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Chasiubao posted:The one thing I really miss from EA is the EASTL. And even then, we were wary of vectors and other non-fixed-size data structures. Although one team did use vectors but turned on an assert that fired if they ever tried to resize EASTL is the poo poo, and it's publicly available through one of the few open source things they released. I used it for Digitanks.
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Oct 15, 2011 04:38
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You guys know you can override the memory allocator stl uses, right?  We use stl in-house fairly often, though this is PC stuff not console. I've never seen stl show up on a performance profile in a way that was a problem with stl itself (vs. the way the code calling it was organized).
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Oct 15, 2011 05:05
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Vino posted:EASTL is the poo poo, and it's publicly available through one of the few open source things they released. I used it for Digitanks. I think I remember reading about that. They had to release some browser code or something and it had a chunk but not the full EASTL source, or something.
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Oct 15, 2011 06:01
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So I'm about three and a half months into my temp stint at Vigil and I gotta say I'm loving it so far and learning a ton both technically and artistically. This studio is seriously awesome and the people are stupid talented.
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Oct 15, 2011 06:07
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ceebee posted:Trion will be participating. We're having huuuge zone events and prizes and poo poo. Hope it all goes well and we raise some money for dem sick kids! Yeah you guys are destroying everyone else. Way to raise 24k for charity about it.
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Oct 15, 2011 07:08
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Irish Taxi Driver posted:Yeah you guys are destroying everyone else. Way to raise 24k for charity about it. Almost 27k 
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Oct 15, 2011 08:45
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To whoever the guy(s?) here that was working on Orcs Must Die. Congratulations on taking a game genre I absolutely despised and making it actually fun. You guys deserve a lot of respect, really awesome game
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Oct 16, 2011 06:04
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Waterbed posted:To whoever the guy(s?) here that was working on Orcs Must Die. Congratulations on taking a game genre I absolutely despised and making it actually fun. You guys deserve a lot of respect, really awesome game Also, that seems like an excuse for a shameless plug. If you're a programmer, Robot Entertainment is hiring. We just launched Orcs Must Die!, and we've got more in the pipe that you could be working on.
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Oct 16, 2011 08:20
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I'd like to understand what makes me different from other people who have started in QA and been much more successful than me. I started out doing a few months at a publisher QA farm where I was picked out for whatever reason to do Sony TRC testing, where there was one other "tester" level guy already. There was less work than expected so after a month or so I went to functionality until the project ended and I got culled. I temped in data entry for a bit and then went to another publisher farm where this guy was again in compliance, whilst I was in func. For over a year I was constantly told I did good work but there seemed no interest in making me a senior tester, nor any spaces for assistant team leads or higher. Eventually I go to compliance on a probationary period before being put on the new contract and higher pay scale. This period should have been 3 months but my assesment kept getting put off, and when it eventually happened I was told there were problems with my work and "attitude" which a) I would dispute and b) I had not been told about at any prior point when it would have been useful. I returned to what I was contracted to do for the remainder of my time there, and the guy I met at EA was an associate producer at this point, and went quickly on to full producer. I do a short contract with a developer, then go on to my last full-time job were my QA application was passed on to a producer who wanted a technician to automate the build update process, which I was deemed qualified for based on my degree and placement year experience. So great, I get to do some technical work and contribute to the actual making of a game. Only the the role came into being when I took it and I guess since I applied for QA they paid me QA money, only now I wasn't able to supplement my income with overtime and free pizza. Figured that things would improve dramatically with the next pay review, though I don't qualify for the next round since I hadn't been there long enough. Then the next one gets put back until "we have a new deal with the publisher". From August it's now going to be October. Then January. And in January I get made redundant because they didn't get a publisher. Meantime there's a guy who joined QA when I joined the company, the role I actually applied for remember, who is now an associate producer, and his job is safe. Both these guys I mention are younger than me, which really makes it sting, but I want to understand what could be the difference that leads to these guys getting opportunities that I don't? I get given responsibility and prove that I can lead, coordinate, communicate, adapt and learn, and more besides, but never actually get elevated for it.
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Oct 16, 2011 12:21
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Question on portfolio domain names: The domain name I want at .com is taken by one of those generic domain squatter pages, nothing offensive, but it is free on .co.uk - being a UK based artist I'm fine with this, but I'm wondering if its a bad idea to leave open a possibility where someone tries my domain from memory, gets a squatter page and assumes it doesn't exist. Mind you I suppose really I just need to make sure googling my name and handle brings up my portfolio.
