One Piece RP Game Development for Nanos World

I’m turning Nanos World into a fully featured One Piece role-playing experience and am looking for a developer, technical artist, or combat animator who already feels comfortable working with Unreal Engine 5.7.4, Niagara, and multiplayer combat systems.

The project is built around exploration, character progression, customisation, and fluid PvP combat. The goal is to create a playable game mode that captures the spirit of Oda’s universe while remaining coherent with Nanos World’s workflow and technical limitations.

What I’m looking for

I’m looking for one or more freelancers who can help create and integrate:

• Combat animations and M1 attack chains;
• Character fighting styles;
• Kessen, based on iconic One Piece characters;
• Devil Fruit abilities;
• Dial abilities;
• Niagara VFX, projectiles, impacts, and ability effects;
• Animation/VFX synchronization;
• Hitboxes, attack timing, cooldowns, and gameplay feedback;
• Clean and readable combat effects designed specifically for PvP.

The project includes several combat categories:

• Main Arts / fighting styles;
• Kessen;
• Devil Fruits;
• Dials.

The objective is not simply to create visually impressive spells. Every ability must feel responsive, enjoyable, readable, and balanced in a multiplayer PvP environment.

PvP-first combat design

This is primarily a PvP game mode, not a PvE-focused project.

Abilities should therefore be designed around:

• Fast and responsive activation;
• Clear anticipation and impact;
• Reasonable recovery times;
• Counterplay and dodge opportunities;
• Readable hitboxes and attack ranges;
• Smooth combos;
• Good movement and positioning;
• Clear visual feedback for both the user and the opponent.

I do not want abilities that take 10 or 15 seconds to charge or play out unless there is a very specific gameplay reason and sufficient counterplay. Even high-rarity or ultimate abilities should remain enjoyable and practical to use during a real fight.

A powerful ability should feel powerful without making the combat unfair or removing the importance of player skill.

Combat categories

Main Arts

Players will be able to choose between several main fighting styles:

• Swordsman;
• Black Leg;
• Clima-Tact;
• Sniper / Marksman, available through whitelist.

Each Main Art will contain 10 combat abilities with the following rarity distribution:

• 1 E-rank ability;
• 2 D-rank abilities;
• 2 C-rank abilities;
• 2 B-rank abilities;
• 2 A-rank abilities;
• 1 S-rank ability.

Each Main Art must also have its own M1 attack chain.

M1 attacks should feel like a real combo rather than a single animation repeated indefinitely. Depending on the style, a chain could include four to six different attacks, with variations in movement, timing, range, and impact.

For example, a Sniper M1 chain could include:

• A single shot;
• Two quick consecutive shots;
• A moving shot;
• A close-range weapon strike;
• A stronger finishing shot.

Each fighting style should have a distinct identity and feel completely different to play.

Kessen

Kessen are special combat styles inspired by non-Devil-Fruit characters from the One Piece universe.

The initial Kessen roster includes:

• Mihawk;
• Oden;
• Shanks;
• Garp;
• Zoro;
• Ryuma;
• Usopp;
• Ben Beckman;
• Brook;
• Nami;
• Kin’emon;
• Arlong;
• Inuarashi.

Each Kessen will contain:

• 1 D-rank ability;
• 1 C-rank ability;
• 2 B-rank abilities;
• 1 A-rank ability;
• 1 S-rank ability.

Each Kessen should have a strong character identity. The animations, effects, movement, attack patterns, and gameplay should immediately communicate which character the player is using.

For example:

• Mihawk should focus on precise sword techniques and powerful ranged slashes;
• Garp should focus on heavy punches, shockwaves, and physical impact;
• Brook should reflect his swordsmanship, speed, and musical/soul-related identity;
• Nami should use Clima-Tact-based techniques;
• Shanks should feel extremely rare, powerful, precise, and Haki-oriented.

The goal is not to create generic abilities with different colours. Each Kessen should feel like a complete and recognizable fighting style.

Kessen rarity and balance

There should be a noticeable difference between a common Kessen, such as Arlong, and a legendary Kessen, such as Shanks.

However, this difference must remain balanced for PvP.

Higher-rarity Kessen may offer:

• Better pressure;
• More effective combos;
• Stronger mobility;
• Better range or utility;
• More impactful abilities;
• More impressive animations and VFX;
• More unique mechanics.

They should not become impossible to defeat.

A skilled player using a common Kessen should still be able to defeat a player using a legendary Kessen through better positioning, timing, reactions, and decision-making.

