I’m Kami, the lead developer and founder of Simulated Minds LLC, a game studio focused on advanced AI NPCs, immersive combat-based sandbox/strategy games. We released a VR game called Plastic Battlegrounds that was in the list of Top Seller games on the Meta Quest Store for months of 2025! We have a strong foundation and systems that run well on low end hardware as well as a solid team of about eight members who have been working together for a long time. We are now looking for someone to program smart NPC behaviors for our existing BP based optimized soldier NPC as well as vehicle AI!
How we program our AI and Project Notes
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We have an existing Optimized NPC you may be improving upon (though we are open to a new NPC if you think it’s better). It is done entirely in BP, although am open to C++ as long as it can easily be interfaced with within BP to allow designers and myself to modify it
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We do not use Behavior Trees, EQS, character movement component, or any Unreal Engine AI tools in general because these systems have an inherent performance overhead
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For example, AI in our game move using Find Path to Location Synchronously
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The AI should continue to perform optimally even in large numbers. This NPC was designed without the UE NPC tools to reduce overhead and allow them to run on the Quest 2 which uses a mobile chipset. This is very important to maintain.
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We work in UE 4.27, we are likely to stay in 4.27 due to the faster performance of UE4 and compatibility with various plugins we need for the game
AI features you may be working on:
- Be able to prone
- Grenade throwing
- Be able to switch to other weapons in inventory
- Search for enemy last seen location and search for them
- Smooth rotating animation logic (AI currently snap in rotation toward enemies)
- Find cover, especially if in danger
- Variations of NPC behaviors: Medic AI, Unarmed AI
- Patrol between two points
- Surrendering logic
- Behavior to seek out objectives and destroy them
- Melee enemies if close
- Can mount MG’s, wheeled vehicles, mortars, etc
- Prioritize enemies depending on type of soldier (bazooka soldier shoots tanks, etc)
- Evasive reactions (rolls) if grenade incoming
- Damage reaction animation implementation
- Implementing Jeep NPC logic - we already have a working jeep, but it needs combat mechanics’
- Continually optimize the NPC to run in large numbers without compromising behavior quality
- Carry over NPC logic from our other game Cry of Athena
- Basic AI director
- Various other AI NPC tasks
Skills Preferred:
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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 AI can be worked on without it, though it is nice to have to test fighting against them as a player
Bonus Questions: Include responses to these questions in your message for stronger consideration (answer some or all of them):
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What AI in games has fascinated you and why?
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In general, what makes you feel like you are best suited for this job?
If interested, email us at:
Include resume and portfolio of prior work if relevant.
Looking forward to talking with you, if we work together I would love to see us pushing the envelope with AI behaviors in games!