Full Description

What You Will Do

Embedded within the 4X Combat Pod, you will play a critical role in validating the core systems that define moment-to-moment combat, tactical depth, and strategic balance. You will ensure the quality, stability, and integrity of all combat-related features — from buff logic and PvP interactions to PVE raids and ability execution. Feature QA Execute manual and exploratory testing for combat systems, ensuring correct implementation of buffs, debuffs, and real-time interactions between player and AI entities. Conduct regression and integration testing to maintain consistency across combat features, balancing updates, and cross-system dependencies. Document, track, and prioritize issues in JIRA, providing clear and actionable feedback to developers and designers. Maintain detailed and up-to-date test plans, test cases, and verification matrices for all combat and systemic features. 4X Combat QA

Combat Engine & Systems Validation: Test and validate the Combat Engine and its underlying simulation logic, ensuring deterministic outcomes, correct damage resolution, and synchronization between client and server states.

Buff & Modifier Systems: Verify the Buff Engine and status effect systems, confirming correct stacking behavior, duration handling, and interaction rules between multiple buff/debuff sources.

Ship & Base PvP Testing: Execute comprehensive test passes for Ship vs. Ship and Base vs. Base PvP, validating combat resolution, targeting logic, ability cooldowns, and victory conditions under various configurations.

PvE Scenarios & Raiding: Test Hostile PvE encounters and Raiding systems, confirming AI behavior, wave spawning logic, targeting priorities, and loot distribution across different tiers and power levels.

Active Abilities & Edge Cases: Validate Active Ship Abilities and their impact within combat simulations, ensuring visual synchronization, cooldown handling, and expected interactions with buffs and environmental modifiers.

Metadata & Fixture Testing: Collaborate with developers to test fixture setups, universe configurations, and web panel metadata to ensure data consistency and correct communication between backend tools and in-game systems.

Quality Advocacy: Champion combat quality and systemic integrity, providing structured feedback on balancing, pacing, and technical reliability. Identify opportunities for automation, test plan optimization, and smarter regression coverage across the combat suite.

Requirements

2+ years of QA experience in systems-heavy or combat-focused game development (4X, strategy, or RPG preferred). Strong analytical mindset with the ability to understand complex systems and identify subtle interactions or balance-breaking edge cases. Experience creating structured test plans, test cases, and coverage documentation for dynamic gameplay systems. Familiarity with Unity and comfort navigating in-editor setups to validate configurations or troubleshoot ability data. Interest or experience with Postman, REST APIs, or backend validation tools. Understanding of buff/debuff systems, combat loops, and ability mechanics, ideally from a player or QA perspective in live strategy or RPG titles. Excellent communication and collaboration skills for cross-functional teamwork with engineers, designers, and producers. A passion for strategy games and combat systems, with an eye for balance, pacing, and player experience integrity.