That means that you’re not responsible for creating or modifying the tool that you’re going to use to write your own code, which to me was arguably easier to grasp, even if scripting can also be complex. Though they both fall under the umbrella term “coding” and technically also “programming”, scripting is code that lets you control an already built or compiled programme. I also realised that scripting is a lot less technical than programming that requires compilation. However, to my own credit (and that of those who taught me), I picked it up quickly. Scripting is easier than it looksĪs a deeply non-technical person who has never felt comfortable around numbers and symbols, I was borderline fearful of dipping my feet into anything that remotely looked like maths, logic, or coding, no matter how cool the #GirlsWhoCode circle is. This has been a very valuable learning experience because it forces you to re-think a lot of ideas, systems, writing, and overall plans that are dependent on each other. This doesn’t necessarily mean that “what was once right is now wrong”, and “throw out all your hard work.” Often, it just means that what was designed at the beginning of the project now no longer works within the project’s new scope (for example, if you decide to cut a feature, you might need to rewrite some content or re-design how a complementary system works). If you’re used to researching for a paper, polishing it, and then handing it in for a final grade, then the switch to game design is an interesting mental shift. This can be frustrating at first if, like me, you come from creative writing or literature within academia. I hear it all the time: “this document is iterative, it’s a tentative approach, a first take, a WIP, a working doc, a live doc, a process, a draft.” Being a Game Designer has taught me that a design decision is rarely final, even if it’s been agreed on and received a stamp of approval by managers. In my still limited experience, this is typical of a lot of game development studios, and part of the challenge. After my team started specialising into different roles, I still kept the original title “Game Designer”, even though I mainly work on narrative content (quests, dialogue, stories) and content pieces (weapon descriptions, pop-ups, tooltips, loading screens).ĭespite the content-based focus, I’ve also co-written many game design documents (GDDs) and participated in the creation of systems and whole features the way a Systems Designer would, and am more involved with the Art Department and UX/UI than I would ever have imagined I would be. In my case, I was hired as a “Game Designer” for the kick-off of a new project, where the need for designers in general outweighed the need for them to be specialised. It’s possible that studios are looking for a whole pool of different types of designers, and in that case, you might find out at the interview. ![]() Your focus might be revealed in the job description, and it might not. For example, I was hired as a “Game Designer”, which is very vague when you think about it - what exactly is it that I’ll be designing? It could be anything, several things, everything, or just one thing. ![]() When I was applying for games writing jobs, I didn’t know just how broad Game Design is, and how many sub-categories there are: Though this is by no means an extensive, all-inclusive list and there’s a lot I’m not at liberty to go into detail about for now, some things are worth sharing! 1. I wanted to share some of the things I’ve picked up along the way, over the past (almost) 2 years. I’ve been gaining experience in game development as a designer working primarily in narrative content, with most of my efforts contributing towards an unannounced AAA game. Watching a GDC talk, reading a Game Writing article, and learning about WordPress | Flo
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