Hello, hello!!!

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • Hello, hello!!!

      Hi, thought I'd give a quick hello and a bit about myself.

      My names is Michael Conaway, originally from oregon and now living/working in california. I use the term "working" loosely as were a startup based in San Francisco, thus my pay is in hot pockets and mountain dew.(Truely, the greatest inventions of the last century).

      I'm 21 years old, and have been developing my programming skills for about 6/7 years now (I don't remember when I wrote "hello world", and remember less the last time I used QBasic). The startup project is KaosWar. You can see a video from the techdemo on our site, along with gamepro's footage from "Creating Chaos", the documentary they have been doing on us at kaoswar.com .

      Trust me, the being filmed bit get's agitating at times :). (I'm the scruffy guy with facial hair and cigarette in hand).

      Ok.. have to ask....

      ...

      ......

      What's it like getting a paycheck for this? ;) I hear the first check comes with a rainbow bursting forth from behind sullen grey clouds, and all the world singing as you make your way to a fast food resaraunt for some quality nutrition.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Dev ().

    • RE: Hello, hello!!!

      Welcome to the boards! It's nice to get another SF developer on here. :)

      -Rez

    • Hello Hello as Weel

      Hello Everyone,

      I just bought Game Coding Complete 2nd Edition and found this forum and site in the book. I work in the computer Industry, but not in the gaming. It has been a goal of mine to learn a bit about game programming and take a shot at creating something exciting. I program or have programmed in many langs, but mainly doing data conversion. I play PC Games quite regularly, a bit of a gaming junkie I would say, and am into computer Music. I joined these forums in hopes of getting some insight into the challenges that some of you face in the Gaming Industry, as well as the rewards. It would be nice to actually enjoy your work and not just endure it for the paycheck. I have been a consultant in the computer industry for 20 years and every year I have to reinvent myself and confirm why I do this. Every year I also say, maybe I'll make that game this year. Well I plan on finally doing just that...

      THanks in advance for any support,

      Gerry

    • RE: Hello Hello as Weel

      Hmmm, not sure where to start. The rewards and challenges are endless. There's nothing more thrilling than working in the gaming industry, especially if you find the right company. I have never worked harder or longer hours than anywhere else, but every single day I catch myself smiling for no other reason than the fact that I'm living my dream. And as if that's not enough, nothing beats the feeling you get when you see your game on the shelves (next to The Sims 2, baby!) It's absolutely incredible!

      That having been said, most people end up burning out on working in the industry. They can't pull the insane hours over and over and over again and just... burn out.

      I have two pieces of advice of for you. One, DO IT. If you have a passion for making games, make one and live your dream! Two, if at all possible, go to GDC in March of 2007. It's the experience of a lifetime.

      If I can help in any way at all, don't hesitate to ask. You'll recognize me; I'm the normal one.

      -Rez

    • RE: Hello Hello as Weel

      Rez,

      Thanks for the insight. I actually just recently resigned from a position that had me working 14-17 hours a day and took a development position working from home. I was a Chief Technology Officer for a very successful firm for 10 years and decided that I needed to get back to my family, friends and hobbies. So I definitely am not looking for a repeat in the hours department. I am looking for a rewarding experience though. Might it be better for me to get my feet wet building a MOD for a game I already play, using tools already readily available, or better to jump in and try building something from scratch. I know some people that develop mods and are getting some good exposure in the industry. This is more of an exploratory thing right now for me.

      Thanks,

      Gerry

    • RE: Hello Hello as Weel

      Hey Gerry -

      I think the MOD idea is a really good one. You can have some of the fun of making your own game, none of the horrible pressure, and you don't have to set your salary back 15 years.
      Mr.Mike
      Author, Programmer, Brewer, Patriot

    • You could also take a look at using some cheaper technology that is quite good. Such as the Torque engine over at GarageGames. I've heard good things, as well as having a TGE session taught at my school. It's quite cheap considering, just a hundred bucks if I'm correct, and they also have content packs and such, which saves you from doing your own art.

      Only downside is it's a bit more cash than modding, assuming you've already bought the game.
      Feel you safe and secure in the protection of your pants . . . but one day, one day there shall be a No Pants Day and that shall be the harbinger of your undoing . . .

    • Torque Engine

      I have looked at Torque Engine before and some books that were supposed to be about 3d game development, which turned out to be an intro to Torque engine and what it could do. I am an Open Source fan and really like whats happening in that arena. There are lots of tools for game development available, the question is what one is the right one to work with. My goal is to create some sort of RPG that my kids and I can work on. They are really into Pokemon and Yu-gioh and love drawing monsters and such, so I thought I'd put them to work coming up with ideas for a game. Any thoughts on good Open Source RPG tools or 3d rendering tools?

      Thanks,

      Gerry

      P.S. I just got NWN2 and it has an extensive modding kit to create your own explorable worlds, but the program runs crappy on older machines, I might break out NWN (orig) and see what can be done there.