Nov 15, 2021

Development Stories - Creating Scourge Lore

Path of Exile - Natalia_GGG

In Path of Exile: Scourge, we introduced The Last to Die, a new NPC from an alternate Wraeclast swarmed by ravenous demons. For this news post, our Narrative Designer, Matt, has taken a moment to reflect on writing for Scourge League. Here are his thoughts:

Narrative work on Scourge League took a very different approach for a number of reasons. For one, essentially the entire league was created during lockdown here in New Zealand, so getting voice acting recorded was an interesting odyssey over multiple online recording sessions. In a sense, we got lucky that our plan for The Last to Die NPC was for her to have a limited number of lines and essentially retire soon after handing off the Blood Crucible. If she had been anything akin to the complexity of Expedition league three months before, it would have no doubt been impossible to finish her scripts. As it turned out, the voice actress for The Last to Die, Genevieve Kent, nailed the tone we were looking for despite working at a distance - and, in one case, during a massive windstorm that forced us to record lines multiple times and then edit around the wind!

The second reason things were different this time around was a new approach we decided to try for this content. The vast majority of lore for this league is inferred or implied instead of directly stated. Where Expedition had a detailed historical saga to follow, Scourge league was made in conjunction with numerous details mentioned in the core game and previous leagues. There's enough out there already that, before Scourge league even released, observant players were giving TED talks on the upcoming lore. I can't confirm or deny if any particular theory was right, but there's more fun to be had with the Scourge than might be immediately apparent.

With The Last to Die too traumatized and depressed to wax on at length about what she's seen, we have to guess with what little we know. She does tell the Exile that the Blood Crucible functions through a pact with Chaos, which is the second time we've encountered someone working with them. For those who remember Ultimatum League, the Trialmaster described Chaos as an entity who is aware of different possibilities at the same time. The Last to Die outright states that she has been to 'other Wraeclasts,' which we can reasonably infer are other possible versions of the continent. Her pact with Chaos must allow her to Shift between them, and, indeed, that is exactly what the Exile temporarily does when the Blood Crucible is activated.

If the Wraeclast we know is perhaps one of the better ones thanks to the Exile's path of destruction, then one might imagine there are versions of the world out there where events instead went very, very wrong. What exactly went wrong? What are these invaders? All we know for sure at this point is that the apocalypse is out there. We are a single beleaguered jewel floating on a sea of madness, and it's only a matter of time until doom comes knocking on our door.

Nov 10, 2021

3.16.1 Patch Notes Preview

Path of Exile - Natalia_GGG

By the end of this week (or early next week) we're planning to deploy Patch 3.16.1 on PC which contains several bug fixes. To give you an idea what to expect from this patch, we've prepared a preview of its patch notes. Check them out below!

Please note that these are still subject to change prior to the patch's deployment.

Improvements

The Maximum Life of Non-Reaper Minions displayed in Skill tooltips is now affected by the less Maximum Life modifier from a Summoned Reaper. This is not a functional change.
Added a 10 second Grace Period when visiting the Mine Encampment from within the Azurite Mine.
Added 3D art for Atziri's Acuity.

Bug Fixes

Characters that were previously able to equip a Wand and Melee Weapon at the same time have had their Wand disabled.
Fixed a bug where Delirium encounters in Scourged Maps with the "Rare Scourged Monsters drop 1 additional stack of Simulacrum Splinters" modifier would cause splinters to drop at the end of the Delirium encounter, rather than on killing the Rare Scourged Monster.
Fixed a bug where the Laboratory Map boss could become inaccessible if the final lever was used during a Scourge encounter.
Fixed a bug where Elemental Overload was not working with Totems, Traps, Mines, or the secondary projectiles of some skills such as Cremation or Molten Strike.
Fixed a visual bug where "20% chance to Impale on Hit" granted by the Physical Mastery was not displayed in the Character Panel.
Fixed a bug where, after dying, the Survival Secrets Unique and the Profane Chemistry Notable Passive were not causing Flasks to gain Charges.
Fixed a bug where, after dying, Necromantic Aegis was not applying bonuses from an Equipped Shield to your Minions instead of you.
Fixed a bug where the "Link Skills can target Damageable Minions" Minion Defence Mastery allowed Link Skills to target Totems.
Fixed a bug where Belts with some Energy Shield and Armour modifiers could not be reforged with random modifiers, including a Defence modifier, through Harvest crafting.
Fixed a bug where Temporal Rift would have to be reactivated after logging out.
Fixed a bug where some Veiled modifiers on the Cane of Kulemak Unique were not having their magnitudes increased.
Fixed a bug where some modifiers were missing the Attribute tag.
Fixed a bug where the chance to Suppress Spell Damage per Frenzy Charge modifier on Legacy Darkray Vectors was not functioning correctly.
Fixed a bug where Brands could be hidden under the floor in some areas.
Fixed a bug where the Viscera Cauldron quest item description was incorrect.
Fixed a bug where The Lord's Labyrinth quest implied you were still required to complete multiple Trials of Ascendancy in Maps before being able to access the Eternal Labyrinth.
Fixed a bug where some Synthesis hideout decorations were not being exported to hideout template files.
Fixed a bug where some effects on the Oblivion Toxic Rain Effect Microtransaction were ending prematurely.
Fixed 3 instance crashes.

