career-chat

[chilly sundial]

Hell if you want a great popular example, just look at undertale

That codebase is a mess, that the creator acknowledges

Don't get me wrong, you can he perfectly sufficient at self teaching if you surround yourself in decent communities and resources and know how to learn.

A lot of people don't though :P

[digital gate]

Even if you can learn on your own, it can be a challenge to sit for interviews or attract contract work if you’re entirely self taught

[ivory geode]

I myself dont fit into university, so idc gotta do what I can do

[digital gate]

If you have a series of github projects of you putting all these mathematical and programming concepts through their paces, and then have a competent example game project or two, that may change the difficulty

[chilly sundial]

Yeah in sure a competent enough portfolio changes those odds drastically, though a lot of degree requirements are hr auto filters, so who knows

That one varies quite heavily country to country too

[grave cove]

Yeah, it can. You're still competing against those people that have those degrees. So to use that roadmap as just an example, I might expect to be able to quiz any entry-level hire on anything from that roadmap regardless of background. If you're self taught and can answer the questions great, but if you can't answer a simple linear algebra question because "you never needed to learn it for your specific games", you'll probably get bounced. Even if everything you've made is neat.

[ivory geode]

Of course, and its very apparent

[ivory geode]

I'm thinking of it more like, doing any real project you will be forced to go through the entirety of basic algebra anyway

[grave cove]

You're probably right, but not to necessarily understand the space/time trade offs of different container types or other things that should be expected for an engineering job that you might be able to get by without to just make a simple project.

[ivory geode]

But I think I got ahead of myself saying that you don't need isolation at all. It's like okay you want to work on x kind of games: if you prepare and try making projects you know that you need to do xyz and maybe prepare for d to achieve this

If you do this a bit of times, you get good at this process

[vague panther]

I'm very new to unreal engine, if I want to change my career from 3d artist to game maker, is it a good idea to take a certified online course on udemy, can this certificate help me in my career?

[grave cove]

“Game maker” isn’t really a job. You can already be a game developer as a 3D artist. What sort of work are you looking to transition into exactly?

[vague panther]

Hiii thank you for the answer,i mean Game developer like programmer,doing coding using c++ 😅

[grave cove]

Then it all depends on what you want to do with your career. As a solo or small team that you're part of organizing it would help.
If you're looking to get hired at a studio, a udemy course certificate isn't going to be a whole lot of help. It might be a tie breaker, but for entry level programming positions the minimum bar is usually a 4 year CS bachelors. It's not always the case, but that's who you're "competing" against and a certificate like that isn't really going to mean much in comparison.

[vague panther]

Thank you very much for your explanation. I understand it a little bit now😁, does it apply to other different positions such as VFX or Technical artist?

[grave cove]

I'm not sure, I'm a programmer and have not been as involved in those types of hires. It's possible there is a similar minimum bar, but it's also possible that are is more accessible to those without any formal schooling. I'm not sure.
Hopefully someone else can come along and answer that one for you.

[round radish]

Degree, shit tons of experience or some kind of magic.

[tardy oak]

this is the only answer

[vague panther]

thank you for your answer and response hahaha, I also thank you for taking your time to reply to my question 😄 @grave cove @round radish @tardy oak 😇

By the way, if you guys have paid classes or open services as mentors, I would be very interested in becoming your student to hone my talent in programming skills😄

[lofty moat]

i dont have a degree but have like 2-3 yrs of work experience...

[woeful iron]

happy for you

[round radish]

If they're relevant to the job you want to apply for and you can show off some of the things you've been doing, sounds useful.

[lofty moat]

no i wanted to ask if they will still ask for my degree...any good game studio i mean

[woeful iron]

if your work experience is legit, I would say unlikely they still look at degree

of course, hard to generalize

[finite knoll]

I think the only time it was useful was to support my application for my Canadian work permit and literally no other time

though that said, my colleague who dropped out was fine getting one so 🤷

[digital gate]

The right company advocating can certainly help with work permit/visa/etc even without a formal education at all

[wicked thicket]

For VFX and technical artist your portfolio is going to matter a lot.

[wraith mortar]

Any non-US people start a US based LLC to contract through? Wondering how much it helped with securing contracts esp. at AAA studios

[mild vector]

idk that's a good question. people in the US generally only tolerate big time zone gaps if they're getting dirt cheap indian coders. a US LLC likely is competing for US pay

and even then they're usually looking for short term significant spikes in manpower 5+ bodies deep

what would be neat is like a co-op outsourcing LLC

sorta like everyone gets paid an equal salary and everyone is trying to get everyone work

[wraith mortar]

I work PST/PDT so that's no issue

It would be no different from hiring an individual
The fact its an LLC doesn't mean you would treat it like hiring a company
Its solely to simplify tax/payroll/onboarding because you can provide a W-9 and US bank account
Most AAA and similar studios avoid hiring international contractors outside of rare cases because its problematic
That's why its so common to see fully remote roles advertised for US/CAN only

[crude perch]

Not the place @thorny tendon

[thorny tendon]

ok

[ripe haven]

Hello

[oblique ice]

Hello

[woeful iron]

Hello

[brave bolt]

Hi.

[mild vector]

heyo

anyone feel like doing an A/B comparison of my old super verbose resume and my more condensed CV kinda situation?

wondering if i should make the switch now that i took the effort to sort of distill everything

[round radish]

#instructions this isn't the place to advertise yourself.

[merry roost]

☝️

[vague panther]

hii hiiii

[brave bolt]

haha, glad to chat here

I am actually into full stack and serverless architecture but I think udemy isnot best for learning

[vague panther]

hahaa thank you for the advice ,what about coursera ??

[green stone]

Hi! I'm a software engineer with 2-3 years of experience working as a C++ programmer (I've done both backend and frontend development).
I was recently able to finally get a new PC (been struggling for years with an ages old laptop), and now I'm aiming to train/study Unreal Engine on my own for a couple of years to get hold of enough experience to try landing a job 🙂

[round radish]

Good luck.

[green stone]

I've only worked on Industry so far and it's been so boring I dread doing the same for the rest of my life 😅

So I was hoping to redirect my existing experience into something I'd enjoy more

[green stone]

From what I've gathered so far, the vast majority of resources are aimed at people with little to no programming knowledge, mostly focusing on learning C++ itself

[woeful iron]

check some of the pinned posts in #cpp , might be interesting to you

[green stone]

Thanks for the pointer! Will do

[woeful iron]

I think this one is a good start https://landelare.github.io/2023/01/07/cpp-speedrun.html

why you breaking the cross posting rule

[round radish]

Why post it in paper2d of all places?

[woeful iron]

well it's 3d and if it has 3 dimensions it also has 2 dimensions 🧠

[round radish]

Undeniable logic.

And it's partially made of wood and you can make paper out of wood.

100% related.

[granite fossil]

@sullen laurelwe have specific channels to showcase your work, but doing it here and cross-posting as well is not allowed. Read the #rules

[sullen laurel]

Sorry!

[hollow olive]

Guys is there any job opportunities in 3d texturing and lookdevelopement as a fresher

[fallen topaz]

Personal thoughts: yes if you really know how to texture things correctly
But I've met couple of students/fresher wasting map space, does not practice channel packing, and other things
If you prove your knowledge on the topic, I believe it would make the chance bigger
This is based on my experience working in a small-mid size studio
About the look dev, can't give any comment on the topic - I don't know a thing

Btw, I am client side dev with some knowledge of making material and vfx, so if you are looking for a professional artists' opinion, don't take my word super serious

[lapis sedge]

Hi guys, I'm an architect by profession, and I have always loved to create environments and was always fascinated by it, I was wondering if I can be an environment artist/level designer with my skills and understanding in architecture?
if someone can help point me in the right direction to get started it would be great.
(PS: i really don't know much about software and stuff but I'm a good and dedicated learner, and i have time to spent learning them)

[void gust]

I don't see why not, assuming that you're already using a software like AutoCAD.

[lapis sedge]

Yea I use, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Vray, enscape, lumion, PS

[cinder basalt]

hi

[oblique ice]

hi

[void gust]

Environment art for game design could be done with SketchUp for the higher poly model, but, as far as I know, you would need to bring that model into a different program like 3DS or Blender. It's a bit different because you have to optimize triangle counts, delete unseen faces, and UV unwrap it a certain way. I think you could learn these things if you wanted to. Consider buying a course on ArtStation, because the free tutorials on YouTube won't show you everything.

[lapis sedge]

@void gust okay 👍

[spring atlas]

Hello, It's worth it to follow 3D Vehicle artist role?

[wraith mortar]

Amazing artists do very well for themselves
Anyone less than amazing isn't who people making games want making their art, but depending on how close you are to 'amazing' you can get by just fine

I started as an artist, I was good but not amazing, so I retrained myself as a gameplay programmer, and have the benefit of being able to make good (but not amazing) art for my own games

I primarily focused on characters but can do hard surface too, vehicles are the one thing I wasn't good at so can't help you with that specifically
I suspect that's too niche tho

[spring atlas]

I have great passion in vehicles, an also I have great knowledge about them in real world. I have skills in modeling, texturing and rendering cars,,,
Based on your experience and people you might know, Do you think 3D Vehicle art is a good thing to follow and spend time in for a job in entertaiment industry?

[gritty halo]

This really depends on your personal situation and location. There definitely are dedicated vehicle artist roles at bigger game studios. These roles are pretty rare though. On the other hand they do have less competition than for example normal environment artists.

You have to be very specialized in that for this to work though. (As with everything AAA).

Another option would be working in the automotive sector. This would be less modeling cars but more the rendering stage. There are a lot of studios that work with big car manufacturers and produce visualizations, reveal trailers, technical animation, etc.

Might be worth looking into this as the job requirements are usually a lot less than AAA (and that’s most likely the other option, since most indies or AA usually don’t need a dedicated vehicle artist)

[spring atlas]

Do you think it will be hard to find a job?

In vehicles?

And there will be good payment for it?

[spring atlas]

btw I saw your portfolio, they are awesome man!

[gritty halo]

Thank you! The industry is pretty unclear at the moment. No one really knows if things will pick up, or when they will. There are occasional jobs. Though rarely for juniors or entry level positions.

It also depends on industry. Games is really hard right now. Hard not only in skill but also in just getting the opportunity to show what you can do.

The automotive space is kind of a double sinking ship right now (Depending on your location). Especially european car manufactures are having their worst years in a while right now with heavy competition from asia. The VFX space in general already is pretty bumpy with studios closing one after the other. Obviously some are still running and operating just fine. Though totally honest its tough to find anything right now, even for people with prior work experience. With the massive amount of layoffs everywhere in the 3D space competition is fierce. You're essentially competing with seniors for junior or mid level positions.

Not meant to disencourage, and there are still opportunities, but keep in mind that times are tough and unpredictable right now!

[spring atlas]

Thanks!

[wraith mortar]

Yeah not an artist but almost every job won't even look at me since I can only contract, their HR will filter me out regardless of my work, I need someone on the inside to have any chance

i.e. I can't be an employee in any country worth working in because I live on a remote backwater island lol

That + the current economy is difficult

Can't imagine being junior/intermediate, even senior isn't enough. I think it's easier for artists due to how studios view contractors though. But that definitely doesn't mean it's easy, at all

A lot of studios still view contractors as temporary and limit it to outsourcing studios (not the kind you typically see spamming or borderline harassing people who post here with their low quality work). There are some progressive places who take contractors in the nature of employment to increase their range of options

I blame the current economy and situation with games on the people from older generations specifically who took all the wealth + America who voted for this

[north dagger]

hi

[oblique ice]

interesting point

[exotic sundial]

oki

[cinder basalt]

hi

[grim gulch]

Hello,
Looking for an internship, is this the correct chat?

[round radish]

#instructions

[next pumice]

Feels bad when every single VFX job opening is Senior. Seniors range from 5-20 years. The competition is wild. Mans just out here trying to live.

I'm going to be forced out of the industry and into a normie job 🙃

Been working for 7 years. And now impossible to find a job, I'm not even bad at what I do

[spice dagger]

With all of the layoffs from major AAA companies, there is a flood of talent on the market.

There is likely to be more layoffs going forward as well.

