DescentBB

In a major milestone in my career as a game developer, my first ever credited game has been released. If you have the original Black Hawk Down game, pick up the expansion, Team Sabre. I was a level designer working on other people's levels as an intern.

Don't really have much else to say, other than being a game dev seems to be a career that's right up my alley. I might be working for Ritual again this summer (and get paid as a part time worker) on their current yet-to-be-announced project, so I'm also looking foward to that. Being part of the team there has been a really educational experience, and if anybody has any questions or anything I'll be glad to answer them.

On a completely unrelated note, anybody have any handy links to 3D Max 5/6 beginning tutorials?

Congrats Tetrad!

I just got a copy of BHD with a 9600XT (along with vapourware HalfLife 2) - so I'll look for this if I enjoy BHD!

It's unlikely that I'm gunna be able to play this game, but hey!

Thats great news, tet. Congrates, keep on rockin

Actually, I would be interested in knowing just what goes on at a game dev studio. People sitting around in cubicles hunched over 3DS Max and C++ compilers?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Arial" size="3">Originally posted by Mr. Perfect:
Actually, I would be interested in knowing just what goes on at a game dev studio. People sitting around in cubicles hunched over 3DS Max and C++ compilers?</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well it depends on the company. Ritual seems like a great place to start out because it's very "tribal" in nature. No cubicals, just people at desks along the walls under the lead artist/programmer/level designer. It's very open, so you have people talking to each other a lot, which is a great thing if you're trying to learn things.

It also depends on the position. The higher up you are, the more time you have to spend in meetings to coordinate things. The lead game designer has to constantly keep in touch with the artists for the art assets, the programmers to make sure the tech is coming along right and if features are viable, and the level designers to get gameplay with said features and art assets fun and consistant. And the leads of each have to keep in contact with all of their department to keep them in the know, so to speak. I think we had it so that there was department wide (i.e. level designers) meetings once every other week. Usually we'd communicate small things through e-mail, and I haven't actually been to any of those meetings, so I'm not quite sure what goes on there specifically. Probably just more keeping everybody up to date.

But yea, the majority of the time you have a dark office and computers, with people in their respective programs. 3Dmax, Photoshop, Visual Studio, and some sort of asset management (on BHD:TS we used Sourcesafe, although it isn't designed for that sort of thing) and proprietory asset import/creation tools are the programs of choice. Occasionally we'd do fun stuff together like watch movies on the big screen TV, or have company wide lunches.

The only other company I've actually spent any time at was Gearbox, and their environment is very different. Sectioned off rooms with 2 or 3 people per room, and seemingly very quiet.

I'm guessing that game developers will be organised just the same way as any software development joint. Cubicles are DEFINITELY *out*, lots to chitter-chatter and confering. Management keep the game on track and on budget and workers slave away like they do everywhere....