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Oct 16, 2011 16:05
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BizarroAzrael posted:Both these guys I mention are younger than me, which really makes it sting, but I want to understand what could be the difference that leads to these guys getting opportunities that I don't? I get given responsibility and prove that I can lead, coordinate, communicate, adapt and learn, and more besides, but never actually get elevated for it. All you can do is keep trying. If someone says you're overqualified, then you start modifying your resume to omit the overqualifying parts so that you can get back into QA. Or, try getting in through some other means. EDIT: VV I guess that's the other thing, just, be likeable. I am apparently funny, everyone in the studio knows me, etc, and that's how I get away with not going out drinking with everyone. Even so, I ABSOLUTELY still go on team events, and I absolutely still drink, even though I normally don't. Don't get drunk, just have a nip, or have a soda. Be polite about it, and be social anyways. If you're the guy that bows out of everything and never talks to anyone else, the guy who everyone really doesn't know or doesn't really like, or especially if you're the guy that smells/etc, yeah, good luck, because you'll need it. Though I must admit, I am developing a taste for wine, and am slowing figuring out how much is "safe" to drink. Just sucks that the producers always buy beer (allergic, bah) for the studio , and not wine. At MY studio, we'll buy both!  Games Industry, teaching people to drink since the 80's 
Shalinor fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Oct 16, 2011 |
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Oct 16, 2011 16:20
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BizarroAzrael posted:Both these guys I mention are younger than me, which really makes it sting, but I want to understand what could be the difference that leads to these guys getting opportunities that I don't? I get given responsibility and prove that I can lead, coordinate, communicate, adapt and learn, and more besides, but never actually get elevated for it. Do you socialize with your coworkers? Do you get along with them? Do you "fit in" with the company culture? Have you expressed interest in doing other things at the company? These things are important, no one wants to work with the "weird guy" that never talks to anyone, regardless of how good at his job he is. ...and like Shalinor said it could really just come down to two qualified people, but the other guy has made friends with some people at this point. He wins... or it's another testament to how unreliable QA is as an avenue to get a solid foot in the industry.
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Oct 16, 2011 16:38
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Dinurth posted:Do you socialize with your coworkers? Do you get along with them? Do you "fit in" with the company culture? Have you expressed interest in doing other things at the company? I did when I had coworkers. Pub quizes, Fridays in the awful pub that was closest to the office, cinema trips, all the usual stuff. I expressed interest in working other areas and expanding my responsibilities, even got to deal with scripting conversations..for maybe a week before management dropped the ball and canned the project. Tried to learn to use the level editor in spite of it being so badly documented you couldn't actually create a new blank level from what it told you, nor was it apparent from the UI, and designers would just refer me to it. Discussions about expansion of duties and promotions tended to get pushed back along with wage reviews.
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Oct 16, 2011 18:03
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Shalinor posted:You got unlucky, basically - and are walking, talking proof of how inconsistent the QA route into the game industry is, and of why the folks in this thread generally don't recommend it. The other dude might just have been drinking with the right people. (yes, that matters - I have seen it happen) That being said, nobody will fault you if you go out and just drink soda, so long as you go out.
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Oct 16, 2011 19:23
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I'm going to be graduating in a year and a bit (hopefully) with a Computer Science major and I've been really interested in applying for a job at Ubisoft Toronto (or Autodesk), hopefully for some 3D programming work. My grades are quite poo poo so I've been trying to learn a lot of C++ and OpenGL and hopefully rig together some demos of what I can do to help my chances. Anyone have some advice on what the recruiters would be looking for and how I can improve my chances?