[ivory echo]

That’s happened in other industries as well. This is life now

[next pumice]

Oh what a time to be alive 😄

[naive berry]

Hi, anyone here from the game industry?
I’m trying to get into it. I studied design — know a bit of everything, mostly focused on 3d modeling, texturing, and rendering.
any tips or help would be amazing. thinking an internship could be a good start — what do you guys think?

[oblique ice]

just do it 👍🏻

[winged dragon]

where do you look for job?

[delicate imp]

you peep gracklehq?

[next pumice]

what

[delicate imp]

www.gracklehq.com

its a job site

[next pumice]

Oh I have not

[delicate imp]

would highly recommend

[next pumice]

I thought you miss typed for a second lol

[delicate imp]

I'm in there frequently just to see whats poppin off in the job space

hahaha sorry. I assume people know about it

[next pumice]

haha nah, I google and watch linked in and such and there is a google doc somewhere

[delicate imp]

ah yeah Linkedin is great. I used Workwithindies as well.

you're a vfx artist right?

@next pumice

[tardy burrow]

When applying for full-time jobs, is it okay to message a company's recruiter for feedback on your portfolio? Asking as a senior undergrad student who wants to work as a technical artist who has no prior work experience.

[next pumice]

I am yes, vfx boy here

[next pumice]

recruiters usually in my experience know nothing about what you do. you'd want to ask other TA's for feedback

[delicate imp]

It depends. like Finn said they usually know nothing about it, but they could ask the TA to provide feedback.

Ultimately there's no harm in doing so, because that's literally you're only option lol.
If you had the interview with the Technical artist then I would ask them directly via email or linkedin

[delicate imp]

oh ok bet. If you're not on the RTVFX discord? mind if i dm you an invite? Theres a lot of nice people on there, and its perpetually VFX brained lol

[next pumice]

I've been part of the rtvfx dc for like 6 years now 😉

[delicate imp]

LOL oh man. I should really learn to check the mutuals haha.

[normal patio]

hey guys, i have a question for getting a job as game designer in whatever role or QA, im wondering if someone has a project that was made, but they copied gameplay mechanics blueprints from a template to his project, and it is on your portfolio so interviewers can see, would they care if mechanics were copied or no? if so do templates help you, learn, take notes, etc to create your own protype and help you get a job or no?

[delicate imp]

Template are great to learn. Thats what they're there for. I would not recommend copying them though.

[normal patio]

why not copy them, would you tell me why?

[void gust]

Because then you won't learn anything.

[ivory echo]

You can build your project from a template, it’s encouraged actually

Just don’t try to release it as is and pretend it’s a finished product, like others have

And realistically if you’re at the point where you’re looking for a job, the template should be a minuscule part of your project

[normal patio]

what do you mean by that, and how do templates make you learn, do they show you what nodes are needed and what you should create, like do i need to take notes on what nodes i should use or create that what i saw in the template? or no?

[normal patio]

like for example: i need to know how to Make a Health system and what Variables i need to create, i watched a tutorial or saw that variable on template and they were called Current Health And Max Health?

[ivory echo]

A UE default template is very basic, like FPS char with shooting and pickup mechanics and so on. It won’t teach you a whole lot but if you’re just starting out it gives you an idea of how these things work, and what nodes they use to make them work and so on. Up to you if you want to take notes but you can just build on top of that template, that’s what they were created for. Later on, you might not need it, but it’s a good start. Nothing to do with your career tho, you need quite a bit of knowledge even to get hired as an intern afaik, so this discussion is kinda moot. First you need to learn UE and how to code etc, and build projects or specific complex systems. By the time you get there, templates will be an afterthought

[normal patio]

Well no I was asking these things because I heard that you have answer technical questions or gameplay mechanics/system questions or other questions and do a game design test. Technically what I was discussing was basically what would interviewers think or hire and all that?

[ivory echo]

I doubt any interview would ask you questions about how UE templates work

What I was trying to tell you is that building a project on top of a template is not a bad thing. That’s about it

[normal patio]

like what do you mean building a project on top of a template?

[delicate imp]

If I can jump in. I think @ivory echo is saying that taking a template, and expanding on it is a good way to go.

[normal patio]

oh, also this poped up in my head are you allowed to deconstruct the template like for example this template has a gameplay mechancic and its working with these nodes, but can i make this mechanic with a different blueprint, or deconstruct the nodes or organization to create a new one to see if there other ways to make this mechanic work?

[delicate imp]

yeah as far as I can tlel, theres no problem with that.

[lone vigil]

https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/258aa538o412ok/grand-theft-auto-vi-is-now-coming-may-26-2026
HOLY SHIT

[summer marlin]

Need data entry person

[round radish]

Aint no other games coming out in April or May 2026 now.

[ivory echo]

Gonna laugh if it comes out and it’s worthless slop

[spice night]

it most likely is

they abandoned rdr2 to work on it

[woeful iron]

you mean red dead online?

[worldly pier]

can people still be considered a technical artist if they are only willing to do node based systems and 3d art?

[leaden portal]

Hé

[north dagger]

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

[ivory echo]

That college may need to start teaching students how mirrors work 🙃

Even my cat seems to have that figured out and I’m pretty sure she didn’t get higher education

[winged dragon]

what are any websites where we can find unreal related jobs?

[subtle yacht]

Hey everyone, Is it possible to get some freelancing advice here?

[round radish]

http://www.dontasktoask.com

Also good freelancing advice, I feel.

[subtle yacht]

Been sent that before 😭
Was just making sure I was in the correct channel

[round radish]

Oh!

Then yeah, sure!

[subtle yacht]

Hey Everyone, I am a 3D Prop Artiwt and I am looking for any advice that can help me get more Clients in the gaming industury, I have worked with a bunch of Solo indie developers but it wasnt the best, in turns of pay, growing my connections or experiences.

So im perhaps looking to work with a bit bigger more serious indie teams instead of solo developers, Would Apprecaite any advice or direction of how I would achieve that, or what would be the best thing to do from here

Here is my work as reference:
https://www.artstation.com/medo-shoura

[digital jasper]

Hi everyone! I'm relatively new to 3D Environment Art and currently working on my first portfolio, aiming to break into the game development industry. I would really appreciate it if you could take a look and share any feedback — positive or constructive — to help me improve! 🙏 https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RK665e

[wraith mortar]

Good connections come from working with people who have good connections + impressing them
It is very hard to build a network when doing freelance/contract work at a non-senior level and/or for clients who aren't well funded (this is true for indie also, indie still needs funding)
Getting into roles that result in good connections is a combination of luck + portfolio
If your portfolio isn't good, it won't matter if you get lucky, it will amount to nothing, in other words luck is only available to people who put the work in

The portfolio is very basic hard-surface modelling and not a lot of it, but none of those pieces are poor, and its better to have less work rather than poor work
Your portfolio won't hurt you, if someone needs art that is at your level
But you should invest time in leveling up and producing work that demonstrates that, but the biggest issue your portfolio has atm is that it doesn't demonstrate a wide range of assets, a client will often look at your portfolio with something specific they need in mind, and if its not there, they won't know if you can do it or not, and likely go with someone who does have it

[subtle yacht]

Thanks for the insight, Really appreciate it
I do understand that my portfolio doesnt cover a variety of assets, But I still cant cover every single need that a client might have, Thats another thing that I have had in mind
I have currently got into environment art to change that a bit, Do more variety of assets while learning a new thing all toghether, What would you say about that?

What would you suggest I do with my portfolio at the moment, I know that I am capable of creating quality assets, But from what I understood, My portfolio doesn't convey that, I'd love to hear your thoughts on that

Again, thank you for the feedback!!

So from what I understand, Indie developers wont know if I can do something if its not in my portfolio
I have always put myself in the shoes of an experienced modeler thats looking to hire, For example if he can see a quality X asset, He knows I can do Y etc. If that makes sense.

What should I be focusing on in Terms of Portfolio pieces now?
As I said, I am transitioning into environments, What would be a good 3-4 pieces to have + what I have right now

nevermind about the last question, Its very vague i feel

[wraith mortar]

Personally if I were in your shoes I would build a small level, or a small section of a level

Maybe even a few different ones, e.g. dirty area of a modern city, area of a viking village or inside a hall -- stuff like that

[winged dragon]

I spent the last 3 years working as a 3D generalist on a start up. And now if I need to change jobs, it feels like I wasted my time, because everyone wants a person speciliased in one area only.
While I was doing a bit of everything. And tips what should I do?

[round radish]

Pick something, specialise and go for a job in that. Or apply for jobs and then specialise in the one that you get?

[hollow nexus]

Does anyone have any advice on funding sources for indie development? I'm nudging into the zone where I'd like to hire an art developer so the visual content can develop in tandem with the game logic, but it's still a "would be nice if" rather than, "this project will die if I don't", in that I don't have a deadline, just trying to think a little more in terms of business than hobby.

[spice night]

To be honest I am struggling with that myself, but I heard fiver is nice
that and servers like this where you can post jobs listings and such

Also does anyone have any tips for going into game design and making gdds?

[subtle yacht]

Thats what I am doing right now, Will see how it will help, And after that Ill do something else which is different.

Thanks for the advice, Appreciate it!

[tacit tapir]

Hey guys, I’m a game designer working on a game prototype in UE5. I’m looking for a couple of volunteers to test the logic in a working branch. It’s blueprint-based, and I’ll provide everything you need. Would love your help!

[woeful iron]

one thing I keep hearing is people don't know how to read #instructions

[wraith mortar]

And if you don't read #instructions are you even capable of teaching?

[modest vessel]

You got very hard transitions between objects. Stones have a straight line, to the ground, ground is also very flat. Try looking in nature how things transition.
Trees look good at the stump but you can actually see the verticies at the top. with stuff like nanite, you dont need to worry about being low poly. Also Branches have a tendency to always get thinner towards the tip. You can look at references. they dont need to be references of all the prop, they can also be of parts. like if you like 1 part of a tree, you can just take that as a reference.

Its kinda hard to break into the industry rn because the entry level is senior.

Things that really stand out are the flames and the atmostpher. Composition is also great!

[modest vessel]

I notice that many of your props have edge wear at the very tip of the edge. that makes it look very pointy.

Your hammer is very nice, though the wood looks a bit like plastic towards the head. Thats because it looks very smooth. Sharpness or stronger variation in the roughness could break that effect.

The gun is also very cool but the handle doesnt genuinely look like it was produced in a factory. it looks quite soft and subD modeled because its such a smooth shape.

Over all nice portfolio. theres not much I can say.

[digital jasper]

thank you very much @modest vessel for the feedback i try my best now i make a new project but the topology is killing me i want to make a realtime models for games so always i make a high poly and then try to decimate it and keep a clean topology as much as i can for the low poly i see a lots of videos but noone will show you the workflow for example to make an asset in blender then bake it in substaince painter and the import it into unreal engine and there is so many bugs for example when you import the roughness map into unreal engine you have to turn off manual the RGB otherwise your model is always very shine...nvm i will not give up i know its hard to get a job but i will try my best. Thanks again for your feedback !!!

[modest vessel]

High to low poly is a good workflow for quality but dont feel forced to decimate it. Sometimes its quicker to make a lowpoly from scratch.

At the end of the video, I add split edges and a triangulate modifier. if when exporting you set smoothing to edge, you can just import that model to UE and Substance painter without having to reexport from substance for the normals to work.

Tree it is also great btw. its a free alternative to speedtree. Polymodeling trees is kinda insane.

[candid oak]

Hello everyone I would be grateful if I could have someone help me on my resume. I have a resume and it’s a bit too long(3 pages) I heard that 1 page is golden but not sure if that’s true or not, along with the format and the word construction, if anyone can provide constructive criticism that would be appreciated thanks. I’m trying to apply for a game programmer job and keep getting rejected. Some assistance would be appreciated thank you.

[oblique flower]

anyone gone through cgspectrum and willing to chat with me about their experience? I'm looking at the real time course
https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/realtime-3d-foundations#course-information

[oblique flower]

I should be able to help with this after being a graphic designer for quite a while, hold on. I'll dm when I'm able

what software are you using to edit with?

