software datac++game physicshavok physxrigid body dynamics
Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Technical proficiency
35% weight
Check depth in rigid body dynamics, constraint solvers, and collision detection: GJK/EPA, sequential impulse versus TGS solvers, continuous collision, and C++ SIMD math work in PhysX, Havok, Jolt or a custom engine.
Evidence to listen for
Command of the languages, frameworks, and data tools the role actually uses
Understands correctness, performance, and failure modes, not just syntax
Has opinions on testing and can justify them
Reads and reasons about code they did not write
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot work independently; fundamentals are missing.
2
Needs Improvement
Weak fundamentals; output needs heavy review.
3
Satisfactory
Competent for the role; needs guidance on complex or unfamiliar work.
4
Very Good
Strong practitioner; handles hard problems with little guidance.
5
Excellent
Explains solver iteration counts, warm starting, and penetration recovery from direct experience; names the engine and the math library they wrote against.
02
Evaluation factor
Systems and trade-offs
25% weight
Probe how they held a fixed timestep budget: substepping choices, broadphase structure, determinism for replays or netcode, and what fidelity they sacrificed to hit 2ms on console.
Evidence to listen for
Reasons about scale, latency, cost, and failure before writing code
Names the trade-off they chose and what they gave up
Understands the data lifecycle end to end
Anticipates what breaks at ten times the volume
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No thinking beyond the immediate task; no awareness of scale or failure.
2
Needs Improvement
Limited architectural awareness; struggles with design decisions.
3
Satisfactory
Works within an existing design; makes sound local decisions.
4
Very Good
Designs for scale and maintainability; articulates trade-offs clearly.
5
Excellent
Describes concrete trade-offs, for example dropping to simplified convex proxies or capping ragdoll counts, with the frame time and platform that forced it.
03
Evaluation factor
Evidence and rigour
25% weight
Test how they proved stability: unit tests on constraint cases, deterministic replay harnesses, PIX or Razor captures, tunnelling repro scenes, and profiling data before and after optimisation.
Evidence to listen for
Validates results rather than trusting output
Knows how their work is measured and what a bad result looks like
Can describe a time their own analysis or model was wrong and how they caught it
Careful about data quality, leakage, and silent failure
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Ships unvalidated work; no notion of how correctness is checked.
2
Needs Improvement
Validates superficially; misses obvious quality or leakage issues.
3
Satisfactory
Reasonable checks in place; rigour drops under time pressure.
4
Very Good
Validates thoroughly; can name a real error they caught in their own work.
5
Excellent
Cites measured before and after numbers from a profiler, plus a regression scene or automated test that caught jitter or explosion bugs.
04
Evaluation factor
Collaboration and communication
15% weight
Assess how they worked with animators, designers, and tech artists on ragdolls, vehicle handling, and destruction tuning, including exposing parameters without letting content break the simulation.
Evidence to listen for
Explains technical work to non-technical stakeholders
Gives and takes code or peer review constructively
Documents enough that the work survives their absence
Aligns with team process rather than working around it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot work in a team; resistant to feedback.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication issues create rework; lone-wolf tendencies.
3
Satisfactory
Adequate team member; documentation and review participation are light.
4
Very Good
Communicates well; reliable reviewer and collaborator.
5
Excellent
Recounts shipping a tuning tool or clamped parameter set for designers, and negotiating a feel-versus-realism disagreement to a workable result.
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