• Iterated on content and systems with client feedback and extensive testing

“Grimoire Rock“

Single Player Mission: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• Created unique floating island environment

• Scripted enemies with unusual and exciting abilities

• Created interesting and exciting elemental environment

2 months, 2012

“Licence to Drill"

Multiplayer Map (CTF) Unreal Tournament 3

• Created a visually exciting and cohesive environment

• Scripted environmental hazards and interactive elements

2 months, 2013

Midgard Saga

• Isometric Tactics/Strategy Game

• Made with UDK

• Student Team of 15

Role: Level Designer/World Builder

• Created visually distinct and interesting fantasy environments

• Created and modified particle systems, materials, and meshes

• Responsible for Lighting

• Assisted in game conception/balance

• Game balance/user testing

June 2013 – December 2013

Remnant

• 1st Person Shooter

• Made with UDK

• Student Team of 10

Role: Level Designer/World Builder

• Created visually distinct and interesting post-apocalyptic environments

• Assisted in conception and creation of multiplayer map

• Creatively used limited assets in unique ways

• Lighting

• Assisted in game conception/balance

• User testing

January 2013 - May 2013

Untethered

• 2D Sidescrolling Platformer

• Made with GuildEd

• Student Team of 5

Role: Level Designer

• Designed puzzles and platforming environments

• Concepted gravity mechanic/game theme

• Concepted game trailer for exhibition

• Game balance/user testing

September 2012 - December 2012

Education

Master of Interactive Technology

Concentration in Level Design

The Guildhall at SMU

Plano, TX

August 2012 - May 2014

Bachelor's of Science

Emergency Management

The University of North Texas

Denton, TX

August 2006 - May 2010