[candid oak]

Google docs

[void gust]

The Smith & Wesson 642 comes with this grip straight from the factory. 😆

[modest vessel]

bad wording on my end.
I was meant to say that the grip looks allot like 1 unit. While that type of piece is usually injection moulded in 2 halves and then screwed to the metal, therefor creating a seam along the middle.
The roughness makes it look like soft rubber. Hard plastics scratch in contact with dirt and get shiney when held allot. Soft plastics (also kinda scratch) but they get a smeared look from use. (they also get shiney if used allot)

[strange plinth]

sadly Rider is still bad at keeping TODO colors when editing the file

[void gust]

Yes, you are right about the seam. I actually missed that detail. 😅 But the grips material is supposed to be soft for comfort and concealablity. That's what it actually looks like in real life. So, his model isn't entirely incorrect.

But, eh, what the heck. I'm all for artistic liberty.

[high dawn]

Whats process for reporting someone whos contacted personally to promote their freelance ??

[chilly sundial]

DM a mod

[ivory echo]

Hire them, for sure 🙃

[main glade]

Then do a charge back?

[void gust]

And then convince the freelancer to make NFT's for you.

[pulsar turret]

Hi guys. What kind of portfolio would you recommend for someone trying to get hired as a general gameplay programmer ? (not necessarily for a paid position, but rev share too). I've heard that full games are useless, that implementing specific mechanics is better to show off skills, do you guys have examples of portfolios ?

[digital gate]

Not a recruiter, but something like this is pretty cool: https://hugo.fyi/projects/bolt-storm#

Strong points:

• You can see the gameplay right away
• Hugo lists all the things done on the project, and if you're interested you can see little snippets
• The portfolio has multiple different projects and demonstrates a hunger for technical exploration

Weak points:

• It's pretty slow
• It does also feature art (which just means that time was invested in ways that weren't programming)
• You can't directly play right away (even itch downloads will probably be skipped)

game jams are a great way to build up a body of mechanics you've implemented.

[digital gate]

Having some source available might make it more appealing to some folks, but as long as people can look at the portfolio for 5 minutes with the takeaway of "Hey, there's a few interesting things to interview about, and this indicates this person might be able to program games" you're going to have a much better time than if the takeaway is "This person is great at following tutorials" or "I can't tell whether this person did anything for the projects they're listing"

[pulsar turret]

Indeed, it's a pretty impressive portfolio. There are a lot of different things, projects contribution, hardware projects, involved in a variety of stuff in each project.

[strange plinth]

im to lazy for now to do a per-project page

but yeah its the best

[cloud swan]

Hi, I’m looking for remote internship opportunities in game development and 3D modeling. I’m still a beginner, but I’m really eager to find a way to grow within a company. I have some unique ideas, including one that’s very important for my portfolio, which I’m still working on. However, it’s been challenging to work on it alone. I have a strong interest in learning and contributing something unique to the video game industry.

Portfolio: https://www.artstation.com/coffeehead

[spring atlas]

I'm glad to to finaly publish my big project, the Decegani Nevada 5.7

[ivory echo]

That front corner above the wheel hub is an eye sore ngl

Also see #rules on self-promotion and #instructions if you’re looking for a job

[spring atlas]

Thanks for kindly warning me 😄

[cloud swan]

Thank you so much!

[candid river]

senior web3 dev

here

[wild crag]

small question here - I am looking to do some volunteer work for my internship, it would need to be confirmed by a company in the end - before i place myself at the #hire-a-freelancer, i wanted to ask if I shouldnt even bother or anyone could advise me a better approach 😂

[wet oak]

Hi guys. So I was wondering if anyone could spare some tips on landing a job in the gaming industry.

I’m a passionate gamer and game developer (mostly gameplay programming) with 5 years of mostly solo experience with both Unity and Unreal engine.
I’d like to get into the industry and need advice on application and things to look out for. If you’re also in the industry already, an insight would be highly appreciated!

[ember dagger]

Hello. Two years in AAA, seven years indie on the side before that, I'm a QA Analyst by trade.

Before I give any advice, please keep something in mind: the industry is insanely competitive right now. More than it's been in ages. The amount of layoffs have put people fresh out of college against people with 10 or 20 years of experience, so do not feel bad if the path to get into regular work takes a while. It's painful for everyone right now. The odds say you are not going to find something right now; this is not to discourage you, this is just to let you know that it will take time.

Apologies as this may go a bit long, since I'm going to try to be thorough for you and anyone else interested.

As for actual advice: Showing your work is something that is often appreciated. Not the final product, so much, but how you reached that stage. You mention being a gameplay specialist. Do you prefer doing the actor AIs? Combat? If you have a linkedIn, I would begin by periodically posting videos of things you've built. Show a neat inventory system, or assassination implementation in a combat system. Feel free to use open source or free assets to show off what you can do, but be transparent about what you made. Explain if you use Blueprints, C++, or a combination.

List finished projects on your LinkedIn profile or wherever else you are applying for jobs. LinkedIn is fine for AAA, if you want to go with indie, A, or even AA, it's a lot easier if you just... get to know others in the community? People remember kind/helpful people. So just hanging around in the spaces, encouraging others, chatting, etc, goes a lot further than just throwing every single application in.

(Breaking up this post to start another because of length, sorry. )

[ember dagger]

(Follow-up to previous post by me)

What to look out for in AAA:

• Know the labor laws of your country/city. You need to know them.
• Do not ever do personal work on company equipment. I have had to explain this to juniors. What you do on the premises if in person is debatable. What you do on their equipment could be owned by them entirely. I would not even discuss my personal work in the office because of horror stories. They're not common, but better safe than sorry.
• Some companies may forbid you from working on other projects while you're with them. If you have something you are/have been working on, declare it before you start. There is a section in every contract about inventions/ips/etc that you own. You declare them then and may have to provide (minimal) documentation. This is usually not an issue unless what you are making is in direct competition with what the studio might be developing, but that's highly unlikely to be an issue unless you're moonlighting for a competitor.
• ** "Moonlighting" is potentially barred by a potential contract,** so keep that in mind. Moonlighting being working another job/making money outside of your current "primary" job. If that's an issue, address it before you sign anything.
• **Know that you can ask for alterations of your contract and severance before you sign either. **I've done both. But you need to be up front and hold your ground when it's something important to you.

A general red flag:

• Any studio/company/etc that says they're like family is a sign you should run. Like friends? Yeah that's fine. You want to work with people you like and are encouraging of you. You do not want, however, a place that will put on any emotional baggage. Remember, it is a job. You do not owe a studio any more than what you are paid to do and when they begin with "We're like a family" that's usually a Bad Sign.
• ** If they aren't transparent about the expectations/hours of the role**; It is unfortunately very normal for games to have some degree of overtime. This is usually a failing of C-Team, production, whoever for not having reasonable expectations for goals vs time but sometimes it just happens. A game goes out and you find out it only crashes on Nvidia hardware or something, and then you have to patch it. It is important to ask and hear what their view of overtime is, how they handle it, how common it is, etc. A reasonable place will admit that it happens sometimes and explain how they try to address it. Some places, however, will hear you ask how common overtime is and, uh, laugh. That's not a good sign.

General Advice:

• Have healthy boundaries. I have done crunch, the death march, the grinder, whatever stupid name you want to call it. I straight up do not remember about three months of my life because I was getting maybe three hours of sleep a night at that time. You do not want to do this. This is part of why the average 'lifespan' of a gamedev, at least in AAA, is 3-5 years.
• Have a hobby outside of gaming. Any hobby. This is going to sound weird, but like... to make it long term, having at least one other thing to get away from work will help. Even if it's just doing puzzles, reading, etc. Do something else to have some way to clear your head after work.
• Learn how to explain your processes/document. Arguably way more important than being a great programmer, designer, etc is knowing how to explain what you did and why. Document and comment as if someone random is going to pick up your work in ten years so they can look at things and know what the hell they're seeing. Even if it's a confluence page. Or google docs. Something. Someone who can explain how they did things has an advantage over all other candidates.

[wet oak]

Hi @ember dagger , thanks a lot for the detailed response. I really appreciate the honesty and the time you took to share this.

I’m definitely aware of how tough things are in the industry right now with all the layoffs, and while it’s disheartening, it helps to know that it’s something many are going through together.

I especially liked what you said about showing the process and not just the final result. I’ve mostly worked solo, so I’ve been sitting on a lot of gameplay systems I’ve built (movement, combat and AI behaviors), and I’ll definitely start posting breakdowns of those with proper context on what I implemented and how.

I had a quick follow-up if you don’t mind.
In your opinion, what’s a better entry point right now, internships or trying to go straight for full-time roles?
Or maybe even contract/freelance gigs to get a foot in the door?

[ember dagger]

(Final, general post before I answer your question, just to put this out for anyone else interested/lurking)

Also, keep in mind that an "industry" job is a subjective term. You could work for a publisher, there are AAA Studios, there are AA, A, and indie also has it's own tiers. Larian is technically AAA but indie. Supergiant is AA and indie as they self-publish.

You may also find better luck by trying to find work at an outsource studio or a developer of plugins/tools/etc. The question is really what type of work you're looking for. If you want to build a lot of different things and not work on one specific set of mechanics, you may prefer working on tools or with an outsource team, or even developing your own things to sell in the marketplaces.

It is really very YMMV.

[ember dagger]

@wet oak It depends on your preference/what you're trying to go for, tbh. I realize that doesn't sound terribly helpful at the moment, but what you would like to get into/what you enjoy doing is often a good way of developing your path.

If you enjoy the entire process, it might not be a bad idea to do a game jam project just to show you can scope, complete, and implement a functioning system. Even if you can't finish in the jam's timeframe, that's actually totally fine if you can explain where things either got more involved than you expected, or why you decided to take longer. For example, taking a few days more because you knew the AI needed more work.

Internships are tricky from what I've heard. If you have the option, by all means go for it, but they may not always be paid or pay much depending on who it's with/where. Full-time roles can sometimes be found on a contract basis for just a few months, which may not be quite as competitive, so that's a note.

Most places, however, tend to do a contract basis, either for a project or year's duration before they'll consider making someone permanent in AAA in my experience and from what I've learned from others. A co-worker had one place that just renewed his contract every year. ...For seven years. 🫠 So if they say they only do contract, that may be what they mean. (Please note that this does not bar you from pay increases, it's just a stupid industry quirk.)

Freelance never hurts to do a bit of, as it will help you build a portfolio, but just make sure that you are upfront with clients that you would like the ability to show your work as a portfolio piece and negotiate either the length of time before you can show it if a project isn't announced, if you can show it immediately, or charge a bit more if you can't use it for your portfolio.

Having a marketing background as my day job before I got into AAA, I'm also going to say that if you want to do small projects to show off your work/skills, attempting to recreate a mechanic from a game as a short video is always going to get attention, a plugin, an asset, tutorials, or something else will always go very far. If people can see/toy with what you've made, that will always stand out.

[wet oak]

Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this out. Seriously, this is one of the most insightful and grounded pieces of advice I’ve ever received.

I appreciate you addressing not just the practical steps I can take, but also the realities of working in the industry, and that’s something I really needed to hear right now.

A few things really stuck with me,

• The importance of process > product when showcasing my work. I’ve always been working towards showing off a finished product, which you might have guessed, takes a lot of time even for the smallest project as a solo dev
• Knowing what to look out for legally when going into AAA. I never gave this a lot of thought. Thanks for shedding light on that aspect!

Almost feels like I’ve been pushing hard in the wrong direction all these while 😅

Thanks again for all the guidance it’s really given me clarity and motivation to keep pushing forward (but in a smarter, healthier way).

[spring atlas]

If i want my name to be there, it costs money? and how I have to do that?

[ember dagger]

Of course! I'm always happy to help. I love this industry, and I love what I do, but I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to everyone in it not to be transparent and help try to improve things. Having started in indie, there are good and bad things to both sides, (lack of money vs the limitations that come with having so much money involved for example).

I hate having to tell people the realities but also the teams I worked with were all hit by layoffs, myself included. Someone who had been in the industry since 1995 is still hunting for a job almost a year later. My own sister was laid off last June, got picked up by Ubisoft, and then laid off again a month later when they closed studios. It's that kind of tough right now. Which is also why I emphasize that if nothing comes up immediately, it doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. It's just a really rough period right now.

