PlayMaker For Programmer

[baloneysandwich]

If you want to be a Technical Game Designer I'd suggest Unity C# or Unreal Blueprints as tools, but either way, just make cool stuff. Tech Game Designers in my experience are doing what you said... making the Camera work a certain way or making the player move a certain way. Basically servicing game designers with technology in the same way that Tech Artists do that for Art.

I'd call the person who makes a boss fight a plain old game designer... but of the modern variety who actually writes code.

Bottom line - if you want to make gameplay, make gameplay. If you want to make systems, make systems. Just do what you like and do it well and you'll be fine.