Hi! I’m Joaquin. I’m a junior at Stanford double majoring in Computer Science and Religious Studies. I love juggling, swing dancing, and performing in my acapella group. I use she/they/he/all pronouns.
My favorite game of all time is Call of Duty: Ghosts. It has endless class customizability and large, sprawling maps that encourage players to experiment with the environment in different ways.
Its map roster exemplifies some of the things that I look for in map design. It has sneaky little parkour spots, ledges, and vantage points that I’m still discovering years later. It has lots of variety in engagement distance both within a map and between different maps in the roster. It places the player in believable environments, with organic structures and immersive details, rather than contrived arenas.
Recently, I’ve really been enjoying For The King, a turn-based, cooperative roguelike inspired by TTRPGs like D&D. I really enjoy the strategy that goes into succeeding, such as resource management and target prioritization in combat. Like other games I enjoy, a big part of the gameplay loop is unlocking and trying new weapons, and making interesting combinations of equipment that play to your characters’ strengths.
Another thing that I love about it is the use of multiple rolls to perform a skill check. A skill check that requires only 1 successful roll can be passed even by a weak character, but a skill check that requires 4 or 5 successful rolls exponentially rewards players who have specialized in a particular skill.
here is a picture of me (left) with a horse (right)
