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Akuma posted:Thursday night now, haven't played poo poo. Except Catacomb Snatch for like 5 minutes. Goddamn. I made the mistake of playing it again. For research, you see, since I'm thinking of going procedural with the platformer. But then I played it again. And again. And now "research" is kind of stretching the bounds of credibility as an excuse. loving Amazon zone can just eat me. God drat those spike pillars. Someday, I hope to actually get to the third zone  EDIT: VV  - and yeah, Tobe's is interesting, but the physics are just... off. I think it's intentional, but I do not like it, there's no momentum. Which is unfortunate, considering that everything else about the game is charming as all get out.
Shalinor fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Feb 23, 2012 |
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Feb 23, 2012 19:37
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Same here. I was using spelunky to "study" the enemies behavior on how to make a game more interesting and not just feel like throwing enemies in your way for arbitrary reasons (loving NINJA GAIDEN NES). Then I found myself playing the game more. And indeed gently caress the Amazon level. Goddamn GHOSTS! I wish I had my 360 working, another game I wanted to research was Tobe's Adventure. It's a platformer that is good sprite work. The only thing that is working against it is the momentum of running in that game. It feels weird. That is one thing I want to get down for my game, make the running feel fluid and precise so it doesn't feel like a challenge to use.
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Feb 23, 2012 20:06
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ShinAli posted:I'm taking next week off just to work on my portfolio, though I'm not sure I'd be able to get it in a state I'd like it to be. The most impressive thing I've got so far would be the XNA implementation (at least I think it's the most impressive). I've got a OpenGL/SDL/etc C++ project that I'd like to get on the PS3, as well as a Unity project, but both haven't progressed as far as I'd like them to be. I still haven't got to a game with the C++ project, much less messing with the PS3 aside from some very minor things to learn the system, while my Unity project not being the game I want it to be just yet. I'm going to be working day and night, but I don't know if I can get my portfolio in the shape that I'd want it in by the time GDC starts. It sounds like you're spreading yourself too thin. If you have one super-badass portfolio piece you can show off on the floor, that's enough to get recruiters at least considering you and your wider body of work. I'd take whatever's the most done and interesting thing you got and go full-bore just on that for GDC. ShinAli posted:Another thing is resumes. Should I have it ready to pass out? I'm guessing I'd use it for the job pavilion but even then I'm worried if even that's too much. I don't want to annoy people by asking for jobs, I mostly just want to meet and make acquaintances. I should probably get some business cards, though. If you're going in as a newbie, you probably want to eschew the traditional, "Chronological" resume' you probably were taught in school for a grid-based "Functional" resume'. I mean, instead of: EXPERIENCE: 2011: Web Developer, xyz corp. 2010: Cashier, McJob corp. 2009: Student at Whatevs University It would be: code:Also, ONE PAGE RESUME. Unless you've been in the industry four or five years it's incredibly unlikely that you'll have enough on there that recruiters actually care about to need two pages, especially if you're going for a functional resume above.Tell them who you are, what you know, and what you've done, and be done with it. You might have a logo or cool graphic for yourself, but don't put it on your resume'. After GDC they feed their resume's through these resume' reading machines and certain graphics can cause the digital version to come out as garbage, and if that happens, with 1,000+ resume's to look through, they'll probably just chuck it an move on, even if you were the perfect candidate they just don't have the time. Left-align everything, don't get fancy with your formatting. People think that having a wacky resume' is a way to stand out, but for 99 out of a hundred resume's it will just make people pitch them. The best story I heard was a guy who sent his resume written in this rune-like font, along with a font to install on their computers so they could read/decode his resume'. They went and found another, different runed font and sent his reply in that font so the guy could install this new font in order to read/decode the rejection letter telling him why that was a stupid idea. If you have a portfolio website (And dear God why are you going to GDC if you don't  ) it needs to be on your resume, like right under your name. And try to get a site that lets you control the ads that appear. One guy came in for an interview once, and when the art people had seen his portfolio the first time, the sidebars and so on were for cars and refinancing and stuff. When they brought the dude in to go over his work personally, the ads that loaded up were for porn. Cocks from hell to breakfast, and every time they refreshed it just changed the penis color. Poor kid was mortified, and the artists didn't blame him, but it just really started the whole process off on the very wrong foot.Personalize your resume' if at all possible. For GDC you should have a couple generic resume's ready to go for surprises, but if you're gunning for a specific place you want to have a resume' just for them. Just make sure you're extra super-careful you're giving the right one to the right place. If you send a resume to Gas Powered Games up in Seattle saying that your objective is gainful employment with Sucker