The Beginning

[TomCurry]

Hey, I have just stumbled accross this website today whilst researching into game design. I am 19 years old in my 1st year at college doing Web design / Computing. In september I am going to start a course that has game design and development as a module. I want to get a head start on my course. Is there any particular coding, software or anything that is a need to know. Im particularly interested in the programming side of things. Things like character modelling and level design really appeal to me. So if there is any personal advice, links or any information you would like to share then feel free.

Thanks in advance.

[Adrir]

Welcome to the forums!

Before I start, can I just ask you about your aspirations? What do you want to do in the games industry? Do you want to be a games designer? Games Programmer? Level Designer? If you are not sure, then you can read about the various disciplines in the latest GameCareerGuide Magazine!

Without knowing the details of the university or course you are attending it would be incredibly hard to guess what material you will cover. It sounds like a "jack-of-all-trades" module that will give you a basic introduction to various fields in the games industry. However, I would suggest that you email the module leader if you have any specific queries.

As far as general advice is concerned, check out Ian Schreiber's Game Concepts, Tom Sloper's Website, our list of Interesting Websites, and our Interesting Game Design Articles.

I hope this helps!