layiq

/la·yiq/adjective

worthy; deserving; fitting; suitable.

A role, opportunity, or path that merits attention, time, and pursuit.

LAYIQ - Combat Director at Impact Theory, Los Angeles, CA

Combat Diagnosis, Direction, and Execution
Audit Kyzen's current combat and deliver a clear, prioritized diagnosis of why encounters are not yet fun enough — covering readability, feedback, pacing, risk and reward, simplicity, and player agency.
Establish the combat design pillars for the title and the standards every encounter will be held to.
Prioritize the fix list against a three to four month window, being explicit about what is in scope and what is not.
Living in UE5’s animation systems: Anim Montages, Anim Notifies (hit frames, cancel windows, VFX/SFX triggers), Blend Spaces, Animation Blueprints, root motion tuning
Retiming/trimming clips, adjusting play rates, splitting animations into startup/active/recovery, adding hit-stop and camera shake
Prototyping attacks with placeholder animations and defining the spec our animators with then polish
Own the “feel” — hitboxes, input buffering, cancel timing, enemy telegraphs, etc.
Attack Type Framework
Define the game's taxonomy of attack types — the distinct categories of threat the player must learn to read and counter.
Specify the design rules for each type: telegraph and wind-up windows, active and recovery timing, counterplay options, and the tells that make it readable.
Ensure the framework is coherent as a system, so players build transferable skills rather than memorizing individual fights, and is simple enough for kids to master.
Mob Attack Patterns
Give each mob in the roster a distinct attack pattern composed from the defined attack types, with a clear identity and role in encounters.
Alter existing mob behavior where needed: engagement range, aggression and cooldown rhythm, attack type, approach and reposition logic, etc.
Design fights for different mob combinations, so groups create interesting pressure rather than stacking the same threat.
Tuning and Iteration
Own combat tuning and iterate against playtest feedback.
Build, test, and tune directly in-engine rather than specifying from a document and handing off.
Documentation and Handoff
Deliver the attack-type framework, per-mob specifications, and tuning rationale in written form so the work is maintainable after the term ends.
Conduct a structured handoff session with the internal team covering completed work, open items, and recommended next steps.
Key Deliverables
Combat audit and prioritized improvement plan
Documented attack-type framework with design rules per type
Per-mob attack pattern specifications across the full roster
Designed, implemented, and tuned combat changes, playable in engine
Final handoff package and session

Combat Director

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