Punch, also up in Seattle, they'll probably send it over to Sucker Punch and then they both send you a rejection letter at the same time just for laughs. ShinAli posted:I'm mostly just getting more and more nervous, I guess. I'd feel like I'm approaching random people to look for a job, even though I'd genuinely like to talk them about their work and everything. How would I describe myself to people? Do I just say I'm working as a contractor for a web hosting company while looking to work in the industry? Or just say I'm a hobbyist? Don't say what you do, at this point, say what you are. You're a programmer. Maybe add a prefix to that if you want, but it people are looking for a programmer, they might incorrectly think your title of "Web programmer" means you only know HTML and stuff and pitch it before considering the rest of your skill. Don't limit yourself before you even reach their desks. In conversation, sure, be candid about your strengths and specialties, but until you're talking with a human it's generally a good idea to cast a wide net. And GDC should be more about finding opportunities, not just finding a job. Getting to know people and getting contacts (Which you follow-up on religiously after the show, just a nice quick "Thanks for your time" and then continuing "How's your project going? What's up? Etc." e-mails every month or two afterwards that have nothing to do with asking for a job in order to help build relationships. Like I've said before, probably 90% of your first GDC is spent laying the groundwork for future GDC's. It's quite possible to land a job out there on the floor, but if you're going in there with the attitude of "If this won't get me a job RIGHT NOW I'm not going to bother" you're really doing it wrong. ...Holy mother f'ing  , batman. Sorry for all that. 
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Feb 23, 2012 20:23
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GetWellGamers posted:...Holy mother f'ing No shut up this is a great post. I'm not trying to go with the mindset of "I GOTTA GET A JOB" as I know that's extremely unlikely to happen, but I'm worried about presenting myself in that way. Seriously though thanks for the post.
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Feb 23, 2012 20:45
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Continuing resume chat, anyone mind giving me some feedback on mine? http://www.ghostscape.com/mclark_resume.pdf I'm hesitant to update it with my most recent project because I am afraid of unintentionally leaking some sort of information, but I haven't worked on RFA in 14 months. Given that we haven't put any info out about my current project, I don't want to put something like "PonyCore Smilez. Created Pony Customization System, First Person PonyCore Weapons in 1400s Period-Accurate PonyStyles, Created Project-Wide Visual Goal Art focused around S.H.E.TLAND, The Time Traveling P.W.NEE, etc" Which does bother me because I have had some pretty awesome accomplishments on this project and was the first production artist brought on specifically for setting visual goals, etc.
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Feb 23, 2012 21:05
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Sigma-X posted:Which does bother me because I have had some pretty awesome accomplishments on this project and was the first production artist brought on specifically for setting visual goals, etc. "Unannounced project" "Weapons" "Visual goal concept work" "High-res assets for print use" Stuff that basically any AAA game in the world will have.
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Feb 23, 2012 21:13
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I'm thinking of making up some business cards for GDC to hand out for prospective employers just to have something to give them when I get asked "Do you have a card?" What should I put given that I'm currently unemployed. I have ~4.5 years of various levels of Community Management experience for AAA PC, Console, Indie games and iOS titles. I'm not sure what to put down exactly, like name, "Community Manager" then phone number, email? Do I put anything on the back like highlights or something?
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Feb 24, 2012 00:33
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dunkman posted:I'm thinking of making up some business cards for GDC to hand out for prospective employers just to have something to give them when I get asked "Do you have a card?" Here's your card: NAME IN BIG LETTERS (E-MAIL IN LESS BIG LETERS) Possible phone number, if you're into that sort of thing POSITION DESIRED (Community Manager) IN NAME-SIZE LETTERS Link to website/online copy of resume(.DOC or .PDF ONLY) Simple card design, logo if you're feeling like spending money. Tips: Avoid any kind of slick, plastic, or glossy stock, because most recruiters write notes on the backs of cards to remember who the hell you are three days after the show when human cognition returns to them again and if your cardstock doesn't take ink you have a better than average chance of "Who the hell is this? *toss*" syndrome. Keep your card a standard size. Having an oval card or a super-tall one or whatever might look neat, but I guarantee they're the first ones that fall out of the stack and get left behind in the hotel room or on the show floor or whatever. The one exception is cards that fold in half to the size of a standard business card, and those actually confer a slight advantage because people will use them as impromptu card-holders, using your card to carry around other cards. (Expensive as hell, though.) If you're going to have double-sided cards, make sure there's enough blank space SOMEWHERE for the note-taking listed above to occur. If your cards is so busy you can't write "Follow-up on Mon." on it, it's time to de-clutter the design.
