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Geek Culture / Realistic chance of getting a job doing level design?

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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 19th Feb 2009 15:03 Edited at: 24th Feb 2009 05:57
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Hi

Just wanted to throw this out for some thoughts. The economy is changing and games are changing. There's computer science uni for programmers and traditional art schools for game artists but what chances do you think exist for someone who wants to do level design? Technology is changing so rapidly that there's really no school that can teach jack as you'll still be a wet fish in the industry as every studio just has their own level editor.

Can someone who's just creative with the tools they've got along with convincing work samples manage to squeak their way in? Even if into the portable game market? Or is it too late to get in as companies are now looking to downsize their teams and stay within budget during tough times?

Thanks
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Van B
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Posted: 19th Feb 2009 15:49
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The mod community is really the place to go. Get some major games and their mod kits, and try to learn them inside and out - the main one being Unreal of course.

If you can learn the Unreal mod system, editor, and hopefully get some recognition for your work, then your about 100 times more likely to succeed in landing a level editor job. But be aware of who you would be putting yourself up against, your work will have to be outstanding to get anywhere, that's where all these U3level designers start out. I'd concentrate on U3 as any other editor you might use could only be easier - Cryengine and Fallout3 editors for instance look like fun in comparison.

So you have a massive mod community, a pretty much industry standard platform, and some skills to prove - I don't think there is another way - you have to get a job as a level editor, not as someone who wants to learn to edit levels.


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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 19th Feb 2009 16:35 Edited at: 19th Feb 2009 16:36
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Yeah I figured that would be the only way, this whole time I've been just modeling levels from scratch when I was doing DBP stuff so never really got into commercial engines. I did browse their forums and they're pretty saturated, lots of talent and hunger trying to break in, so it would be quite the rat race.

Thanks for writing Van

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 19th Feb 2009 18:01
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Yeah, do mods for sure. I just joined one of the oldest online modeling communities by the name of polycount. I've been frequenting their IRC the last few weeks and their are a handful of people who are currently in the industry right now who have told me that they went the mod route. The problem is though, it doesn't pay. So you'll have to hold down a job on the side while you work on it. Unless, that is, you get sponsored or something. That might help.

I'd recommend getting plugged into polycount. The people their are really nice, and I've even started to play Left 4 Dead with a few of them too lol

Van B: Can you iterate more on
Quote: "I'd concentrate on U3 as any other editor you might use could only be easier - Cryengine and Fallout3 editors for instance look like fun in comparison."
? After classes this semester I'll be looking to get into a mod team somewhere, or start my own with a few people from my college. I was thinking about other Engines, but can you clarify why you say U3?

"If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants" - Isaac Newton
-Computer Animation Major @Baker.edu-
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Scraggle
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Posted: 19th Feb 2009 18:52 Edited at: 19th Feb 2009 19:02
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I am currently doing a game programming degree at the University of Teesside. Part of the degree contains a module called Tool Programming for Games which is what you would use to create level designers. After all, although game companies have their own level design software, someone has to write it and update it.

If, on the other hand, you are simply wanting to design levels and not get involved in how the software works, then you might want to look at the Computer Games Design degree. That sounds more like what you are looking for.

A snippet from the Computer Games Design page:
Quote: "
Career opportunities
Graduates of this course have gone on to work as level designers, junior game designers, mission designers and artists and in a wide range of companies including Bizarre Creations, Blitz Games, Volatile, Microsoft Rare, Streamline, Frontier, Rebellion, Eutechnyx, Atomic Planet, Reflections, Venom, Virtual Playground, Midway and many more."


Of course, [url=http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=TS1+3BA&countryCode=GB#map=52.37563,0.91861|6|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:54.57209:-1.23471:16|TS1%203BA|TS1%203BA]Teesside[/url] is a long way from Toronto but not out of the question. There may be another University close to you that offers similar degrees.

VanB is certainly offering a good suggestion. If you are not ready for University or would like to get a head start, then the U3 editor is a great one to learn because it is the editor of choice on the Computer Games Design degree at the University of Teesside.



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Van B
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Posted: 20th Feb 2009 20:30
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The unreal engine is very widely used, much more than any other engine out there today. If you can master that then you'd be fully prepared for other systems.


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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 21st Feb 2009 06:31 Edited at: 21st Feb 2009 06:38
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I guess just because I'm into hobbyist level design it doesn't mean I can do it for a living. I'm honestly not too thrilled about how the Unreal 3 editor is widely dependent on mesh rather then just geometry. I guess I'm still stuck back in the times as I liked to create everything from scratch in the editor.

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Van B
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Posted: 21st Feb 2009 15:18
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Yeah, from what I've seen of it it does rely more on modeling than other systems that allow you to build the level as you go. Probably due to the normal mapping, they probably leave all that stuff to packages like Max and Maya.

If you can't get along with the U3 engine, maybe you can narrow your scope a bit and find an engine that is more accessible but used by a more local producer. Smaller software houses would use cheaper engines, or even bespoke editors. Maybe contacting a couple of them and asking what it would take to be considered as an editor would help. I think it would be a major benefit to have examples of your work to show, in whatever engine your best in. Leadwerks for example might be a good choice.


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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 23rd Feb 2009 04:37
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I was also thinking of PSP dev as most levels in PSP titles have little to no level models to cope with the hardware. But you're probably right, those would be smaller studios which are hard to get into. I recently played Metal Gear Solid on the PSP and the level design was almost too lazy, everything was just flat walls and grainy textures, the game looked a generation behind compared to God of War on the PSP which had very intelligent level design and presentation.

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