Back in 2018, then university student Nono picked up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and didn’t stop playing the game until she reached almost 100 per cent completion, exploring every hidden corner of the map. And when there was nothing left to play, Nono began looking under the hood.
With the heart of a gamer, Nono wants to create games that resonate with players. Now, this Software Engineering graduate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University works as a game engine developer for Arknights: Endfield.
Here, the App Store Editors sit down with Nono to talk about game engines – something most players never notice but also can’t play without.
[I was] like a detective on a case.– Arknights: Endfield game engine developer, Nono
App Store Editor: For many people, the role of a game engine engineer is a mystery. Can you tell us a bit about what you do?
Nono: If you think of a game as a building, the designers, developers and artists are the builders while the engine team is responsible for putting up the scaffolding. Once the scaffolding is in place and the tools are ready, everyone else can get to work.
Ideally, the players should never even notice the scaffolding. For example, when players build factory production lines in the game, there are loads of moving buildings and equipment, which can easily lead to lag or bugs. Part of our job is to constantly optimise and refine the technical solutions to boost performance, save memory and keep animations buttery smooth so nothing breaks the player’s immersion.
App Store Editor: While working on Arknight, was there a bug that really stuck with you?
Nono: There was one bug in the factory system involving the base upgrade animation. During testing, the core floating above the base started shaking uncontrollably. We checked everything. The model looked fine, the data looked fine, but it just kept shaking.
I ended up getting a stack of A4 paper, writing down every possible cause and pinning clues to the wall like a detective on a case. It was exhausting. In the end, we cracked it. It was an issue with how the texture data was being loaded.
The players are very creative, and this means there are a lot of bugs for us to fix.null
App Store Editor: Speaking of bugs, Arknights: Endfield gives players a lot of building tools, and many have found some... unexpected uses for them. As an engine engineer, what’s your take on that?
Nono: Seeing players enjoy our work is incredibly rewarding. Some of them are pure geniuses. We saw one player glitch past an invisible wall and build a zipline into a locked area that wasn't even open yet. I just thought, “Wow, I didn’t know you could do that!” Watching them lets us rediscover our own game from a fresh perspective – it's been fascinating and a lot of fun.
Of course, it’s also a bit terrifying because once they’re out of bounds, we have no idea what might break. The players are very creative, and this means there are a lot of bugs for us to fix.
App Store Editor: Which part of the gameplay is your personal favourite?
Nono: Definitely the factories. Say I’m setting up an advanced pharmaceutical production line. It's a long, intricate chain. I’ll calculate exactly how much material is needed so that not a single machine stalls and everything runs perfectly in sync. Then I’ll start the layout. If everything lines up neatly with no messy crossovers and the production runs smoothly, that’s the best feeling.
Even after I log off, just knowing that my factory is there running like clockwork makes me feel incredibly satisfied.
The most important thing is to keep learning.null
App Store Editor: From being a student and a gamer to becoming an engine engineer, have you encountered anything that completely changed how you see things?
Nono: Absolutely. Let me give you a simple example. There was a technical “rule” that everyone followed, and we assumed it would also work for optimising our games. But after doing detailed tests with my team, we found that the solution that actually worked for our game was the exact opposite. That result really stuck with me. It taught me that just because a solution is industry-standard, it doesn’t mean it’s always the best choice. You always have to ask, “Is this really true for us?” because the development environment is constantly changing.
App Store Editor: Final question. What do you think is the most important quality for an engine engineer?
Nono: The most important thing is to keep learning. This industry moves so fast, and new tech comes out every year. If you stop learning and just coast on what you already know, you’ll be left behind in no time. I’m always reading papers, researching new algorithms and figuring out why they’re better than the old ones and where they can be applied.
And of course, teamwork is essential. When you’re a student working alone, as long as your code runs, that’s fine. But on a massive game project, you have to collaborate across teams, understand their pain points and be able to explain exactly how your work solves their problems.