|
AntiPseudonym posted:I mean, there's something wrong when the marketing budget dwarfs the development budget. Shalinor posted:That is not wrong, though. [...] [M]arketers MUST be given a great deal of money, because that is the one place into which investment can be consistently guaranteed to affect sales on release day.
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2011 23:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 02:37 |
|
|
mutata posted:I'm gonna ask this question again as the answer to the last time it was asked is buried under a huge pile of fashion. Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie's "The C Programming Language". It's very well written, concise and to the point (a lot of modern programming books are bloated, just like modern programs). Sure, the latest edition is from 1989, but C hasn't changed since then, and since it's old it's cheap. Learning C first is probably better then jumping straight into C++.
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2011 23:41
|
|
|
mutata posted:I'm wondering if there's a programming book or website that people would recommend to someone like me? I'm not the type of artist who's adverse to learning to code, and back when I used to do math, I wasn't bad at it, though I'm planning on starting up on Khan Academy to start to relearn all the stuff I've forgotten. I have a hard time recommending books these days. I just don't believe you learn as much as quickly as you do by just jumping in with a good user-friendly tool, supported by youtube/etc tutorials. That way seems to produce useful knowledge faster, and is plain more fun to do. (this coming from someone that book-taught themselves gamedev years ago... access to knowledge has just gotten way better since then, with more video tutorials and free online written guides and high level tools than you can shake a stick at) Shalinor fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Sep 13, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2011 23:42
|
|
|
M4rk posted:I've got a similar anecdote to share: Ok, I understand you don't want to give names and such, but this is so obvious because you used the first initial that you may as well have. I'd probably take this down
|
|
#
?
Sep 13, 2011 23:57
|
|
|
Shalinor posted:I'd give you the same advice I gave the earlier dude - especially with some ActionScript experience, just start with Stencyl. Great WYSIWYG game maker thingy that'll get you familiar with visual programming. Then tunnel down into Stencyl and modify the ActionScript. Once you have a handle on ActionSctipt, picking up UnrealScript (for UDK - though you'd probably mostly use Kismet, which is similar in feel to Stencyl) or UnityScript (which is really just a somewhat gutted JavaScript) would be easy peasy lemon squeazy. I've got nowhere near Shalinor's level of experience to back this, but for what it's worth, I agree completely. Books are great to have for reference material once you already know a language (like, "Man, what was that trick with void pointers and templates to reduce code bloat again?" or something similarly obscure). However, online resources simply can't be topped for learning new stuff. You've got videos, wikis, and tutorials galore, all backed by forums full of more advanced users who are willing to answer questions (usually without even being assholes about it!). Books sometimes give you code snippets, but they will pale in comparison to the complete, practical, fully-featured beginner apps included with something like Unity. Sometimes after blowing through a few tutorials and example projects online, it helps to read through a few chapters of a printed book to put things into a more ordered perspective. Definitely start online, though. speng31b fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 00:02
|
|
|
Fizzle posted:Ok, I understand you don't want to give names and such, but this is so obvious because you used the first initial that you may as well have. I'd probably take this down M4rk fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 00:21
|
|
|
Just splashing my footsie in the water here, but I sort of have the incline to do a talk. I was wondering if there is particular things everyone else likes seeing/hearing about and what you think makes a great 'talk'. How much anecdotes, how much media, videos, comedy vs serious. Light heartedness etc etc. I was going to start planning something, at least writing stuff down initially on my next vacation.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 00:32
|
|
|
GeauxSteve posted:I might have to apply for the Test Lead position there. Would you happen to have a link? http://www.treyarch.com/jobs you can search for it there. It's under QA/California/Santa Monica!
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 00:35
|
|
|
Shalinor posted:I'd give you the same advice I gave the earlier dude - especially with some ActionScript experience, just start with Stencyl. Great WYSIWYG game maker thingy that'll get you familiar with visual programming. Then tunnel down into Stencyl and modify the ActionScript. Once you have a handle on ActionSctipt, picking up UnrealScript (for UDK - though you'd probably mostly use Kismet, which is similar in feel to Stencyl) or UnityScript (which is really just a somewhat gutted JavaScript) would be easy peasy lemon squeazy. Thanks for this; as a designer, I want to get way more into programming so I don't feel like such a stick in the mud when I pester the lead programmer on how his environment destruction code is coming along  Your post is also really helpful since we're working with UDK. Strong Female fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 01:12
|
|
|
Someone at work forwarded this along last week. Codecademy Seems like a really nice way to start from the beginning... interaction; it's just like a game!
