30 réponses à ce sujet

[LukeDodds94]

We are both 15 and soon to leave high school.
I
am interested in Game Writer/Developer, its been rekindle due to dragon
age origins. I want to make or help make a good rpg game, however i
doubt my skills at art so i think i will be good at this & my
friend is interesting in doing game illustrations.
does anyone have any advice for us or somewhere we could start our career journeys?
& perhaps any companies/game company employers we could talk to would be a massive help.

Luke-dodds@hotmail.com
we
both live in UK, if you have anything that could help in anyway,
including small part times job or help with a career. All would be
greatly appreciated.

[The Lord Protector]

Luke, I am no expert but I am happy to give you sound career advice, if it helps. The world of game design is probably a very competitive one and there are many talented artist and writers out there. The first thing to decide is whether you are simply immersing yourself in the game and enjoy the gaming experience or whether you truly have a gift for art or literature. Can you for example, write a love story? What about writing about mundane things; the sort of stuff that goes into making up a world and evoking it to others, or are you simply drawn to action sequences? Often it is not a good idea t mix your hobbies with your work, since it can become a distraction, however it can also be very rewarding. The sound approach is concentrate on relevent disciplines and continue your education towards your goal. For example, English Language, English Literature and perhaps a good knowledge of other cultures and history. Most stories have some basis of reference and require vision, creativity and most of all a rounded experience. Being able to adequately emote and develop characters can be challenging (I do not find it so) but it takes time and experience to master. Perhaps as you study your chosen disciplines (your friend will be working through an art degree and computer sciences, presumably) then you can build up a portfolio of your own work, circulate compettion entries for short stories and get yourself known, all the while building up the reference ideas for your own world/creations. If you don't get a break in game development, at least then you will be equipped for a career as a successful writer; and who knows; Dragon Age II might just be around to spot your talent!



"Dalena drifted closer, peering deep into the inky darkness of the 'mirror of souls' as it swirled with glittering light reflected from her long bejewelled robe. The image that formed was that of her own land, wrought by fire and destruction so intense that she could feel the heat upon her pale cheek as it flickered into being within the pool of nothingness. Her breath caught in her throat and she gasped. Afraid, her delicate hand gripped her robe at the throat; holding her back as if from the brink of the abyss reflected in the mirror.



This future must not come to pass if the prophecy was to be fulfilled..."

[LukeDodds94]

thank you

do u have any ways that i could actually get in contact with a company or employee, like bioware

and have a talk with them? i know im aiming high, but il still try my best to get into something like bioware,

[SargeantRenegade]

First piece of advice for you Luke is this: find a college or university that offers courses in graphic design or game design, and get a qualification. A lot of institutions offer courses like this these days so it shouldn't be too hard to find a course that's near you.



My second piece of advice is the more important one: never give up. You'll find yourself up against some very intense competition and there will be a lot of rejections and disappointments along the way. You're going to need to rise above all that and keep on trying no matter what; every knockback should be learned from, every rejection should be followed up, every hit your confidence takes should steel your ambition. It will all be worth it in the end.

[LukeDodds94]

thank you for that advicde

doeds anyone else have any advice or some way to help?

[LukeDodds94]

*does

[Amberyl Ravenclaw]

@ Luke: one of the developers here, Stanley Woo, frequently links people who ask these questions to a set of detailed articles on Sloperama.com about getting into the gaming industry and the long road leading to there. Check it out.

Modifié par Amberyl Ravenclaw, 10 janvier 2010 - 01:27 .

[ponozsticka]

I do try to give you some advice as well, even though Im not that older.



Writing is not like other college degrees, you dont need to study English to become a famous writer. I was adviced not to take a path of journalist, since it kill a creative spirit (or so I was told).



For every job there are requirments that you need to meet in order to get the job, they can be ussuly find on developers pages. That can give you information on what to focus in future.



As a writer it is very important to have as much information as possible, for fantasy its great to study other cultures, as The Lord Protector wrote, since lot of inspiration comes from national legends. More you know more you can use.



At the beggining it is good to read a lot, play game genders you would like to work with in future, but to look at them in the different way than you do while playing them. Explore the story as deep as possible (for DA its great to read codex, so you can work with it), see aspects of conversation lines, how are they written, what kind of respond they bring and so on.



If I were you Id focused on something less variable in this moment, in order to practise writing. Try to find an idea and develop, write down everything you find good, or useable, or create shortstories (they can create good background for your further work). These are your ideas so you can improve your imagination and you dont need to think of different ways to write your lines.



