Hello there!

Well here i am back with some basic questions regarding where i would like to head in my gaming side!
I am pretty new to this so please bear with me.

So if i understand right, in a Gaming Development Company, there many kind of positions to be filled. I am looking to either head to the programming side of it (the guy that actually codes the game, structure) or the guy that creates the graphics (characters movements, mapping, leveling, etc).

I would like to know what are the paths to take for each if lets say i was to work with a company like Valve?
If i am not good at drawing, can i still the the "graphics"?

Also what is an artist?


I have been in the eSports industry for a long time. I know both of these positions i am looking to work on will take a LONG time to become what i am looking to be.

Any other information i should know?

Thanks you very much!

Bump!

Anyone??

Nobody has answered this because it is so far from the realm of reality. I can't even be sure this is a serious post.

You are telling us you have no experience and asking what an artist is and at the same time telling us you want to head a programming team for Valve? That's like saying you've never played baseball before and you need to know what a bat is - but you want to know how to play for the Yankees.

Pick a discipline, dedicate yourself and work as hard as humanly possible at it, and if you're really lucky 10 or 15 years from now, you might head a programming team for Valve.

In all seriousness though, forget AAA studios and just start learning. There are a *ton* of posts around here that will set you on the right path, just search for them.

I didn't say i wanted to learn to go work for valve.

I said lets say i was to work for them, what directions would i need to take?

I said lets say i was to work for them, what directions would i need to take?

Work your butt off for at least a decade or so. Become very good at maths. Become very good at art. Keep abreast of the latest tech developments. Read blogs. Read technical papers from Siggraph/GDC. Read tonnes of technical reference documentation. Make tonnes of high quality demos. Develop some games. Be good at commmunication. Pay maticulous attention to details. Document everything you do. Ensure you test everything properly. Gain exeprience managing a product lifecycle. Additional knowledge about business practices, financing, production strategies, copyright law, patent applications, and all that boring stuff is also handy. Read everything you can. Practice as much as you can. Learn as much as you can. Do all of that, and you may be in with a slim chance.

Of course, if you want to be a game artist but cant draw..... forget about it.
If you want to be a programmer, but don't like maths..... forget about it.

If i am not good at drawing, can i still the the "graphics"?
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If you're not good at drawing, you might struggle on the artistic side of things. That said, model creation, animation and level editing are very different skills from drawing. You'll probably need to draw to sketch out your plans, but your drawings don't necessarily need to be accurate or realistic.

That said, you can learn to draw - it is really no different from any other skill. Some people think you have to have some innate talent for it, but from my own experience, and the experience of other people who are good at drawing, you aren't born able to draw. You have to practise and learn.

I would like to know what are the paths to take for each if lets say i was to work with a company like Valve?
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Getting comfortable in the domain you wish to work in would be the obvious first step. You won't get a programming job without writing programs, you won't get an art/design job without creating pieces. Tom Sloper has lots of advice.

I have been in the eSports industry for a long time.
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Great! What does this involve? Can you use any of this experience in these new career paths? If not, have you considered a job in a game making company which better reflects your current skill set, or are you really hoping for a change of careers?

I know both of these positions i am looking to work on will take a LONG time to become what i am looking to be.
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Relevant.

You are telling us you have no experience and asking what an artist is and at the same time telling us you want to head a programming team for Valve?
[/quote]
The OP said "head to", not "head". I originally misread it too.

Waaw!

Nice thanks for the reply!

[color=#1C2837][size=2]Great! What does this involve? Can you use any of this experience in these new career paths? If not, have you considered a job in a game making company which better reflects your current skill set, or are you really hoping for a change of careers? [/quote]

Pretty much the experience i currently have is running the online side of the game. This includes competitive play and "just for fun" play of a game.
Also the community online, big tournaments with big money involved as well as online leagues. I have worked with many sponsors, player contracts, staff and pretty much the whole Public Relations package. *and many more*

[color=#1C2837][size=2]model creation, animation and level editing are very different skills from drawing [/quote]
How can i start learning these 3 subjects from scratch?
Any suggestions for me before i start learning these?


And once again thank you soo much!!

This is a Breaking In topic. deep, you should scroll up and read this forum's FAQs.

The OP said "head to", not "head". I originally misread it too.
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My fault. Obviously I need to learn how to read.

OP: I did answer your question though - there are tons of posts and articles that will give you direction as to where to begin. The forum FAQs and google will certainly give you what you are looking for.

TBH the FAQ refers me to that one site for all the questions and i did not really find that site helpful.

Yes it tells you what there is to do and how hard it is and all that but it does't really tell you how to actually start doing it from scratch.

For example: Says if you want to design you u need to practice a lot and you can also do that at home.

Hope you guys know what i mean.

Thanks