Interested in Game development

[jpeyper]

im studying games technology at UTas.

Hoping to get a job in the professional games industry but i can only dream atm, im a good programmer (i like to think of myself as the best programmer) but i dont really know how to get started.

this thread had a lot of good insight into the industry for me.

I guess me and my brother will have to work on a kick arse game to show off to our future employers when we graduate

[Abyssus]

im studying games technology at UTas.

Hoping to get a job in the professional games industry but i can only dream atm, im a good programmer (i like to think of myself as the best programmer) but i dont really know how to get started.

this thread had a lot of good insight into the industry for me.

I guess me and my brother will have to work on a kick arse game to show off to our future employers when we graduate

Yes, having a show reel and some prototypes help. It demonstrates that you can commit to a project from beginning to end, and if its collaborative thats even better as it shows you can work in a team (in theory)

[jpeyper]

at the risk of embarrassing myself, i thought id give you guys a glimpse at my assignment for this semester (which is first year game fundamentals, im really a third year computing student, honest).

The assignment had to be done in actionscript and had to be 2d.

http://www.piratejo.co.cc/PixelJunkTrib ... ibute.html

there are no instructions... use the mouse to select which tower you want to build and click on a tree to build it.

when making your own levels, hold ctrl to delete trees and waypoints.

edit:

its not finished quite yet, im going to put in a mute button for that awful background music and some more levels.

im also open to balancing suggestions but its due on friday so i cant do anything major with it.



oh, and any levels you create dont get saved if you reload the page, but you can copy and paste the code between reloads if you want (or store somewhere else/put on a fan forum). the code in the level editor can also be manually edited to make lining up trees easier or whatever.

[<SI> Josh]

I can see what you're saying, but in my opinion, that approach only works for some people. Me for instance, it won't work on, because if I have code, I have to know how it works.

Game coders need to be dynamic and ready to learn. You can be dropped into a project and pulled out at any time.

I know what you're saying though, having the advantage of knowing the software inside-and-out is a huge plus, but isn't possible with larger projects.

I was more referring to learning games development in the beginning. When I first start out learning something, I prefer to do everything from scratch (Even if I'm following a tutorial, I will manually type out the code rather than c/p). The reason for this is I learn so MUCH more and retain it better.

Of course, when I do go out into the industry and start working, I will have to learn developer's APIs and Engines, however, I will have all that ground knowledge I learnt from doing things from scratch, which will enable me to learn their APIs and Engines quicker. Rather than looking at their code and trying to figure out why certain techniques/etc are used, because I already learnt the techniques, it's just a matter of learning their implementation. It halves my work.

So what kind of projects are you working on at Uni, if you don't mind me asking?

Right now, we're doing a group project, making a game over the year (started last November, should hopefully have at least a final beta (perhaps even release) by September/October, in time for GCAP this year). Our game is a team based space shooter. Designing the control system is harder than you'd think, but it is coming along nicely. Not much graphics right now though, we're programmers, not artists.

[nsurgent]

im a good programmer (i like to think of myself as the best programmer)

Lol @ that.

Sounds like we might have the next John Carmack here.

Anyway, good luck!

[FooIsm]

I can see what you're saying, but in my opinion, that approach only works for some people. Me for instance, it won't work on, because if I have code, I have to know how it works.

Game coders need to be dynamic and ready to learn. You can be dropped into a project and pulled out at any time.

I know what you're saying though, having the advantage of knowing the software inside-and-out is a huge plus, but isn't possible with larger projects.

I was more referring to learning games development in the beginning. When I first start out learning something, I prefer to do everything from scratch (Even if I'm following a tutorial, I will manually type out the code rather than c/p). The reason for this is I learn so MUCH more and retain it better.

Of course, when I do go out into the industry and start working, I will have to learn developer's APIs and Engines, however, I will have all that ground knowledge I learnt from doing things from scratch, which will enable me to learn their APIs and Engines quicker. Rather than looking at their code and trying to figure out why certain techniques/etc are used, because I already learnt the techniques, it's just a matter of learning their implementation. It halves my work.

grrr..
As a .net Dev I have had to work with a few API's to implement some stuff in our system.
I can tell you that no matter how much you understand an API, it will still make you tear your hair out at how they do it(YEAH IM LOOKING AT YOUR QUICK BOOKS AND MYOB).

I would hope that game engines are a totally different story.

[<SI> Josh]

grrr..
As a .net Dev I have had to work with a few API's to implement some stuff in our system.
I can tell you that no matter how much you understand an API, it will still make you tear your hair out at how they do it(YEAH IM LOOKING AT YOUR QUICK BOOKS AND MYOB).

I would hope that game engines are a totally different story.

Ah yes, but would you have preferred to learn .NET programming from starting straight in those APIs, or learning from scratch? And don't forget, games engines, written in c++ will be many more times the size of an application written in .NET (That being one of the great things about .NET. )

[FooIsm]

Yeah these wernt that large, just tables... But just so stupid the naming... The way the tables are linked and that...
Just made me cringe:/

[Papai]

For the amount of time I spend lurking around game development people these days, it's actually pretty depressing to see how many of them are successful. In fact, just locating a good/employed video game designer to have a pint with is an all-weekend chore. On the flipside, there are a couple of events throughout the year where you can pay to be in close proximity to the movers and shakers of the east coast industry. So I'll relay some info I've garnered from those events here; usually not from the designers mouth, but from the producers and ceos... Who're basically in charge anyway.



Being a good designer means you have to collect a horde of good and unique design ideas; maybe even make a few neat prototypes. It helps to have a lot of life experience there too. Almost anyone in the industry will tell you that. But you shouldn't be hoping to see these ideas put into production; they're just things to show off your ability to have good ideas in the first place. After all, your new boss doesn't really care about your own ideas - they just want you to work on theirs.

