Bob Settles

Game Designer
Producer

Résumé

Summary

Shipped more than 20 titles as a designer and producer at companies like Bungie, 2015 and Microsoft. Led teams of industry veterans and provided design direction for popular franchises. Also authored storylines, designed levels, wrote code, coordinated user research sessions, analyzed user behavior data, performed voiceovers, and scripted installers, among countless other essential tasks. In other words, participated in nearly every aspect of developing and publishing games, all while constantly tackling new genres, platforms, engines and tools.

Industry Highlights

Hidden Path Entertainment (2022 - 2024)

Lead Encounter Designer: Unpublished open-world Dungeons & Dragons RPG

Led the encounter team, defining the production process and success metrics for a wide variety of encounters. Designed and implemented encounters in Unreal 5, using the editor to create maps and scripting the interactions in Blueprint. Mentored team members to improve their scripting and editing skills.

Goblinworks / Paizo (2014 - 2022)

Producer and Designer: Pathfinder Online (PC/Mac)

Originally hired as a designer for Pathfinder Online, an open world sandbox MMO based on the fantasy tabletop RPG Pathfinder, and later promoted to producer. As a designer, designed and implemented Player vs. Environment (PvE) systems and content; created storylines, scripted large-scale public events, and wrote the accompanying narrative text; and set up encounters in Unity and populated the world with a balanced variety of enemies. As producer, scheduled the work for ongoing updates, managed the QA process, dealt with customer support and billing, and handled community outreach.

Microsoft Entertainment Studios (2004 - 2013)

Design Director: Dungeon Siege II (PC)
Design Director: Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action and Scene It? Box Office Smash (Xbox 360)
Design Director: Zoo Tycoon 2 (4 Expansions and 2 Collections for PC)
Designer: Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends (PC)
Designer: 1 vs. 100 Live (Xbox 360)
Designer: ESPN and MLB.TV on Xbox LIVE (Xbox 360)

Ensured titles met the high gameplay bar Microsoft sets as a first-party publisher. Evaluated incoming pitches for gameplay potential, performed due diligences on design departments at external partners, and provided direct assistance to help partners deal with design issues. Member of the franchise leadership teams for Scene It and Zoo Tycoon, which set the long-term objectives for those franchises.

2015, Inc. (2003 - 2004)

Producer (Team Lead): Men of Valor (PC)
Producer (Team Lead): Unpublished Xbox game

Oversaw every aspect of game production and managed the 20-plus members of my team. Defined the project’s goals, guided the game’s design and oversaw the project schedule. Acted as liaison with the publisher and ensured that milestones were delivered on time and met all contractual requirements.

Bungie Software / Microsoft Game Studios (1998 - 2003)

Producer: Unpublished Xbox game
Designer: Myth II: Soulblighter (PC/Mac)

As producer, oversaw the team’s schedule, budget and recruiting; assisted with the game design; and acted as liaison between the team and other departments at Microsoft. As a designer on Myth II, designed and scripted half of the single-player levels and co-wrote the storyline.

FASA Interactive Technologies (1997)

Designer: Shadowrun (unpublished PC game)

Designed levels and general game systems (such as enemy AI, mission structure and electronic detection devices).

Quicksilver Software (1994 - 1997)

Technical Designer: Shanghai: Dynasty (PC/Mac)
Lead Programmer: CASTLES: Siege and Conquest Enhanced CD-ROM (Mac)
Assistant Programmer: CASTLES: Siege and Conquest (Mac)
Assistant Programmer: Conquest of the New World (PC/Mac)
Project Manager: GED Advantage and Pre-GED Advantage (PC/Mac)

As project manager, maintained the relationship with our publisher and with the content provider, and created cost and time estimates. As a designer, created pitch materials for multiple projects.

Center for Applied Philosophical and Educational Research (1987 - 1991)

Lead Designer and Lead Programmer: Stalking the Ripper with Reason (PC/Mac)
Designer and Lead Programmer: Treasure Haunt (PC/Mac)

As a founding member of the board, helped take what had originally been a research project at Trinity University through the process of incorporating as a non-profit. Drove the conceptualization and development of text and graphical adventure games designed to teach philosophical concepts.

Education

M.A. in Philosophy (1994)

University of California, Irvine

B.A. in Philosophy (1990)

Trinity University, San Antonio, TX

Contact Me

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