Top Ten: GameStar mag hates/loves about DRAKENSANG

[Dementia Praecocks]

What? I was merely explaining where I got that information.
If I hadn't done this, the question would have been raised anyway, probably.

No, actually I think nobody would have given a shit.

 

[Zakhal]

It seems to be an incredibly popular study with the geek sort around here at the moment. I wonder how many will actually find work in that segment though.

Still, when I was 16 I would have loved such a study.

When I was young I always wanted to make games or somthing and I did make few text / graphical action games at first. 2 weeks into 3d engine course in uni I discovered doing games is the last thing I want to do in my life. Its much more fun to play them than actually make them. And there are easier and more profitable ways to make money than game development.

My biggest chance in gamedev was propably a fallout type mmo project in the uni but I was too busy with work and I simply couldnt get my interest back to game development.

 

[JarlFrank]

And IMHO, it is the best way to get into the industry.

Indie development?

 

[thesheeep]

Okay, the best way to get into the industry, earn some money and without all that taking more than 3 years

 

[JarlFrank]

So which university is best for studying that? And what exactly do you learn there? And how long does it take?

 

[Badgermaster]

So which university is best for studying that? And what exactly do you learn there? And how long does it take?

I know Full Sail has a very good rep.

 

[Micmu]

20%: any computer science college, software engineering dept. (4 years)
80%: self-initiative

 

[JarlFrank]

Well, basically, what I think is:
From RPG design discussions and the stuff in the Project Monkey thread you can actually learn as much about game design as when you go study it. At least about theoretical game design. I wonder how you can spend those 4 years of study, if you don't take some additional programming courses.

And how the fuck would the exams look like?

 

[Texas Red]

Didn't many designers got just noticed when they did QA? I think Avellone started out this way, though I could be wrong.

Better question: how would you enter the tabletop industry? What qualifications are required to design rules?

 

[Dementia Praecocks]

to be fat and an ultra-nerd?

 

[Badgermaster]

Didn't many designers got just noticed when they did QA? I think Avellone started out this way, though I could be wrong.

Better question: how would you enter the tabletop industry? What qualifications are required to design rules?

It's not difficult to design rules, really. To get an RPG company to hire you to do it, though - no idea what that takes.

However, it's pretty darn easy to self-publish a pen and paper RPG these days:

http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/

http://www.rpgnow.com

http://yourgamesnow.com/

 

[kingcomrade]

Better question: how would you enter the tabletop industry? What qualifications are required to design rules?

You have to know people in the company's management.

 

[thesheeep]

Better question: how would you enter the tabletop industry? What qualifications are required to design rules?

You have to know people in the company's management.

Hard and cruel as it seems, that's basically true.

So which university is best for studying that? And what exactly do you learn there? And how long does it take?

Well, I could give you some list of contents, but then again I would be attacked for acting up and whatnot

The best university? I don't know, really. All I know is that the different universities/schools offer very different concepts of the study.
For example, Game Deisgn study (without studying other things like 3D Programming directly after it) here at the GA takes 1 year and is very practically oriented. At another university in Germany, the MDH, it takes 3 years, includes stuff like programming and is very theory oriented.
If you really want to make games, practical orientation makes more sense, IMHO...