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General: Wachter: No Programming Required
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
MMORPG.com Columnist Victor Wachter writes this look at non-programming jobs in video game development and discusses the various barriers to entry and qualifications necessary.
Game Designer
"Game Designer" is a pretty generic descriptor for the range of skills that may be brought to the table. Some designers are writers, many with Hollywood or publishing credits, creating quests and other content. Some are traditional pen and paper and board game designers focused on mechanics. Some are world-builders, working tools like Maya and 3D Studio-Max in addition to proprietary tools. Others are almost programmers in their own right, creating complex scripts and algorithms to make combat, AI and encounters work.
The most general description of a game designer's job (keeping mind the wide variety of game designer skillsets shown above) revolves around documentation and implementation. In the beginning of the design process, game designers dream up the systems and content that will make their game the steaming wad of fun its intended to be. They create documents, going into detail about how encounters will work, how effects will trigger and the variety of conditions that may affect their ideas. They pass this documentation off to programming and art where, as they say, some magic happens.
;)
Read No Programming Required.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
You missed Quality Assurance Engineer, with a low barrier to entry.
Also, starting off as QA gives you the opportunity to study and skip into other departments as you learn design or programming or modelling.
There are countless examples of QA's that made QA Lead then Scrum Master (provided the company works with Scrum methodology), then EM, PM etc.
/R.
Better to be crazy, provided you know what sane is...
Great to hear. And all my peers I graduated thought I was crazy for being the software engineer who loved documentation & design >_>. Ironically, QA was a close second.
Now just find my big break...one day
Without sounding too arrogant,i have seen VERY little skill from any facet of gaming.Most games look like they have been thrown together very sloppy like with not much thought put into the whole design.
So this means what?I think it means the hiring practices are all wrong.To make the best possible game ,you need someone leading the charge that is not only an experienced gamer,but one that understands all the game mechanics.Hiring someone to lead the game design based on leadership skills or anything related to that field is a fail imo.
I think the answer was struck right on the nose,"people with former leadership roles".That sounds good on paper and may give a developer one of the only tools they know of in hiring practices,but it in no way whatsoever means a good game.I have seen these same hiring practices in the real world,and the trend of hiring has actually swayed away from skilled because they have bad habits.
Also another topic hit straight on the nose...former hollywood script writes ! geesh i lost track at how many horrible ,god awful scripts i have seen in movies.
Yet another topic mentioned was DnD ,from table top to the video games.That trend in gaming no longer needs to be copied,i actually find it archaic.The game i feel shows the best thought process and math equations was FFXI,no other game uses their complex equations and design for gaming.What blew me away about the game ,day after day and year after year,was how the game showed to have a ton of thought put into it.I see and understood exactly what they were trying to do.
Sooooooo...
I guess a nice topic would be to tell us or discuss,who makes the decisions on the game design?From day 1 someone has to make it work.Then not only is the who ,but more importantly WHY? Is the next game idea one of mere money making?heck does most of the games design revolve around money and a time table?
An even bigger question,why do developers continue to throw out these horrible boring quests,that everyone hates?This again points to nothing more than filler content,they do not want to spend the time or money on a good quality game.SO do skills,and all those credentials really matter,if the guy singing the checks or the guy that gets bonuses ,won't allow the true content to come forth?
BTW...I considered Turbine to be one my most hated developers when they really botched up WOTC MTGO.So who is making the decisions?Did WOTC make all the decisions,was Turbine acting on their own?I notice the game now says Atari,i was positive Turbine did the game adaption.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Interesting article. Of all the professions regarding game development, game designer is the one that sounds most interesting. And I say that even though I am a programmer.
Unfourtanetely I would think it is the most hard to get a job in because, where as advanced C++ programming skills related to game development is a rare skill, anyone can user their imagination and dream up a game concept.
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Sounds like you are confusing software design with game design, they are not the same. Game design is how the game concepts are designed which is not the same as how you design your software components.
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Hi,
I'm a Area Sales Manager and would LOVE to work in the game industry, especially in MMORPGs, could also be key accounts manager, any tips?
Cheers
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
The problem with this industry as I see it, they continue to hire these idiots who have experience making bad games so what do they get, more bad games. The last time any of these designers had an innovative idea was most certainly not in this century.
