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Where Game Developers Come From Profile by Jay Watamaniuk
Is there a website?http://www.jadedragonstudios.com Why did you take this course?
David: Having played RPGs while growing up I had a strong interest in the course due to my past experiences. I had seen the evolution of the RPG from the table top versions (D&D, Rifts, Vampire the Masquerade, etc.) to mainstream console and computer games (Final Fantasy, Baldur's Gate, etc.) and I wanted to see how this has changed the perception and experience of the RPG. Did either of you have any experience in designing games before taking the course?David: I had never designed computer based games before this class, but I have designed both custom paper based RPGs and DM'ed campaigns that ran for multiple years. Jason: I've been thinking up game ideas in my head since Grade 8. I've also started work this past summer on my own small project, but this is my first time working with a group of people on a game. What has the course taught you about game design?
David: The course introduced me to the complexity of games and the need to be able to coordinate multiple sub-projects to get to the final product. This includes the skills needed to plan, coordinate, and work as a team even though we have to accomplish most of the work independently. What was the most challenging aspect of the course and this project for both of you?David: Time. I think the most challenging aspect has been to work within the time restraints that exist and to stay focused on those limitations. The desire to try to make something amazing that has 40 hours of game play is very strong and I have found it very challenging to limit my scope to have a high quality game by the end of the semester.
Do you hope to pursue a career in the games industry?Jason: I've been seriously considering taking game development as a career path for many years. After taking this course, I am now 100% certain that it is what I want to be doing after I graduate. I am currently looking for an internship position with a development company for next year. Being able to experience the intensity of the development process and working with a talented team of individuals has pushed me over the edge. I am in eager anticipation of getting a position in the industry where my passion for games, storytelling, and technology can be used to make great works of art. David: I greatly enjoy the class and gaming and I would love to follow it with a career within the field. I believe it is an area that has room for a large number of skills and experiences and would be a joy to work in. ~
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Jason: When I found out about the course, I was really excited to take part in it. I was enthused to get a taste of the game development process. I was also excited to get the chance to work with people in other disciplines on a project like this. I've never worked on a group project where the team was so diverse in their backgrounds and it was really interesting to experience that.
Jason: I've learned, in this course, the importance of the planning aspect of game design. The course has shown to me how important it is to plan the design early and record/document all ideas and decisions made. It helps a lot throughout the process when you need to go back and recall what decisions previous were made and make sure the project is still on track. I've also learned, personally as a computing science student, the value of taking the time to learn and master the tools you are given to work with. If you take the time to research and harness the power of your tools, it gives the development team that much more power to bring their ideas to life.
Jason: The most challenging part of the course was designing the right amount of content for the module so that it can be created in the short amount of time we are given. With only about 2.5 months of development time, it is hard to decide what can be done. It was important for our group to be able to re-evaluate our timeline often and decide what could be feasibly added or what needed to be removed to finish by the due date. The fact that all members were equally passionate about the project and wanted to see it succeed was a great factor in tackling this issue.
