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Fergus Mac Roich posted:I'm not in the industry and almost certainly never will be(shied away from developing programming skills, etc years ago) but I just wanted to chime in and say that I actually think your job sounds badass. I think if I went back and learned to code or got a degree in a relevant field I would want to go to work doing something like your job, or maybe tools programming. Aw thanks.  It's easy to get lost in the crowd sometimes, since I'm pretty much playing a support class -- I'm a bard, not a fighter (alternately, I'm a blocking tight end, not a running back). Glad to hear my job sounds cool to someone!rizuhbull posted:I'm fairly confident I wouldn't enjoy animation, and as I said, I can't math so coding is out of the question. Modelling and texturing (are they the same?) I might like, no idea. Where would I even start? There should probably be something about this in the OP. I took an animation class in college where I also learned modeling, texturing, and lighting, and they're really not anything like any other tech specialty. Modeling felt more like sculpting with a mouse, and lighting was pretty much indistinguishable from the real-world lighting cinematographers do. Whether you like animation or programming is certainly no indicator of whether you'd like modeling. As for where to start, well, all I can say is to try downloading some modeling software, buy a how-to book or find some FAQs somewhere, and tool around with it until you can tell how you like it. Maya is the go-to industry modeling software, but if you can't get access to someone else's license it's expensive. I think Blender is supposed to be a viable free open-source alternative, but I can't vouch for it since I've never used it.
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Oct 28, 2011 16:06
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rizuhbull posted:That's the thing, I don't know if I'd enjoy level design, model, Have you read the OP? Have you checked out the links and info in the OP?
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Oct 28, 2011 16:19
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aas Bandit posted:Have you read the OP? Have you checked out the links and info in the OP? loquacius posted:There should probably be something about this in the OP. I took an animation class in college where I also learned modeling, texturing, and lighting, and they're really not anything like any other tech specialty. Modeling felt more like sculpting with a mouse, and lighting was pretty much indistinguishable from the real-world lighting cinematographers do. Whether you like animation or programming is certainly no indicator of whether you'd like modeling. Also, and this is directed to everyone; does it matter what graphics software I use? Like is there any industry consensus? I don't want to learn how to use Maya, if it's obsolete in two years. And what pc requirements does this software use or work best with? Sure I can read the recommended requirements, but I rather hear from first hand users, not what the developer says. E: Should probably post my specs. Feel free to tell me how it'll run 3d graphics software... GPU- ATI 5770 CPU- AMD Phenom X4 3.2GHz RAM- 4GB OS- W7 PSU- Corsair 700W rizuhbull fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 17:07
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rizuhbull posted:Yes, it says to do stuff, but not how to do 'em. Everyone uses Max or Maya, pretty much. A handful of places use XSI. Stick to one of those and learn it "deep" rather than only learning the basics of each. Once you can model something useful in one piece of software it's easy to learn a different software, but if you're bouncing between all of them you wind up just learning how to texture a cube in each. If you're going to learn to model start at wiki.polycount.com and join the forums. Read everything. Every thread. You will learn a lot by watching other folk's workflows that way.
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Oct 28, 2011 17:14
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Mega Shark posted:I see one or two more Producers in the OP. Any of you active for some Producer chat? Always.
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Oct 28, 2011 18:15
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Dinurth posted:Always. I didn't see you in the OP, where do you work?
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Oct 28, 2011 18:25
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Mega Shark posted:I didn't see you in the OP, where do you work? http://www.lightboxinteractive.com/
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Oct 28, 2011 18:31
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Dinurth posted:http://www.lightboxinteractive.com/ Ah, nice. What discipline did you come from / how did you get into Producing?