The only thing I see in this column is how to join the bad game designers.
Oh and if you don't have a smattering of programming knowledge and are not up on the current technology you are wasting your time because coming up with a brilliant idea without any idea if it can be implemented is just wasting your staffs time as they attempt to explain the why's and why not's.
I dont think the problem is with the designers as it is with the people controlling the money (i.e. they decide what designs that are feasible/profitable to develop).
I am sure alot of designers come up with wonderful ideas only to be squashed by the bean counters who thinks it is too risky. Hence why we have so many WoW clones. Bean counters love approved methods and hate risky, untried (read innovative) ideas.
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I am sorry but as a Software Designer (not game designer) I disagree with your last parapgraph. People who state the functional requirements do not need to have any programming knowledge.
Their job is to come up with ideas that can be successful on a market. It is the job of the Software Designers/Architects to then say if it is or is not possible to implement and how to do it.
Game Designers (or any product designer) says the what. Software Designers/Architects say the how. For the what you should not need any programming skills, that is done by the how people.
My gaming blog
A big issue with stuff becomming more and more sloppy is due to the fact of these "gimmick" schools popping up more and more. (No offence to anyone here) but these schools do not teach the fundamental basics of art before teaching you the skills needed to work the programs. Anyone can be taught to program or to use 3ds, Maya, Photoshop, etc, but without a clear understanding of artistic skills you can never truely design work that becomes more breathtaking to the player.
I had to undergoe an entire year of art before I was able to get into my computer related classes. This included drawing, painting, sculpting, graphic design (creating things like cd cases, posters, ads) and while I wanted to gouge my eyes out while doing this, it wasnt until later that I really understood its importance. Details such as atmospheric perspective, vanishing lines, contour sketching and so on are all invaluable tools to when you finally work in the programs.
There was an intersting article I had from one of my teachers were a studio head was talking about how he was amazed at all the people he was hiring who knew the programs as well as anyone could, but had 0 artistic tallent at all, and it showed in their work.
The other thing to remember is 99% of game companies use customized reversed engineered versions of these programs. So even if you know them by heart, you will need to relearn whatever crazy version the company uses.
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Another great article Victor, I'm really enjoying the look inside the industry.
A suggestion for future topics would be to highlight some of the tools used. For example, I know that C++ is used a lot but is there one project management software that's preferred? Or documentation? Like do most companies use Wikis now? Is there a preferred forum package? etc.
Do most studio's use SCRUM? Is it used throughout the company or only by the programmers? How is project communication handled? One of the biggest problems where I work (not in game industry) is keeping all the players on a project informed about what's going on. Some folks adore email while others like to manage everything on a web site (in my company's case we use MS Sharepoint). In the last year in order to try to make us all more productive they've cut down on meetings, which of course means that most of us have no idea what's going on:)
I dont think the problem is with the designers as it is with the people controlling the money (i.e. they decide what designs that are feasible/profitable to develop).
I am sure alot of designers come up with wonderful ideas only to be squashed by the bean counters who thinks it is too risky. Hence why we have so many WoW clones. Bean counters love approved methods and hate risky, untried (read innovative) ideas.
Exactly what the problem is.We saw spatterings of this when that female from school was doing an intern with SOE studios.She had her designs squashed so much,it became apparent they already had their own idea and just wanted 20 takes until she matched what they wanted.
She probably could have come up with a real nice design for a lounge or whatever it was lol.I sort of remember seeing her initial drawing/sketch and imo it looked good.
I think money and cost is what is ruining these games big time,they really have very little chance to succeed.I look at Aion as a big example,why would anyone in their right mind make a game with only 2 playable races?If someone came to me with that design i would say no way in a big way.Yet the game turns out to be a decent success?This gives game development a wrong message that anything mediocre can succeed ,so they all keep doing it.
As far as what a game can do,it really is pretty much unlimited within the scope of bandwidth ,net lag,pc/gpu lag.So for a game lead/producer to say that is not feasible ,is just saying ,"No we want to make as cheap a game as possible to raise the profit margin".This again leads back to the money part.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Programming languages vary by company. Most of the time you can head to their website, and see what they are hiring and it will give you an idea of what kind they want. C-C++ are the safest bets, just dont do C# :P
If you want forum package, most companies either design their own with php/flash/etc designers or just use prebuilt ones and then use a small mod team to watch them. Wiki is normally left up to the community to flush out and design. As for relations, well that depends on your company and what they decide. You need things such as community relations managers (normally people with fantastic pr and written communication skills) to work with the public and provide a link between gamers and companies.
