Overview
During my tenure as Director of Technical Innovation at D2 TEAM-Sim, I spearheaded the design, development, and multi-platform deployment of Blazing Skies. Developed for the U.S. Army Office Chief Air Defense Artillery (OCADA), this initiative moved beyond traditional recruitment, using high-fidelity simulation to increase branch visibility among top-tier officer candidates.
Game Mechanics and Evolution Logic
I architected the game as a sophisticated tower defense ecosystem. The core differentiator of Blazing Skies is its "Technological Evolution" engine, which I designed to educate players on the heritage and future of Air Defense Artillery (ADA).
Technical Architecture and Immersive UI
Built on the Unity 3D engine, the project delivered a fully realized 3D battlespace encompassing terrain, ballistics, and enemy aircraft.
- Dynamic Perspective: While the primary interface is a top-down strategic view, I included a side-view "Action Cam" for individual units. This allows players to zoom in on specific engagements to witness firing sequences and unit destruction.
- Mobile-Optimized UX: I oversaw the implementation of intuitive "pinch and zoom" gestures for mobile users, ensuring the complex battlespace remained accessible on smaller handheld displays.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Phygital Integration
To bridge the gap between digital engagement and physical recruitment events, I designed a unique Augmented Reality (AR) achievement system.
- Collectable Synergy: I identified and managed the vendor relationship for limited-edition physical cards. These cards, distributed at OCADA events, could be scanned into the game to unlock exclusive achievements.
- Hybrid Delivery: I ensured these assets were also available electronically via the game’s website, maintaining a continuous engagement loop between the physical and digital domains.
Leadership and Full-Lifecycle Management
As the project lead and client liaison, I managed a multidisciplinary team of developers, 3D modelers, and graphic artists through the entire design and publishing lifecycle.
- Creative Stewardship: I was responsible for the final audio editing of the background tracks and worked directly with the client to curate and edit all in-game content.
- Digital Ecosystem: Beyond the application itself, I designed and developed the supporting web infrastructure to host electronic assets and community updates.
- Global Deployment: I successfully navigated the publishing requirements for both the Google Play and Apple App Store, ensuring a seamless launch across all native and web-based platforms.
