Post by mysterd on Jul 19, 2005 23:32:27 GMT
G-Spot has an article on being a Game Designer w/ some game designers, which include Ken Levine of Irrational Games, Chris Avellone of Obsidian, and Akira Yamaoko from Konami.
Link:
www.gamespot.com/features/6129276/i...atures_headline
So true.
Boiling Point is probably the perfect example of a game w/ lots of cool ideas -- a FPS/RPG/vehicle driving game. But, it has the how NOT to technically design a game -- so buggy and laggy that even high-end PC's cry on it. (Atari being a publisher known to release games in a Beta-in-a-box state don't help, either).
Interesting.
Damn, they are some busy beavers -- three projects, eh?
NWN2 and 2 others....
I wonder what the other 2 are...
Damn those publishers for not taking risks sometimes....heh.
I like this guy's response.
Damn, talk about going in detail.......good stuff right there, I must say
Link:
www.gamespot.com/features/6129276/i...atures_headline
Ken Levine (of Irrational Games): I remember being really surprised to learn about how technical game design was. A lot of people tell me: "I've got a great idea for a game." Frankly, who gives a crap? A great idea is meaningless. A great idea that leverages your existing technology, gets the team excited, is feasible to do on time and budget, is commericially competitive, and, last but not least, floats the boat of a major publisher... Now you have something.
So true.
Boiling Point is probably the perfect example of a game w/ lots of cool ideas -- a FPS/RPG/vehicle driving game. But, it has the how NOT to technically design a game -- so buggy and laggy that even high-end PC's cry on it. (Atari being a publisher known to release games in a Beta-in-a-box state don't help, either).
Chris Avellone (of Obsidian): We're working on Neverwinter Nights 2 right now (most everyone at Obsidian is, although we have 10-15 people working on our next project, which is not a sequel). The way design usually works is that we blue-sky a vision document for the game's key features and fun factor. Then we make it more realistic, turning it into a "creative design doc" that the programmers break down into a schedule.
This creative design doc is revised, cut up into smaller pieces, each piece is detailed, and then it is passed off to another designer to fully flesh out. And this process is repeated until every aspect of design is covered and handled. The story and area design works much the same way as it did on KOTOR2. We take the overall story, chop up the planets and systems design, pass it off to individual designers, then they flesh out their planets and quests and make them game-ready.
This creative design doc is revised, cut up into smaller pieces, each piece is detailed, and then it is passed off to another designer to fully flesh out. And this process is repeated until every aspect of design is covered and handled. The story and area design works much the same way as it did on KOTOR2. We take the overall story, chop up the planets and systems design, pass it off to individual designers, then they flesh out their planets and quests and make them game-ready.
Interesting.
Avellone: For Neverwinter Nights 2, I'm responsible for all the companion dialogues for the game, writing major non-player characters (and lesser ones), doing the vision quests, balancing and implementing influence mechanics, critiquing area designs, helping out with writing other parts of the game, and trying to juggle other manager and cofounder stuff, like prepping vision docs, providing input on game pitches, and helping out with designer hiring, looking over design tests, and [handling] interviews.
I'm also looking over stuff for our third coming project, which is being headed up by Kevin Saunders (KOTOR2). But he's handling it just fine without me, so he mostly just humors me and gives me reassuring pats on the head.
I'm also looking over stuff for our third coming project, which is being headed up by Kevin Saunders (KOTOR2). But he's handling it just fine without me, so he mostly just humors me and gives me reassuring pats on the head.
Damn, they are some busy beavers -- three projects, eh?
NWN2 and 2 others....
I wonder what the other 2 are...
Question: What do you like best about your job? What are the more unpleasant aspects of your job?
Avellone: I love the fact it's not static. I love the atmosphere, I like the creativity, and I like implementing the ideas once the creativity has done its job. The hours can be long, but it's all worthwhile. In fact, there's plenty of times where you don't want to go home because you want to get a quest or dialogue just right, or you can see a way to make a part of the game that much better. Plus, the people generally are your age and have the same interests, so you can game with them and talk about nerdly stuff that would be out of place at, say, the patent office or a local accounting firm. Also, free soda is good. And movie days.
Unpleasant aspects? I don't know. It can be a little hard to sell publishers on riskier titles. It's hard not having room for all the applicants you think show promise. Tight deadlines are a reality, but sometimes it would be nice to do enough iterations until you feel it's perfect. But there's no real unpleasant aspects to it, in my opinion.