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Great bunch of articles you've got going on Victor.
One very important subject you should touch on (i personally think the MOST important), is networking.
What you know is important, but WHO you know is what gets you the opportunity to show it.
Tips for those seriously looking to join the ranks in the games industry, look into the IGDA (International Game Development Association), gamedev.net, various facebook groups for developers etc. Participate in forum discussions (respectfully and civilly, not the way I act on these forums
). When possible, GO to IGDA meetings in your city (if you're near a city that has a chapter). Make an account on LinkedIn and use it.
If you want to specialize in art etc, you need a great portfolio, so if you don't have one, go to school. If you want to be a programmer... you obviously need a degree in computer science (don't even try to land a job in today's market without one). If you want to be a level designer, learn UnrealEd or the plethora of other tools out there (such as BioWare's Aurora Engine Tools) and start making maps and mods (and of course, join the modding communities, when one person gets hired, they remember their friends).
If you already have a career outside games, you might be surprised at how many of your skills are transferable.
I definitely suggest QA (as did Victor) as a gateway into games for those with little job experience. QA gives a very well rounded view of many roles developers have to fill. Be humble. Don't give in to the urge to 'just play games all day' (as many QA people do before being laid off). Being helpful and organized will get you noticed. I can't tell you how many producers I've met who came out of QA.
I am an account executive for a very large company's key national accounts and keeping a million moving parts in motion to meet deadlines and deligating work between departments is what my job is all about, and I am good at it. I have always pondered looking into the gaming sector as I spend most of my non-working hours gaming. Now I know that my tech savvy, and work experience coupled with the certifications mentioned might just get me a job in the game design sector allowing me to do something I really love for my work and my hobby.
Does anyone have any idea of what a game producer makes annually? if it's a good living I am going to look into it.
It's going to be very hard to find a job as a Game Designer without programming experience, even more so at an indie studio.
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/617/the_paycheck_how_much_to_expect_as_an_entrylevel_game_developer_game_developer_salary_survey.php
Not true (although it can help your chances of getting hired).
Look at the requirements for various Design job postings on the Gamasutra website...
http://www.gamasutra.com/jobs/board.php?category=9
Emphasis is mostly on communication.
I will say though, that it's my experience, that it would be preferable to work with a designer who does know some programming. It would make everything ALOT easier (but that's what Virtools is for :P).
You can learn a lot by making a bad game. That is why most companies want to hire someone who has worked on a shipped title.
Game Designer does not need any programming skills besides being able to write a document and a flow chart. In fact a lot of game designers come from the art field.
I aspire to become a quest writer/designer. I truly have a passion for lore surrounding games and that sort of stuff. I'm just not really sure what I should study in college that would help me the most and what sort of skills I would need in order to be a quest writer/designer.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated
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Guys! I'm hopelessly lost in a mountain of mole hills! Them damn moles!
including the virtues of THAC0 vs. d20
I lol'd
Victor, nothing to add, but just wanted to say I always enjoy your articles.
I really liked this article (even if I'm a programmer)
I got two questions if you don't mind:
- Is it true that working in the gaming industry you get paid less as a programmer in other jobs?
- What jobs exist for a programmer in the gaming industry (in mmorpgs) assuming you don't have art in ya?
Thanks
**Forgot to mention when I say a programmer I mean a person with B.Sc degree
World of Warcraft is a proof that MMORPG quality should affect schedule/budget and not the other way around.
Correct me if I'm wrong but more and more Community Managers are becoming recognized as another position within the games industry as well (and they don't need to know programming either).
As for who is to blame for all of the problems within the game industry, I think it's evident by some of the responses here. Everyone is to blame in some degree or another (and yes even gamers). In a nutshell, envision the industry like a family relationship. Each person within it is putting stresses and demands on other family members to the point that it is starting to take a serious toll on the overall relationship (especially as things get costlier and more complex). For this to be resolved, it isn't going to take just a single effort by one area of the games industry but a collective effort by everyone together, with a lot of communication and understanding for it to work.
O(∩_∩)O~