Nov 9, 2021

Scourge Fan Art Competition

Path of Exile - Natalia_GGG

It's time for our players to prove themselves not only in slaying hordes of the Scourge creatures, but also in creating pieces of fan art inspired by the content introduced in this expansion. We're launching a Scourge Fan Art Competition which focuses on any content from our current expansion, including The Last to Die, new Skill Gems, Uber Endgame content, Expedition and of course, the Scourge demons.

Prizes

Top Three Winners

A custom forum avatar made from your submitted art
A special forum badge
Your choice of two Path of Exile T-shirts* - (Chaos Orb, Shaper or Untainted Paradise)
Signed Path of Exile Art Book
Signed Brutus Art Print
Cloth Map of Wraeclast
Foam Exalted Orb
Your choice of Weapon Effect from the list below
Your choice of Helmet Effect from the list below
Your choice of Armour Set from the list below

4th and 5th Place

Your choice of one Path of Exile T-shirt - (Chaos Orb, Shaper or Untainted Paradise)
Signed Path of Exile Art Book
Foam Exalted Orb
Your choice of Weapon Effect from the list below
Your choice of Helmet Effect from the list below
Your choice of Armour Set from the list below

6th-10th Place

Your choice of one Path of Exile T-shirt - (Chaos Orb, Shaper or Untainted Paradise)
Foam Exalted Orb
Your choice of Helmet Effect from the list below
Your choice of Armour Set from the list below

11th -20th Place

Your choice of Armour Set from the list below

Runners-Up

Your choice of Helmet Effect from the list below

The number of runners-up prizes awarded will depend on how many entries to the competition there are.

*Please note that T-shirt style is subject to size availability and may be substituted for a T-shirt in another style. In this scenario, we will work with you to meet your preferences.

Microtransaction Prize Pool

List of Weapon Effects
List of Helmet Atatchments
List of Armour Sets

How to Enter

Create still art that is inspired by anything introduced in the Scourge expansion. This excludes video submissions but does include any painting, drawing or model creation. Then just submit your work in this thread.

Multiple submissions are welcome and encouraged. Please note that the submission needs to be your own work and needs to have been created after the launch of the competition.

Competition times

The competition starts at the time of this post and will end on Monday the 6th of December at 5pm (PST). We'll announce the winners sometime in the days following.

Best of luck, everyone! We can't wait to see what you create.

Nov 8, 2021

Grinding Gear Games is Hiring!

Path of Exile - Natalia_GGG

Grinding Gear Games is looking to hire Animators, Artists, Designers and Programmers to support the development of Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2, ideally from our office in Auckland, New Zealand (when travel restrictions lift).

Our current opportunities:

Art Director
Level Designer
3D Art Generalists
Environment Concept Artist
Senior Materials Artist
C++ Gameplay or User Interface Programmer
Visual Effects Artist
Senior Animators
3D Game Environment Artist
Game Lighting Artist/Environment Designer

Art Director

Responsibilities

Provide artistic leadership, direct and lead your team to produce and maintain high quality and consistent aesthetic across all areas in the game and related material.
Facilitate and lead art reviews, directing and providing positive, constructive feedback across your team.
Lead the delivery of assets that fit artistic, production and technical performance goals.
Manage external outsourcing studios and maintain a consistent aesthetic across all of the areas in the game and related material.

