Need a question answered!

[donald]

Hi, I am just wondering about something.
I think I want to become a gamedeveloper,
but since I have tried to make some models,
do some animation and such. Well, it was kinda
fun, I just dind´t really got hooked on it and I
found out that you need to draw(wich I am not
so good at) to become a modeller or an animator.
Then I tried to mess around with some files(and a
little code) and I really thought it was fun just making
small changes to the game.(by notepad for example)
I heard from my father that heard it from one of his
freinds, that it can be really boring just making code
and files 8 hours a day, when you are a gamedeveloper. So my question is: is it really so boring to be a programmer and is it really hard work learning how to program?

Replies appreciate.

 

[DrDevin]

I havent been able to "get into" programming so I became a mapper. Have you tried mapping? It all depends on you. Some people can code for hours and love it while others can stand it. If you get bored very easily I might suggest something else. Try learning some of it yourself and see if you like it.

An experienced coder like angry lawyer might be able to share their experiences.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Coding: difficult to get into, but when you know what you're doing, its the most enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Plus everybody starts offering you sexual favours if you code for their mod.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Stitch]

Just wanted to say that you don't need to DRAW in order to model or animate. It is nice to have but not required to make amazing models. An artist on the team provides the drawings for the modellers.

 

[Analognovelist]

Okay, just an observation, but did anyone think that the structure of that post made it look like some kind of crazy post-modernist poem.

I heard from my father that heard it from one of his
freinds, that it can be really boring just making code
Boring like the wind through the quaking reeds of my sorrow.

 

[crackhead]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

... it hurts.

 

[Cyanide]

Programming is definately hard to get started with. It is litterally like learning a new language, so it can be very frustrating at first. Once you get the hang of it it can be quite rewarding. However, there are cases such as with large and complex systems where you might write code for several hours on end without ever seeing any results. That can be a bit boring sometimes. Especially if you're doing it day after day. That's not generally the case in modding though since your larger systems (rendering engine, physics engine, etc) are already done.

As was said, you don't need to be a good 2D artist to be a good 3D artist, but being able to draw certainly makes you less dependant on others in that respect. Just like you don't need to be able to draw or model or create textures in order to map, but it sure does help if you can.

 

[Afterburn3r]

i agree, coding seemed a little boring when i first started looking it over and was deciding if i wanted to make the commitment, but then i said to myself "to hell with it" and started to map, that way i can use my artistic abilities more often

 

[Angry Lawyer]

If you don't think Coding is artistic, then you've never seen anything Qckbeam's made

-Angry Lawyer

 

[TimVK]

Hey,

We'll, here's my 2 cents. I think you should concentrate on one skill first, get loads of experience and learn every bit about it. After being a good modeller (for example) you need to expand your skills. The best would be to start somewhere that has to do with your main skill, in this case modelling. So you can learn to UWV map your models, or even try to skin them. Always start easy and try to get the basics before making things to complicated or boring.

Up to the coding, no experience for me, but I think most of the things mentioned above also count for coding. Good luck though, with whatever.

TimVK

 

[Emn1ty]

I think that moddeling and mapping hae a more creatie side and a more progressive feel to them, but coding is much more rewarding because you put alot of hours into something and it is very tedious. It is said that the more suffering you go through, the greater the feeling is when you accomplish what you suffered for.

 

[Crispy]

I'd say Mapping is somewhere between Coding and Concept Art. It allows you to be very creative, but in most cases you also have to keep to very strict guidelines to get the best results. There's also a lot more to mapping than most people think.

There's mapping theory
- how to tailor your map to the intended gameplay, which involves very different techniques depending on player demands. It deals with the unison of brushwork, entities (and props/worldmodels), AI and player(s) / player types
brushwork
- how to combine architectural flair with an efficient brushwork economy, also how to mix brushwork and detail effectively
textures
- data economy also comes into this, but this is mostly about combining aesthetics with creativity
lighting
- I won't pretend I'm an expert on this, but it's not quite WYSIWYG
Reacting to criticism
- Keeping a good sense of self-belief, self-integrity and self-awareness when reacting and responding to criticism. You need fairly (but not amazing) communication skills to make sure you get the feedback you want from your playtesters to give you elements to concentrate on for future builds

Like all Mod disciplines, it's easy to get into but very hard to master. Mapping to a high standard requires a tremendous amount of dedication and the development of all the different skills involved in it makes it a hard nut to crack.

I think that moddeling and mapping hae a more creatie side and a more progressive feel to them, but coding is much more rewarding because you put alot of hours into something and it is very tedious. It is said that the more suffering you go through, the greater the feeling is when you accomplish what you suffered for.

This isn't always true for mapping, especially when mapping for complex multiplayer gametypes. The initial creative momentum can give way to a mixture of wanting to give up and move on, and a desire to finally finish your godforsaken brainchild who started giving you grief the second he entered 'map puberty'. Beta testing has to be well organised and you usually find that every thing you perfect gets replaced by two more to fix

 

[ydoucare]

Nobody is going to be able to tell you if programming is boring to YOU or not. Your own personal interests will dictate that. The hardest part is getting the logic down. To some people it's boring, to other's it's a fun challenge.

 

[crackhead]

get into modding the only way you will know if you enjoy coding , modeling etc is if you get some experience. also itd be a good idea to get a degree in computer games design or computer games programming if this is what you decide you want to do.

 

[Crispy]

get into modding the only way you will know if you enjoy coding , modeling etc is if you get some experience. also itd be a good idea to get a degree in computer games design or computer games programming if this is what you decide you want to do.

To be honest most companies value what's in your portfolio over the average games degree. It's true that games degrees will give you a lot of projects to work on, but this could just as well be done from the comfort of your home by working your way up to the level where you can join a 'professional' Mod team, such as Dystopia or Insurgency which fix deadlines and run a tight ship (I'm sure there are other examples).

On the other hand games degrees allow you to focus on your skill during your hours of work and outside of work.

The main question you need to ask yourself is: is it worth the money to go to college/uni to study games design? If you do your homework there are some great colleges out there ("Full Sail" in the 'States springs to mind) but not all are worth the time and money. Make sure you'll be able to follow a focussed learning programme which will not only develop your chosen skill but also give you a well-rounded knowledge of the process of games development. Some colleges will gather students from all disciplines to work together on a full game project with fixed, strict deadlines. Having first-hand knowledge of what it's like to work in a studio-like environment under real pressure will set your candidature apart from many others.