Should i learn programming?
i was wondering if it would be absolutely neccessary for me to learn programming. see, i have ideas for a character design and how their moves would be and stories of where they comes from and such, and im starting to think if im actually trying to do three jobs in one. if i want to get my ideas out into the gaming business, should i start by making my own games and obligatorily learning programming in the process? or will some crazy job let me just be the lead artist and main idea/story setter instead. and if the answer is no, should i just excell in making art for games - what i will probably do anyway?
any comments, advice, and/or opinions are sincerely appreciated.
Évoluez au-dessous de moi.
If I were you id learn to program. However you might get a job as a writer. I have seen positions for writers as well as junior designers that don''t require programming knowledge. Also if you just do the art you don''t need to know how to program, but you will need to know how to use programs like photoshop, and 3DS max. I think that all games compaines see it as a plus if you know how to program though, that way you can understand what is going on and how programmers might implement your ideas. Im not sure on any of this since I dont work in the gaming industry but I do know for a fact that you can be hired as a writer with no programming experience. Just need alot of imagination and know how to write well.
I don''t think there''s any real need for you to learn to program.
There''s nothing stopping you from working with a team - even on these boards - where somebody else is responsible for the programming.
All too often I''ve seen programmers get together, and the result is some really sweet Direct3D Init/Deinit code, but... not much else.
If you do work with a team though, be prepared to relinquish some control. If you go in as an artist, you *must* work to the designer''s plan. If you go in as a designer, you''ll find it harder to build a team.
In both situations, demonstrating your skills will be very important. Images of your artwork, or models; or perhaps you could look into a ''game factory kit'' and use it to put together some simple, yet innovative, games to impress and attract the top people.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
There''s nothing stopping you from working with a team - even on these boards - where somebody else is responsible for the programming.
All too often I''ve seen programmers get together, and the result is some really sweet Direct3D Init/Deinit code, but... not much else.
If you do work with a team though, be prepared to relinquish some control. If you go in as an artist, you *must* work to the designer''s plan. If you go in as a designer, you''ll find it harder to build a team.
In both situations, demonstrating your skills will be very important. Images of your artwork, or models; or perhaps you could look into a ''game factory kit'' and use it to put together some simple, yet innovative, games to impress and attract the top people.
Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
You need to decide what your objectives are. If you want to be a game designer, then focus on the writing aspects of gaming. If you want to be an artist and focus on that. Game companies want people who are really good at one thing, not a person who is so so in three or four. Although versatility is plus, being really good at one thing is best.
But at the very least, everyone who works for game co should have some programming knowledge. You don't need to be John Carmack, but at least a basic understanding of what goes into programming a game is good.
If you are looking to pitch your game idea to a company, then you need a prototype. You need programmers for that, but if you take the time to flesh out your design, do some conept art, then finding a few programmers to help shouldn't be to hard. When you get others to help, especially if you aren't paying, you have to sacrifice some degree of control.
[edited by - yspotua on February 6, 2003 11:17:05 PM]
But at the very least, everyone who works for game co should have some programming knowledge. You don't need to be John Carmack, but at least a basic understanding of what goes into programming a game is good.
If you are looking to pitch your game idea to a company, then you need a prototype. You need programmers for that, but if you take the time to flesh out your design, do some conept art, then finding a few programmers to help shouldn't be to hard. When you get others to help, especially if you aren't paying, you have to sacrifice some degree of control.
[edited by - yspotua on February 6, 2003 11:17:05 PM]
I''ve been working with different teams over the past while, and have found out one thing:
If you want to make games, you must be able to do something SPECIALIZED a team needs.
Example: If you can program DX, then you can easily find a team to join. Programming is a skill that if you don''t know how to do it, you can''t fake it. The reason that people choose this often is either you can or can''t do it. Sure there are degrees of skill, but an artist who has never touched code cannot make a game without learning to program
The reason I make this distinction is because a game programmer can fake art. You can borrow art from other places, or just fake it in photoshop. You could even make a simple asteroids clone with the basic pain that comes with Windows. However, making true art is a specialized skill, so you can get along with this too.
Other areas are music, and RARELY writing. Writing is something we can all do (if ya can''t, you wouldn''t be reading my post). So writers are not always needed on teams.
Then there are scripters, designers, and other tasks. These are good ideas for large projects, but for independent projects, tasks overlap. Programmers and artists can work together to script a nice story and design a game for it.
My advice for you is simple. Either learn to program, or learn some type of art. There are millions who want to make games, and unless you are truly gifted with words, you won''t make it very far in game writing.
--Vic--
If you want to make games, you must be able to do something SPECIALIZED a team needs.
Example: If you can program DX, then you can easily find a team to join. Programming is a skill that if you don''t know how to do it, you can''t fake it. The reason that people choose this often is either you can or can''t do it. Sure there are degrees of skill, but an artist who has never touched code cannot make a game without learning to program
The reason I make this distinction is because a game programmer can fake art. You can borrow art from other places, or just fake it in photoshop. You could even make a simple asteroids clone with the basic pain that comes with Windows. However, making true art is a specialized skill, so you can get along with this too.
Other areas are music, and RARELY writing. Writing is something we can all do (if ya can''t, you wouldn''t be reading my post). So writers are not always needed on teams.
Then there are scripters, designers, and other tasks. These are good ideas for large projects, but for independent projects, tasks overlap. Programmers and artists can work together to script a nice story and design a game for it.
My advice for you is simple. Either learn to program, or learn some type of art. There are millions who want to make games, and unless you are truly gifted with words, you won''t make it very far in game writing.
--Vic--
Artists do tend to make more than writers, but it is very rare for artists to make more than programmers, assuming an equal footing on each track (lead artist might make more than grunt programmers, but lead programmer will make more than lead artist).
Not that it matters, they both tend to make a fairly good living..Just sayin''.
Not that it matters, they both tend to make a fairly good living..Just sayin''.
Here is how I see it. If you have the time, why not? Everything you learn you will use it, besides programming open your mind. Now, if you don´t have the time, focus in what YOU WANT!
Anyway, who knows maybe i´m wrong...
numbloq@yahoo.com
Anyway, who knows maybe i´m wrong...
numbloq@yahoo.com
quote:should i learn programming
Umm... no.
Yo Tyler, I hear your mum's goin out with... SQUEEK!
[edited by - Tooko on February 8, 2003 6:12:14 AM]
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