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Oct 16, 2011 21:12
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piratepilates posted:I'm going to be graduating in a year and a bit (hopefully) with a Computer Science major and I've been really interested in applying for a job at Ubisoft Toronto (or Autodesk), hopefully for some 3D programming work. My grades are quite poo poo so I've been trying to learn a lot of C++ and OpenGL and hopefully rig together some demos of what I can do to help my chances. Anyone have some advice on what the recruiters would be looking for and how I can improve my chances? As someone who was once in pretty much this position and now works at Ubisoft Montreal, I'd say this is the way to go. You might not even have to show your demos, just talking about them in an interview might be enough to tip the scale in your favor, assuming you actually did make them and can go over some of the technical details (otherwise it's gonna be pretty easy to know you're lying). You should also try to apply to generalist programmer positions even if you want to do 3D. I know that Ubisoft tends to have junior people as generalist programmers even if in practice they're specializing in something. You do see job ads for junior 3D programmers from time to time, but even then the qualifications tend to exclude people fresh out of college, and frankly, it's not unwarranted. The step between what you learn in college and what you need working in the industry is pretty high. Don't let that discourage you though, any practice you get making demos just means you'll have a much easier time learning on the job later. It's also a good idea to target your resume to the extent that you're applying for a job making video games, not a specific domain. Taken a networks class in college? Put that in. I got my first job because I'd listed a networks class in my resume even though that's not what I really wanted to do. Taken some advanced numerical computing classes? Put that in. You might apply for a position that's already filled, but get offered an interview for another where they need someone for some animation work. This is especially likely if you apply to large developers like Ubisoft where they need tons of people. There are some CS classes which won't do you any good beyond padding your resume, namely all of the really theoretical stuff, so if your college lets you choose your classes for your last year, don't take those unless it's for your personal enjoyment and there isn't anything directly useful to making video games available. At large companies where the people looking at your resume might not be technical people, this largely means inserting the right buzzwords at the right place. Your "Skills" section should list any language you're proficient at. OpenGL/Direct3D/WPF/MFC slash anything that you know which you've seen mentioned in a job ad and is relevant is what recruiters are gonna be looking for. All of this assumes you can actually back up your resume with technical knowledge during an interview. Your C++ knowledge will certainly be tested, and if you fail the most basic questions you're not getting in. If you have troubles with basic concepts like pointers or virtual functions or elementary STL usage, you absolutely have to get more experience in some way or another. Again, making demos should help here. You do need some knowledge of data structures and algorithms in general, but truth be told, between someone who's an expert on that and someone who's an expert on debugging, the latter is infinitely more useful. There are people who need to deal with the more theoretical considerations of running times and all that, but the average programmer's day to day work won't involve any big O notation. Anything more complex than a list or a vector isn't used much. In fact, you'll usually find that memory access patterns are far more likely to be an issue than running time for games. But yeah, technical competence and demos to prove it are pretty much the key here. If you also happen to not be socially inept, it usually helps.
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Oct 16, 2011 22:16
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Diplomaticus posted:That being said, nobody will fault you if you go out and just drink soda, so long as you go out. The only exception to this rule was somebody's 21st birthday, where we went out with this epic bar crawl in mind and the first alcoholic drink the guy gets in his entire life is a strawberry daiquiri.  Yeah, we've never really let him live that one down.
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Oct 17, 2011 03:37
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GetWellGamers posted:The only exception to this rule was somebody's 21st birthday, where we went out with this epic bar crawl in mind and the first alcoholic drink the guy gets in his entire life is a strawberry daiquiri.  Bar crawls, I've never figured out as a non-heavy drinker. Usually they start as a casual get together, and I'm there for that, then I have some nibbles, a few wines, and duck out - and then everyone else wanders off to drink themselves sick. Is this kosher? Shalinor fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Oct 17, 2011 |
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Oct 17, 2011 03:47
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GetWellGamers posted:The only exception to this rule was somebody's 21st birthday, where we went out with this epic bar crawl in mind and the first alcoholic drink the guy gets in his entire life is a strawberry daiquiri. If he waited until he was 21 to have the first alcoholic drink of his entire life, it's to be expected. Not that I'm one to talk; I don't drink, and I work for a Japanese firm, which are famous for their drinking work cultures. It's never been a problem for me- as long as you go out, that's what matters. Even with the boss (our CEO), as long as he has one or two others drinking with him to keep him company, he doesn't care if I get a coke.
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Oct 17, 2011 04:13
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Daqs aren't a bad call. All of the people who go out drinking usually stop by a local daq place here once a week. But then again, we are QA.
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Oct 17, 2011 05:43
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Shalinor posted:I would totally drink with that man I can stretch one or two beers out for a good while. Repeat over each place, over many hours, and I'm still usually good enough to drive home legally. And it's not that Daqs aren't good, but for your first drink ever? Dude, just have a beer. Any beer. Having your first drink come with a froo-y umbrella is just a bad precedent to start with.
