Ok, here's my issue. I want to go to college for a computer sciences degree. I want to learn how to program games. Games games games. I love games. *back on target* I'm not really the sit down and hack away for hours type (bit of ADHD sometimes), but I understand programming extensively (at least, what I've looked at...I don't know it, it just makes sense...) but I'd love to learn how to do the graphical design in games. Furthermore, I also have an extensive list of ideas for games. I don't know where to start. But that's a totally different topic. I was wondering how much programming (as in code) there is involved in making game models, levels, items, etc graphic-wise. I know this sounds scatterbrained...cuz' it is.

Quote:Original post by -xiao-
I was wondering how much programming (as in code) there is involved in making game models, levels, items, etc graphic-wise.

Very little. However, there are programmers that write the code to display the art in the game and there are programmers that write the tools that the artists use to create the art.

Very little...as in?

Quote:Original post by -xiao-
Very little...as in?

As in none.

If you want to do models or textures, you have to learn art, not programming.
If you want to design levels or write for a game, you don't have to program either.
If you want to program for a game, you don't... well yes, you have to program.

Studying Compututer Science just in hope of working in the game development industry would be silly, since I gather from your post that you don't enjoy it.

Au contraire (spelling?) I love programming. It's just that at the moment I'm surveying my options. I'm only a junior in high school, so I have some time to look around. It really all depends on the college I get into. I'm kinda between career decisions and scouting colleges right now. I just don't want to get into programming and forget the real world if it turns out there might be other things that I'd like to do....

If you have a play station, go rent God of War and watch the "making of" shows. Finish the game and it opens up more "extras". The extras spend more time on the graphic design and artistic considerations that went into the game than they do on the programming. As jfclavette wrote, if you want to do models or textures, study art. For level design - it would probably help to study architecture (not computer architecture or programming architecture but building architecture) and urban planning (at least for landscapes and how buildings are placed next to each other). Art history would probably help with both of those. For game writing - it would probably be a good idea to study English with specialization in mythology, character creation and dialogue - screen writing basically.

Imo, knowing what you want to do will improve your college experience. Keeping your options open for too long can be a bad thing in the long run.

// edit - and one other thing to remember is that you probably won't be the same person when you're 23 that you are now - so it makes sense to keep your options open now but it's also a good thing to start thinking about what you really want to do for a living because you'll be 23 before you know it...


[Edited by - LessBread on January 3, 2006 5:29:11 AM]