I often see people (particularly on the net) who are less interested in actual game design and more so in game ideas. Stories and gameplay gimmicks, for example. That's not really the best way to approach the whole design scene though. I'm sure Meadow will back me up when I say designers often end up working on projects that at the time seem totally tedious; even if they DO get you paid. It helps in these situations to enjoy using your designs to actually make the player do stuff and enjoy it, as well as letting them do stuff to the game. So it helps to have a deep attraction to player-manipulation (design) as well as good game ideas.

On that last point too, I believe a lot of design hopefulls get kind of the wrong idea about actually securing a job in the industry. There's kind of a trend for people to want to work in big game companies on big titles with next generation graphics while they sit in their cosy and secure small-time position. But from a design standpoint, I don't really understand that and apparently neither do the industry professionals. Someone who is totally driven to be the best they can be is not only a much better worker but also much more likely to be given a promotion. To start out wanting a promotional career is actually a good way to introduce yourself as someone who really wants a job.

To that end, small game companies often need people who are able to do this sort of thing much more than large ones; because the small companies need people who are, above all else, responisble and dedicated. Someone who isn't just in it because they like design/coding/aniamtion, but someone who loves both the game and the company. Some ceos will actually tell you to only look for a job in a company you actually want to work for and have a deep attraction to.

Which leads me to the most important note I've taken so far; focusing your ideas. If you really do want to work on COD4.3 as a designer, then don't eat up your spare time working on your own game ideas; be a professional at building elelments for COD4. If you want to design levels, learning code should come second to modding existing games; otherwise you're wasting your precious spare time on stuff you'll never end up doing anyway. Your prospective employer really only wants to see work you've done that is relevant to the work you WILL do as part of their company.




Enough for now. It's all a bit scary but in the end, making the right career choice seems to be all about knowing exactly what YOU want before finding someone who wants YOU. With digital distribution and mobile gaming, there are actually HEAPS of game companies out there; surely there's a few you'd prefer over the others. Don't just randomly approach developers looking for a job because that's not going to end pretty for anyone - and they know it.

[MuscularTeeth]

would love to do audio for a game.
done prelim stuff for some RPG games and stage productions..

[Shinanigans]

Epic post, thanks for taking the time, Papai. I appreciate the *whack* "this is how it is" insight.

Over the last month or so i've been working pretty much any spare time i have on my mod for Crysis. Just been learning the way the game is setup, and what does what. As it's .lua/.xml based, the majority of my time is spent trying to find what is pointing to what and where this is getting that info from, etc. Totally understanding the whole thing behind learning code or writing scratch code.

I'm pretty happy to say that along with working on the mod and learning stuff there, my mapping work might have given me the bump i was looking for. I applied for a position on a team on Crymod who are working on a pretty big multiplayer mod for Crysis which is right up my alley. I showed him some of my work and the leader of the team is interested in seeing more

Here's hoping it's a step in the right direction and this steam train gets rolling

[Abyssus]

It helps to have a lot of life experience there too.
***
I often see people (particularly on the net) who are less interested in actual game design and more so in game ideas. Stories and gameplay gimmicks, for example.
***
To that end, small game companies often need people who are able to do this sort of thing much more than large ones; because the small companies need people who are, above all else, responisble and dedicated. Someone who isn't just in it because they like design/coding/aniamtion, but someone who loves both the game and the company.

These are good points, and areas new programmers/artists/hobos neglect, often ignore and refuse to accept.

[BEEX]

if you want to be a level creator for a studio its of great benifit to have knowlage of modelling and texturing static objects,being able to make a map and add the objects you need usually makes for a well thought out and optimised level,prefab objects tend to make a game look and feel repeatitive which can shorten a games lifespan.
if affordable get 3dsmax 9 and photoshop cs so you can create statics for crysis,do some box modelling and uv mapping tutorials and youl be well on your way.
i installed the sandbox 2 editor the other day and its impressive to say the least,very simple stuff if youve created levels for other games,same old routine,create heightmap,paint colour and detail maps,add vegetation,add statics,add gameplay objects,add ai...certainly not that simple,but you know what i mean...lol.
like the others have said modding is the best way to start,then move on to indie games if you cant get a job in the industry.
the best way to get into the industry is learn everything you can about games creation,everything from coding,shaders,level design,modelling, textures,hud,sounds,animation,storyline,and concept art.
.
"brainstorming can only get you so far",most projects fail because when the real work needs to be done half the team will fade away and leave the rest of the team demotivated.

[Abyssus]

"brainstorming can only get you so far",most projects fail because when the real work needs to be done half the team will fade away and leave the rest of the team demotivated.

Finding good people is the most difficult task facing any game development team, especially startups.

[s1elite]

I'm aiming to end up working as a game developer. I've taught myself 3D studio over the last 5 or so years and know it pretty well. Went to uni to learn to program and majored in Games Technology.

At uni, I just completed a team project in which we attempted to build game. We didn't get it working properly on time due to some team members "not realising it was such a big job"... we also only had 12 weeks to build it. We managed to get the core components built at least (engine, art, sound, etc). I did the art myself, and designed and built most of the game's levels. It was a huge job but I also got huge amounts of experience from it.

Earlier this year, I applied for a student job as an Artist at Halfbrick Studios, but they withdrew from the program and forgot to tell anyone until they got my application... probably a result of all this financial garbage...

One more semester at uni (assuming the game project doesn't result in failing that unit due to it being incomplete), then I can get a job and start looking for an open game developer door to jam my foot in.