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Oct 17, 2011 10:37
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I drink pernod and coke. I would love it if just once I didn't have to repeat my order 2 or 3 times before the bar staff understood what I ordered. 
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Oct 17, 2011 12:15
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GetWellGamers posted:And it's not that Daqs aren't good, but for your first drink ever? Dude, just have a beer. Any beer. Having your first drink come with a froo-y umbrella is just a bad precedent to start with.  One of the things I am specifically looking forward to, next time I head somewhere tropical, is a mai tai with a little umbrella in it, stuck through a pineapple chunk and a cherry 
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Oct 17, 2011 16:06
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Shalinor posted:Drinks without froo-y umbrellas are categorically inferior to drinks that come with froo-y umbrellas Every time I see a froo-y drink with embellishments, I think of this video and resist the urge.
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Oct 17, 2011 16:22
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To make frilly drinks relevant: An excellent team bonding outing is to all hit up a chain bar or other place which has gratuitous things like scorpion bowls and mai tais. Then every person orders the drink for the person to their left. Then the second drink goes to the right. And so on and so forth. Everyone ends up drinking these sugary concoctions and people can exact mini-revenge on their co-workers for any slights in the office. Plus, then you don't have to suffer the indignity of ordering a "blueberry tsunami" or other tasty treats.
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Oct 17, 2011 16:24
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Diplomaticus posted:That being said, nobody will fault you if you go out and just drink soda, so long as you go out. came to say this, I've struck up a pretty good relationship with my lead and a couple other animators just going to the mexican place the team eats at on fridays. I just have a Pepsi and eat my tacos and laugh at all the funny stories 
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Oct 17, 2011 17:31
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I drink more alcohol at work than anywhere else. Thanks a lot games industry.
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Oct 17, 2011 18:30
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We don't go out drinking much at our place but  Friday lunchbreak is Oriental Star Stuff Yer Fookin Face day at DNA.
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Oct 17, 2011 18:51
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Xel posted:I drink more alcohol at work than anywhere else. Thanks a lot games industry. Here, if you ever come back to your desk and see a bottle of Johnny Black or Jameson sitting there, you know you're about to get hosed by something that's out of your control. Institutionalized alcoholism, gooooo!
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Oct 17, 2011 18:58
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We can't drink at the office 
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Oct 17, 2011 19:12
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I'm hearing some rumors of Codemasters and EA studio closures in the UK. Anyone know?
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Oct 17, 2011 19:14
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I believe Codemasters announced the closure of their Guildford studio last month and there were reports of redundancies at EA Bright Light (also in Guildford) last week. The most, most important thing to remember about going out drinking is that if it's a school night under no circumstances should you check anything in the morning after. Wait until around 2pm when the hangover starts to recede and you can be sure you're not about to submit "#define ENABLE_SLOW_CODE_AND_FLYING_DICKS_EVERYWHERE 1".
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Oct 17, 2011 19:24
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Yeah the Bodycount devs are gone, Bright Light is gone. Bright Light was what was left of Bullfrog fyi.
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Oct 17, 2011 19:33
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Bah, I am struggling to even get started with our UDK project. I am the "lead" of a three man team and we barely know anything when it comes to UnrealScript. We have until April 2012 to do something, the work it self probably won't be graded as much as the whole "planning" since I do not attend a fancy game design school. Still, I want this to work so I can continue with it on my own outside of school. Problem is, it is hard to push people to actually do something. One guy goes to the same school as me but the other guy I know over the Internet, I've known him for a long time and he is reliable but I have a feeling he might just vanish if I start telling him to do something. Any advice on how to drive a team? Also, I take it that a lot of people here are game developers?
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Oct 17, 2011 19:43
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Torabi posted:Problem is, it is hard to push people to actually do something. One guy goes to the same school as me but the other guy I know over the Internet, I've known him for a long time and he is reliable but I have a feeling he might just vanish if I start telling him to do something. Just push a bit, see what happens. Torabi posted:Also, I take it that a lot of people here are game developers? By the way, do you have a Power Rewards card?