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Feb 24, 2012 05:20
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For artists, it's (what I believe to be) standard practice to throw a bit of art on the backside. We've got the short end of the stick when it comes to passing out material; everything we do has to be full color. But, the bit you said about leaving enough white space to jot down notes, I feel, is key. I'm about to redesign mine, and I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Would you also recommend putting in a link to your LinkedIn page as well? I have a website portfolio, which of course gets top billing, but LinkedIn is quickly becoming my most-used tool for networking in the gaming industry, and linking to that might be beneficial as well.
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Feb 24, 2012 05:49
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Also, going to GDC for the first time and forgetting to bring cards can be a somewhat... awkward experience. Head to a party, chat to a good group of people, they hand you their cards and you go... "Uhh, I guess I can write down my number on this napkin here, or something...". That was fun.
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Feb 24, 2012 06:00
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I guess I'm screwed because my cards are all black... at least I have gotten compliments on them before 
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Feb 24, 2012 06:08
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 yessssss
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Feb 24, 2012 06:34
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The notebook-paper-themed ones are fine. Actual notebook paper or printer paper just printed ina grid and cut with scissors are not. Also, it rmeinds me of another resume' tip, which I really feel I shouldn't have to make but I have seen these before: Use standard printing paper, please. No parchment, no scrolls, no (I swear to God) paper bags from grocery stores. Just something nice and A4-sized that can be put through a fax machine. And once your resume' is on that normal paper, make sure there isn't so much as a crease in it. No dog-ears, no tiny drops of soda-stain, no re-stapling holes. When your resume' comes out it needs to look like you printed it out five minutes ago so you could take it straight to them. I will forever cherish being there to witness a guy in jean shorts pull a resume that had been folded in quarters out of his back pocket and spread it out on a AAA recruiter's table, only for the recruiter's face to screw up in wild disbelief and say "Are you loving kidding me?" to the guy before taking a deep breath and blowing the resume' off the table, unwilling to even touch it. And speaking of jean shorts, on the one hand I've seen a bunch of you at the GDC meets and know this isn't a problem, but on the other hand I read the entire Goons.jpg thread in Helldump's glory days, so it's worth saying: Dress well. Smell nice. If a recruiter notices you through a sensory organ besides their ears before you reach the front of the line, there's a very high possibility you won't even be acknowledged past a "Next!" It's gotten a lot better in recent years- it's certainly no PAX- but every so often you will be walking along checking your phone or reading the convention map and just be struck by a cloud of nerd funk, only for you to whirl around and, usually instantly, locate the source and know that person is getting nothing out of this year's show besides blisters and bar tabs. Deodorant is cheap. There are lots of cologne bottles made specifically to get through TSA conveniently. All hotels have showers. There is NO EXCUSE to be ugly and stinky at the Moscone Center. Oh, and to the guy who asked about LinkedIn: I... dunno about right on the card, I mean, I suppose it can serve as a ghetto resume' if you've got nothing else, but by and large you should be getting their cards and finding their LinkedIns, because that's a great way to do your GDC follow-up, is just a little "Hi! This is so and so, we met at GDC last week. Just noticed you were on here too, and I wanted to thank you for your time!" Put that in your link request, and 9/10 times they'll hit okay just to reply to you. And LinkedIn is like a safe-haven for stalking. You start following developers on Facebook and leaving messages on stuff like that, it's a little weird, but LinkedIn is basically made solely for that so it gets a pass for whatever reason. Final P.S. to Chernabog: Silver pens, yo. 
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Feb 24, 2012 12:29
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This remains a sad loving industry that Be Clean and Don't loving Smell Bad still needs to be repeated as advice as often as it is.
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Feb 24, 2012 14:23
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Aliginge posted:This remains a sad loving industry that Be Clean and Don't loving Smell Bad still needs to be repeated as advice as often as it is.
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Feb 24, 2012 15:22
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Akuma posted:To be fair that's probably been repeated for people working in the world's oldest profession since time immemorial, too. It's not just vidja games.
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Feb 24, 2012 16:03
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GetWellGamers posted:Dress well. And thanks for the idea 
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Feb 24, 2012 17:04
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Shalinor posted:I... never really thought of us as artistic whores until now, but... well, huh. But if you're whoring because you need a fish, then fishing is the oldest profession. Right after assembly coders.