Avellone: I love the fact it's not static. I love the atmosphere, I like the creativity, and I like implementing the ideas once the creativity has done its job. The hours can be long, but it's all worthwhile. In fact, there's plenty of times where you don't want to go home because you want to get a quest or dialogue just right, or you can see a way to make a part of the game that much better. Plus, the people generally are your age and have the same interests, so you can game with them and talk about nerdly stuff that would be out of place at, say, the patent office or a local accounting firm. Also, free soda is good. And movie days.
Unpleasant aspects? I don't know. It can be a little hard to sell publishers on riskier titles. It's hard not having room for all the applicants you think show promise. Tight deadlines are a reality, but sometimes it would be nice to do enough iterations until you feel it's perfect. But there's no real unpleasant aspects to it, in my opinion.
Damn those publishers for not taking risks sometimes....heh.
Akira Yamaoka (of Konami): I enjoy creating complicated and twisted games. :-) Games that are, in a way, not suitable for the general public--[because they're too] surreal and artistic--are very fun to work on. Licensed projects have restrictions in artistic freedom, so it's not really enjoyable as a game creator.
I like this guy's response.
Question: How would someone go about becoming a game designer today? What advice would you give an aspiring designer? What skills or personality traits are ideal for the job?
Avellone: Here's some general advice on getting into design from Obsidian Entertainment. Note that this may have been used in past interviews, but it's our response, because we get this question a lot:
First off, if you're interested in story and world creation, I would recommend trying to get established in the pen-and-paper game industry or in books or novels. Game design requires a love of game mechanics, lists, and tons upon tons of rule sets. If you're interested in computer game designing, then here's what we look for/what you should focus on:
1. A love of RPGs.
2. A critical eye for RPGs (and, preferably, other games as well), including feel, interface, pacing, weapon balance, level design, and so on. Play a lot of them, and be able to tell what you like and don't about each game. The more-specific, the better.
3. Good design skills. Not only do you notice the elements mentioned above, but you can also implement them well. Know and recognize game clichés.
4. Good writing skills. When not actually arguing and throwing feces at each other through our cage bars, a large portion of a game designer's job is design documentation or writing 5,000 e-mails. That means you need good technical writing skills and an ability to organize your thoughts. You need to be able to pass a document off to audio, QA, marketing, the programming staff, and an artist, and they should be able to find out whatever information they need just by looking at the document.
If you want to prep for a job in the game design field, I'd suggest the following:
1. Play a lot of games, and analyze what you like and don't like about them. If you interview for a game company, that'll always be part of the interview questions. And having smart answers ready beforehand helps them determine if you'll be a good developer or not.
2. You should play a lot of games, but just as importantly, watch a lot of other people play games. Pay attention to how the game is played, especially the interface and menus and the means by which the player interacts with the game. When you do, you'll quickly start seeing what irritates players and what they enjoy. Keep a running log in your head of successful ideas used in games, and what made them work.
3. If a game comes with level or map editors, play around with them. Try out levels or scenarios with your friends, and use that as an acid test for your work. There are tons of editors out there, like the level editors for Warcraft, Arcanum, Neverwinter Nights, or any others you can get your hands on. Put your levels or mods up on the net, get critiques, and try to make a name for yourself as a good level or map designer before you even go to a game company. It helps when the interviewer's already seen your work on the Internet and has perhaps even played one of your levels.
4. Persistence and enthusiasm mean a lot in the game industry. So if you get knocked down once, just get back up and try again. You'll get noticed.
5. If you're looking for college classes to take, I'd suggest some programming courses and creative writing courses, maybe a little bit of art, and any classes that deal with interface design or layout for computer programs. Learn how to write critically and technically, and become familiar with Microsoft Word. Programming classes are a bonus, because they help designers understand how computers "think," and they give them better avenues of communication with programmers in general.
6. Game development is a very team-oriented process, so we'd also recommend taking as many college classes as possible that reinforce teamwork and communication (or, if not in college, finding the opportunity to work with teams). If you have difficulty with working in teams or with communication, your job in game development will end up being more difficult for both you and the people you work with.
7. A lot of designers did not start out as designers. If you want a door into the game industry, try manual writing, Web design, quality assurance, or any of a bunch of other jobs in the game industry. Make your interest in becoming a designer known, and if you have the skills, somebody should give you a chance.
Then there's the application process. A lot of this information you can find on the Web. But it can't hurt to stress it a little more:
1. Always include a cover letter with your résumé.
2. Spellcheck and proofread anything you submit. Ask your friends to look over your cover letter and résumé, too. Obsidian has rejected numerous applicants because they don't proof their work. In the game industry, that kind of attitude creates bugs and makes people mad.
3. Research the company to which you are applying. If possible, address your cover letter to the specific person who will be reading it. Customize your resume and cover letter to suit that company and the position to which you are applying. You don't have to know everything about the company, but know enough so you speak intelligently about what they do and why you're interested.