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Oct 28, 2011 18:33
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Mega Shark posted:Ah, nice. What discipline did you come from / how did you get into Producing? My first "real" industry job was at Turbine(LOTRO) as a Senior Game Master for a short contract (about 4 months). Then I moved to Austin, TX and started as a Production Assistant at Midway. I was promoted to an Associate Producer after about 3 months there and worked until we got shut down in January of '09. Lightbox moved to Austin in Sept. of that year and I opened the new studio with them. I've been here ever since - amazing people, great company, awesome game. Couldn't ask for much else (being located in downtown Austin doesn't hurt either). EDIT: I've been meaning to do a "this is how I got into the industry" detailed post, but I just haven't had the time. Dinurth fucked around with this message at 18:52 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 18:44
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Feel free to add me to the OP. I am a Global Support Services Coordinator for SCEE. We still fall under QA but we also work closely with First and Third Party Studios, External and ISD Producers. I lurk in here all the time but rarely post. Andio fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 18:48
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Andio posted:Feel free to add me to the OP. I am a Global Support Services Coordinator for SCEE. We still fall under QA but we also work closely with First and Third Party Studios, External and ISD Producers. A fellow TFF Bucs fan from the industry. I don't know you, but I like you.
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Oct 28, 2011 19:39
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Mega Shark posted:I see one or two more Producers in the OP. Any of you active for some Producer chat? Chat away! I'm a producer at Relic.
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Oct 28, 2011 19:43
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OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...)
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Oct 28, 2011 20:18
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Diplomaticus posted:OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...) Probably just stick me as Programmer / Designer. I'm CEO of GBG, but that's for business reasons. Your list is more core competencies.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:26
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Diplomaticus posted:OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...) Dunno if you saw, but my intro post was here. I'd glad to be on the list as a resource for any aspiring test engineers.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:28
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loquacius posted:Dunno if you saw, but my intro post was here. I'd glad to be on the list as a resource for any aspiring test engineers. I'm currently a QA Lead. What did it take for you to move from a regular QA tester to the QA Test Engineer spot. I've been seeing a lot of job openings for this spot and I'd like to know more.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:38
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If you're hurtin for people to add, you can put me down as "Eternal Intern".
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Oct 28, 2011 20:38
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Mega Shark posted:A fellow TFF Bucs fan from the industry. I don't know you, but I like you. I went to the Wembley game.... it was painful.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:41
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GeauxSteve posted:I'm currently a QA Lead. What did it take for you to move from a regular QA tester to the QA Test Engineer spot. I've been seeing a lot of job openings for this spot and I'd like to know more. Demonstrate competency as a programmer, and show that you can find some of the really gnarly code bugs / can track the actual causes down. Show interest in getting set up with source control, and interest in trying to narrow down the bugs more precisely. ... and be internal QA, obviously.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:41
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GeauxSteve posted:I'm currently a QA Lead. What did it take for you to move from a regular QA tester to the QA Test Engineer spot. I've been seeing a lot of job openings for this spot and I'd like to know more. Well, I didn't exactly do that -- I moved into QA Engineering straight from a CS background and had to pick up test experience on the fly. If you're already a QA lead, you probably have all the test expertise you need, but you might be missing the engineering part. Find out what programming environment (eg Java / .NET, etc) your QA engineers work in, and learn that as best you can. Try to apply that to your current job, and see where it takes you.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:41
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Shalinor posted:Uh, asking for my position, or want my help in updating the OP? No no no, help with updating.
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Oct 28, 2011 20:49
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Let me tell you about how I became a programmer in the games industry: I studied Computer Games Technology at the University of the West of Scotland. In my final year I did my honours project on "Multithreaded Game Physics on the PlayStation 3" and ended up graduating with a 2.1. Shortly before my final exams I attended the Game in Scotland recruitment event in Dundee and got invited for an interview with Cohort Studios. That went incredibly well and by the time I drove home I had a job offer from them, starting a week after my final exam (along with a uni colleague who I ended up sharing a flat with). At Cohort I got to work on porting 3 Buzz Junior titles from PS2 to PS3 and a Move title called The Shoot. Unfortunately Cohort had to downsize a bit when the Shoot project finished although I was lucky enough to get kept on. I then got to work on Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar! for PSP Minis which was a shitload of fun. I did all of the gameplay programming (and a lot of the rest as well) and a fair bit of design. I'm incredibly proud of the finished game (especially the projectile vomit, I consider it my best ever bit of work) and it reviewed pretty well. It wasn't enough to save Cohort, however, and they closed earlier this year. I was again quite lucky in that I got asked to go for an interview at 4J Studios (again in Dundee, just round the corner from Cohort) after being recommended by my boss, who was also heading there. I was offered a job and started a week after being made redundant. I've been there for about 5 months now and have got to work on a flash game for the social networking site Friends Reunited and am currently working on the 360 port of Minecraft. So yeah, that's my story.