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Feb 24, 2012 17:20
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Vinterstum posted:Also, going to GDC for the first time and forgetting to bring cards can be a somewhat... awkward experience. Head to a party, chat to a good group of people, they hand you their cards and you go... "Uhh, I guess I can write down my number on this napkin here, or something...". That was fun. I've actually done the same thing at my first GDC, it was super awkward
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Feb 24, 2012 17:21
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Fishbus posted:But if you're whoring because you need a fish, then fishing is the oldest profession. Right after assembly coders.
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Feb 24, 2012 17:24
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GetWellGamers posted:don't be nasty
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Feb 24, 2012 18:51
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Chernabog posted:Playing the devil's advocate, my first day at GDC I went in with a full suit and tie and I felt over-dressed. I swapped it for a dress shirt and nice jeans and felt much more comfortable. So I'm not really disagreeing, if someone is just going to the expo hall I think they don't need anything too fancy. I always fret over striking the right chord, most of my family says you can never be overdressed, but they don't fully understand the culture and the stigmas about "suits" among engineers. Is a black sport coat with a white shirt and gray slacks too much? It kind of felt like it at my last interview (in Southern California), and one of the programmers I met made an offhand comment about "kids showing up in their suits and ties" to weekly beer socials. He could have just been talking about that particular situation, but he was wearing a graphic tee and slouchy jeans, it all fits the stigma I'm talking about. I sent out a small round of applications last week, out of eight I got two tests and a phone interview, plus one that said they're not currently hiring programmers. That all felt pretty promising, the only problem is this damnable waiting game. I received and replied to the email about the phone interview last Friday, so it's been a week and I haven't heard back. I'm sure it's just people being busy but the paranoid part of me is worried I somehow scared them off with my reply, or that the process stalled for another reason...should I send a follow-up? Either way I have to force myself not to dwell on it and keep moving. Tonight I'll decide if I can make it to GDC, and this weekend I'll send out more applications, hopefully targeting GDC-attending companies and noting in my cover letter when I'll be there. That should leave enough time for the customary test/first-round phone interview, but I just realized people might be busy prepping all next week.
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Feb 24, 2012 19:14
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nibe posted:I always fret over striking the right chord, most of my family says you can never be overdressed, but they don't fully understand the culture and the stigmas about "suits" among engineers. Is a black sport coat with a white shirt and gray slacks too much? It kind of felt like it at my last interview (in Southern California), and one of the programmers I met made an offhand comment about "kids showing up in their suits and ties" to weekly beer socials. He could have just been talking about that particular situation, but he was wearing a graphic tee and slouchy jeans, it all fits the stigma I'm talking about. I think the coat is too dressed up.
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Feb 24, 2012 19:28
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For GDC I'm usually dress shirt with sports coat and jeans or my more famous sports coat over Mr Pibb shirt with jeans which is also very effective.
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Feb 24, 2012 19:48
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Chernabog posted:Playing the devil's advocate, my first day at GDC I went in with a full suit and tie and I felt over-dressed. Well, I did say "Dress well", not "Dress like you're getting married". Yes, suits are too much, unless you're applying for something with the words "Chief", "Vice", or "Officer" in the title. Anything with a folded-over collar and a couple buttons will do up top and anything with a maximum of four pockets and no holes will do on the bottom. Even a pair of jeans looks pretty good if you press them before you leave. Orzo posted:Good advice, one small nit to pick is that you shouldn't wear cologne for the same reasons you don't wear cologne to an interview. I would contest this because even if someone's allergic to that stuff, the conversation will be "I'm sorry, I'm allergic to scented stuff, thanks for the resume', contact me through e-mail" instead of "Wow, you smell like convention sweat, into the round file." The overall point in all of this is to exude a professional image and that you you care enough to put the effort in. You care to customize your resume's, you care enough to research the companies you're giving portfolios to, you care about yourself enough to want to make sure you're pleasing to the eye and nose. The slightest whiff- metaphorical or otherwise- that you're not invested in the interaction, that you're cutting corners or just going through the motions, it immediately sparks the question in them "If they don't care, why should I?" with the immediate but unspoken answer "I don't."
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Feb 24, 2012 20:01
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Aliginge posted:This remains a sad loving industry that Be Clean and Don't loving Smell Bad still needs to be repeated as advice as often as it is. That would be because the culprits usually don't even realise they smell bad. I have the misfortune of working with a programmer that smells like a hobo (that rank smell of humid clothes), supposedly he even got warned about it. His every article of clothing still stinks, and my furiously spraying Febreze whenever he walks past doesn't even seem to register in his mind. When I got switched between projects, my main issue with it was not that the project was more or less fun, but that I would be forced to work within a 5 metre radius of this guy. 
