Game Programmer (Volunteer)

About the job

This posting is for an unpaid volunteer role with our studio to gain practical experience, in portfolio development, and to gain real-world experience for your LinkedIn/Resume. We realize that this may appear non-traditional, however, we are a passionate group of mostly volunteers working to rebuild our beloved game and are inviting others to join the journey with us.

About you and the role: This role is exclusively for programmers located in North America. If you are an artist or non-programmer interested in our project, please simply e-mail careers@corneredrats.com and do not apply here. Applicants should have some demonstrable experience and capabilities to contribute, this is not for someone who is brand new to Unreal and game development, but it is for someone willing to learn and hone your skill level. We're committed to helping you gain hands-on experience and develop your portfolio.

Please only apply if you are seriously interested, capable of meeting the requirements, and are passionate about game development, and ready to dive into some tough but very rewarding work.

About the Game/Project

WWII Online, the most expansive WWII MMO active today, is seeking developers to help replace its current client (OpenGL-based custom engine) with one based on Unreal Engine 5.x. Ideal for those looking to get in on the ground floor of an exciting startup, you will be working with a very experienced team including artists, animators, testers, producers, and developers who are dedicated to bringing the most realistic WWII battlefield simulation into the modern realm with breathtakingly realistic visuals. Have a quick watch of our YouTube video articulating what we're doing: https://youtu.be/VCFLCXbyuxw

Onboarding Process

As part of our onboarding process, you'll be required to play our game first for at least one week to verify that you're interested in the project and share our vision of bringing this game into the future. Note: You'll be required to provide your game name for stats verification to ensure you have been in the game. You'll receive an initial contact to verify the requirements outlined here and then proceed into a direct meetup with our team to confirm your experience and proficiency.

Responsibilities

You will be assigned several tasks related to bringing over our proprietary technology from WWII Online 1.0 (our legacy game engine available for play now) over to Unreal Engine 5 (WWII Online 2.0). You should be self-driven, reliable, and highly motivated to complete taskings on time. You'll be expected to communicate blocking issues, manage your tasking through JIRA/Confluence/Bitbucket, and be a superstar communicator through Slack.

Must have Qualifications:

• Windows development experience (Visual Studio)
• Some moderate C++ experience (2 novice level projects, or one significant project)
• Strong desire to work in Unreal Engine 5
• Strong desire to collaborate
• High level of accountability and reliability
• Be available to attend dev meetings (Wednesdays at 6:30 PM EST)
• *You have 10 hours per week minimum to contribute to programming
• *You have at least 12 dedicated months to offer to the project

Extra skills that will appeal to us:

• Software lead experience
• Understanding of software design and architecture principles
• Strong math skills
• Procedural/Open world and/or Geo Mapping in general
• API/Framework development

* 10 hours per week means your real-world schedule takes priority, but you should program for at least that much time outside of meetings.

* 12 months of dedicated time means life happens, but you do not foresee any immediate obstacles or life changes that would drastically impact your ability to contribute.

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