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 01:17
|
|
|
To be honest, it doesn't bother me when people slate games I've worked on, because the vast majority of the time I (and most of the dev team) completely agree with the criticisms being leveled at the game. (Which is something a lot of people outside the industry don't realise) Of course it bothers me when circumstances lead to a game being released in a less than perfect state, but a lot of the time that's an unfortunate fact of life unless you're working for one of those few company that can afford to delay the release of a game until it's done. The only thing that really annoys me, is people that think playing video games make them an expert in how they should be developed, or that games release without certain features because developers are lazy and sit spinning around in their office chairs all day, or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 03:01
|
|
|
And don't even get started on day one DLC  (Or the whole "if it's on the disc it should be free" which leads to bullshit 'download this free pack so you poors can see the costumes the real players spent money on  ' because God forbid there be content on the disc that is unlocked by paying money.)
Chasiubao fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 04:28
|
|
|
Chasiubao posted:And don't even get started on day one DLC Day one DLC is a fair business practice, but it's mostly a perception issue. Even if it's not actually the case, it creates the IMAGE that developers/publishers/whoever are deliberately cutting content from the game in order to sell it back to the players at a premium. I can understand the desire to explore new revenue streams since the old model of "$60 for the game and that's it" isn't working as well as it used to, but one has to weigh the potential PR consequences of release day DLC to the extra revenue it might provide. A lot of players feel like they're being nickel and dimed to death by a lot of these payment models and it's the kind of thing that could potentially lower spending in the video game market all around, since buying the complete experience of a game is so much more of an investment than it used to be.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 04:51
|
|
|
Actually I was more talking about people not understanding that no, developers don't write code up until the night before street date, at which point the magic disc fairy then presses a half a million discs overnight and whisks them away to store shelves to sell the next day 
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 05:06
|
|
|
I don't really mind the people who can only see things from one single perspective. And, frankly, our hardcore players spend more time playing our game than we ever could, so their perspective is something we need. On the other hand, it's nearly impossible to find any information at all when the message boards are full of players trying to impress each other by expressing how much they hate us and the game we make. I mean, I get being frustrated when you don't understand why something is the way it is. I was that guy for many years. But an explanation isn't ever enough, and so most dev->player communication just spins into more arguments. Also reading about how I don't care and am lazy when I'm still in the office at 6 AM on a Sunday kind of hurts. Especially when my crime is not answering a post challenging me to defend why number (X) is not as big as that player thinks it should be.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 09:47
|
|
|
Chasiubao posted:Actually I was more talking about people not understanding that no, developers don't write code up until the night before street date, at which point the magic disc fairy then presses a half a million discs overnight and whisks them away to store shelves to sell the next day Is six weeks still the standard for mailing the master to reaching shelves? My firsthand data on that is fairly out-of-date, I'm realizing...
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 10:04
|
|
|
GetWellGamers posted:Is six weeks still the standard for mailing the master to reaching shelves? My firsthand data on that is fairly out-of-date, I'm realizing... Well I saw articles today that Arkham City just wrapped up and that's out the end of next month, so it sounds about right.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 11:11
|
|
|
Depends on how big a title you are as well - some will get priority treatment so you can leave it a little bit later. In other non-shock news Codies are closing their Guildford studio (who made Bodycount) in 30 days time.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 12:05
|
|
|
BizarroAzrael posted:Well I saw articles today that Arkham City just wrapped up and that's out the end of next month, so it sounds about right. "wrapped up" could also very well mean passed certification, though fiveish weeks after submission is a reasonable time for the game to pass and press discs (though maybe not when the SE comes with statues and stuff).
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 13:30
|
|
|
Splaa posted:"wrapped up" could also very well mean passed certification, though fiveish weeks after submission is a reasonable time for the game to pass and press discs (though maybe not when the SE comes with statues and stuff). They would probably have had those statues in production earlier though - it's not like they need to wait for the game to pass certification to make them. Plus they don't tend to need very many since how many people actually end up buying those huge box sets?