As for art, I know just a little about it, but your friend should start practising with programmes that are used in gaming buisiness. From all I know as 3D/2D graphic he should be able to work with Photoshop/3Ds Max in order to find job.



If he wants to focus on fantasy as well, there are several books describing techniques of drawing for this gender.



I guess I told all I wanted, if you have any questions, just ask.

[LukeDodds94]

alright thank you for the help

hope i can get more people to help on here

just sent u a msg btw =)

[Amberyl Ravenclaw]

ponozsticka wrote...

Writing is not like other college degrees, you dont need to study English to become a famous writer. I was adviced not to take a path of journalist, since it kill a creative spirit (or so I was told).

True, but simply taking a few courses in English literature can greatly help expand your mind and worldview, creativity and analytical talent, and your writing will be all the better for it. Certainly chances are you can become a famous writer without all that rigor, but that doesn't say anything about the quality of your work. As for journalism I don't know too much, but in this case there is probably some truth to that statement in the sense that journalistic writing has certain professional expectations and ethics attached to what you can or cannot say, and thus can be limiting. Still, good quality writing is a skill that has to be learnt, cultivated and in some cases taught and mentored, so any kind of practice - and formal training IMHO - is highly recommended.

As a writer it is very important to have as much information as possible, for fantasy its great to study other cultures, as The Lord Protector wrote, since lot of inspiration comes from national legends. More you know more you can use.

It is also highly advisable at the college level to take a few courses with regards to history, politics, anthropology, sociology, theatre, etc. I strongly recommend history classes in particular and developing a love for reading - not just for fantasy books, but all kinds of reading material - as a crucial step in your education forward, and not just for the sake of gamewriting but also your long-term personal cultivation. IMHO, there is nothing more off-putting than someone who thinks they can write and write well, but in reality has a very limited and/or ignorant perspective about the human condition and its complexities. One-dimensional worldviews also restrict one's narrative ability and in this day and age will get you criticized, deservedly so (unless black-and-white melodrama is what you deliberately aim for). And regardless of what you do or where you end up in the future, an open, inquisitive and knowlegeable mind will take you very far in life. That said, best wishes.  

Modifié par Amberyl Ravenclaw, 10 janvier 2010 - 02:19 .

[LukeDodds94]

thanks,

however, another thing to consider

is there any training or ways i cna make myself look better to game companies when i contact them asking about this?

& i currently live in UK, i dont know any good colleges or universities for what i want

[ponozsticka]

Amberyl Ravenclaw wrote...

ponozsticka wrote...

Writing is not like other college degrees, you dont need to study English to become a famous writer. I was adviced not to take a path of journalist, since it kill a creative spirit (or so I was told).

True, but simply taking a few courses in English literature can greatly help expand your mind and worldview, creativity and analytical talent, and your writing will be all the better for it. Certainly chances are you can become a famous writer without all that rigor, but that doesn't say anything about the quality of your work. As for journalism I don't know too much, but in this case there is probably some truth to that statement in the sense that journalistic writing has certain professional expectations and ethics attached to what you can or cannot say, and thus can be limiting. Still, good quality writing is a skill that has to be learnt, cultivated and in some cases taught and mentored, so any kind of practice - and formal training IMHO - is highly recommended.

As a writer it is very important to have as much information as possible, for fantasy its great to study other cultures, as The Lord Protector wrote, since lot of inspiration comes from national legends. More you know more you can use.

It is also highly advisable at the college level to take a few courses with regards to history, politics, anthropology, sociology, theatre, etc. I strongly recommend history classes in particular and developing a love for reading - not just for fantasy books, but all kinds of reading material - as a crucial step in your education forward, and not just for the sake of gamewriting but also your long-term personal cultivation. IMHO, there is nothing more off-putting than someone who thinks they can write and write well, but in reality has a very limited and/or ignorant perspective about the human condition and its complexities. One-dimensional worldviews also restrict one's narrative ability and in this day and age will get you criticized, deservedly so (unless black-and-white melodrama is what you deliberately aim for). And regardless of what you do or where you end up in the future, an open, inquisitive and knowlegeable mind will take you very far in life. That said, best wishes.  

True story

Well you can always try to smile while having interview, cheerful people has better chance to get a job

[StarMars]

You can start by making good game mods. I remember a modder back in NWN who was hired by Bioware to help make a Premium Module.

And Blizzard's Career Opportunities page is never empty. Maybe their standards are too high. gl

[Ginasue]

I will give you one piece of advice. Don't give up your dream.

