Ahoy, everyone!
As we outlined in our State of the Game post a few weeks ago, we have big plans for TLOPO and are very excited about what's to come! We want to expand our scope and push ourselves to new heights with each new content expansion. A big part of that is expanding our team. Though we've kept our applications open on a general basis, we are now actively searching for new staff members.
So, why apply? The TLOPO team is a passionate and close-knit team dedicated to making this game as best as possible. As a volunteer-based project, we are a great place to get in on the ground floor and hone your skills! TLOPO crew members have gone on to get competitive job and internship opportunities at top companies in the gaming, film, animation, and tech industries! Working on a game of this size looks great on a resume.
For more info, check out our Application FAQ. But without further ado, let's jump into a spotlight of the positions that are open!
3D modeling is one of the most important tasks at TLOPO. Just about everything you see on-screen is something made by a 3D modeler. As we've updated the game with our own original content, our 3D modelers have created a variety of new weapons, objects, ship parts, and even whole locations!
Our modelers work closely with the game's storyline and game development teams to help create a final product that is cohesive and professional! We have several projects, such as the upcoming Chapter 6 storyline that include many new game models. We want to speed up our pipeline by hiring a few more modelers! More people contributing means that things get done faster!
The best part of 3D modeling is the variety of what you'd be making. We always have several things that need to be created. You can dip your toes into designing a new weapon, or if you fancy it, create a whole new set of furniture for an upcoming location.
=> Apply to be a 3D Modeler Now!
Animation is one of the most exciting parts of our team right now. Reverse-engineering the game's character models has been a challenging process that has had several starts and stops over the years, but we recently put a ton of effort into getting the models exported from the game's files into a workable and editable format. Since we only were left with the bare-bones end-product model from the original game, we had to add all new controllers to the player rigs. Before, it wouldn't have been feasible to animate characters, but now, the future is bright!
We're really happy with all the new capabilities we have, and we're excited by the possibilities this opens up for us. It's still very early days, but there are several projects we are outlining that will require some new animations. This is the newest section of the team, so joining now would be a great chance to start from the ground up and make your mark on the game in a huge way!
=> Apply to be a 3D Animator Now!
Game development is where the magic happens. Everything in TLOPO depends on our game dev team. The code that runs under the hood is the lifeblood of the game, it makes everything work! As a game developer, you'll need a good working knowledge of Python, the main language that the game is programmed in. Our devs work closely with just about every team within the crew, but the best part is working on the game's functions themselves.
Since all of POTCO's features have been added back to the game, developers focus their work toward bugfixes and new content! There's always a bug to squash, and some of them can be pretty tricky, but the game devs work as a team to figure them out. New content is especially exciting with what we have planned for the game's future. We can't go into too much detail yet, but game developers are a vital part of the game and its future. If you think you're up to the task, apply below!
=> Apply to be a Game Developer Now!
Our web developers keep TLOPO's website running! This functions in two ways. Firstly, web developers design and program any new front-facing pages on our website, like the PvP Match History section! But did you know that there's an entire part of the site that's hidden? TLOPO has a full-service Staff Control Panel that runs behind the scenes. Our web developers built it from the ground up, giving us a ton of features that help keep the game running. In the SCP, staff members get a full view of the game's inner workings, from in-game reports, to who is sailing what ship at any given moment! We also have special tools to help with customer support, like fixing a bugged quest in your journal!
The back-end of our website runs on Python, while the front-end runs on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Both halves come together to help create the experience that is TLOPO's website!
=> Apply to be a Front-End Web Developer Now!
=> Apply to be a Back-End Web Developer Now!
By now, you might've seen the beautiful Bilgewater loading screen on the game's startup. Well, that, and many other things, were created by an illustrator! Illustrators at TLOPO work on a variety of different projects. Loading screens are one place where their work is most noticeable, but they also make the game's tattoos and a variety of little icons that you see in the game itself! If you have drawing and digital art skills, this is the position for you!
As we're expanding the team, we're also broadening the scope of an illustrator's responsibilities to include concept art! This will help our 3D modelers and level designers as they create new items and locations for the game! Beyond concept art, we also have some other fun projects planned that we can't share just yet... but stay tuned!
=> Apply to be an Illustrator Now!
Our music composers work closely with our creative teams to create exciting new themes for every new location in the game! We're really proud of the work that our composers have done so far for our prior updates (and some content to come!), but now we're looking to expand our roster to new talent. We have so many new areas coming that require new music, so more help is needed! Composing for TLOPO is an excellent resume booster.
In addition to writing new tracks for caves, jungles, and islands, we also have exciting effects-based music coming for new game modes. Beyond the game, we also have our music composers work on trailers and promotional material for the game. There's always something to work on, and we are open to a variety of creative approaches since Pirates Online features a multitude of different music styles.
=> Apply to be a Music Composer Now!
The above positions are where we're actively looking for new hires, but there are a few other areas available as well on our Open Positions page. If you have a special set of skills and think you can contribute to TLOPO in another way, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We're always looking for passionate people to join the team.
We hope you've enjoyed our showcase of some of the jobs here at TLOPO. It truly is our passion and pleasure to be making this game for you all. We've learned so much over the years and have had our lives changed, both professionally and personally, thanks to working on this game. If you're interested in a position, we hope that you'll apply to join us!
Until next time, we wish you the fairest of winds!
Sincerely,
The Crew @ TLOPO