4. Carefully read and follow the company's submission criteria. For example, if they ask for a writing sample, be sure to include one. Again, we have rejected numerous applicants because they can't follow directions, which, again, is a bad thing in game development, since it causes bugs and makes people mad.
5. Touch base with your references before you give their contact information out. Sometimes relationships sour or dim with perspective. Or, in some cases, [references] aren't even there anymore.
Avellone: Here's some general advice on getting into design from Obsidian Entertainment. Note that this may have been used in past interviews, but it's our response, because we get this question a lot:
First off, if you're interested in story and world creation, I would recommend trying to get established in the pen-and-paper game industry or in books or novels. Game design requires a love of game mechanics, lists, and tons upon tons of rule sets. If you're interested in computer game designing, then here's what we look for/what you should focus on:
1. A love of RPGs.
2. A critical eye for RPGs (and, preferably, other games as well), including feel, interface, pacing, weapon balance, level design, and so on. Play a lot of them, and be able to tell what you like and don't about each game. The more-specific, the better.
3. Good design skills. Not only do you notice the elements mentioned above, but you can also implement them well. Know and recognize game clichés.
4. Good writing skills. When not actually arguing and throwing feces at each other through our cage bars, a large portion of a game designer's job is design documentation or writing 5,000 e-mails. That means you need good technical writing skills and an ability to organize your thoughts. You need to be able to pass a document off to audio, QA, marketing, the programming staff, and an artist, and they should be able to find out whatever information they need just by looking at the document.
If you want to prep for a job in the game design field, I'd suggest the following:
1. Play a lot of games, and analyze what you like and don't like about them. If you interview for a game company, that'll always be part of the interview questions. And having smart answers ready beforehand helps them determine if you'll be a good developer or not.
2. You should play a lot of games, but just as importantly, watch a lot of other people play games. Pay attention to how the game is played, especially the interface and menus and the means by which the player interacts with the game. When you do, you'll quickly start seeing what irritates players and what they enjoy. Keep a running log in your head of successful ideas used in games, and what made them work.
3. If a game comes with level or map editors, play around with them. Try out levels or scenarios with your friends, and use that as an acid test for your work. There are tons of editors out there, like the level editors for Warcraft, Arcanum, Neverwinter Nights, or any others you can get your hands on. Put your levels or mods up on the net, get critiques, and try to make a name for yourself as a good level or map designer before you even go to a game company. It helps when the interviewer's already seen your work on the Internet and has perhaps even played one of your levels.
4. Persistence and enthusiasm mean a lot in the game industry. So if you get knocked down once, just get back up and try again. You'll get noticed.
5. If you're looking for college classes to take, I'd suggest some programming courses and creative writing courses, maybe a little bit of art, and any classes that deal with interface design or layout for computer programs. Learn how to write critically and technically, and become familiar with Microsoft Word. Programming classes are a bonus, because they help designers understand how computers "think," and they give them better avenues of communication with programmers in general.
6. Game development is a very team-oriented process, so we'd also recommend taking as many college classes as possible that reinforce teamwork and communication (or, if not in college, finding the opportunity to work with teams). If you have difficulty with working in teams or with communication, your job in game development will end up being more difficult for both you and the people you work with.
7. A lot of designers did not start out as designers. If you want a door into the game industry, try manual writing, Web design, quality assurance, or any of a bunch of other jobs in the game industry. Make your interest in becoming a designer known, and if you have the skills, somebody should give you a chance.
Then there's the application process. A lot of this information you can find on the Web. But it can't hurt to stress it a little more:
1. Always include a cover letter with your résumé.
2. Spellcheck and proofread anything you submit. Ask your friends to look over your cover letter and résumé, too. Obsidian has rejected numerous applicants because they don't proof their work. In the game industry, that kind of attitude creates bugs and makes people mad.
3. Research the company to which you are applying. If possible, address your cover letter to the specific person who will be reading it. Customize your resume and cover letter to suit that company and the position to which you are applying. You don't have to know everything about the company, but know enough so you speak intelligently about what they do and why you're interested.
4. Carefully read and follow the company's submission criteria. For example, if they ask for a writing sample, be sure to include one. Again, we have rejected numerous applicants because they can't follow directions, which, again, is a bad thing in game development, since it causes bugs and makes people mad.
5. Touch base with your references before you give their contact information out. Sometimes relationships sour or dim with perspective. Or, in some cases, [references] aren't even there anymore.
Damn, talk about going in detail.......good stuff right there, I must say
JE Sawyer is a total [censor], but he can get away with it; because, he is so good at what he does.