I’m Kami, the lead developer and founder of Simulated Minds LLC, a game studio focused on advanced AI NPCs and immersive combat-based sandbox/strategy games. We released a VR game called Plastic Battlegrounds that was on the list of Top Seller games on the Meta Quest Store for months of 2025! We have a strong foundation and optimized NPC 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 working on releasing our new title Cry of Athena which is a myth and time traveling themed sandbox sword fighting sandbox for Quest and SteamVR.
We are now looking for someone to help us develop optimized melee NPCs that can fight dynamically in a way similar to Blade & Sorcery or Battle Talent, while still being performant enough to have large numbers of NPCs fighting at once.
How we program our AI and Project Notes
- We have existing optimized NPC systems you may be able to build upon, though we are open to creating a separate melee NPC if needed
- Importance of the existing “Optimized NPC”: This NPC can switch between a physics and non physics state allowing it to be spawned in large numbers and also be interacted physically with in VR. The issue now is that it was programmed with shooter gameplay in mind and not melee/swordfighting
- Our NPCs are primarily BP-based. We are open to C++ for performance as long as the systems can easily be interfaced with and modified through BPs
- We generally avoid Behavior Trees, EQS, Character Movement Component, and other UE AI systems because reducing per-NPC overhead is extremely important. I built a pawn based system in order to achieve higher NPC counts, which you would be building upon.
- The NPCs need to remain performant in large battles, including on standalone VR/mobile hardware.
- We work in Unreal Engine 4.27.
- Our games involve physics-based interaction, so melee AI needs to work convincingly when physically fighting the player rather than simply playing attack animations.
AI Features You May Be Working On:
- Maintain appropriate melee distance and positioning around the player
- Circle, strafe, approach, retreat, and reposition intelligently
- Choose attacks depending on distance, openings, weapon, and situation
- Block, dodge, stagger, recover, and react to player attacks
- VR systems for detecting damage to/from the player, blocking, etc
- React to the player’s weapon position and movement
- Different melee weapons, attack types, and combat styles
- Damage reactions and physics interactions
- Prevent multiple NPCs from crowding into each other
- Coordinate groups so enemies surround the player without everyone attacking simultaneously
- Smooth animation transitions and potentially IK/procedural animation
- Switch between ranged and melee combat when appropriate
- Optimize decision-making, traces, movement, and other systems for large NPC counts
- Implement AI LOD/significance systems where appropriate
- Various other melee combat behaviors
- Other NPCs such as battle elephants, giant scorpions, centaurs, cavalry, etc. May involve porting from our other project
A major goal is figuring out how to create the illusion of sophisticated melee intelligence using relatively inexpensive systems rather than running complex calculations on every NPC every frame. These NPCs are meant to fight on a large scale (50+ soldiers at once).
Skills Preferred:
- Having a VR headset is preferred so you can directly test fighting the NPCs
- Unreal Engine gameplay programming experience
- Experience with melee combat or action-game AI is highly preferred
- Strong understanding of game optimization
- Blueprint and/or C++
- Animation, IK, procedural animation, or physics experience is a plus
- VR development experience is a major plus
- Someone who listens to feedback, communicates consistently, and collaborates closely
- Clean, scalable code that can easily be read and modified by the rest of the team
If interested, email us at:
Include resume and portfolio/examples of prior work if relevant.
Bonus questions: what have been your favorite VR games, especially melee based ones? What do you think is the most important feature to have in a melee NPC?
Looking forward to chatting!