And please don't feel you've been going about things wrong either! There's really not a lot of things out there about how to show off what you do in a collaborative field. Everything you've learned and done to this point will still help you along the way and are still incredibly important. Honestly, a willingness to learn and adapt alone will get you very far!

[ivory echo]

I don’t think so, you just use the bot to post your portfolio

[spring atlas]

I don't know how to do that, can you help me?

[ivory echo]

Read #instructions there’s hyperlinks showing you how to do this stuff

[wet oak]

It really helps to hear all of this laid out so honestly, especially from someone who’s been on both the indie and AAA sides of the industry. I know things are rough now, and I appreciate you taking the time to not just share advice, but also context and encouragement.

Thanks again!

[spring atlas]

Thanks

[plucky hatch]

I just read the story of a girl who abandoned high school to study at home and passed the university entrance exam. However, by dropping out of HS she didn't possess the HS certificate and couldn't enroll at the university. In her site she cites this https://www.startse.com/en/

I was wondering. I dropped out of college and game related jobs doesn't require specific degrees. Would enrolling at some program such as startse help in any way? I could apply for universities abroad, but what about those other type of schools such as startse?

[spice dagger]

Are you asking if this would help you get a job in the Games Industry, or are you asking if this will help you get into a University?

[plucky hatch]

about the job

[spice dagger]

I guess it entirely depends on what jobs and with who you are applying to.

Whether or not they recognize that as sufficient evidence for competence.

Generally speaking, you will typically do much better with more experience under your belt.

At a certain point, degrees become meaningless.

[mint skiff]

If it's between this and university, do uni.

[spice dagger]

I think they dont have much choice since they dropped out?

[mint skiff]

i don't think that precludes re-enrolling, and they did mention enrolling abroad 🤷‍♂️

[spice dagger]

Fair.

I would agree that if you want formal education as a foot in the door, university would be the go to choice.

[oblique ice]

is accurate, i see profile of student at university and they opportunity even to have internship is no issue

[plucky hatch]

Well, I decided to read that girl's instagram and found out that she was rejected by 30 US universities. She scored perfect in SAT. I guess, her whole life was overfocused on grades alone. There is one post where she mentions suffering from anorexia at the age of 15.

I'll just keep going with my level design project

[void gust]

It's not because she was over focused on her grades. It's because the system here is often times garbage.

[fiery plinth]

Really depends on where you are, the advantage of any formal education is the potential scouting that businesses do at their local uni or college

[plucky hatch]

she is now enrolled in a local college that is 4 years old. A new college with an entrance exam that consists of essay, interview and some short math exam. They advertise themselves as "revolutionary way to learn, Problem Based Learning"

[plucky hatch]

found this article https://rostrumedu.com/why-admissions-at-top-us-universities-arent-perfect/

[jaunty lichen]

Hello please feel free to dm me if you are interested in forming a study group for unreal engine (im new so im still ignorant to some things and am seeking some sense of community)

[fiery galleon]

im finding out it is much tougher to land a full time position than say 4 years ago. I see an avalanche of qualified unemployed. My portfolio is much better now and cant get an interview, let alone be N1. So something is happening in 2025. In 2021 I got interviews and had a role as 3d lead in a global company. Today its hopeless at the moment.

[void gust]

No, it's worse than what the article says. These colleges will reject applications just because they don't like Chinese people. Blatant racism. In the year 2023, the US Supreme Court found that the ivy league universities, like Harvard, knowingly and intentionally discriminated against people. To this day, there are still lawsuits related to racial discrimination in places like New York and California.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_Fair_Admissions_v._Harvard#:~:text=In 2013%2C Students for Fair,by discriminating against Asian Americans.

[plucky hatch]

in my country unisities rely on admission exams, 180 multi choice questions + essay. two Sundays. Covers every subject. Some universities rely on their own exam, up to 100 multiple choice covering everything, then ppl with low scores are cut off. Those who pass the first phase have another exam, essay + essay questions. Some private univeristies are adopting interviews or something else in addition to exams.

the only barrier for international students here is really the language, nothing else

[mossy harbor]

does anyone know if there's a market for converting blueprints to c++? im still getting started with freelancing, and im not quite confident enough yet that i could create full complex and large systems (atleast fast enough) without stuff to base it off of. but i recently managed to snag a gig of converting bp to c++, and i was wondering if thats atleast somewhat common or did i just get really really lucky.

[outer mulch]

as far as I know, there isn't a direct conversion system for BP to CPP, no plugin or anything exists. The best we can do for now is to link them i'm pretty sure. Like use CPP to get a reference from BP or something (i'm not an expert). So yes, there is an opportunity here

[grave cove]

Epic pulled out the version they had in the engine for a while. There have been a couple of attempts at providing it as a tool.
@mystic cloud been working on one for a while though I'm not sure it's current status.

[mystic cloud]

https://zeroitlab.com/en/bp2cpp

There is a market for converting BPs to C++ as a freelancer, BP2CPP is an external tool that automates this but its not available as an indie license yet ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[mossy harbor]

oh okay, good to know, tho i also think its probably just my low self esteem that makes me think i couldnt do other stuff (atleast well enough). since i do quite alot of things in my own projects.

[ivory echo]

@mystic cloud you need to do more marketing these people have no idea

Oh just saw your post 😅

[mild vector]

the only way you can get 30 rejections with perfect grades and SAT scores is if you're farming rejections so you can sell a product with that number as a tag line

bet she applied to 500

[round radish]

You can get perfect grades and sat scores and still be a disaster as a person.

[oblique ice]

agree, can also best grades and do so good in exam and still be idiot

[plain plinth]

❓ I'm trying to figure out how to learn to be a good mentor.

Many books that get recommended are on leadership. That sometimes includes mentoring, but the two have different goals, so often the lessons about mentorship are shallow.

I'm told that learning by doing is a productive method. I don't see a "mentorship" channel in this server to make a post in. Historically I haven't had anyone take me up on it since I don't have experience, "Why should I learn from you?" So I'm curious if anyone has a recommendation for getting started as a mentor.

[strange plinth]

#instructions

[frozen quest]

I dunno where else to post this so I guess here will work

I've been thinking, if most of us game devs work solo and make no money

why not make no money together?

[round radish]

If you're looking for people to work with, #instructions

[frozen quest]

start a remote studio and create small teams to dev faster and better

then maybe we get like a breakthrough

[frozen quest]

I'm not

let me finish pls

SO I was thinking

I definitely can't be the first guy to have this idea

so what's stopping everyone from doing this?

and im not talking about people recruiting other people to work on their ideas

im talking 3-4 people agree to come up with an idea together, split roles based on specialties, and get to making something that none of them could achieve on their own in that timeframe

obviously a contract would help in case they turn a profit and wanna be safe

but it seems easy with how remote work is

we're all working remotely anyway

[chilly sundial]

that's not a new concept

[frozen quest]

I know it's not

[digital gate]

Are you wanting to discuss that concept then?

[chilly sundial]

There's an entire channel dedicated to it here: #rev-share-jobs

[frozen quest]

but what's stopping people from doing that

instead of working solo

I see no disadvantages

[chilly sundial]

I'm not sure about you, but I don't want to dedicate my free time to earn money for someone else's dream game

[digital gate]

Have you tried doing rev share before?

I can think of loads

[frozen quest]

im talking 3-4 people agree to come up with an idea together

if I want people to work on my idea, i best be paying them to

[chilly sundial]

Getting 3-4 people to agree on an idea without lots of compromises is a pipe dream

[round radish]

Living the pipe dream

[chilly sundial]

Plus you've got the fact that most of these teams are international. If someone cuts and runs, recourse is very very hard

[digital gate]

Here's one: You invest months of your life into this project, but didn't have bulletproof contracts and now another person on the time is engaging in social manipulation to force you out. Technically there's no revenue yet, and you all verbally agreed that if anybody leaves before launch, they surrender revshare claims.

Gold splits better three ways than four.

[chilly sundial]

I'd rather make my own idea in it's entirety solo and earn little to nothing than to work on compromises for little to nothing and the chance of being scammed

[frozen quest]

wouldn't a contract help with that

[frozen quest]

yea just gotta make a bulletproof contract i guess

[chilly sundial]

Revshare can work great if you've already got a standing relationship with those people

[digital gate]

But then, I am distrustful, competent in my role, and don't have many long-running contacts.

So, then others who are more trusting, and have long-running partnerships with people, they don't have that issue

[frozen quest]

so build relationships with people in the community with similar interests, only then you try to work with them?

[chilly sundial]

A contract is worth only your means of enforcement. If you don't have funding for a project you definitely don't have international legal battle funding

[round radish]

A contract is only as good as it is enforceable. If you trust anyone with money, they take it and you can't afford a lengthy legal battle in another country, you're screwed.

Damn.

[chilly sundial]

Not quite, those relationships I'm talking of are more "We already worked together for years in a studio" or, "we've been friends for many years"

You need someone you can wholeheartedly trust

[frozen quest]

drat

so it is a pipe dream

[digital gate]

Another problem is that you're attaching your outcome to the skills of others. If you didn't properly verify that your artist can art, it may not matter how excellent your narrative or mechanics are.

There are obviously ways to do this, but it's not all upsides

[frozen quest]

yea but that should be taken into consideration before you assemble your little superhero team

[chilly sundial]

And even in the most ideal of teams. Lets say you've got 3 people who are all perfect trustworthy individuals. You've got legal money and a bulletproof contract.
Circumstances change

[frozen quest]

i think you accidentally pressed enter

[chilly sundial]

I did indeed

That's why i edit :P

[frozen quest]

I'm not broke, just unwilling to invest a lot into a game at the moment

so if something turns out a big profit i can do legal

[chilly sundial]

What happens if the one person on your art side suddenly has family matters and they need to work a second job. There goes your artist.
What if one person decides they no longer want to spend their free time doing what they also do for work.
What if one person decides they no longer like the vision of the project, but they've been outvoted

[frozen quest]

but there still stands the issue of getting along with your teammates basically

[chilly sundial]

There's also just life, and life likes to get in the way of plans

[round radish]

If soemthing turns a bit profit and it's not you that gets the profit, it isn't going to mean shit if you need that profit to sue someone over not getting it.

[chilly sundial]

I had a project once with a long standing friend, but he got a new job and the project fell apart after that.

[digital gate]

Having been a naysayer, I do like the idea of a coop of competent developers that work well together and can be adults about things, that has everything pinned down by lawyers. But I haven't started one and I don't currently see a path to doing so.

[frozen quest]

i have a lawyer that could write me a solid contract if it ever came to things

[chilly sundial]

Personally I just don't see the point. If you've got money for all of that being pinned down by lawyers and actually enforceable, you've probably got money, or at least avenues to get money, to fund the project

[frozen quest]

consider it some sort of investment into creating the team

[frozen quest]

yea that makes sense

then what about if people come together short-term to create prototypes for their portfolios

without a big commitment

[digital gate]

I could probably get something off the ground, financially speaking, but its a lot of risk when I can't think of who my co-founders would be

[chilly sundial]

That's a fairly common stance. I see a lot of revshare jobs where it's just people making stuff for their portfolios and splitting proceeds if it goes anywhere

[frozen quest]

yea im in the same boat

[digital gate]

But I'd want everyone to buy in at some level

[frozen quest]

do you think I should give it a try?

[chilly sundial]

Up to you. Only you can decide on that one.

[digital gate]

Have you done game jams yet?

[frozen quest]

I'm pretty sure I have a chance to work at ubisoft if I get a little better portfolio

[frozen quest]

i did two but they honestly just sucked, my solo projects reflect my skills way better

[round radish]

By the time you improve your portfolio, Ubisoft probably won't exist 😂

[frozen quest]

honestly it's just a matter of getting in

then moving over wouldn't be so hard

i don't like ubisoft

but if they're semi-willing to hire me then ill take my shot

i can make flying turds during the day and whatever i want at night for all i care

I don't really view game development as work most of the time

i just launch the engine and go full sandbox mode

[round radish]

Wait until you spend 60 hours of your week making something you don't care about and know will fail.

Then it gets review bombed and nobody likes it.