Requirements

10 years experience in games development with 3 years as an Art Director
Experience with high budget AAA game development
Leadership experience
Understanding of how to create awesome gaming experiences
Working knowledge of game development tools and their limitations
Excellent communications skills, with an ability to train other artists
Self-motivation and self-reliance; ability to proactively seek out solutions to unblock progress and make work easier for others
Understanding of Path of Exile and its themes
Traditional arts background and/or a BA in Fine Art or 3D/Game Art is a plus
A strong portfolio, and/or reel demonstrating your artistic skills and showing your shipped projects
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Level Designer

You will develop randomised levels with high replayability while maintaining the Path of Exile aesthetic across the game. We are looking for an avid gamer that has a deep understanding of Path of Exile and its themes.
Responsibilities:

Create immersive and replayable gameplay that supports and enhances the core mechanics and aesthetic
Ensure a high level of quality through close collaboration with the Creative Director, Art Directors, Game Designers, Environment Artists, Sound Designers and other disciplines
Integrate the content produced by other disciplines for your designs into the game engine (new gameplay elements, AI, sound, etc)
Quickly learn to master our internal tools, and assist in making them better
Conduct gameplay evaluations with the team, providing feedback and suggestions to help fine-tune the game
Locate and fix bugs in both your own and your colleagues' work

Requirements:

2+ years of game industry experience
Game design sensibilities
Experience using Maya or a high level of proficiency in a similar 3D modelling tool
Proactive and self-reliant
Excellent written and verbal English communication skills
Ability to work within a team environment
Your portfolio, and/or reel demonstrating relevant skills required
You must be willing to complete a level design test if requested to do so

3D Art Generalists

You will help create and handle art assets in Path of Exile. You will work to create, improve and maintain the aesthetic of environments, characters and monsters; and you will give critique, manage and prepare other artists’ work to ensure functionality with our in-house tools and pipeline.
Requirements:

Experience working in game development at a professional studio on shipped 3D animated titles
Good general knowledge of Maya when it comes to modelling, texturing and basic rigging.
Good understanding of import/export processes using .obj/.fbx file formats.
Self-motivation and self-reliance; ability to research and learn new tools quickly.
Proficiency in Maya and Photoshop.
Familiarity with Substance and PBR materials is a plus.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to evaluate time requirements
Proactive and self-reliant
Excellent written and verbal English communication skills
Ability to work within a team environment
A strong portfolio demonstrating relevant artistic skills required
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Pluses:

An avid gamer with a deep understanding of our game, Path of Exile.
Experience leading and/or mentoring
Ability to light and render 3D objects
A traditional art background and/or a BA/Diploma in Fine Art or 3D/Game Art
TD skills

Environment Concept Artist

You will develop concept art and work to maintain a consistent aesthetic across the game and related mediums such as trailers and web. The ideal candidate has a firm grasp of colour, texture, composition and anatomy as it relates to games. We are looking for an avid gamer that has a deep understanding of our game Path of Exile and its themes.
Requirements:

2 years of environment concept work in games, or 5 years of relevant studies or work in visual/technical fields like advertising, architectural visualisation ETC.
Superior eye for lighting, value, colour, details, and the ability to use them in creating realistic, gritty and visually appealing imagery.
Self-motivation and self-reliance; ability to research and learn new tools quickly. Excellent communications skills, and able to work within a team.
Passion for creating 'dark and gritty' environments.
Deep understanding of the game we produce (Path of Exile)
Traditional arts background and/or a BA in Fine Art or 3D/Game Art is a plus
A strong portfolio, and/or reel demonstrating your artistic skills and showing your shipped projects
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Senior Materials Artist

Responsibilities:

Create high-quality work using a variety of software programs
Maintain a consistent aesthetic across your work in the game and related mediums such as trailers and web
Collaborate across disciplines sharing ideas and articulating visions.
Show initiative, push ideas and innovate within your duties
Be aware of project/task schedules and be capable of delivering work to deadlines
Take direction from the Art Director, Creative Director and engage with Producers
Attend regular team meetings, providing updated status and progress of your deliverables

Requirements:

