Alright guys im new here I really want to get into the game biz. I have a couple ideas for a game but I also and have a few questions about game design. 1.) My first question is what does a game designer actually do? I kind of have an idea for it but would like some more detail. 2.) How do I get started? What should I do to get my self into the game biz(I dont want to be a programmer but am willing to learn it if I need to, but im better with story and ideas. Thanks in advance guys and please dont flame.

Read the entirety of Tom Sloper's website at Sloperama.com. Tom has been in the industry a long time and imparts quite a bit of insight into what game designers do on his website.

Game Designers, for the most part split into two types - planners and level (or scenario) designers. Planners maintain the Game Design Document and work with the rest of the team to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Level Designers use tool sets to layout the experience that a player will be interacting with in the game.

On how to break into the industry, there is no single direct route. Especially with Designers, our backgrounds are incredibly varied. Some Designers are picked from the ranks of the QA department in a company, some Designers are former artists or programmers who decide to laterally transfer over into Design, and some Designers are active in the modding community doing level designs and are nabbed up. My own experiences with entering the industry as a Game Designer are detailed in my GameDev.net blog.

What it boils down to, though, is that you need to make games. Make card games, make board game, use tools such as Game Maker and Torque to demonstrate gameplay ideas, build levels for the Unreal, Doom, or the Source engine game with their integrated toolsets, and write. You need a portfolio. If you'd like to become a write then write stories and get them published. Have a great idea for scenario? Get it published as a D&D adventure in Dungeon Magazine. Get your name name out there and let it be associated with quality.

Thanks for the great reply man im gonig to start reading that articfle sometime today.