[frozen quest]

struggle is part of the journey i guess

[round radish]

What I mean is, making games is work when you work for someone like Ubisoft. However passionate you are, you're working for a soulless corporate machine.

[frozen quest]

I would honestly much rather work for a successful indie studio

even if it pays less

but the problem is being seen to begin with

if shit doesnt work out by the end of 2026 or something i'll go get a masters degree in HCI and swim in my pool of gold

[round radish]

then you can pay others to help you make your game.

[frozen quest]

yea

i don't like the entitled mentality of people who expect others to collaborate with them for free on their own ideas

if you're working with a team you best be in agreement

otherwise you gotta pay the people

at least for anything more than a prototype

i'll look into revshare for prototyping after im done making the thingy im making now

thanks for the discussion guys

[shut token]

I can be a co-founder! I can even give you PRs that you have to review and reject every time. It'll make you feel like you're in real company! That's what I bring to the table.

That level of authenticity.

[ivory echo]

The rustic, picturesque, authentic developer landscape experience

[ivory echo]

Hoping you also offer quarterly layoffs as a bonus

[ivory geode]

Did someone say RUST

[brisk nebula]

No.... They said "plus". They said it twice... see?

[low crystal]

Huh???

[ivory echo]

https://tenor.com/view/point-hehe-haha-smiling-i-see-what-you-did-there-gif-21567119

[misty rune]

Hi all

[spice dagger]

@wooden saffron Use the Job Board please, read the #instructions channel for more information.

[sacred flax]

rust is cool but i dont like getting offline raided

[void gust]

Is it just me or are ALMOST ALL of the creative jobs in LA?!

[woeful iron]

I think it’s just you

Would be awkward for the rest of the world

[void gust]

Florida ain't got much, TBH. I need to gtfo of here.

As far creative jobs go, that is.

[oblique ice]

where you will move to?

[void gust]

Most likely California. My brother may be able to help.

[sour siren]

Any one know an active freelance platform for us 3d gigs or design gigs

[mental moon]

is it possible to get a job in the industry if I only know blueprints for game logic? or is c++ mandatory?

[round radish]

Depends what you want to do.

"Blueprints for game logic" isn't a job.

It might be a small part of another job.

Generally, blueprints are a small part of a much larger role and are there to assist that role, not be the main focus.

[mental moon]

I was not saying that "Blueprints for game logic" is the job title, obviously

to make it easy, do people get hired if they work with blueprints only and no c++?

[round radish]

See the second half of my answer.

[mental moon]

it's a simple yes or no question lol

[round radish]

If your question is, "can I get a job if I know blueprints for x? " then the answer is no. Doesn't matter what it is. Blueprints are like source control. They are part of your skill set, not a focus.

There are always exceptions, of course.

[mental moon]

I see so both bp and cpp are mandatory to land a job? Obviously this implies knowing how to use both.

as a general rule, not the exceptions. I'm prospecting what should I focus on if I want to build a portfolio for entry level job

[round radish]

BP less so than c++. But if you know c++ then bp is simple.

Again, depends on the job. A lot of ui work can be done in widget blueprints, for instance.

But will require c++ at some point, probably. Maybe that will be down to someone else.

[round radish]

If you want to program with UE, learn c++.

Not just to fit the job, but 99% of people know bp. Knowing c++ well will set you apart.

And if you can't find a job with UE, you have a good fallback.

[round radish]

Like even a QA guy I work with knows enough c++ to have VS installed and to be able to work with me live to fix problems that I can't reproduce on my machine. Knowing that little bit of c++ and how UE works was probably a massive leg up in getting his job.

[ivory echo]

Probably slate too

[round radish]

Slate. Woo!

🥳

[digital gate]

As a programmer?

Consider this: if you’re in the final set of 3 candidates, and the other candidates know BP, C++, and then one of them also knows Python, do you think the employer is going to hire the person who only knows BP?

——-

If you’re not a programmer, then what else do you bring to the table? If you’re an artist who knows BP enough to ask for BP jobs, and your art is good, that sets you apart and will be attractive to smaller indies.

[woeful iron]

I would confidently say if you're applying for a "programmer" position and only know BP, you're never getting into the set of final 3 candidates. You'd be lucky to even be considered a candidate imo

[round radish]

What I've tried to say repeatedly. 😦

[granite brook]

@main urchin The random Karen is right.

[solar elk]

hi im famousham im a noob game dev but i have a lot of game idea and i know html css and a little bit of python

[granite brook]

#introductions is probably a better place.

[solar elk]

oh ok ty

[digital gate]

I’ve seen BP-only-programmer hires out in the wild (though, rare!), but my point is also that even for those roles, knowing C++ or other languages will give you an edge. There’s no reason at all to avoid any tools to be “good enough” - if C++ is truly beyond your capabilities, you should seek additional skills to offer beyond BP itself.

[void gust]

Why do so many people lack humility? "I only listen to mods! Who are you?!" Listen, brother, you have been corrected. Be polite about it.

It's not like anybody was flaming or anything.

[ivory echo]

These are may flies, not worth paying any attention to them tbh

[lilac walrus]

BP-only programmers are usually called Technical Designers and the role they perform varies a lot from studio to studio

[strange plinth]

Technical Designer role has nothing to do with "BP only" dev (strictly saying)

[digital gate]

Yeah, technical designers aren’t “BP-only programmers”

Design skills are one of those separate extras you can bring to the table. It’s possible one already just so happens to have good intuition for design, but plenty of programmer types suck at it.

[sharp hinge]

I just lke to chat , How lifes going guys ? Having Easy tie finding career

have anyone got into Industry just having 1 year Doing Vfx experience?

[plucky hatch]

Is getting intermediate level at gameplay programming within 6 months of working at it everyday reasonable? I have compsci degree so I'm not a beginner programmer

[strange plinth]

You'd be surprised by how much you can learn in a few months.
All you need is perseverance and a good end goal

Are you aiming BP or c++ in UE ?

[plucky hatch]

What do most AA or AAA companies want?

[strange plinth]

You dont really care about those

And the short answer is both

[digital gate]

Both, unless you go deep with C++

[plucky hatch]

Are these large scale companies really relying on blueprints that much? Don't many of them have in house solutions

[digital gate]

Yeah, not every studio I’m sure, but there’s a lot of reasons to use BP

I regularly maintain BP assets (and occasionally add news ones) as a C++ programmer.

It definitely seems counterintuitive, but some things really are easier to do in BP

[plucky hatch]

Also, I live in Connecticut, is it likely that when I get into a game studio that I'll have to move to the West Coast

[digital gate]

I would definitely expect to need to relocate to the studio if it doesn’t advertise remote. Some places will pay your relocation costs.

I have no idea how common remote work is generally these days, I was hired before 2020 and am currently remote

[plucky hatch]

As I understand not very remote for game devs, especially new people like me

Tbh I want to move TF away anyways lol

[void gust]

Shortly before Valorant was released, the director of the project was interviewed by Epic Games (IIRC). He said that his team had only 4 C++ engineers and the other 80+ were Blueprint programmers. I could be wrong about the 80+, though, could have been more or less.

And for Fortnite, they've already admitted that they use "a lot of Blueprints," but they haven't quantified how much "a lot" is.

[strange plinth]

core systems in c++
design in BP

[void gust]

^Yes, that would be the case, I'm sure of it. I remember when Fortnite used to lag like hell end-game because there were too many walls being built. I believe that the dev team had to go into the core systems to fix the lag, but feel free to fact check me on that.

[opaque sapphire]

can anyone recommend a ue5-focused vegetation course for intermediate-advanced level? ideally with personal coaching/feedback

for current-gen game art

[halcyon whale]

I'm exploring AR/VR for a research initiative and would welcome any input from experienced practitioners.

[violet escarp]

Felt this was an interesting gaming topic and would love to hear thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NEfl9t8jmOE I added more on my insights on linkedin too >: http://bit.ly/3Stn9M4

[shut token]

You posted the exact same thing in #industry-chat

Spamming is against the rules.

[dull vale]

I am buying a Laptop on 10 or 15 June and I will start my Game Dev journey

[woeful iron]

Congrats

[dull vale]

Thanks

[digital gate]

Do you know which one you’re getting? #hardware might have opinions

[dull vale]

16GB ram
Windows 11
RTX 3060 or 4050 I think remember it's laptop

[violet escarp]

Oh my bad! I'll stick to one channel per message moving forward. Sorry about that

[magic scroll]

Unless you spam smartly

[stoic musk]

So basically if you want to make the most progress in a short amount of time
Blueprints is the best route ? Im newish to unreal and with a friend of mine whos a more experienced developer for sure but i wanna just know if thats the quickest and most beneficial way i wanna bring more to the table and be able to help with projects as well as work on my own systems i have been working with blueprints but i am still fresh to it tho anyway any input id greatly appreciate glad to be here excited to talk with you guys and progress 💯

I just wanna make sure that the direction im on right now wich has been blueprint heavy is the right route planning on putting in as much time as i can every day

[strange plinth]

BP is easier and faster to learn than c++
with BP you can still understand most systems and behaviors of UE, but not completely

[stoic musk]

Then from that point go to C++?

[stoic musk]

I Appreciate the feedback 🙂

[strange plinth]

directly from start or once you know enough "for you" of UE

or when you are limited for a thing you want to do in BP

for me the trigger was multiplayer

not the correct channel

[ionic ravine]

sorry I thought I was in general chat.

[strange plinth]

also, keep in mind this depends on what job you seek, if its dev you should/must know c++, if its designer or level designer or something a little bit technical/artist role BP is a nice thing to have

[stoic musk]

I started just designing maps but bp from start so to speak 😎

[stoic musk]

Got it ill keep that in mind i really wanna get good at systems so bp level design i guess alot to learn the differences between them 😎

[ivory lynx]

If you keep in mind alot of blueprints is exposed c++ as nodes so whilenthr logic is simplified it still uses alot of the same logic regular c++ does as the person above said start with what's comfortable and gets you moving and try to keep in mind its just like learning any thing else it takes time and is not gonna be worth while to you if you rush through trying to learn it!

[stoic musk]

Yeah i was noticing that i have been going through the steps and motions thoroughly so i can progress properly thanks for your input i greatly appreciate it and will keep all this in mind and apply it to my journey i went into this being like yeah this is gonna take serious time but if i keep at
It and pay attention i should be alot better then i am now within a year

[ivory lynx]

100% I am 8 years into unreal engine and I still learning everyday its all about being open to learning and realizing there is always something new to learn in this space!

[stoic musk]

Definitely i am
Excited about the
Journey super hyped i been putting in alot of time so
Far 😊

[ivory lynx]

glad to hear it!

[coral river]

Hey, I am 17 years old and I have been learning unreal engine for 3 years now through blueprints.
I am still in highschool and I want to make sure I am on the right track, but I also want to make the best decisions for my future as I want a career in game development later on.

Do you guys have any advice? like What diploma would I need to have? Is there any more demand on this subject? What majors steps I should take before graduating to ensure my success? What are additional things I could do so my CV would look better in the future besides volunteering and competitions?

[round radish]

Starting learning c++.

[woeful iron]

make projects

[fervent palm]

Go through college / uni

[oblique ice]

Keep learning

[vocal aurora]

you don't need to learn everything. Most people are hired for a specific job like level design, physics, materials, etc. Make videos of things you've created to showcase your talents.

[ivory lynx]

Seems wild to me someone with estbalished industry careers wants to use free labor to make a game idk just rubs me the wrong way saying you work in these estbalished industries you get paid by and then asking for free work is just idk weird to me I guess to not even offer rev share you are basiclly saying do this work so I can profit.

Also talented and passionate people are the ones who usually wanna get paid. Do better

Also theres an entire section for this that takes 5 seconds to find if you actually looked. Idk man the ability to not even read a server dosnt sit well with me in running a game project.