Solid background as a 3D Art Generalist or Environment Artist in professional AAA video games or cinematics, animation or VFX studios
Experience as a Materials Artist
Solid grasp of colour and other physical material properties as they relate to games
Proficient at creating both stylized and PBR materials using Substance Designer, Substance Painter and Photoshop
Expert knowledge in node-based material editors, tiling layered materials, shader networks and procedural texturing
You are inspired by growth and excellence and thrive on sharing your knowledge with your teammates while continually honing your craft
Iterating, communicating and creating together is what drives your passion for art and games
Knowledgeable in the key professional tools, techniques and asset creation pipelines: Maya, Zbrush, game engine (e.g. UE/Unity/proprietary), Marvelous Designer, modeling, baking, texturing, UV creation, unwrapping
Proactive and self-reliant with good problem-solving skills
Excellent communications skills with the ability to in a team environment
Solid portfolio showcasing your Environment assets as well as your ability to create and apply high-quality materials to assets
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

C++ Gameplay or User Interface Programmer

Requirements:

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or equivalent
Strong knowledge of modern C++
Excellent communication skills
At least six months of commercial game programming experience
Must be able to pass our technical C++ programming test (approximately one hour long)

Pluses:

Experience with our game, Path of Exile

Visual Effects Artist

You will develop real-time effects from concept to implementation and work to maintain a consistent aesthetic across all the effects in the game. The ideal candidate has a firm grasp of colour, texture, timing and impact as relates to FX and shows an ability to sketch and storyboard to convey design ideas.
Requirements:

Three years of experience creating game art
Experience creating real-time game effects in a wide range of software
Superior eye for lighting, value, colour, details, and the ability to use them in creating efficient and impactful visual effects
Self-motivation, excellent communications skills, and able to work within a team
Positive attitude and able to receive and provide objective feedback
Passion for creating 'dark and gritty' spells and microtransactions
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Senior Animator

A senior animator is responsible for creating animation assets and working with the Creative Director, Animation Lead, Designers, and Riggers to realize characters, monsters, or special effects.
Requirements:

7 years of animation and animation production experience
Solid body mechanics and experience animating general combat, melee weapons and magic for both human, animals, and abstract creatures
Proven experience in a professional production pipeline and the ability to create high-quality animations
Solid knowledge of Maya
The ability to take constructive criticism and maintain a professional attitude
Independently self-motivated team player with excellent communication skills
Team lead experience is a plus
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

3D Game Environment Artist

You will develop tiles, implement assets and work to maintain a consistent aesthetic across the game. The ideal candidate has a firm grasp of gritty texture, colour, and shapes. We are looking for an avid gamer that has a deep understanding of our game Path of Exile and its themes.
Requirements:

3 year of environment work in games, or 5 years of work experience in a related fields(sculpting, miniatures)
Experience with maya, Z brush and substance painter(designer is a bonus)
Superior eye for texture, value, color and the ability to use them in creating gritty consistent environments
Self-motivation and self-reliance; ability to research and learn new tools quickly
Excellent communications skills, and able to work within a team
Deep understanding of the game we produce(Path of Exile)
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Game Lighting Artist and Environment Design

You will create real-time environments and moods and work to maintain a consistent aesthetic across all the areas in the game and related material, like trailers. The ideal candidate has a firm grasp of colour, materials and light as it relates to level design and lighting in games. We are looking for an avid gamer that has a deep understanding of our game Path of Exile and its themes.
Requirements:

Experience with level or room creation in games
Understanding how to create efficient and impactful lighting that enhances narratives
Working knowledge of Maya and real-time game authoring environments like the Path of Exile hideout creation tool
Excellent communications skills, with an ability to train other artists in the creation and lighting of locations and levels
Ability to create video tutorials related to the level design process
Some proficiency in graphic editing tools like Photoshop
Self-motivation and self-reliance; ability to research and learn new tools quickly
Deep understanding of the game we produce (Path of Exile)
Must be willing to complete an art test if requested to do so

Who/How to apply:

If you meet the above requirements and are already legally permitted to work in New Zealand, OR if you’re a citizen or permanent resident of Australia willing to relocate to Auckland when travel restrictions ease. Due to the global health crisis, visa sponsorship is not offered at this time.

Email us a cover letter and your CV with link/s to your portfolio/reel (whichever is relevant). Send your email to jobs@grindinggear.com with your name + role you are applying for in the subject line.