Rarity should enhance the experience, not replace player skill.

Devil Fruits

Devil Fruit abilities will be obtainable through gameplay.

The first development phase should focus on iconic fruits that can be created primarily through animations, projectiles, materials, and Niagara VFX without requiring complex transformation models.

Potential examples include:

• Fire;
• Ice;
• Magma;
• Light;
• Lightning;
• Smoke;
• Sand;
• Darkness;
• Rubber;
• Poison;
• Strings;
• and other recognizable Devil Fruits from the series.

The abilities should remain faithful to the visual identity and known techniques of the One Piece universe.

For the initial version, priority should be given to fruits that do not require:

• Complex character transformations;
• New full-body character models;
• Advanced deformation systems;
• Extensive custom rigging.

More complex Zoan, Ancient Zoan, and Mythical Zoan fruits may be developed later.

Dials

Dials will be obtained through an in-game reroll system. A player can equip only one Dial at a time.

The initial Dial distribution will be:

• 2 D-rank Dials;
• 2 C-rank Dials;
• 1 B-rank Dial;
• 2 A-rank Dials;
• 2 S-rank Dials.

Each Dial must have a distinct purpose and gameplay identity.

We do not want every Dial to be a variation of the same explosion with different damage values.

Possible directions include:

• Impact Dial: knockback and damage;
• Jet Dial: forward movement or dash;
• Water Dial: slowing or control zone;
• Flame Dial: short-range or ranged fire attack;
• Flash Dial: temporary visual disruption or blind effect;
• Breath Dial: directional pushback;
• Vortex-style Dial: area pull or crowd control;
• Reject Dial: powerful explosion with a meaningful drawback.

If the S-rank Dial is based on the Reject Dial and creates a large explosion, other high-rank Dials should use completely different mechanics rather than simply creating another, larger explosion.

Higher rarity should improve gameplay value, uniqueness, and presentation, not only the size of the visual effect.

Animation and VFX requirements

Each ability should be treated as a complete gameplay package.

Depending on the ability, the expected result may include:

• Character animation;
• Anticipation;
• Activation effect;
• Movement or attack animation;
• Projectile or main effect;
• Impact effect;
• Hit reaction or feedback;
• Recovery animation;
• Hitbox or area-of-effect setup;
• Timing and gameplay integration.

The ideal structure is:

Anticipation → Activation → Movement → Impact → Recovery

The animation and VFX must be synchronized carefully. A beautiful animation with poorly timed effects will not feel polished, and a good VFX effect without a convincing animation will not feel impactful.

Existing assets and packs

It is not necessary to create every animation or VFX asset from scratch.

Using existing assets is completely acceptable, including:

• Unreal Engine animation packs;
• Niagara VFX packs;
• Existing project assets;
• Modified or recoloured effects;
• Combined assets from multiple packs;
• Existing animations adapted to fit a specific ability.

The priority is the final result.

If an existing animation fits the character and ability, and is properly integrated with the VFX and gameplay, there is no need to recreate it from scratch.

The same applies to VFX.

However, all assets must be legally usable in the project, and their licenses must allow commercial use and integration into the final game mode.

Visual direction

The visual style should be strongly inspired by One Piece while remaining readable in a multiplayer game.

Effects should be:

• Dynamic;
• Clean;
• Colourful;
• Exaggerated where appropriate;
• Easy to understand during combat;
• Consistent with the character or fighting style;
• Visually distinct according to rarity.

E- and D-rank abilities can be simple and efficient.

C- and B-rank abilities should have more identity and visual development.

A-rank abilities should feel powerful and polished.

S-rank abilities should feel like signature or ultimate techniques, with a strong visual payoff, while still remaining practical and balanced for PvP.

An S-rank ability does not need to last 15 seconds to feel impressive. A short, well-timed, impactful ability is preferable to a long cinematic that removes control from the player.

PvP readability

Players must be able to understand:

• When an ability starts;
• Where it is going;
• Its approximate range;
• When it can hit;
• When it ends;
• When it may be possible to dodge or counter it.

Effects should not be so large, bright, or opaque that they completely hide the battlefield.

The goal is to create spectacular abilities without sacrificing gameplay clarity.

Performance and multiplayer considerations

Because this is a multiplayer PvP project, performance is extremely important

Experience with Nanos World, Garry’s Mod, Unreal Engine projects, or similar multiplayer game modes is a strong advantage.

The project is intended to grow over time, so a long-term collaboration may be possible if the quality, communication, and workflow are a good fit.