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 13:32
|
|
|
What do you guys think about Flixel? I was reading a tutorial in a magazine over lunch and it looks simple enough, but I thought I'd get a educated opinion. EDIT: Oh, apparently Stencyl uses Flixel... I might give that a go and see what benefits there are over my battered old MMF2. (lol game maker programs, I know...) The Kins fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 13:42
|
|
|
The Kins posted:(lol game maker programs, I know...) Honestly the game maker programs that are out there these days are excellent, both for learning about the basics of games development and even making pretty professional games. We're well past the era of Klik 'n Play and Games Studio these days. ... I'm ashamed to admit I got my start on Klik 'n Play.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 14:03
|
|
|
AntiPseudonym posted:Honestly the game maker programs that are out there these days are excellent, both for learning about the basics of games development and even making pretty professional games. We're well past the era of Klik 'n Play and Games Studio these days.  To be fair though, I'm primarily approaching this as a hobby so maybe I should just avoid getting too fancy. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 14:42
|
|
|
The Kins posted:What do you guys think about Flixel? I was reading a tutorial in a magazine over lunch and it looks simple enough, but I thought I'd get a educated opinion.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 14:46
|
|
|
FreakyZoid posted:Love it, and if that was PhotonStorm's tutorial about the platform game then it's probably a very good place to start.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 14:48
|
|
|
AntiPseudonym posted:Honestly the game maker programs that are out there these days are excellent, both for learning about the basics of games development and even making pretty professional games. We're well past the era of Klik 'n Play and Games Studio these days. Hah! Whatup K&P buddy?  Klik & Play and The Games Factory are what I started with too. I think my experience with TGF really helped me pick up programming a lot easier, since I was already familiar with the fundamentals of a program even if I'd never actually used any code.Also seconding that the game making software today is a lot more advanced than those old programs. Spelunky was made entirely in Game Maker - Stencyl just came out so it's hard to say, but it seems pretty solid. One nice thing is that because it's Flash based, you can insert pure ActionScript into your games if you want (though you don't have to - there's a pseudo-code style setup you can use as well); one of the things that bugs me about Game Maker is that while it does have its own coding language, it's not as robust as a mainstream language.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 15:15
|
|
|
Bash Ironfist posted:http://www.treyarch.com/jobs you can search for it there. It's under QA/California/Santa Monica! Sweet! Thanks for the heads up on this.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 15:22
|
|
|
The Kins posted:What do you guys think about Flixel? I was reading a tutorial in a magazine over lunch and it looks simple enough, but I thought I'd get a educated opinion. (and Flixel is hugely portable - there's even Flixel for XNA/Xbox Indie) EDIT: Oh lordy, I just read Tom Buscaglia's "Ask Me Questions" page. He creates this great resource where indie developers can ask for legal advice, and the loving thing is flooded with people wanting to know if they can sue Blizzard for banning their accounts. Thank you, internet. Shalinor fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 15:38
|
|
|
The Kins posted:What do you guys think about Flixel? I was reading a tutorial in a magazine over lunch and it looks simple enough, but I thought I'd get a educated opinion. Flixel is great! It has a lot of preset stuff so if you want to make a platformer or a top down shooter or something, it's basically good to go on launch. Try using it with the DAME editor!
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 16:13
|
|
|
Fishbus posted:Someone at work forwarded this along last week. This is awesome. I really really really hope they keep building that out -- this is exactly how I learn stuff like this best. Anybody familiar with any other resources even kinda like this one for newbies?
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 16:47
|
|
|
To reiterate - Flixel is great, you can use it to make games like this and then donate all your proceeds to charity. http://www.kongregate.com/games/FreakyZoid/run-gamedev-run
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 17:45
|
|
|
Shalinor posted:It's awesome. It lets you tunnel down to the Flixel code then ActionScript code over time, and it's in general one of the better high level game creation tools out there these days. Tom is awesome and his responses are awesome.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 17:47
|
|
|
I know this isn't the place but I don't know where else to go. My Dad just died, never got to see him. Feel like poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 20:24
|
|
|
Monster w21 Faces posted:I know this isn't the place but I don't know where else to go. Funny how that works, huh? Sorry for your loss.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 20:32
|
|
|
Monster w21 Faces posted:I know this isn't the place but I don't know where else to go.  Grab local friends and just get out of the house, or go out with family, etc. Being alone's never good at a time like that. EDIT: VV Good deal. Shalinor fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Sep 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 20:38
|
|
|
I live with my partner. She's doing just fine. Thank you though.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2011 20:42
|
|
First day at work at Trion Worlds was awesome. I have a good feeling I'm gonna love this job 
|
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2011 06:08
|
|
|
ceebee posted:First day at work at Trion Worlds was awesome. I have a good feeling I'm gonna love this job I know it's kinda his thing but please tell your lead character artist there's far, far too much cheesecake in Rift I quit the game purely because I was so frustrated with the lack of non-revealing armour options. It's all really well made but really nonsensical.Thinking about possible future career progression, I would love to work in the MMO field. What sort of possibilities exist for this in Europe?
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2011 06:28
|
|
|
Watchlar posted:I know it's kinda his thing but please tell your lead character artist there's far, far too much cheesecake in Rift I'd like to echo this. It really is getting kind of stupid to see females in shooter games wearing brick-shithouse shoulderpads and exposed midriffs. One of the few things I truly like about Gears of War is the female soldiers have no more skin showing than the male ones do- bared arms and necks and that's about it. Example: Gears Male/Female Compared to something like Unreal 3, where females suddenly develop V-necks on their armor and the males barely even have their faces uncovered: UT3 Male/Female
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2011 07:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 02:37 |
|
|
Watchlar posted:I know it's kinda his thing but please tell your lead character artist there's far, far too much cheesecake in Rift One of my coworkers was getting worked up about this. It goes without saying that the industry needs more opinions like yours and hers to stop with the whole "tight-bra heavy armor" trends. It's looking extremely likely that our entire temp division of QA testers, including me, are going to be bumped-up to full time. Hopefully it'll last a good, long while. After all the stories about most QA jobs involving endless overtime and inevitable layoffs, I feel drat lucky to have gotten in with a great company like this. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2011 07:28
|
|
