Game Designer or Bust

KAS--Will · 11-06-2010, 01:53 AM

Hello all,
I'm currently studying at Moreno Valley Community College, and trying to find a job for just about anything in the game industry (with some restrictions... I refuse to work for Treyarch and if I can avoid it an Activision 1st party developer).

I'll try to upload my work as I learn more on making my own Unreal Tournament maps (we use Unreal Editor 3). I used to use Source SDK, but never really completely understood what I was doing, I was using the Source SDK help wiki through developing a map completely through my head. I also have some experience and am taking a class with 3D Modeling with Autodesk Maya. Next Semester I'm taking a class on animation.

So am I on the right track to becoming a game developer? If not, how do I earn experience in a game industry? By being an intern? Because a lot of the jobs I've been looking at for a game designer requires at least one published AAA game, which I'll never accomplish if every developer wants someone with at least 2+ years of experience.

Thanks for any feedback.

Osmethne · 11-06-2010, 04:04 AM

I didn't see anything in there where you stated what your planned or current field of expertise is. I'd identify that and head in that direction.

tsloper · 11-06-2010, 07:13 AM

KaSwill, you say "Game Designer," but then you talk about programming. And although you're only a student, you're reading ads for experienced professionals. And you talk about what you DON'T want, with very little about what you DO want. Also, no idea where on the planet "Moreno Valley" is. Very confusing and confused.
Read these for starters:
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson7.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson24.htm
http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson27.htm

KAS--Will · 11-06-2010, 10:12 AM

Thanks for the feedback, I wasn't really trying to give an all out introduction, but here goes something...

I currently am taking courses at Moreno Valley's Community College, Riverside County, California (That's in America).

I want to work on First Person shooters or mainly shooters but I wouldn't mind working for just about anything on the PC, XBox 360, or Playstation 3.

(I was looking for where I'd mentioned Programming but I couldn't find it). I am currently taking classes focusing on Game Level Design using the Unreal Editor 3 and 3D Modeling using Autodesk Maya. Next Semester I'll be working with Maya (I think) to do animations since it's the next course for the 3D Modeling classes provided at MVCC.

I currently plan on looking for jobs using Gamasutra.com (that's how I found these forums, through a newsletter I received from them) while I complete my classes at MVCC for gaming. While doing so I'll still look for what developers are interested in and try to work in that direction. Mainly I'm just trying to get experience, master Unreal Editor 3 and possible Valve Hammer then get experience editing COD4 maps using Call of Duty 4's map editor (I want a variety for my portfolio), and practice using animations (I love smooth and good looking animations and I want to learn how to do that).

Thanks for any feedback.
And especially thanks for the previous feedback.

PS I didn't read the articles till after I posted this and noticed I kind of qualified for "Stupid Arrogance". It's not that I don't wanna work for lower grade developers or developers I don't like, I just don't respect one of the studio heads Mark Lamia and I don't feel I'm too good to work there, they are talented, I just refuse to work for them.

tsloper · 11-06-2010, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAS--Will

1. Thanks for any feedback.
2. I just don't respect one of the studio heads Mark Lamia

1. Ask a question. I didn't see any question marks in that post.
2. I have a lot of respect for him myself, having seen him grow in his responsibilities over many years we worked together.

KAS--Will · 11-06-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsloper

1. Ask a question. I didn't see any question marks in that post.
2. I have a lot of respect for him myself, having seen him grow in his responsibilities over many years we worked together.

1. Am I going in the right direction for being a Game Designer? Another thing I was just pondering upon myself is, would it be wiser to just get into Programming? I noticed that the Salary of a Game Designer is extremely low for the first 3 years (I don't want to be rich, I just don't want to not make much or go to college and not make much in the end).

2. Despite me already saying "I don't respect him", what I was really saying by that, was I didn't respect what he'd said in the latest Game Informer issue about "taking the Call of Duty reins". I felt Infinity Ward should have been able to become an independent developer and distribute Call of Duty however they wanted, seeing Infinity Ward made the game and developed the engine off id Software 3. I'm not trying to be a know it all, I'm just a COD junky since the first one and I felt cheated out of my money when I was blindly buying Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, United Offensive, and Call of Duty 3.

tsloper · 11-06-2010, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAS--Will

1.a. Am I going in the right direction for being a Game Designer?
1.b. would it be wiser to just get into Programming?
1.c. I noticed that the Salary of a Game Designer is extremely low for the first 3 years (I don't want to be rich, I just don't want to not make much or go to college and not make much in the end).

1.a. Level design is one possible "right" direction, among many, for eventually getting into game design.
1.b. That depends on your criteria. What criteria do you use to judge "wisdom"?
1.c. You keep doing that! You keep going on and on about what you DON'T want. You need to stop spending so much energy on what you DON'T want, and figure out what you DO want.

Read more about the job of game designer: http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson14.htm

KAS--Will · 11-07-2010, 02:56 PM

Alright, what I want, no more what I don't want. I want to work for an FPS developer and work on maps/worlds for them. Especially with all my good experience with Unreal Editor, I'd love to work for Epic Games. However I would like to also work for either id Software, Infinity Ward, Insomniac Games, Irrational Games, Gearbox, 3D Realms (are they even making games anymore?). I just want to be an FPS developer, and I know I want this job, I've been only attending school for about 11 weeks and I love it, no matter how challenging Maya may get, I love working with it. I want to be a game developer and I want it so badly it kills me to think that my father wants to keep pushing me to do something else. If it weren't for me being so stubborn I'd probably be trying to major in Psychology or something, not what I want.

So what your saying in 1.a. is I'm generally going in the right direction for being a "World Builder/Level Designer" right?

tsloper · 11-07-2010, 04:16 PM

Stop saying you want to be a "game developer" if what you want to be is a level designer. (That's "work on maps/worlds")

And level design is what you say you are doing now.

Level design is one good way to get to game design.

KAS--Will · 11-07-2010, 10:44 PM

Okay, so I'm on the right path to being a Level designer right?