http://www.cocokittly.com/blog daily 0.75 2017-11-10 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/category/Design monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/category/Personal monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/category/Critique monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Character+Design monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/MOBA monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Parents monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Sex monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Religion monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Hiring monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Piano monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/NSFW monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Heroes+of+the+Storm monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/China monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/League+of+Legends monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Childhood monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Dota monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Family monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Memories monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Food monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/blog/tag/Communication monthly 0.5 http://www.cocokittly.com/heroes daily 0.75 2016-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281543908-GOUP0CT9FEVAL5LFOW0H/icon_128+%282%29.jpg Heroes Emerald Warden's Summon Gawain The Emerald Warden permanently summons his owl familiar, Gawain, who gains in power as he does. Companion characters tend to be poorly done; in some cases, like Dota's Syllabear, they require full player control, which limits accessibility due to a higher difficulty floor. In other cases, like LOL's Quinn and Valor, the companion is relegated to a piece of VFX and feels insubstantial. Gawain resolves this by being an in-world, fully AI-driven character with simple behaviors: attack when near, heal when low, and cast when surrounded. His independence and strength means Emerald Warden players never feel alone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281543908-GOUP0CT9FEVAL5LFOW0H/icon_128+%282%29.jpg Heroes Emerald Warden's Summon Gawain The Emerald Warden permanently summons his owl familiar, Gawain, who gains in power as he does. Companion characters tend to be poorly done; in some cases, like Dota's Syllabear, they require full player control, which limits accessibility due to a higher difficulty floor. In other cases, like LOL's Quinn and Valor, the companion is relegated to a piece of VFX and feels insubstantial. Gawain resolves this by being an in-world, fully AI-driven character with simple behaviors: attack when near, heal when low, and cast when surrounded. His independence and strength means Emerald Warden players never feel alone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281544004-GNAF3OYBKC156S4JXHZQ/icon_128+%283%29.jpg Heroes Tremble's Terrorform Tremble carves out a hive, granting him bonuses while he's within its vicinity. He may also teleport between hives. Terrorform (a pun on terraform) fulfills the fantasy of territoriality. When Tremble teleports to a destination hive, nearby enemies can see the ground rumble and dust kick up. Savvy opponents use the hive's lack of long range vision to set up ambushes, while lone players may find themselves the victim of Tremble's one-on-one killing power. Terrorform means Tremble players completely change map control dynamics for both teams. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281544076-796748LXF7WGFIQUTKN9/icon_128+%284%29.jpg Heroes Artesia: Essence Projection Artesia calls down a sceptre anywhere on the map, healing nearby allies and mirroring her own spellcasts. A relatively immobile caster, Essence Projection is a unique take on map presence. While Artesia is alive, her opponents must be cognizant of her ability to support allies from anywhere. Because Essence Projection will mirror Artesia's skill shots wherever it is cast, it adds an extra layer of frenetic action to any match she's in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281544237-WNOPGCOS9WA81WU6PWOF/icon_128+%285%29.jpg Heroes Amun Ra's Path of Destruction Amun-Ra calls down a meteor in front of him, which falls after a delay. Enemies struck by the meteor are damaged and stunned. If he runs into the meteor, he gains significant bonuses. The classic issue with melee characters lies in their ability to close the gap. The beauty of Path of Destruction is that it can be used as harassment, but also gives Amun-Ra players great impetus to throw abandon to the wind and just go in. This effect is punctuated by the character screaming "RAAAAAAAAA" as he charges forward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281544294-A9W0SHXOSBQ4L5KKQPI3/icon_128+%286%29.jpg