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Oct 28, 2011 21:57
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Boring boring boring --- wait what?Smegbot posted:currently working on the 360 port of Minecraft. Lucky you. Mojang is contracting that out then I suppose? The whole project sounds like quite an adventure, Java on the XBox and whatnot. (PS - it's not really boring, just making a lame joke :P) VVV wow that's basically a rewrite. Sounds like a lot of work. Also like a lot of profit. Vino fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 22:01
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Vino posted:Boring boring boring --- wait what? It's being ported to C++ for the port I heard.
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Oct 28, 2011 22:02
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Obviously I can't say anything that hasn't already been announced (so the port exists, it's being done by 4J and it's being demoed at Minecon) but, yeah, it's pretty fun. Especially since I was already a fan of the game.
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Oct 28, 2011 22:07
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Smegbot posted:"the projectile vomit, I consider it my best ever bit of work" I love this kind of stuff  Interesting fact(oid) I'm trying to get verified from a friend of mine: quote:According to linkedIn's Alumi job page, Full Sail grads top two jobs:
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Oct 28, 2011 22:10
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Sigma-X posted:Interesting fact(oid) I'm trying to get verified from a friend of mine:
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Oct 28, 2011 22:14
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Sigma-X posted:I love this kind of stuff I genuinely am really proud of it. All the powerups in the game were based around food/bodily function - you eat a chilli and can belch a fireball or chomp some curry and can fart a shockwave (complete with "parting" animation). We had one for eating cheese and it produced a kinda bouncy vomit projectile but I didn't really like it (a bit too similar to the fireball). I suggested something similar to the vomit scene in Guesthouse Paradiso, mocked up a quick particle effect and it kinda spewed forth from there... 
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Oct 28, 2011 22:24
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Diplomaticus posted:OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...) You can add me as a 2D animator and artist.
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Oct 28, 2011 22:30
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Sigma-X posted:I love this kind of stuff My friend is going through Full Sail. I told him how useless it was going to be but he's hung up on having the degree..
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Oct 28, 2011 22:31
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Smegbot posted:scotland guy So you're working in Dundee now? Do you know much about the courses at Abertay? I'm doing GDPM there and I'm wondering how appropriate it is for local jobs.
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Oct 28, 2011 22:34
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Fizzle posted:My friend is going through Full Sail. I told him how useless it was going to be but he's hung up on having the degree.. I've worked with a number of folks who went to Full Sail. It's possible to attend and do just fine. However, their success is not a reflection of the school but rather their personal efforts, aptitudes, and self-education. These folks could have attended anywhere and done just as well or better.
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Oct 28, 2011 22:42
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Diplomaticus posted:OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...) Yes please, Game Artist/Animator/UI guy for Mobile Games at DNA Dynamics.