[Jae Onasi]

I have trouble drawing stick people, so the only advice I'll give about art is to check out a lot of art history, do a lot of different types of art, and study anatomy and physiology so that you can have more realistic figures. And draw/do other forms of art often.



For writing: read a LOT, and in a variety of different genres. Take some psychology classes in college, and if you can, a creative writing class and psych class in high school. Make a habit of watching people and your surroundings. What interesting things do you see? Keep a little notebook with you to jot things down. I keep a tiny notebook in my purse and jot down quick details about the people I see from day to day--how they're dressed, how they walk, talk, smell, etc. I collect funny quips and save those. Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com are your friends, as well as the Strunk and White style manual.

The best way to get better at writing is to write--a lot. I try to write every day. I read books and magazines (e.g. Writer's Digest) on writing, and those help. However, I learned the most from just writing stories and learning from my successes and mistakes.

[LukeDodds94]

Starsmars- Do you recommend that i attempt to learn and get the best of the toolset then?

Ginasue- Thank you, if you have any friends that could help then i would appreciate the support

Jae Onasi- Thanks aswell for the info, i can see you know alot about writing.

but still need more advice and tips onto gettin it

like, soo yeh building up a portfolio with stories, to make myself look good and try get into a small business? the only problems i face is my age and location

[LukeDodds94]

Also, Perhaps if anyone wants any help with projects of thier own or a groups then please let me know.

it would be greatley appreciated so i can get more experienced and build up a name for myself.

[Elvhen Veluthil]

I agree that you both have to go to a university first. Something related to creative writing for you (I think for example that they have such a thing in Newcastle university) and something about drawing for your friend. I guess you have to read a lot, literature, fiction, history, mythology, psychology, philosophy. Good places for illustrators to hang around are:

http://www.conceptart.org/
http://forums.thegnomonworkshop.com/
http://www.cgsociety.org/
http://www.imaginefx.com/
http://www.itsartmag.com/index.html
http://forums.3dtotal.com/index.php

Instead of dreaming how to become the coolest designer around, work to make that dream a reality. Start from now and learn the toolset, make a small mod, then make a bigger, then make the best mod around. Bioware will contact you then to arrange for an interview. Getting a job with a great portfolio is much easier. For now I think you should stop trying to contact Bioware or any other company, that will only get you disappointed. Because they will tell you (probably won't answer at all) that if you have great ideas, use the toolset and make them reality. So make a plan and work toward a goal, say for example, when you get 22 you'll have finished university and have made a mod for DAO that will be the best around. For a game designer position, you'll need to understand how the toolset works as a whole, to know a little scripting and basically everything related to the toolset.

In the between, take a look here and make a search (search for "united kingdom" or enter your county or town) to find any gaming companies around the place you live, and see if you can work as a game tester or get a summer internship at some point, knowing people in the industry is always good for you:

http://www.gamedevmap.com/

Sorry if it seems that I don't understand your enthusiasm, I do, but I have to tell you that from my own experience in life, you have to work hard to get something that we'll make you feel great about it. And you'd like the journey too

[LukeDodds94]

thank for your help and advice

do you know anyone that could help me further or perhaps need a story writer or something related, for a project or group project? cause i will try and start small things as soon as possible

keep in touch.

[ponozsticka]

its hard to find a place as story writer in existing projects, cause those are writers who ussualy create those project, and they have an idea or how the story should look like.



but try this : http://social.biowar...groupprof_id=14

[LukeDodds94]

thanks

if anyone has any info then plz message me and let me know

[LukeDodds94]

And everyone go to my poll and answer whatever you feel best.

[Jae Onasi]

Start by writing stories about things you like. It doesn't matter if it's fanfiction, episodes of your favorite TV series, whatever. I jot down story ideas and keep them on my computer. I also jot down dialogue snippets that I want to use and save those, too. A lot of the writing sites like WritersDigest.com and other places have story starters that can give you ideas.

[Dark Lilith]

Jae Onasi wrote...

Start by writing stories about things you like. It doesn't matter if it's fanfiction, episodes of your favorite TV series, whatever. I jot down story ideas and keep them on my computer. I also jot down dialogue snippets that I want to use and save those, too. A lot of the writing sites like WritersDigest.com and other places have story starters that can give you ideas.

took the words right out of my mouth!

[Kalderis]

I'm developing a roleplay game system and book as well as writing a novel based on the same thing, just go for it pal, reality can be what you want it to be with enough self belief and a love of what you are doing.