Heroes Lord Salforis's Dark Lord's Presence Passive. Lord Salforis deals constant damage to nearby enemies, though the damage is distributed among all targets. By distributing the damage, Lord Salforis becomes increasingly threatening as his allies spread. Opponents must be supremely wary of their surroundings, causing every skirmish with Lord Salforis to be a dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456290145600-GXRK0NMJ7BC5N7BNWMPH/icon_128+%287%29.jpg Heroes Midas' Transmute Passive. When Midas lands two spells on a target within a short window, he transmutes the target to gold, stunning and mollifying its defenses. Because the Transmute effect lingers, players hit by one of Midas' spells are wary of being hit by another. This fundamentally changes how players interact with him, and increases the reward for landing successive skill shots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281543655-FA1PC2EOF9K28H5OGT6A/icon_128+%281%29.jpg Heroes Monkey King: Vault The Monkey King jumps over his target, dealing damage to enemies around his landing point. Fun to use but incredibly difficult to master, Vault plays on the impish nature of the Monkey King character while giving him a litany of mobility options. The jump allows him to clear cliffs, making the position of both him and his target paramount. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456281544457-5RR0WGJ9ZNXMRYKM70O5/icon_128.jpg Heroes Nomad's Edge Counter On activation, enter a state of ascension. If struck by an attack, the damage is negated and the Nomad counterattacks with a massive shockwave. Taking inspiration from fighting games, every battle against the Nomad is a battle of wits. The Nomad must time Edge Counter to counter his opponent's strongest attack, while his opponent tries to bait out Edge Counter by forgoing damage opportunities. This creates intensely cerebral gameplay, with each player trying to fake the other out. http://www.cocokittly.com/maps daily 0.75 2018-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456358749141-S67QD4SLEK7WTGBYYDYI/aram.jpg Maps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456358749141-S67QD4SLEK7WTGBYYDYI/aram.jpg Maps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456359084176-EQE3RX9I12PG99W6E4C4/summonersrift.png Maps League of Legends, Summoner's Rift Final shipped, promotional image In improving the flagship map of League of Legends, careful study was given to turbo charge the experience while preserving the gameplay millions of players loved. Heatmaps were used to guide placement of visual and gameplay landmarks to maximize player enjoyment. Careful color selection and detailing subtlely mark the many paths that wind through the jungle. A muted yet diverse palette increases clarity in large team fights, helping fireballs and thunderbolts pop off the screen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456359085221-8VLPNNHSOOATU4P2ZTD0/twistedtreeline.png Maps Twisted Treeline, Summoner's Rift Final shipped, promotional image With the Twisted Treeline, careful consideration was taken to adjust mechanics for a 3v3 format, rather than the usual 5v5 of League of Legends. This posed a unique set of design challenges in that team dynamics had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Thus, an entirely unique set of items was implemented to complement the smaller skirmishes and faster action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456359084203-KOMX02PI1JL3A3HDS52M/howlingabyss.png Maps Howling Abyss, Summoner's Rift Final shipped, promotional image A deceptively simple single-laned map, yet its popularity outweighs most independent game releases. With the Howling Abyss, intense focus was given to round out the experience; winds ebb and flow, ancient statues crack and implode with the action, while even the stones beneath your feet give way as you pass. http://www.cocokittly.com/systems daily 0.75 2018-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456377286647-5VDVQF5N0BMII2MUKDDG/UI1.png Systems League of Legends HUD Final shipped, in-game shot Until this project, MOBAs have relied on the vestiges of RTS games for their interaction and interface design. For this UI redesign, elements were built and positioned from the ground up for MOBA players based on the Gestalt principles of grouping and reinforced by eye-tracking studies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456377286647-5VDVQF5N0BMII2MUKDDG/UI1.png Systems League of Legends HUD Final shipped, in-game shot Until this project, MOBAs have relied on the vestiges of RTS games for their interaction and interface design. For this UI redesign, elements were built and positioned from the ground up for MOBA players based on the Gestalt principles of grouping and reinforced by eye-tracking studies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1456377332490-4QOMRBST9SY6YZANXYED/UI2.png Systems