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Oct 28, 2011 23:02
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Sigma-X posted:I've worked with a number of folks who went to Full Sail. It's possible to attend and do just fine. However, their success is not a reflection of the school but rather their personal efforts, aptitudes, and self-education. These folks could have attended anywhere and done just as well or better. This is absolutely spot on. I know people who graduated from Full Sail and are now Designers at places like Rockstar and Bioware. Dinurth fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 23:05
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Category Fun! posted:So you're working in Dundee now? Do you know much about the courses at Abertay? I'm doing GDPM there and I'm wondering how appropriate it is for local jobs. Yes, I've been working in Dundee for about 3 and a half years now. We had a producer (my producer on the 3 Buzz games in fact) that I think did the GDPM course and two intern producers that almost certainly did. The first was maybe only a year or two older than me and was a joy to work with, better than some more experienced producers I've encountered. The interns were more than capable as well and fitted in with us without any issue. In terms of jobs in Dundee it's starting to look a bit healthier now after the redundancies and closures in the last year or so. Outplay and Tag both seem to be growing just now and there's murmurings of other new studios opening in the near future. That Abertay fund seems to be spurring a bunch of startups as well. Plus the dozens of other studios, of course. However, I will say that of all the folk I worked with at Cohort the vast majority moved South after it closed simply because there weren't enough opportunities in Dundee. If you open yourself up to opportunities across the whole of the UK you'll probably have a much easier time than if you just focus on Dundee. Edit: After a little bit of LinkedIn stalking...the first producer I mentioned is now at Sony Liverpool (I though he was still at Activision in Ireland) and one of the interns is now down at Codies. And I've discovered there's a guy that was a couple of years above me in high school back home in Lanark that did the GDPM course and is now a producer at YoYo Games. The more you know... Smegbot fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Oct 28, 2011 |
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Oct 28, 2011 23:06
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Diplomaticus posted:OP updated a bit with some people's positions. If you want in on it and you're not on it already, holler at me (can't speak for Shalinor but perhaps she'd be so kind...) Sure! S2Games - Web Programmer (Everything in the realms of: Web-Based Tools, All Game to Database interactions, everything Web Sites, System Designs, and much, much more!) I get to make the stuff no one out of the company ever sees/notices, if I'm doing it right! 
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Oct 28, 2011 23:13
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Smegbot posted:Yes, I've been working in Dundee for about 3 and a half years now. Thanks for the advice. Dundee seems alright for jobs but it's definitely pretty small. Honestly the dream would be to do some indie development before moving to an actual studio, but I'm only in second year so I'm not so sure how feasible that would be. There are definitely still some cool opportunities around here (Minecraft, for one thing!), so I'm interested in seeing what comes up next year. (By the way, what does it take to get into QA or an internship around here?)
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Oct 28, 2011 23:17
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Black Eagle posted:I also worked with Andy Schatz on Monaco. But I never made game development my career. I build companies, grow businesses, and support people who want to do both. Book Eagle's Linkedin posted:Recording Engineer Andy Schatz over facebook, about 10 minutes ago posted:Morgan loaned me some audio equipment for an afternoon while doing temp voice over work in the 3rd week of development. Is he making claims that are broader than that? Could you perhaps elaborate on why you felt that was worthy of a resume item as "Recording Engineer?" The work involved in being an Audio Designer/Musician/Recording Engineer as I've observed at work is much more involved than that. I've loaned people equipment and done temporary voice work, but it never occurred to me to list myself as an audio engineer on my resume. While we're at it, perhaps you could explain in further detail your involvement with 0AD, the game you linked earlier as a game that Midway wanted to publish until you and the team turned them down? I am currently awaiting an e-mail from the project leader regarding that but it would be helpful to jump straight to the meat. Your name does not appear anywhere on the extensive team list. e:  In fact, I would be very interested in more information about your history as a whole. For a serial entrepreneur such as yourself, with such an extensive history of launching businesses and so many names to drop, you've got fewer stories and history than the rest of us. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Oct 28, 2011 23:37
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Category Fun! posted:Thanks for the advice. Dundee seems alright for jobs but it's definitely pretty small. Honestly the dream would be to do some indie development before moving to an actual studio, but I'm only in second year so I'm not so sure how feasible that would be. There are definitely still some cool opportunities around here (Minecraft, for one thing!), so I'm interested in seeing what comes up next year. For QA as long as you're literate and aren't *mental* (see the previous list re. turning up outside offices, baked goods, etc) you should be able to find something. Most of the QA folk I've worked with were from Abertay. Internships I think are starting to get more common up here, probably because there's so many students. The prototype fund startups might be worth keeping an eye on, one of the prerequisites for getting the cash is that they have to employ students.
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Oct 28, 2011 23:45
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Shalinor posted:Absolutely last warning for everyone. I don't care how polite the responses are. The thread has moved on. Just sayin' Sigma-X...
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Oct 28, 2011 23:47
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