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Oct 17, 2011 20:25
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Torabi posted:Any advice on how to drive a team? drat this is a hard question to answer in a post. But here's the 10 second summary: relationships. Your use of 'drive' here is interesting, because it's generally applied to livestock or transportation. You don't drive people, you lead them. And people follow people that they trust. Trust being essentially a currency, a return on the investment you generate as you build relationships with your team members. One guy may 'vanish' if you ask him to do something (and you are asking, not telling). It sounds like you need to build that relationship. Find out what it is that's motivating him. Is he in school as well, is he looking for resume fodder, is he looking to learn UDK, is he looking to make the game of his dreams? Make sure he believes that you value his motivation and explain how it fits into the goals of the project. Or if you can't, if his goals aren't compatible with yours, it's best to find that out early. If everyone has agreed on the goals of the project, all it takes is 20 or so minutes per week to build on your relationships. Schedule a meeting (via phone or teleconference app for remote folks) once a week to share your progress and to discuss anything that may be concerning your team members. Even if these concerns are unrelated to the project they may inform your scheduling and priorities for that week. Remind them of your shared goals periodically and measure your progress towards them. I realize this all may be a little intimidating for an undergrad student, but there's leadership distilled to a pine nutshell. If you can get over the awkwardness of having meetings and reporting in a college setting, you'll find the returns hilariously valuable.
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Oct 17, 2011 21:15
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Xel posted:I drink more alcohol at work than anywhere else. Thanks a lot games industry. My company was described to me as a "Drinking company with a Game Development problem" in my first week here. I also learned that week that if you are the new guy, and you drink 3 beers in an hour long meeting, they will get you to present something while a bit tipsy. Torabi posted:Also, I take it that a lot of people here are game developers?
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Oct 17, 2011 21:27
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Sigma-X posted:I also learned that week that if you are the new guy, and you drink 3 beers in an hour long meeting, they will get you to present something while a bit tipsy.  EDIT: I guess normally, our alcohol culture is limited to "do good == beer!". The furthest it's ever gone was when they stuck the Maker's Mark et al at the end of the "you must sign the posters" line as incentive. Thanks to convenient pen failures, I had to return to poster signing at least 3 times that day. Sigma-X posted:No we mostly write erotic fanfiction for Game Dev Story. Style: Cute Characters: Ninja This story is super popular! EDIT: VVV What, no Aeron chair glory hole action through the mesh? Shalinor fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Oct 17, 2011 |
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Oct 17, 2011 21:30
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Edit: ^^^ It's implied! This is classy, ok? Gotta leave things to the reader's imagination! Sigma-X posted:No we mostly write erotic fanfiction for Game Dev Story. "As I pulled latest, my hands trembled. Would this build finally be our release candidate? I looked over at my cubemate's Dragon Age 2 shirt, and it was damp with sweat and he smelled of alcohol and Mountain Dew. Our eyes met and it was obvious that we had both been pushed beyond our limits. Our judgement was clouded but even bad decisions could be justified by our lack of sleep. I grabbed his Aeron chair and pulled him closer and said, 'Here, let's submit this together...'" devilmouse fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Oct 17, 2011 |
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Oct 17, 2011 21:38
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Shalinor posted:Yes, it is hard, and yes, it is risky, but your options are "get nothing done because no one was asked to do anything" and "get nothing done because they disappeared once you asked." With the possible "get stuff done after asking" as well. What is Power Rewards? Never heard of it? When I googled it showed either something related to Gamestop or Bank Of America. Me being in Europe, it kind of explains why I have never heard of it. But do tell if I didn't find the correct result in Google. Wakko posted:drat this is a hard question to answer in a post. But here's the 10 second summary: relationships. Your use of 'drive' here is interesting, because it's generally applied to livestock or transportation. You don't drive people, you lead them. And people follow people that they trust. Trust being essentially a currency, a return on the investment you generate as you build relationships with your team members. Haha, what I meant by drive is to "drive" the team and project forwards, towards our goal. Not as driving cattle around. I value my team members! But you are right, leading is a more correct term.And you guys are have some valid points. I need to get the ball rolling. I have no problems with talking to people whatnot so it is just a matter of getting started. I'm going to get the group together for a talk over Skype and see what happens from that point onwards. Boar It fucked around with this message at 21:58 on Oct 17, 2011 |
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Oct 17, 2011 21:55
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