Heroes of Newerth Relic System Final shipped, promotional site When designing any long-term power progression, it's imperative that players feel the system is fair. Unlike LOL's Runes and Masteries system, which comprises hidden power and no player interaction past loadout selection, the HON Relic System allows players to bring in six perks per match, then activate up to three of them as the match unfolds. This not only gives players an active role to play in strategically selecting a loadout, but also reduces the initial power differential between new and long-term players. http://www.cocokittly.com/super-senso daily 0.75 2018-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519329647115-OQERFITY5CJ4OZRFHG5O/ss_hud.png Super Senso Super Senso HUD Concept Built in Axure RP Used to inform the launch HUD, this concept packs information into a compact form. A fighter-esque layout emphasizes the head-to-head nature of the game, while it retains elements native to card battlers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519329647115-OQERFITY5CJ4OZRFHG5O/ss_hud.png Super Senso Super Senso HUD Concept Built in Axure RP Used to inform the launch HUD, this concept packs information into a compact form. A fighter-esque layout emphasizes the head-to-head nature of the game, while it retains elements native to card battlers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519330222636-UQYMYDMPHV3XKZIGXKE6/ss_play.png Super Senso Super Senso Play Screen Built in Axure RP Concept for incoming events, which would present as a pop-up button 24 hours prior to the event starting, in order to build anticipation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519329641456-752GFPQ4QCV9DI1GDRV1/ss_card.png Super Senso Super Senso Card Dialog Built in Axure RP Care was taken to condense a large amount of statistical information in a small amount of space, while remaining legible and organized for easy parsing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519330184827-AQE0S5QZPT0QNGYMUVLO/ss_supply.png Super Senso Super Senso Daily Login Built in Axure RP Concept for daily login rewards, which reset upon failed login, and stack up to five times, with Day 5+ presenting a random roll of goodies to incent retention. http://www.cocokittly.com/everyday-design daily 0.75 2018-03-02 http://www.cocokittly.com/two-dots daily 0.75 2023-06-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1687790187673-D93RF04US08RM65491Y2/td2.jpg Two Dots - Personalization Casual puzzle games tend to be metaless; I addressed this by designing a full profile, customizable achievement showcase, and progression system to help shepherd players along their journey. KPIs hit — retention, daily engagement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1687790187673-D93RF04US08RM65491Y2/td2.jpg Two Dots - Personalization Casual puzzle games tend to be metaless; I addressed this by designing a full profile, customizable achievement showcase, and progression system to help shepherd players along their journey. KPIs hit — retention, daily engagement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1687790187626-EEPIFLNYSF14ZAP2U1FR/td3.jpg Two Dots - Scavenger Hunt I built a framework to monetize and add progression to our most divergent and unique feature, making it a smash success. To date, our players clamor for a standalone app with this feature. KPIs hit — revenue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1687790180969-NNR8B5T337WEMBSKFONH/td1.jpg Two Dots - Store Design Worked with UX and product to build and test multiple variants of the store (including layouts, themes, and graphics), ending up with the best performer. This approach was applied to many features. KPIs hit — monetization. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1687790186870-J1NYC9TXOBZ1EEPM6HUG/td4.jpg Two Dots - Flip Another market-unique feature, this was a systems-driven design to drive huge upticks in bimonthly revenue by presenting recycled content in a new context at minimum cost. KPIs hit — monetization, retention, daily engagement. http://www.cocokittly.com/404 daily 0.75 2017-11-10 http://www.cocokittly.com/hello daily 0.75 2024-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519574504424-CY3QPVFKA34QE02NXPO4/me.png Hello liujialiu@gmail.com http://www.cocokittly.com/aboutme daily 0.75 2023-06-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/a2fd9c0e-ea56-4008-8626-4f7022350fb2/San_Francisco_from_the_Marin_Headlands_in_August_2022_%28cropped2%29.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/f6d710de-11cf-407e-94a4-773a97eb53d1/47691721_387999885298846_1443938370936384468_n.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. http://www.cocokittly.com/resume-printable daily 0.75 2023-06-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c3f13386db43494584e71f/1519574504424-CY3QPVFKA34QE02NXPO4/me.png Short Resume - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.