[vernal horizon]

I don't know why that annoyed you so much but I understand what you are saying that's why I specified that is not paid... Like I'm not laying to anyone 😅

Also I'm just a 3D artist and I don't really have the money to pay right now...maybe in the future but I rather not promise then just say hey guys we will pay you at some point. It's just friends are having fun and if you want to join and learn you are welcome. I said that we work in the industry just for some people to see what we are not just some people that watch one YouTube video and now wanna make a game, we are serious about it 😁

Again sorry for offending you with this message and I hope you have a nice day

[woeful iron]

read #instructions to post in #volunteer-projects

this is not the chat to recruit in

[ivory lynx]

idk again just comes off weird to me people working in industry asking for free work when you dont work for free in the industry is just backwards to me i guess. i get its a passion project it just seems odd that say the game does well and you make a bunch of money then you leave the people who did the ahrd work in thhe dust with your set up.

and again as i said its hard to trust someone who cant follow simple directions in a server on where to post and how to use a server.

[winged dragon]

do you think a person can gain a lot of skills / technical skills just by teaching/working by himself and watching tutorials?

[ivory lynx]

100% as long as you set your self to to actually learn from them tuts can be great but it is easy to simply follow and not learn so dont fall into that trap

if you do something in a tutorial and they didnt explain why and you dont understand why make sure you take the time to understand it!

[winged dragon]

for example I'm trying to build a race car game. And I kinda make it work and everything, but then I don't know if I did things properly and if this is the right way to do it

and it's messing my mind

[ivory lynx]

in what regard as in for optimization or game deisgn

lets also move this convo to an appropriate channel as well depending on your answer haha

[winged dragon]

anything. For example I am currently working as a freelancer for a start up studio. In order for them to get funding, My job is to create "demo" games/environments/trailers etc so they can show the idea of what an actual developed game would be after they get funded.
And I manage to do this by watching tutorials and stuff. But in the end it's I don't know if I did things properly and if that would work when a real game should be developed

I feel like im missing a lot of technical skills when I create those "fake" demo games

[ivory lynx]

okay so to be clear before this you didnt really have experience in making and shipping commerical games? as it sounds like you were tasked with making a veritcal slice.

[winged dragon]

I had some experience, but just in a tight area and not in making entire environments and working games

[ivory lynx]

did the start up vet you at all before hiring you for this or is it like a rev share kinda thing?

rev share is often alot more forgiving in who it hires as they dont have capital to put up to hire a experienced dev or outsource to a paid contractor.

[winged dragon]

it's a bit like rev share

I am doing a lot of things

[ivory lynx]

it sounds like it, and while its commendable its not good for productivity. i would ask to off load some of those responsibilities the programmer shouldnt also be designing the cut scenes story boards and stuff not that you cant and plenty of people do it but there sounds like a lot of work others could be helping with in the space.

[vernal horizon]

But I never said that...maybe you were reading a wrong message or something. I just said that it's not paid right now. I'm not getting paid any my friends for this too, we have a full time job and we just do a project together on a side. I don't think is that hard to understand but maybe it is...

I think maybe you had an experience like this before and you maybe projecting a little too much. I'm just here to make a fun game with people 😅 it's not that deep

[ivory lynx]

i may be reading it wrong i am reading it as you are offering to bring people on sell a game and not making any offer of trickling that revenue down to your workers, if its a free game then this is all just null and i am sorry for mis understanding but if you are selling it the point is to make sure you make the expecation clear of how that should work for people interested!

and sadly yes ive had a few bad experiences with this my self and as some one makes a living off this stuff it does hurt when you put time into something and then get screwed at the end so this isnt to attack you but to again make sure you make the expecation clear of how your profit sharing if any works for those working on the project as it comes off as scammy right now!

also keep in mind that 95% of posts made in the wrong channels are usually scams so people will also see it and write it off if not posted properly!

[vernal horizon]

I 100% understand you and I know there is a lot of people just using AI and getting artist/programmers and using them and scamming. That why I put that I work in the industry so maybe it looks less like a scam... But maybe that can also make it look more like a scam. I will for sure try to make the message more clear next time 😅

I really don't know if the project will be free or paid in the future right now we just trying to make some fun that we all enjoy and if we ever make some money from a project like that then everyone will get paid evenly ❤️

Me and my friends just wanted to make a fun game together and we just looking for some people to bring some ideas and help us make the game more fun

Thank you so much for feedback again and I'll make sure to do some more research next time I post it 🙏

[ivory lynx]

glad we could figure it out and get to a good conclusion my friend it sounds like you are on a good path and the messages just came off a certain way from experiences i and many others have had haha but keep at it i hope to see something cool from ya!

[static shale]

Hi yall, i recently moved to germany with my partner. Do any of you know where i could find website with job listings for 3d artist positions that are also english speaking positions? I dont find that much unfortunately :( where could i find jobs in the 3d field?

[round radish]

Indeed. If you can't read, understand and follow the server rules, how do you know you can trust them to follow other rules, like paying you on time or other contract stipulations.

I may have been a bit scrolled up...

[spice dagger]

@vale moss Use the Job Board for hiring #instructions

[frosty tinsel]

I have created a straw poll for getting feedback on what type of game you would prefer over others. If any of you could vote on an option it would be greatly appreciated

https://strawpoll.com/bVg8BYb4ryY

[torn narwhal]

Hi

[void gust]

How DARE you ask for compensation! Back to the mines with you!

[ivory lynx]

https://tenor.com/view/as-a-child-i-yearned-for-the-mines-minecraft-minecraft-movie-steve-jack-black-gif-3739930614807142114

To be fair we did come to an understanding of just better verbiage in the future for his recruitment posts so that its clear no ill intent in his part haha

[round radish]

If your portolio is amazing? Sure.

Get experience where you can. Volunteer stuff maybe? Game jams? Something to show that you can work in teams and actually finish projects.

[granite loom]

Roughly 5% to 7% of the total 6 million registered Unreal Engine users — so around 300,000 to 400,000 people — are likely hired professionals using Unreal Engine in a paid capacity. , Very awful . too Much over saturated market

chat gtp , damn its bad

[finite knoll]

^ they joined this server to post that and leave

lol?

[ivory lynx]

a good probably 2 million are also 13-16 year old kids

[mint skiff]

Much to consider...

[round radish]

At least they aren't Unity developers who won't have an engine in a few years. Or will be crippled by Apple.

[oblique ice]

So they will stop on the engine? 🤔

[round radish]

I may be exaggerating. 😛

[strange plinth]

@barren shadow

nvm, got deleted

[mild vector]

wat. is being a professional developer supposed to be a point away from an engine?

[ivory lynx]

Naw i think he means of those numbers the small amount of paid ones in the industry is minscule bit in reality its because those numbers dont account for hobbist or film makers who use the engine in both a professional but not studio based job

[round radish]

Or that 400k people is actually a lot of people and it's kind of saturated already.

[ivory lynx]

I can also agree with this on some levels becsuse its not just so cut and dry as small number big number, theres only so many studios and jobs available teams for AAA games have lots of developers but those roles can also be spread out across multiple specialized fields as even sound people working like Fmod or WWwise have to understand its implementation into unreal so while the number may seem small for the total theres also missing math here accounting for outliers in the profession

[low crystal]

game dev is probably the most saturated

everything else i'd wager falls way behind compared to game dev so maybe more space in those fields, but im not very sure

[acoustic sluice]

hey if anyone looking for a Rigged low poly Humen model you can chack this outhttps://devkore.itch.io/low-poly-human-rigged-3d-character

[strange plinth]

not the correct channel

[acoustic sluice]

which one is the correct one?

[magic flame]

hi everyone is there anyone who is under 13 and is a beginner in unreal engine

[digital gate]

<@&213101288538374145>

[granite brook]

Why would you ask that? Discord doesn't even allow kids under 13.

Such a strange and kinda freaky thing to ask.

[magic flame]

i dint know that i am 18

[fervent palm]

It’s still weird tbh

[void gust]

Another day, another WTF did I just read.

If you're asking to tutor kids then you might as well get a job as high school teacher. But I wouldn't recommend that job.

[twin sleet]

Under 13 is crazy

[fathom talon]

Hey folks, been doing my best to make some demos to get into the industry and learn Unreal along the way. I was wondering if anyone has feedback for this one I've been working on or any advice in general.

[digital gate]

What are you demoing here, specifically? Is this a vertical slice intended to demo all your skills?

As a programmer, you have interaction/pickup/prerequisites, and then you have some kind of ziplining that seems like it incorporates some amount of physics and/or ik … but the lighting kind of gets in the way of showing that off.

The UI could use a little polish, and I think if you had more varied lighting it might look better too

Also, this is very much a “tour” through the level, it doesn’t show how a player who doesn’t know where anything is might interact - if you’re trying to demo design it might be worth adding in more signposting or staged rooms where players learn what levers look like

[ivory lynx]

Is that the main menu we are looking at???

[fathom talon]

hey thanks for the reply, yeah I think vertical slice is the closest just showing what I can make from scratch (using some starter content but still). Yeah good point it was supposed to be kinda atmospheric or creepy lighting but maybe that's a bad idea for showcasing my work.

[fathom talon]

I wanted to cram in the whole little level into a 2 min clip for critique on here. Ideally I could send the packaged project to a recruiter but I'm not sure if that's how it usually goes

[digital gate]

Very rarely

You want super digestible shortform showcases, but you also can show things like this too. If you export to web, some folks might play your demo game for a minute, but they’re not downloading a whole standalone game, virus scanning it, sandboxing it, etc

Short, snappy, to the point reels are gonna outshine a 2 minute atmospheric dive (especially at this point)

Think of it like a bulleted list

• Item mechanics
  • Pickup
  • Drop
  • Key Item
• Ziplining
• Vaulting
• Sliding
• Blueprint Organization (zoomed out high level graphs where you can basically read it even though you can’t see the nodes)
  … etc

Dedicate a few seconds to each bullet

[oblique ice]

do your best on vertical slice

[digital gate]

Vertical slice you should go hard

[fathom talon]

gotya so just cut together the highlights and cut out the fat

[digital gate]

Think of the vertical slice like a steam launch

[digital gate]

Not even just editing the fat - you can make separate levels to do each thing, or a dedicated level for the reel as opposed to the vertical slice (and you should)

Btw if you’re a generalist the same concept applies to other reels (like art/vfx)

You want recruiters to be able to get to your work and be able to inspect it in as few seconds as possible

That’s why artists love artstation for portfolios- they can show models right away, you can see one you like and dive into its topology

[fathom talon]

first thanks for taking the time really helpful stuff!
Sounds like that's what I'll do put together a sizzle real showing each mechanic for a few seconds and possibly flash some of the more interesting assets I modeled and textured.

[digital gate]

No problem, happy to help!

That sounds like a solid plan! Keep all your content around even if it doesn’t make the reel- you never know when you’ll have an idea for another way to showcase the work. Best luck!

[finite knoll]

You probably shouldn't spam this to multiple channels when the job board exists.

[fierce ledge]

Hey Ralvox, please read #instructions to learn how to use the job board. There is a section for volunteer work that your listing can go into.

[granite brook]

@dense matrix Wrong channel. Please use the job-board via #instructions

[strange plinth]

<@&213101288538374145>

[low crystal]

What’s this

[round radish]

Seems like personal promotion <@&213101288538374145>

[fiery plinth]

are memes allowed here

[strange plinth]

use the appropriate channel

[round radish]

That'd be #lounge

[devout nest]

Hey everyone, I recently posted a role we are looking to fill here at Intrepid Studios in the Job Board for a Sr Networking Engineer role but wanted to pop in here and see if I can be helpful to the community overall. I manage all hiring activity for the studio and know how rough is out there right now so if you want to chat about how to position yourself to get a new gig after being hit by the rampant layoffs out there right now or just if you are looking for a change from your current role, reach out and I am happy to help and give some advice on what people like myself are looking for!

[ivory lynx]

i am a 8 year unreal generalist with a decent portfolio, what would you suggest for someone like me looking to break from hobby to industry?

[devout nest]

At the current moment with the industry being so competitive due to layoffs you are competing against many people that already have industry experience so it may require more entry level roles to get noticed. Another way you can approach it would be to try and find "internal referrals" to help get your name in front of the right person. This can be tough but try reaching out to people working there with the same job title as the role you are applying to on sites like LinkedIn. Natural instinct is to connect with the decision makers like the one person you would report to if you got the job but they are often receiving many messages like that and just ignore them over time. The person in the entry or mid level role will not be inundated the same way so you are more likely to get the interaction you are looking for and the help to get your info seen by the right people in the best light possible!

