Legends of Catopia | Zack Davidson

Lead Designer and Game Economist

ROLE

2023

YEAR

GENRE

MOBA

PLATFORMS

Andriod, iOS

DESCRIPTION

Duke it out against your friends in a PvP, with modes including Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Payday, with more game modes on the way! Or fight along side them through hordes of enemies in over 100 unique levels and a challenging Survival Mode! A multitude of unlockable pets and champions to level up and customize: including talents, items, skins, and chromas!

CHAMPION DESIGN & BALANCING

My Role: I was responsible for the design and balancing of all 17 playable champions in Legends of Catopia, from initial concept and ability kit design to the new player experience.

Problem: Creating a large roster of characters presents a three-fold challenge: ensuring each champion feels strategically unique, maintaining a fair and balanced meta, and making their complex kits accessible to new players.

My Solution: I addressed these challenges with a holistic design approach:

Pillar-Based Kit Design: I designed each champion around a core strategic pillar (e.g., "area-denial mage," "high-mobility assassin"). This ensured every character had a distinct identity and a clear role within a team, preventing overlap and promoting diverse gameplay.
'Try Before You Buy' Training Mode: To improve onboarding and drive engagement, I designed an interactive training mode. This allowed players to freely experiment with any champion—even ones they hadn't unlocked—providing a safe space to learn abilities and creating a powerful incentive to acquire new characters.
Data-Driven Balancing: I oversaw the continuous balancing of the entire roster, using player data and feedback to make iterative adjustments that fostered a healthy, diverse, and competitive meta.

Outcome: The diverse roster was a key factor in the game's success, resulting in a well-balanced and engaging meta. The "Try Before You Buy" system was highly praised by the community, proving instrumental in both easing the new player learning curve and driving long-term collection and engagement goals.

CORE GAMEPLAY & MOBILE-FIRST DESIGN

My Role: I was responsible for designing the core moment-to-moment gameplay for Legends of Catopia, including the controls, combat systems, map design, and overall game balance.

Problem: The primary challenge was translating the fast-paced, skill-based action of a battle royale to the limitations of a mobile platform. The game had to be fluid and responsive, strategically deep, and immediately understandable on a small screen.

My Solution: I tackled this with a multi-faceted design strategy:

Intuitive Mobile-First UI/UX: I designed a clean, intuitive interface and responsive touch control scheme from the ground up for mobile. The focus was on clear visual language for abilities and minimal screen clutter to ensure players could react quickly in chaotic fights.
Strategic Map Design: I designed the game's dynamic maps to be a key part of the strategy. The deliberate placement of heal pickups and power-ups created focal points for conflict and rewarded players for smart rotation and map awareness, not just mechanical skill.
Proprietary Balancing Equation: To balance the diverse roster of 17 champions, I developed and implemented a unique mathematical equation. This model quantified a champion's total power by weighing their damage, utility, and survivability, allowing for objective, data-driven balancing to create a fair and competitive environment.

Outcome: The result was a highly polished gameplay experience praised for its fluid and responsive mobile controls. Our systematic approach to balancing created a healthy meta where player skill was the deciding factor, leading to the game's high ratings and strong competitive community.

STORE REVAMP & MONETIZATION

My Role: I led the complete redesign of the in-game store, overhauling the UI/UX, monetization strategy, and underlying economy to drive revenue and player engagement.

Problem: The original store was underperforming, suffering from a confusing interface and poor offer visibility that led to low player conversion. My goal was to transform it into a clean, engaging, and highly profitable hub for the game.

My Solution: I implemented a multi-pronged strategy focused on user experience and economic incentives:

Frictionless UI/UX Redesign: I designed a new, clean interface that improved navigation and clearly communicated the value of every bundle and item. This included a "tap for details" feature to build player trust through transparency.
Daily Engagement Loop: To increase store traffic, I designed a "Daily Free Item" feature. I integrated a rewarded ad option to "double the reward," which created a new revenue stream and formed a powerful daily habit for players.
Economic Optimization: I implemented several advanced economic strategies, including tiered bundle designs and first-time purchase incentives, to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU).

Outcome: The store revamp was a massive financial success. The new design and daily engagement loop doubled the average screen time spent in the store. This increased visibility, combined with the new economic strategies, led to a skyrocketing number of transactions and a significant and sustained upsurge in overall game revenue.

ITEM ECONOMY, LIVE OPS, & F2P BALANCING

My Role: I designed the game's entire item and pet ecosystem, including the upgrade economy, the balance between F2P and paid progression, and the live ops content strategy.

Problem: The key design challenge was to create a deep, long-term progression system that could be effectively monetized without punishing free-to-play (F2P) users. The system needed to feel fair, rewarding, and constantly evolving to maintain long-term interest.

My Solution: I implemented a holistic strategy that balanced player experience with monetization goals:

Balanced F2P Economy: I designed a dual-path progression system. F2P players could earn everything through gameplay, with progress gated by time and luck. Paying players were offered convenience, allowing them to bypass these gates but not access exclusive power. This "pay for convenience" model was crucial for maintaining a healthy community.
'Upgrade Preview' UI: To drive investment, I designed an interface that allowed players to preview the stats and effects of a fully upgraded item before they committed resources. This clearly demonstrated the value proposition and was a key tool for player conversion.
Live Ops Content Strategy: I designed and managed the live ops pipeline for new items and pets. By introducing a regular cadence of new content, we kept the meta fresh and consistently provided new, exciting goals for our most engaged players.

Outcome: This balanced economic model was a major success, creating a fair progression system that was well-received by both F2P and paying players. Our live ops strategy of introducing new "chase" items and pets became a primary driver of the game's long-term retention and recurrent revenue.