Q. I am looking for a christian college that has video game design
A. Most game design employers prefer that you majored in either computer science or software engineering. In addition, getting into game design is very difficult - if you've majored in something broader like computer science, you'll be able to work in another field, if you can't get into game design right away. But if you major in game design, you may find yourself stuck, because that is so narrow.
So one idea, to help you find more colleges, is to widen your focus to computer science, as well as game design. You can use the college search on www.collegeboard.com to find colleges that offer the majors you want and are also Christian.
So one idea, to help you find more colleges, is to widen your focus to computer science, as well as game design. You can use the college search on www.collegeboard.com to find colleges that offer the majors you want and are also Christian.
Game Design or Computer Science?
Q. I am very confused as to what to pursue. I am in NO way an artist, however with college they may teach me how to draw better. I am in my second semester and am still doing geneds because I am unsure of my major, but I am thinking of going into the gaming industry.
My question is what part of the gaming industry should I go for? I am a very creative person and can imagine up some crazy ideas, however expressing them in art may be a challenge since I am no artist. Will art software be a proper substitute though for an inability to draw on paper? The best I can draw are stick figures lol.
I also know how to do a bit of scripting and triggering, specifically with world/map editors, such as the ones in Warcraft/Starcraft. I have looked up the BSc in Computer Science but I know that course requires lots of math/logic. I dont like math, so I don't know if the technical side is for me.
The concept method(Design) doesn't really require any math, just a lot of fine arts and humanities.
If there is anyone that has been in a similar situation or has a BSc in Computer Science or Game/Art Design, please help me out!!
Thank you very much!!!
My question is what part of the gaming industry should I go for? I am a very creative person and can imagine up some crazy ideas, however expressing them in art may be a challenge since I am no artist. Will art software be a proper substitute though for an inability to draw on paper? The best I can draw are stick figures lol.
I also know how to do a bit of scripting and triggering, specifically with world/map editors, such as the ones in Warcraft/Starcraft. I have looked up the BSc in Computer Science but I know that course requires lots of math/logic. I dont like math, so I don't know if the technical side is for me.
The concept method(Design) doesn't really require any math, just a lot of fine arts and humanities.
If there is anyone that has been in a similar situation or has a BSc in Computer Science or Game/Art Design, please help me out!!
Thank you very much!!!
A. Many game players are very excited about the idea that they might help use their experiences playing many different games and their talents in knowing which are really playable and which are not to help develop new games. Most everyone with lots of experience playing have really good ideas, too, that they feel would help make a great game.
The reality is that the professional level that game development is at today is very demanding in terms of skills and experience. The road for making major contributions long. You can either start walking that road, but remembering that you must start at the beginning and expect this to be a very long road requiring great determination from you -- more than you realize now -- or else you will have to accept the idea of being a minor cog in a big machine until you gain enough of a specialty to get recognized.
I don't know how the budgets are spent right now, but many years ago when I was more involved in game development, perhaps 50% of the budget went towards artists and the development of 3D world structures and texture maps and so on. None of that included the game physics engine, animation mechanics, display support and general coding, which was probably another 30%. Then there was music and sounds, admin, advertizing and packaging and a host of other bits and pieces. The total budgets are sometimes quite huge, too.
You are right. Under normal circumstances, a BSc in Computer Science might have some math to learn. But if your goal is to program modern games, you will need more math than most getting such a degree. Even in cases where the game physics and drawing engine is already built, you will need to at least have good passing knowledge of how it works to use it well. Do you know what a quaternion is or why you might care or how to use them even if you don't write the underlying code that manipulates them? Most BSc in Computer Science will have zero knowledge of them. Yet you may need to at least know something about them. You would need to get over your fear (I think anyone can learn this stuff, if they apply themselves) and engage this stuff if that is the direction for you. You can do it. But it is a long road and a hard one and you will need true dedication to survive the trials.
You can draw "stick figures." Without a talent in art, that aces you out of much of the game development side where much of the money is spent (or was, anyway.) But again, I think most people can develop a skill there. Some have more natural talents and may find it easier, but just as in the case with math I think sincere dedication can get you there, too. If that is the direction you choose.
Okay. So now to the nitty gritty -- game ideas. I know you won't want to hear this, but it's not just that ideas are a dime a dozen ... but it is true that really GOOD ideas are a dime a dozen. Even if you are a fountain of ONLY GOOD IDEAS, they will still be valued at a dime a dozen. Why? Because producing a game is so very expensive in terms of labor. There are tens of thousands of times more "really good ideas" out there than there is money and time to implement them. Because the capacity to implement is in such short supply, the hopper is already filled to the brim with good ideas. Adding more won't make much difference to anyone. As a result there is a ruthless process of throwing away very good ideas to get down to the extremely, shockingly, absolutely unbelievably good ideas. And even then, most of them when implemented go nowhere fast and die.
Game development is a brutal world.
The reality is that the professional level that game development is at today is very demanding in terms of skills and experience. The road for making major contributions long. You can either start walking that road, but remembering that you must start at the beginning and expect this to be a very long road requiring great determination from you -- more than you realize now -- or else you will have to accept the idea of being a minor cog in a big machine until you gain enough of a specialty to get recognized.
I don't know how the budgets are spent right now, but many years ago when I was more involved in game development, perhaps 50% of the budget went towards artists and the development of 3D world structures and texture maps and so on. None of that included the game physics engine, animation mechanics, display support and general coding, which was probably another 30%. Then there was music and sounds, admin, advertizing and packaging and a host of other bits and pieces. The total budgets are sometimes quite huge, too.
You are right. Under normal circumstances, a BSc in Computer Science might have some math to learn. But if your goal is to program modern games, you will need more math than most getting such a degree. Even in cases where the game physics and drawing engine is already built, you will need to at least have good passing knowledge of how it works to use it well. Do you know what a quaternion is or why you might care or how to use them even if you don't write the underlying code that manipulates them? Most BSc in Computer Science will have zero knowledge of them. Yet you may need to at least know something about them. You would need to get over your fear (I think anyone can learn this stuff, if they apply themselves) and engage this stuff if that is the direction for you. You can do it. But it is a long road and a hard one and you will need true dedication to survive the trials.
You can draw "stick figures." Without a talent in art, that aces you out of much of the game development side where much of the money is spent (or was, anyway.) But again, I think most people can develop a skill there. Some have more natural talents and may find it easier, but just as in the case with math I think sincere dedication can get you there, too. If that is the direction you choose.
Okay. So now to the nitty gritty -- game ideas. I know you won't want to hear this, but it's not just that ideas are a dime a dozen ... but it is true that really GOOD ideas are a dime a dozen. Even if you are a fountain of ONLY GOOD IDEAS, they will still be valued at a dime a dozen. Why? Because producing a game is so very expensive in terms of labor. There are tens of thousands of times more "really good ideas" out there than there is money and time to implement them. Because the capacity to implement is in such short supply, the hopper is already filled to the brim with good ideas. Adding more won't make much difference to anyone. As a result there is a ruthless process of throwing away very good ideas to get down to the extremely, shockingly, absolutely unbelievably good ideas. And even then, most of them when implemented go nowhere fast and die.
Game development is a brutal world.
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