[ivory lynx]

heard that i am seeking entry level currently while my indie experience is vast it dosnt mean it translates to the work flows of a large integrated team and i am aware of that so it take time to really develop my career after breaking through.

[devout nest]

The fact that you are self aware of how you will need to adapt to the large team environment from what you are used to in the Idie space it a great starting point! Keep consistent in your applications and outreach and you will get there!

[ivory lynx]

thanks i appreciate it, gotta be in this industry right now gotta be realistic about whats available and whats achievable

i would be happy with 15 an hour generalist work can pretty much do it all from networking to level design so could really adapt to what ever they give me with the proper workflows and tools.

[devout nest]

Absolutely, make sure and connect with my on LinkedIn and if we have a role that would be a good option for you I will make sure and get you a fighting chnace and have your work seen by manager for the role! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-lund-236033a9/

[ivory lynx]

thank you i apperciate it ill follow you on there!

[spice dagger]

@devout nest Welcome to the Server.

[devout nest]

Thanks for having me!

[chilly sundial]

Out of context that seemed super ominous 🤣

[obtuse kraken]

hey not sure which channel to ask this in, what's the best way to get in contact with the mods? not sure if there's a modmail or anything i missed

[spice dagger]

You are free to DM any Mod at any time for issues relating to the Server or its Members.

You can DM me right now if you like.

[void gust]

Do game companies like to hire specialists or generalists? I'm working on my 3D art portfolio, but I really like to model hard surface the most.

[devout nest]

It really depends on the paricular company and their needs. Larger Studios are more likely to look for specialists as they have large teams and need to fill a very paricular role within their team and it make sense to hire a specialist. Smaller Studios are going to be better off looking for generalists that can wear multiple hats and potentially be able to help in areas that might be beyond the scope of the job description they originally hired into as the project progresses. As you develope your portolio it helps to make it for its intended audience so if you know you want to go for big name AAA studios, specialize. If you are going to shoot for smaller indie studios, showcase how broad your skill set can be! Best of luck!

[wraith mortar]

You're best off being a generalist with a specialisation for indie and AA. A lot of AAA studios want to pigeon hole you into one extremely specific area, which is barely game dev, but if you could fill those roles you wouldn't need to be asking here for the most part

If you want the big name AAA studios you'll need to live in the US and have a referral, usually (not always)
And be OK with not enjoying your job

[void gust]

The US seems to thoroughly enjoy killing the enjoyment out of any job.

[mild vector]

you can be a AAA generalist but you have to be like the best of the best and even then it's more of a blurry region that you occupy than like the BS "full stack game engineer" that people are claiming to be hiring for. that's the nightmare i live in right now

and your portfolio gotta show off proc gen, spatial audio, custom render pipelines, shader programming, procedural animations, tool development, not to mention at least a title in unity and unreal that you shipped entirely by yourself

[oblique ice]

i try avoid thje generalist role if i can, not for programmer

[frozen quest]

thats not too bad

i have basically all of it

CDPR here i come

[mild vector]

GL. been trying to get into the boston office for the better part of 6 months

[frozen quest]

oh lmao

did you try networking?

i coincidentally have like 4-5 people from the CDPR dev team connected on linkedin

could try getting to know them

honestly I don't work in the field, like game development is a hobby for me

but one piece of advice i can't give enough is that applying online means NOTHING compared to making connections and networking

its not what you know, its who you know, or whatever

something 85% of jobs are given via a network, not applications

by applying online, you compete with thousands of people for 15% of the jobs

[frozen quest]

yeah i agree with that

not the US part

the referral part

afaik the majority of the CDPR team is in poland

my biggest concern with aiming for AAA is the instability

if you're not ROOTED into a studio, you could get laid off any day

[wraith mortar]

I guess I should have said live in the location where the studio is so you can be an employee, i.e. most will filter out contractors for those roles

Its just that the really well paying big name AAA studios tend to be US based

That's where the money is

And why go to AAA for any other reason 😄

[frozen quest]

yea true

honestly i get the feeling that the best game dev scene is in europe

UK has great indie opportunities

poland, belgium, sweden, and a few more countries in that general area have vibrant AAA studios

by vibrant i mean successful and growing

so they hire people constantly

in the US your best bet with a lot of game dev experience is working in other sectors of entertainment

motion graphics and shit

at least how i see it (with a very limited view)

[wraith mortar]

They have some good projects over there but the pay is much much lower

Well living and working on-site in the EU would be worthwhile

But for remote workers like me might as well stick with US

[frozen quest]

yea that

if you're working remotely might as well work in a US studio, ur right

but $150k in the US is probably less than 80k euros in europe when you think about it

46% of that is tax so you only have about $80k before living expenses

which are way more expensive, too

[wraith mortar]

150K USD is 129K EUR
A studio paying 150K USD is probably paying ~70K EUR if it were EU based
Pay is simply way higher in the US
However COL and taxes might be as well

[frozen quest]

yep

thats what i meant

[wraith mortar]

Yeah I think we're on the same page lol

You will probably get way better QOL living and working in EU on-site than living and working in US on-site

[frozen quest]

some countries with no income tax have way lower salaries

but you end the year with a net higher than if you were in the US

or super low income tax

think ireland

ireland has pay comparable to the US with way less taxes

[frozen quest]

also uuuh

no US politics is a plus

[wraith mortar]

I was kind of putting that out of my mind and backdating the statement a couple of cycles lol...

[frozen quest]

lol

currently i work in music

but if i wanted to focus on a dev career

i wouldnt stay in the US honestly

too many layoffs, too little shits to give

id go to ireland for general software development and the game-y region of europe for game development

AAA studios pay a fuckload of money for very little work so i dont even care

instead of being a level designer you become like a

sound cue specialist

and basically just make sfx for 80k a year

it's a good deal

[wraith mortar]

It is a lot harder as a contractor, networking is way more important because you need someone to get you past HR, and a lot of places can't or won't onboard/payroll an intl. contractor
But if you can make it work, living somewhere low cost like costa rica, portugal, spain, etc. on digital nomad schemes, you generally get extremely low tax on that visa
So you can save up a lot of money very very fast while living in reasonably nice places with good atmosphere etc., learn a new language, new culture

[frozen quest]

i have a house in lisbon

thats a place to start

[wraith mortar]

Oddly the idea of a new language/culture tends to put people off more than encourage them

[frozen quest]

because it's a lot of work to put towards something that isn't guaranteed

but you can probably find a company where english is the default language of communication

default as in nobody will expect you to understand their native tongue

i hear the irish speak english though so thats another doub for ireland

https://tenor.com/view/whatcha-gonna-do-gif-20204033

so-called "english" at least

[wraith mortar]

Oh I don't mean working for somewhere in the place you're residing, you can't do that on digital nomad visa anyway
I mean working for a high paying US company while living in a low COL area under digital nomad visa, as a contractor

[frozen quest]

oh

[wraith mortar]

Paying almost nothing in COL and tax while making lots of money

[frozen quest]

cant imagine it's easy to be in that position though

[wraith mortar]

I could do it quite easily, but I have the contacts I need to get contracting roles

[frozen quest]

then do it :D

[wraith mortar]

I have family here and already bought a house so I won't 🙂

Otherwise I would

[frozen quest]

i feel bad for people that actually apply for jobs on career boards

i did that once

and it was 2021

so it was easy back then

i just wanted to do an internship

for uni

and it was god-awful

i ended up meeting my employer at a b2b event

he was talking about his little startup and i was like how would you like an intern

:>

ill forever be immortalized in that company as its first and only intern

[shut token]

Dang, that bad huh?

/s

[frozen quest]

no need for the satire tag it's horrible

since then i've come to realize that if you really wanna work, applying online isnt the way to go

[shut token]

No, it was a comment on YOU being that bad that they won't take another intern.

[frozen quest]

it can be useful if you're looking for a better job while working

but if you're unemployed you should be a full-time event-goer

[frozen quest]

dang

but but they said i was smart

i only went on 3-hour lunch breaks sometimes

[shut token]

3-hour lunch break + 3-hour compile. True developer.

[frozen quest]

lol

nah i was actually good

too good

I was in a full stack role but it was mostly front end

so i just finished whatever i had on my to-do list and fucked around all day

senior devs were asking me to debug their code

https://tenor.com/view/peter-griffin-smoke-break-cigarette-gif-17330313443408655851

i was getting paid like $1600 a month

i aint debugging your ugly code

anyway its way worse nowadays

tech graduates are sitting at the 3rd highest unemployment rate

so thank god i found a different gig

dog-ass market

[oblique ice]

so you are good coding?🤔

[woeful iron]

well he thinks he is at least

[plucky hatch]

I'm from south africa. . would getting a job in unreal be easy for me? obviosuly depening on experience

[oblique ice]

that is really depends

[dull vale]

No he was so good

[frozen quest]

probably not, because getting into the game dev field is not easy anywhere

but if it's hard, that doesn't mean you can't do it

[plucky hatch]

So even if I work remotely I still need a Visa?

That sounds a bit bollocks to me.

u need a permission to work. in a lot of countries it means residency.

and if ur outside their jurisdiction, the contract becomes bollocks, cuz how they gonna enforce it

I see. . Other sources contradict that.

[chilly sundial]

remote work tends to be within the same country.

It's a legal nightmare that most companies aren't getting involved with

It is also entirely possible in some cases to pay tax twice, though I haven't personally heard of it

[ivory echo]

Just live in most Canadian provinces and you’ll pay tax twice anyways 😀

Both on revenue and purchases

[plucky hatch]

I know of people that work from SA that made very well for themselves with euros and Dollars without double tax and no visa. . . I did some research and no visa is required but I see your point.

[chilly sundial]

Entirely possible, that being said, given the rarity (at least that I've heard of) for such a thing to be done with Unreal, I'm more than certain there will be a market for South Africa, Unreal is used in so so many industries. You may also find jobs that require relocation but they will sponsor a Visa and assist with that.

[void gust]

You can get taxed four times if you live in New Jersey but work in New York City. Get taxed by New Jersey, then get taxed by New York, then get taxed by NYC, and then get taxed by the IRS. Then pray that you don't piss off the wrong politician or you'll be paying bribes to get out of trouble. If that's too much then ponder wether you should hang yourself now or wait until next week.

Bruh, I've never even heard of those countries. The only country that matters is TEXAS. (JK)

[fading crater]

I have a friend who works as a mobile dev for a US company while he is in Europe. But he is a contractor. Not sure how things go down for contractors, but I for sure know he sure as hell has no US residency

Nor does he have a Visa to go there

I don't exactly know details of his contract tho

[swift sonnet]

Been looking at #hire-a-freelancer but want to chat a bit with some of y’all. Spam a bit here?

[round radish]

About what?

This isn't really the place to ask about specific jobs, more liek help with your career path, what sorts of things to look for or you'd be interested in.

Or complain about your career I guess 😄

[frozen quest]

who are you mad at? :p

[frozen quest]

that is true

UE (and generally real-time rendering) is used in a lot of industries. It's not even entertainment all the time, sometimes it's simulations or even medicine

being outside the US or Europe doesn't immediately mean you can't work in the industry, but maybe it won't be as straightforward. Contracting is always a thing if you have a good portfolio, and heck, it pays better than being in the US and having to deal with our shit.

[mild vector]

you can work remotely as a contractor no problem. but to be a US employee even remote you need to be taxable as a US employee

so you need a visa

[round radish]

I work for a foreign company without having a work visa for that country with no issues.

It's not the US, granted, but still.

[vagrant siren]

@plucky hatch
You can HMU in a DM if you like.
I work in ( sometimes ) sunny South Africa at quite a nice Studio, we work with loads of local and overseas Studios, I have also done remote co-development work ( through a local Studio still ), all Unreal/Unity on Desktop, Consoles and Mobile, I can maybe give you some pointers.

[mild vector]

love south africa. you guys made maddi sauce right? south african friend turned me onto it. so good

maggi*

[vagrant siren]

Maggie Soup or something, been a while though since I have seen or had it.
Anyhoo, any career questions in general, as always please feel free to ask in the channel.

