A Naughty Dog designer devises a non-playable character (NPC) friend resembling a velociraptor from their creative process.

A Naughty Dog designer devises a non-playable character (NPC) friend resembling a velociraptor from their creative process.

In the latest episode of the GDC Podcast, renowned game designer Bryan Collinsworth, best known for his work on character and companion design at Naughty Dog, discussed his approach to designing a velociraptor NPC companion for a hypothetical game.

Collinsworth's insights offer valuable guidance for creating a lively, interactive, and emotionally engaging NPC companion. He emphasised the importance of considering the velociraptor's unique aspects, such as its size and agility, when designing its NPC behaviour.

To make the velociraptor feel intelligent, responsive, and believable, Collinsworth suggested incorporating situational awareness, companion support, and distinct animations and reactions that convey different emotions. This would help establish an emotional connection between the player and the velociraptor.

In terms of visual and audio design, Collinsworth advised balancing scientifically inspired realism with stylised design to fit the game's aesthetic. The velociraptor's look and sound should be carefully crafted, with attention given to detailed skin textures, expressive eyes, fluid movement, and authentic vocalizations and ambient sounds.

Collinsworth also highlighted the importance of player interaction and mechanics. He proposed implementing intuitive commands, allowing players to upgrade or bond with the velociraptor, and designing gameplay where the NPC affects exploration and combat meaningfully.

Integrating the velociraptor into the game's story was another key consideration for Collinsworth. He suggested giving the velociraptor a backstory or personality that players could discover, using cutscenes or dialogue to develop its character arc, and making players care about its fate.

To test out the velociraptor's movement and behaviour in a game, Collinsworth proposed creating a small test level. Motion capture of humans in suits would be used to create the initial velociraptor movements for the test level. The experience of moving through the world with a velociraptor NPC was a key consideration for Collinsworth.

Collinsworth's approach to designing a velociraptor NPC companion is rooted in creating companions that are deeply interactive, emotionally engaging, responsive, and integrated into both gameplay and story. This philosophy would translate well to a velociraptor companion, making it more than just a pet or sidekick, but a character with personality, purposeful gameplay roles, and narrative significance.

The podcast's music is composed by Mike Meehan, and the guest on GDC Podcast episode 27 is Bryan Collinsworth, the game designer at Naughty Dog, the developer of The Last of Us Part II. The episode was brought to you by Xsolla.

For concept art and inspiration on velociraptor NPC designs in gaming, you might explore recent NPC mob updates like those in Creatures of Sonaria or look at miniature sets designed for tabletop gaming to understand scale and posture.

[1] Creatures of Sonaria - https://www.creaturesofsonaria.com/ [2] Tabletop gaming miniatures - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=tabletop+gaming+miniatures&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

1. Technology can be leveraged to create realistic and responsive NPC companions, like a velociraptor, by incorporating features such as situational awareness, companion support, and distinct animations and reactions that convey emotions.
2. To examine effective velociraptor NPC designs in gaming, one could explore concept art and inspiration from recent NPC mob updates like those in Creatures of Sonaria or delve into the intricate details of scale and posture found in tabletop gaming miniatures.

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