Nicholas H. H. Lance

Noodle Nick

Lead Game Designer @ Naughty Dog

Technical game designer known for crafting jaw-dropping set pieces, cinematic gameplay systems, and emotionally driven interactive moments


Modern Warfare (2019)

Expert Designer


Fog of War

Fog of War
  • Set up the forest vehicle synced attack beat

  • Scripted the trainyard entrance with post white phosphorus scenes

  • Scripted the buddy and enemy combat for the Machine Gun trainyard combat

  • Developed the final vehicle ambush scene


The Embassy

The Embassy
  • Scripted the large crowd opening

  • Scripted the interactive helicopter crash

  • Scripted and Laid out the Embassy building

  • Planned and implemented the overrun vignettes and Butcher Scene

  • Scripted the Truck Crash combat with bullet proof glass gameplay

  • Scripted the escort from embassy exit to the mansion


Uncharted: Lost Legacy

Game Designer


End Of The Line

End of the Line
  • Created layout for all driveable portions with lots of art support on the main loop section

  • Created layout for all train cars except the engine car and bomb car Scripted all gameplay moments and progression excluding Asav melee fight and with team support to reach the finish line for jeep wreck onto train and final runout train into chasm

  • Developed trainvoy (train + convoy) system for combat wave spawning and wave tracking of the player's train car progression

  • Developed systems for buddy car hijacking and returning to train

  • Developed turret truck enemy and commandeering the turret truck beats


Uncharted 4

Game Designer


The Malaysia Job

The Malaysia Job
  • Finished layout from blockmesh to final

  • Choreographed underwater and above water scenes, directing on Motion Capture stage

  • Scripted gameplay progression

  • Added "flappy bird" crate carry mechanic

  • Solidified swimming control scheme and mechanics that would be used game wide


A Normal Life

A Normal Life

  • Owned layout direction with Art

  • Scripted progression and flow for the level

  • Developed unique interactable system that would become the gamewide system for inspectables

  • Developed Uncharted 1 callback nerf gun shootout scene

  • Recreated Crash Bandicoot in a hidden underground level beneath the main level, then used a second camera to project that gameplay onto the living room TV

  • Developed a reactive dialogue system to track behavior in Crash Bandicoot and have Nate and Elena respond accordingly


Hector Alcazar

Hector Alcazar
  • Reworked level scripting from start to finish in about a month in the 11th hour

  • Scripted progression for all beats except the Turret Tower beat

  • Scripting focused on multi buddy progression, combat, and choreography through the prison escape


The Twelve Towers

The Twelve Towers
  • Scripted the level progression and flow

  • Owned 4x4 driveable vehicle design from initial prototype to coordinating with programming to achieve final shippable vehicle

  • Scripted buddy bump leans and reactions to vehicle forces and player leap throughs

  • Scripted rickety bridge animation system and beat

  • Implemented interruptible dialogue system in order to keep conversations going after leaving the vehicle

  • Scripted omni directional multi-entry point co-operative buddy pirate sigil interactions

  • Scripted the winch system, including winch pull down bridge, winch pull up muddy hill, and winch slide over mountain side sequences


For Better Or Worse

For Better Or Worse
  • Developed the 4x4 bridge collapse to grapple rope sequence


New Devon

New Devon
  • Scripted co-op box puzzle climb out allowing buddy to enter from either side of the box

  • Scripted roof collapse that allows the player to enter from any position on the roof

  • Scripted post roof collapse slide with breakables


Avery's Descent

Avery's Descent
  • Scripted swinging net trap sequence


Epilogue

Epilogue
  • Blocked out layout with Art

  • Scripted early passes of level flow, but unfortunately had to hand off the final scripting for ship

  • Developed fetch mini-game with the dog that was ultimately cut and re-implemented for TLOU Part II


The Last of Us: Left Behind

Game Designer


Mallrats

Mallrats
  • Scripted the progression and buddy flow for the Halloween Store including systems for making the buddy explore near interesting points for the player to seamlessly transition into interactions

  • Finished out scripting for the Brick Throw Contest to dynamically adjust AI difficulty depending on the player's progress

  • Scripted branching dialogue system at the end of the brick throw


Fun And Games

Fun And Games
  • Scripted the Water Gun Fight including a complicated play scene anywhere system for the emotional scenes between rounds

  • Scripted Riley AI behavior for the water gun fight


The Last of Us

Game Designer


Bill's Town

Bill's Town
  • Scripted the upside down snare sequence

  • Scripted the progression, combat, and buddies from the snare sequence to the high school

  • Scripted the Truck Push sequence combat and progression


Suburbs

Suburbs
  • Scripted the aim logic for the sniper shooting at the player

  • Scripted the progression, enemies, and buddies when the player acquires the sniper rifle

  • Scripted complicated level swaps in order to allow infected to load into memory for final overrun beat


Tommy's Dam

Tommy's Dam
  • Scripted the enemy and buddies for the Dam ambush combat

  • Scripted Buddy horse AI lead and follow

  • Scripted tiered combat on the way to the farmhouse

  • Scripted farmhouse combat handling stealth and loud enemy behavior differences, including enemies deploying smoke bombs if you go loud


Bus Depot

Bus Depot
  • Scripted the sinking bus sequence and swim out to save Ellie


The Firefly Lab

The Firefly Lab
  • Scripted progression and combat for the level

  • Scripted the final run out with Ellie and unique enemy AI requirements for that