[PAID/CONTRACT] Looking for an NPC Active Ragdoll Physics Developer! (UE 4.27)
Overview
We are looking for an experienced Active Ragdoll Physics Developer to help bring advanced physics-driven humanoid interactions to our VR sandbox game. We are the developers behind a hit VR game called Plastic Battlegrounds https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/plastic-battlegrounds/7796723770415439/, and are now returning to a project we hadn’t gotten to release but we need someone to bring better active ragdoll physics to our custom NPC pawn!
We already have an active ragdoll system developed in our title, Cry of Athena, but our newer highly optimized NPC pawn architecture uses a hybrid approach where characters are normally driven by lightweight non physics animation and AI systems but transition into full-time physics simulation if interacted with by the player or physics objects. The issue is that this physics simulating active ragdoll mode is much less advanced than our implementation in our other title since the NPC pawn architecture is focused on optimization for large numbers of enemies over physics.
Your primary responsibility will be to study the existing advanced active ragdoll implementation in our other project, transfer its functionality to the new optimized NPC framework, and help further improve the quality, stability, and believability of active ragdoll behavior over time.
What You’ll Be Working On
We already have the systems in our old NPC character system in Cry of Athena but need someone with strong knowledge of physics NPCs to help transfer them to our OptimizedNPC pawn.
Physics features needed to be transferred or improved include:
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Being pushed, shoved, or struck by the player
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Reacting to impacts from physics objects
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Falling, stumbling, and losing balance
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Being grabbed, dragged, or manipulated by the player
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Being pinned down by heavy objects
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Having stand-up and recovery animations interrupted by additional impacts
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Smoothly recovering from ragdoll states and returning to combat
The desired result is an NPC that feels responsive and physical in close-quarters combat, similar to the interaction quality found in games such as Blade & Sorcery, Bonelab, and our own game Cry of Athena.
Responsibilities
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Study and understand our existing active ragdoll implementation in Cry of Athena
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Transfer active ragdoll functionality to our new hybrid NPC architecture
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Improve existing active ragdoll systems where appropriate
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Refine balance, stability, impact reactions, falling behavior, and recovery transitions
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Ensure smooth blending between animation-driven and physics-driven states
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Work closely with the team to iterate on combat feel and physical interactions
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Help build a scalable solution that can be extended to future NPC types
Experience We’re Looking For
We’re specifically looking for developers who have substantial experience building or modifying active ragdoll systems.
Strong candidates should have experience with:
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Active ragdolls
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Physical Animation Component
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Physics-driven humanoid characters
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Balance and recovery systems
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Physics-based hit reactions
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Physics-assisted locomotion
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Ragdoll recovery and stand-up systems
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Character joint constraints and tuning
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Unreal Engine physics systems
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VR gameplay interactions
Experience shipping physics-heavy combat games is a significant plus.
Examples of Desired Behavior
The NPC should be able to:
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Walk and fight using normal animation-driven movement
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Transition into physics reactions when impacted
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Be pushed and lose balance naturally
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Fall over and remain on the ground when appropriate
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Have recovery attempts interrupted by further physics interactions
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Be grabbed and physically manipulated by the player
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Be pinned by environmental objects
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Smoothly regain footing and continue combat
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Support believable close-combat interactions in VR
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Retain a high level of optimization by transitioning to its non physics state when not interacted with. The NPC should still run in the high dozens or hundreds of NPCs or more.
Technical Requirements
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Unreal Engine 4.27 experience required
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Strong Blueprint experience preferred
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C++ is welcome, provided systems are exposed cleanly to Blueprint
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Experience debugging and optimizing physics-heavy gameplay systems
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Ability to work within an existing codebase and architecture
About the Game
This project is a VR physics sandbox focused on large-scale battles and emergent gameplay. Players can engage enemies in both ranged and close-quarters combat, making believable active ragdoll interactions a critical part of the experience.
The goal is to create NPCs that feel alive, physical, and reactive while maintaining the performance required for VR.
Skills Preferred:
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Strong Unreal Engine Blueprint experience
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C++ is a bonus, especially if used for optimization while still exposing important values to BP
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Someone who listens to feedback well and is open minded. Willing to collaborate closely to make great NPCs
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Communicates consistently, with honesty, with regular reports and progress
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Clean scalable code that is easily read and tweaked
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Having VR is optional since the active ragdoll NPCs can be worked on without it, though it is nice to have to test fighting against them as a player
If interested, email us at:
Include resume and portfolio of prior work if relevant. Please also state where you found this contract listing so I know how you found it.
Questions you can answer to really stand out:
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What are some projects you have worked on that have had to do with active ragdolls?
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Please provide any footage or examples of active ragdoll NPCs you’ve worked on.
Look at the google doc provided to see references and examples of physics ragdolls we need.