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Feb 24, 2012 20:11
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I knew a guy that once employed this dude who would eat only bread and cheese, nothing else, and didn't believe in personal hygiene. Apparently he was enough of a genius for them to tolerate this, and eventually built an entire new room in the office space to house him. You'd have to be pretty loving brilliant to have people put up with that, right? It baffles me.
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Feb 24, 2012 20:42
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GetWellGamers posted:I would contest this because even if someone's allergic to that stuff, the conversation will be "I'm sorry, I'm allergic to scented stuff, thanks for the resume', contact me through e-mail" instead of "Wow, you smell like convention sweat, into the round file."
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Feb 24, 2012 20:47
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It's still better than convention funk.
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Feb 24, 2012 20:54
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GetWellGamers posted:It's still better than convention funk. I would go with a strong-ish deodorant or one of those light body spray things (you can get one of those "GRR I LIKE TO HAVE SEX!" Axe sprays if you want to remain manly) over a full on cologne, though.
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Feb 24, 2012 22:36
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I don't know which of the 3 game dev threads to put this in, but someone just pointed out that Perforce bumped their free license up from 2 seats to 20. http://www.perforce.com/blog/120124/get-more-perforce-new-2020 Edit: Blech. Limited to 1,000 files. That puts a crimp in things for most people I imagine!
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Feb 24, 2012 23:53
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devilmouse posted:I don't know which of the 3 game dev threads to put this in, but someone just pointed out that Perforce bumped their free license up from 2 seats to 20. Wait there's 3 threads? Anyways, I don't think my portfolio is really up to the task yet(at least not compared to everyone else who will be attending GDC) so is it still worth picking up an expo pass to go check out GDC and try to network now? and I guess I could pick up advice of all sorts too.
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Feb 25, 2012 01:26
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Revitalized posted:Wait there's 3 threads? ...ironically, there is no Unity 3D thread yet. That seems weird, considering how many of us are using it. Whenever someone starts one, it'll go in the OPs of the other threads too. The idea was to try and make it easier to navigate between the various topic-specific games dev threads.
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Feb 25, 2012 01:45
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I'm gonna go in a bloody chicken costume so that every recruiter remembers me! Yeah!
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Feb 25, 2012 02:10
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dunkman posted:I'm gonna go in a bloody chicken costume so that every recruiter remembers me! Yeah! Somehow this is better than wearing a suit + fedora.
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Feb 25, 2012 02:15
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Shalinor posted:Check out the OP. There's a games programming thread over in Cavern of Cobol, and in Games forum, there's this thread and a Game Design thread. Amusingly, the link to the design thread in the OP actually links back to this thread. It's a stealthy thread!
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Feb 25, 2012 02:20
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dunkman posted:I'm gonna go in a bloody chicken costume so that every recruiter remembers me! Yeah! I know one recruiter who says he would hire this guy in an instant:  Because he's got style and he's committed. I don't know that a chicken costume would do it, but if you had something really awesome, some kind of Space Emperor Badass, and you really pulled it off, there would be a couple recruiters who would think you were the coolest thing they say all year- again, if you commit 100% and really pull it off- but the question you would have to ask yourself is if it's worth alienating all the other recruiters who would see that and go "Full up, sorry.  "I mean, every now and then, you'll read a story about some guy showing up on a company's doorstep in a stormtrooper outfit and landing a job, but it's the supreme exception to the rule. Try it if you dare.
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Feb 25, 2012 02:39
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Shalinor posted:Check out the OP. There's a games programming thread over in Cavern of Cobol, and in Games forum, there's this thread and a Game Design thread. There's also a UDK thread over in COC. A Unity thread would be handy, the Unity forums are a cesspool. On the other hand, not sure how much many of us could actually contribute due to those giant stacks of confusing papers we sign.
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Feb 25, 2012 02:42
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Who is the audio dude who wears a cape to GDC? Does anyone know who I'm talking about? He was there every year from 2005-2007 at least 
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Feb 25, 2012 03:09
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This will be my first year at GDC and my company is recruiting fairly heavily. Here's our positions for now: http://www.crowdstar.com/jobs If any of you are interested let me know. I'll also be at our booth part of the day Wednesday. Yes, we're casual games. Yes, we have a lot of girl games. But it's a great culture, great benefits, and it's fun having games with 4-6 month product cycles instead of 2+ years.
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Feb 25, 2012 04:19
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