What You Will Do Embedded within the 4X Combat Pod, you will play a critical role in validating the core systems that define moment-to-moment combat, tactical depth, and strategic balance. You will ensure the quality, stability, and integrity of all combat-related features — from buff logic and PvP interactions to PVE raids and ability execution. Feature QA • Execute manual and exploratory testing for combat systems, ensuring correct implementation of buffs, debuffs, and real-time interactions between player and AI entities. • Conduct regression and integration testing to maintain consistency across combat features, balancing updates, and cross-system dependencies. • Document, track, and prioritize issues in JIRA, providing clear and actionable feedback to developers and designers. • Maintain detailed and up-to-date test plans, test cases, and verification matrices for all combat and systemic features. 4X Combat QA • Combat Engine & Systems Validation: Test and validate the Combat Engine and its underlying simulation logic, ensuring deterministic outcomes, correct damage resolution, and synchronization between client and server states. • Buff & Modifier Systems: Verify the Buff Engine and status effect systems, confirming correct stacking behavior, duration handling, and interaction rules between multiple buff/debuff sources. • Ship & Base PvP Testing: Execute comprehensive test passes for Ship vs. Ship and Base vs. Base PvP, validating combat resolution, targeting logic, ability cooldowns, and victory conditions under various configurations. • PvE Scenarios & Raiding: Test Hostile PvE encounters and Raiding systems, confirming AI behavior, wave spawning logic, targeting priorities, and loot distribution across different tiers and power levels. • Active Abilities & Edge Cases: Validate Active Ship Abilities and their impact within combat simulations, ensuring visual synchronization, cooldown handling, and expected interactions with buffs and environmental modifiers. Metadata & Fixture Testing: Collaborate with developers to test fixture setups, universe configurations, and web panel metadata to ensure data consistency and correct communication between backend tools and in-game systems. • Quality Advocacy: Champion combat quality and systemic integrity, providing structured feedback on balancing, pacing, and technical reliability. Identify opportunities for automation, test plan optimization, and smarter regression coverage across the combat suite.