Hey there! I'm Jesse Merida, a software and game developer from the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.

I am currently working at the Georgia Department of Revenue as a Software Developer.

Re:Collect

Jan 2020 – Apr 2020. College solo project.

This VR game was my capstone project, utilizing Unity, the Oculus Quest, Reaper, Sennheiser Ambeo VR Mic, and DearVR.

Features:

• A social feature, where users can submit a name to a database, and in gameplay, a random name will be pulled from it and attached to a friendly AI helper

• Controller-free controls (hand tracking)

• UI placement on the player’s hands

• A regenerative, placeable shield

• Teleportation movement

• A weapon with infinite ammo but does require reloading

• A tool that pauses time, allowing the player to get away from harm

• A “second chance at life/second wind” mechanic dubbed “recollecting” that allows the player to gain all their health back multiple times by defeating enemies as long as they don’t die upon losing their main health pool

Re:Collect Oculus Quest Demo

LegoLux

Feb 2021 – Mar 2021. Solo project.

This was a Lego x Unity Game Jam game using the Lego Microgame tool for Unity submitted to the Made With Unity Showcase - March. The tool basically gives the user Lego character models and bricks, animations, sound effects, and special scripts called Lego Behaviors to give the developer a base to start from. Lego Behaviors are C# scripts that attach to Lego Brick models, enabling the bricks to become pickups, move back and forth, sense the player, shoot a projectile, make variables, and more. With the Lego Variable Manager class being static, I set up some System.Action events to have my own custom scripts work with the Lego Behaviors. I focused on a visual style akin to Little Nightmares with game design elements that built upon each other with each new level.

Description: LegoLux is a short game, featuring a unique atmosphere, both fast-paced and thought provoking level design and challenges, and a narrative, presented through cutscenes and gameplay that spans across three varied levels. Please enjoy this game I've made using the included Lego Behavior scripts and my own custom scripts. Although I only worked on this for a few weeks, it was a fun and interesting challenge. Music: "Gloom" by Jahzzar, via Free Music Archive, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dedicated to my late cat Abbey.

(link here if embed is broken)

Good Vibes

Jan 2020 – Apr 2020. College collab project. Roles: Co-Programming Lead, UI/UX Designer, Data Modeler, Client Liaison

Good Vibes is an Android application developed in Unity that is an anonymous messaging application for all GGC students, alumni, faculty, and staff, in the same vein as "Kind Words". A server hosting a Linux build of our app on Ubuntu, running off a Digital Ocean Droplet, as well as UNet, PHP, MySQL, and PHPMyAdmin were also used. Users are able to anonymously send out messages on a public listing that people can send single replies to. Word filtering, reporting, and banning systems are in place. The main focus of the application according to our client is "assisting others with mental health issues via providing a safe space to voice worries and concerns they are currently facing while also giving access to helpful resources and information".

Good Vibes Android Demo

An Ethereal Journey Redux

Jan 2021. Solo project.

This was a Global Game Jam 2021 game submitted to the Best In Georgia competition. The embedded version here is an enhanced version I worked on after the game jam. Originally, there were issues with WebGL playback, so I went through all the canvases in the game to make them scalable and play correctly in HD, along with fixing the WebGL playback settings. I had also fixed bugs in my minigame and added a few visual touch-ups (a clock and light orbs), which is viewable by accessing the lower left door in this game. Another minigame was a text-based adventure game, utilizing scriptable objects, which weren't loading in correctly on WebGL. After doing some research on their use in Unity3D, I fixed most of the bugs and it now runs well. The other enhancement was a full implementation of audio using FMOD, using things like AHDSR modules to fade out music, multi-instrument 2D audio timelines to vary the sound of footsteps and other sfx, and general sound effect implementation.

The embedded link automatically plays the game, so here's a direct link. If you don't hear audio, please refresh the webpage and click the game when the Unity logo pops up to allow the browser access to the audio:

https://itch.io/embed-upload/3611463?color=000000

Description: An Ethereal Journey Redux is a game about a person who is going through a loss. How they deal with that loss is up to you. Using six areas that make up their memories, some featuring cutscenes while others feature gameplay, your actions will determine if they are lost among their memories, or find peace within themselves.

This version of the game is an enhancement of PeptoPink's project for the Global Game Jam 2021, where the theme was Lost & Found. This version features more implemented audio (music and sfx), bug fixes, and a better playable window/aspect ratio.

The Last Treasure

Aug 2019 – Dec 2019. College collab project. Roles: Game Design, FileIO

This is a text-based game for Software Development 1 made using Java and JavaFX. The requirements from our client were to make a game, based off the MVC architecture, that allows a player to traverse a maze made up of 3 different floors, fight monsters, and solve puzzles. Features included saving/loading, asking for hints, having an inventory, use potions, equip armor, and use keys. As a bonus feature, we also had a visual map that was updated, showing progression and current room status. Developers are able to take the text files that make up the content of our game, and following our text file structure, can completely customize the player’s starting equipment, items, monsters, and map layout.

The Last Treasure PC Demo

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