Involvment with mods

[SystemShock2]

I am 14 and I love videogames. So I am considering being a video game designer when I grow up........I know it's a lot of work and stuff, but it would be cool. I was wondering......at what age did all of you guys get into mapping and modeling and skinning and creating mods? I figure if i want to do this those are the places I should start besides the mod part.
Also, where did all of you learn to code and model and stuff? Chances are i'm not going to be a video game designer, but eh i would still like to know when you guys started.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Age doesn't matter in terms of when you start. It's all about the progress you can make. I know people who are a year older than me, and know about 10 times as much code as me. They obviously can learn faster than me. lol

I suggest first just test-driving the programs (I know maya has a free edition out, the PLE... for modelling) and then try out Hammer, but for coding it's really a passion that you want to do, there isn't a whole lot of "trying" it really, it's really a lifestyle you have to devote to You gotta learn lots and lots and lots of stuff (usually about a year, usually two until you are able to start working on mods), but with that you can try out Dev-C++ and look around the internet for intros to C++... You gotta get a nice big thick book, that explains everything nicely if you really want to understand it.

However, a game designer is something completely different. A game designer, just designs the gameplay and all... They don't do the art, levels, programming (so designers are able to though).

For Hammer (which everyone seems to start with), just check around forums, and various websites (interlopers, wavelength, snarkpit) and you should be good to go!

Oh, also it won't happen overnight. You gotta work hard

 

[RealmRPGer]

Designers don't need to know code. It DOES help, though. So does knowing your art. Generally, there are either designer-coders or designer-artists, sometimes both. Me? I'm going with a jack-of-all-trades type deal. Although I'd rather keep more towards the art side, the coding doesn't bother me THAT much.

I actually began in fifth grade with Klik & Play. That series is VERY NICE for beginners. There's no coding, and you can even start things off with a full library of sprites and pre-built engines. Once you get comfortable, you can design your own (I personally find the pre-built engines to be rather lacking...but it's still nice for beginners).

After that, yeah, look into some coding. Find out if you like the art or programming side better, then refine those skills and continue to evaluate games. What's good, what's bad. Come up with your own ideas and see what people think of them. It's best to ask people that don't know you. You'll be sure to get a more accurate opinion that way.

Hope it helps!
~Realm

 

[Dario D.]

SystemShock, I started when I was 14 mostly by unzipping the Quake3 pak files and changing sounds and textures. Then I made my own version of UT by changing values of projectiles, weapons and items in the editor and recompiling them using the "Compile selected packages" command... and redid lots of sounds. It was much, much better.

After that I got serious, learned Photoshop, went to community college to learn how to use 3d Studio Max, poked around with map editors and pack files of various games, learned how to edit sound, learned how to write, and all the while brewing within my mind game design theories, savagely over-analyzing every game I ever played within my mind, and making my mind into a game-making machine.

If you want to be a game designer when you grow up, there are a few things you need to do; first of all, you need a strategy. Being a game designer is like being a director of a movie. You can't do it unless you either prove yourself, or have LOTS of money.

At the moment I'm writing several books which I plan to publish later this year, while also working on a mod, and I've released some maps for UT2004 and one for HL2 (see sig). My plan is to make lots of money with novels and books and other certain expertises and hobbies, and any other methods I can find to make a few million dollars on products, then use the money to start a game studio.

After the books, I'm going to write 2 screenplays in feature-length format and try to get a movie going on each one...

And if all, all, all else fails among other plans, I'll just go work at a game studio as a lowly artist and level designer, or just work at a local cyber-cafe, and eventually just start my own Lan/Gaming Cafe and make a local hangout out of it.

SystemShock, the road to game designer is difficult. Most game designers have their job for one reason; money. They started the company first, so they get to whore the top job, even if they utterly and completely suck at it.

If you want to get there, making mods and maps isn't really a good shot, unless modelling and mapping is good enough for you. No heads of company just give up the game-designer job...

You need a plan. :cheers:

 

[Argyll]

I made and released a mod (on my own) for Rainbow Six 2: Rogue Spear at age 13

Started mapping with Hammer I think when I was 14 or 15.

Started my own Half-Life mod when I was 16, which evolved into Insurgency and here I am at 19.

 

[Ames]

I made my brother learn Photoshop, Hammer, and numerous other programs at age 8.

I just had to.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Iced_Eagle:

You're dead wrong. A game designer has to have at the very least a working knowledge of all the aspects of asset production, and usually code as well.
If you want to design games, learn every single aspect in as much detail as you can.

 

[Latin_Jones]

Iced_Eagle:

You're dead wrong. A game designer has to have at the very least a working knowledge of all the aspects of asset production, and usually code as well.
If you want to design games, learn every single aspect in as much detail as you can.

I couldn't disagree with you more

Jack of all trades, master of nothing. (Cliche' of the day).

If you are an awesome game programmer, a company is not going to hire you based on your art or graphic skills. I think the same goes if you were applying for a modelling job. If you make great models, they are not going to hire some other guy who isn't as good as you because you don't code!

Find out what motivates you the most. Graphics, programming, level design. Then give it everything you got. Sure, it might not hurt to know a little bit of something else, just don't lose your focus.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Way to miss my point there. Allow me to quote myself with emphasis...

A game designer has to have at the very least a working knowledge of all the aspects of asset production

I didn't refer to any other jobs. If you want to be a game designer, it's imperative that you understand how each part works. The best way to do that is to have experience of them.

 

[Latin_Jones]

You are right about that. My suggestion is to get your foot in the door first. You're going to have to start somewhere. Graphics, Programming, testing...

There are no entry level game designer positions. You have to work your way up.

You're probobly not going to be great at graphics and programming both. So instead of trying to be great at both and ending up just being mediocre. Pick one, put all your effort into it. get your foot in the door, and work your way up from there.

That's just my advice.

 

[NonStopableForce]

I made my brother learn Photoshop, Hammer, and numerous other programs at age 8.

I just had to.

LMAO, I am encouraging (making) my cousin do this stuff, at age 11, if i had a younger brother I probley would too...

: P

-NonStopableForce