[grave cove]

Not the right place for this. Please read #instructions . Thanks

[ornate wagon]

Hey i want a little guidance i made one game in unreal engien using blueprints the game is ready almost like it has working rewarded ads and i tersital ads but broken iap that i cna fix in future updates if launched its been so long i am working on this game it will be my first commercial game but i am afraid to relase it as i need urgent money bcz some situation has arises but i guess if i launch it it will not do that well on other hand if if it dont do that well i still want to launch it on my own bcz small to small thing made by me i want to launch it for the kid who dreamed it once can any of you guide me what should i do

[placid bridge]

You probably put a lot of effort developing it. Why rush it through and risk a bad reception and low sales

If it is received poorly because of bugs it wont help you either way with your money problems

[ornate wagon]

That emotional connect is there like i have made it till here just one bad step and everything meased up but i was thinking to complete sell to someone for instant money i have done the testing on google play and got reviews from few i few positive reviews

[oblique ice]

you can tryh let others testing your game see if can getting any remarks

[ornate wagon]

Yeah it is in closed teating on google play

[placid bridge]

I assume a lot of your testers are friends. I woulf be careful judging from that. Ive seen friends game bomb on release because of bugs

Like a significant amount of begative reviews

I woulf continue fixing bugs as quick as you can

I dont know the play stor, but if it boosts a games release initially

That will be quite important for you

[ornate wagon]

Not friends but i found them on discords only they are also game tester can you tell me some ways so that i can get geniuine tester for free

[ornate wagon]

Yeha i am fixing those bugs but bugs aint a issue for me i can fix those the thing is that i need money now and i gone all in in this game i am just scared that if i launched it on my own it will fail but if i sell to someone who is pro in market then this game can grow

[ornate wagon]

I checked they dont boost instantly we need good rating and downloads first

[placid bridge]

Ohh. I see what you mean now

Yeah man. Really rough market out there, so I am not so sure how easy things are. I mean set up a presentation of your game, if you intend to sell to a publisher

A vertical slice

and then I guess just email it around and see if anything sticks

[ornate wagon]

I did that but they need it to be live on playstore first also i dont know how to find publisher some big publisher i gone through they need my game live on store

[placid bridge]

Alright... so the reason they probably want it live, is because they want to see the traffic you are getting and they are just fishing for free money

essentially if you have good numbers they will want to "back you", which probably just means they will want a percentage with doubtful reinvestment on their part. I would probably pressure them on how they would help you for partnering with them

I would try for self-publishing if they don't give a good answer

[ornate wagon]

yes most of the exactly do the same they just see if game has potential or not in intial days and if yes then they just run ads and makret it all work is mine profit shreing will eb around 60-40%

[topaz pagoda]

Hey folks, I’ve been thinking about tech-adjacent roles tied to rigging that go beyond games or film.

Are there job titles or industries like medical, simulation, manufacturing, or research where 3D rigging or adjacent skills (like scripting, deformation systems, or character tools) are used, even if the role isn’t called “rigger”?

I’d love to get a better sense of what’s out there and what those positions are actually called. If anyone has insight, would appreciate it!

[ashen lynx]

They exist, but are often merged with something else and are much more shallow.

[fiery tangle]

Hey y'all, hoping to get your opinion on something. I've worked in game studios about 6-8 years ago and made games in Unity and released on steam and also mobile appstore. Since then, I've worked in non-gaming companies making interactive content for XR and such. I was laid off from my previous company almost year ago due to budget issues and also since I was the only one working from outside the US and at a different time of the day than others in the company. But instead of applying for jobs right away, I decided to work on updating myself thoughly with Unreal and make a sample project to showcase my skills. Its coming along well. I hope to share it with you all once it's in a good place. But I just wanted to know if this is a good approach. Will it better my chances of getting a good role in the gaming industry or am I wasting time with the project and just start applying with my current experience? (which is also extensive but mostly focused on Unity)

[spice dagger]

I guess that really depends on how desperate you are for a new paying job.

Its not unusual to hire people with experience in other engines.

It will limit your opportunities though.

Kinda depends on the role as well.

Generally speaking, if you are looking for a job that involves Unreal, you will want to have as much experience with Unreal as you can.

[fiery tangle]

I want to work on games for desktops and consoles for large audience. Preferably made with Unreal Engine or a proprietary one. Only because I want to gain some on-paper experience in other engines as well.

[fiery tangle]

So you're saying that the sample unreal project approach is not a bad idea to showcase my unreal experience?

[spice dagger]

Any practical references of your skills will always be to your benefit given the alternative would be no examples.

[fiery tangle]

The thing is, I do have unreal experience because I've worked on projects before. But they were not games and they definitely were not made public and fully under NDA. So I don't have much to showcase as my unreal experience

[spice dagger]

Thats unfortunate.

[fiery tangle]

The game sample that I'm working on is a shooter sample. It's kind of like sample zombie shooter similar to COD zombies where they come in waves. I've also made good UI, gun and locomotion game play, sounds, VIsual FX, worked on extensive optimization, mobile support, touch and controller support etc. I'm thinking of making a video reel like a teaser to start showcasing it in similar discord channels, LinkedIn etc. And then another detailed video of the feature and a dedicated page in my portfolio website, posts on LinkedIn for potential employers.

I don't really have much experience "networking" as they call it. But would the above suffice to get the word out?

[spice dagger]

What exactly is your profession?

You will want to focus almost entirely on the elements of a sample that highlight your desired field.

There is no point making a sample with ultra high fidelity graphics if you are looking for a gameplay programming position for example.

[fiery tangle]

Well I have a degree in game programming. And I've only worked on game engine projects for the past 8-9 years as a programmer.

[fiery tangle]

I would love to specialize in gameplay but I'm mostly a generalist now. I dont mind roles other than gameplay too. So I thought of just making the whole sample with a good amount of work on all the key areas that I am good at and see where it lands me. I've worked mostly in startups where I've done pretty much all kinds of programming work in game engines.

[spice dagger]

If you think your sample reinforces those skills then by all means use it as reference.

You might also want to think about looking through our Job Board to see if there are any positions that stand out to you.

At some point you are just going to have to start putting yourself out to interested parties.

Only you can really judge if you are ready for that

You sound like you already have a lot of experience in the field. So you will have an advantage.

[fiery tangle]

Should I do that after I have my sample ready or before?
I'm just picturing a scenario where I start networking and interested parties are responding asking for my unreal experience and I'm like "give me a few weeks" 😅

[spice dagger]

Well yeah, it would be ideal if it was ready.

But just remember what I said earlier, you only really need the sample to highlight the elements of the position you are going for.

Dont hold it back because things like audio or graphics are missing.

As long as the programming and gameplay features are demonstrating your skills then that will be enough.

[fiery tangle]

I keep hearing that LinkedIn is not that great for jobs anymore as not many respond to the applications and that it's only good for networking now. Is that actually the case?

[spice dagger]

I couldn't answer that sorry.

[fiery tangle]

Yea that makes sense

[fiery tangle]

I need to practice doing that. Sometimes I end up wasting time being a stickler about small details that don't really matter

[timber pendant]

I don't mean to vent but more-so would love helpful advice...

I have had so many game design ideas that I got excited about. I have an interest in every element of making a game from art, systems, balance, music, environment, story, etc...

And my process of learning Unreal (and other engines) has been absolutely soul-crushingly boring. I don't know how you guys do it. I absolutely hate troubleshooting technical things I don't understand. I don't like following these tutorials to learn things. I enjoy making music sometimes but music and game design are two different things. If I wanted to make music I'd probably focus on performing it live.

I just don't feel anything throughout 99% of the process. It's all mental hoops to jump through to finally get one moment of feeling like something happened creatively and it's still 1,000 steps from actually being something resembling the idea in my head. And that whole process... just an, empty, bland, numbness of nodes and errors. In months of coming at it from different angles I haven't once felt as alive as just... idk, sitting outside in the sun doing nothing -- and that's a pretty low bar. At least I can feel something.

It's a shame because I really think it would be fun to create a world and play in it and share it with others. There are so many possibilities to explore. But I don't see how to possible make that a reality without sacrificing my day-to-day happiness.

[fiery tangle]

Learning process is always hard. I get it. For every small step, you need to go through a whole process of following guides, making your own unique mistakes and trying to fix them. It's a slow and grueling process. But the thrill of creating fun worlds and experiences that you seek only comes once you're through the process of getting good at this. You just need to take a break, distract yourself and once you come back, you remember what you're trying to achieve and know that it's worth it. That's the only way you'll ever get in the right head space that is needed to get to a level where it becomes easy for you to just start creating!

[timber pendant]

i appreciate it, but im not going to go through a process i dont enjoy just to get to one I do eventually.

so maybe its just not for me at this time

[fiery tangle]

Could be. Perhaps you could try other things and see if you like learning them. Learning is a common step in any field you choose.

[void gust]

Troubleshooting is annoying at first when you don't understand what's going on, but it gets easier and more enjoyable when you finally do understand what's going on underneath the hood. But that requires a lot of studying. If you find that learning certain parts of game design is boring then maybe you should take more time to learn the subjects that interest you more first. You'll eventually get to the other subjects anyway, because most elements of game design overlap each other.

As for what you feel, don't worry about that. Your feelings don't matter; what matters is that you can get the project done. Look at it from an objective point of view. "What do I need and how can I get this done?" It's like fixing a car. It's a real pain in the neck, but when you're done you will feel good about it afterwards.

But also, watching tutorials sucks. It's significantly quicker to just read.

[mint skiff]

the only person who can decide whether this is worth it is you.

generally the 'struggle' doesn't really go away, but only because the problems you're working on get harder.

For many people the struggle is where they draw their motivation from, for others the light at the end of the tunnel keeps them going. For some people it's just not worth it, and that's okay 🤷‍♂️

this is a relevant read though: https://polycount.com/discussion/175256/motivation-is-bull

[timber pendant]

how i feel matters to me a lot. I tried reading documentation but I actually like that less than tutorials. not a big reader in general

im an extremely in-the-moment kind of person... its just my values. If I need to sacrifice the moment to get to the end of a finish line where the goal is... thats just not a path for me

[void gust]

OK, but it will take much longer, just a heads up.

Oh, that's too bad. Achieving goals takes sacrifice. The "moment" is fleeting. What is the moment compared to eternity? That is my point of view.

If you you really want to make a game, then I think that you'd benefit from being persistent. A lot of people quit just before they're about to start soaring, if you know what I mean.

[timber pendant]

what is eternity but an everchanging present moment

[fiery tangle]

If you're just here to say that this isn't for you, then it's good for you that you know that. So you can try your hand at something else. Hopefully you'll find something that you like doing and are good at. All that matters is that you provide the world with some value, however small or big, or however directly or indirectly it aids good progress in the world.

That's just how I see it

[void gust]

I would have to disagree. Eternity exists outside of time and space, unlike our emotions which are constantly changing. So, this means that game design, and programming in general, requires effort to push your emotions aside sometimes. I don't think I've ever seen a programmer who hasn't beaten their head against a keyboard, LOL, but they really want their project to get done. If you aren't willing to deal with frustration then this field isn't for you.

As for me, my current project is driving me insane. But I really, really want to finish this. So I'll just grab a drink and continue on. I understand your frustrations.

[woeful iron]

are you saying you always give up the moment you encounter any adversity?

[ivory echo]

Christ

Man said he’s not venting, he wants advice but really he doesn’t 😀

[void gust]

Thank God that the dudes at idsoftware didn't just stop. We would never have DOOM 2 or fps games.

[fiery tangle]

Or the ID engine. How I wish they made it accessible to the public.

[woeful iron]

they released the doom source code at least, it's something

and a bunch of their other classics

[hollow mantle]

Hi,
I’m working toward becoming a Creative Director one day — I’m really into worldbuilding, cinematic storytelling, and environments (especially darker sci-fi stuff like Star Wars (Dathomir), Fallout, and Cyberpunk vibes).

I’ve just started learning UE5 and plan to experiment with MetaHuman and realistic environment building. I’ve got a load of detailed ideas and long-term goals, but I know it takes time to work up to those higher creative roles.

I’m currently still in education and looking at game design courses, just building things up step by step.

Does anyone have any advice on what I should focus on for my portfolio? Or any software/tools you think are worth investing in early on? Would really appreciate anything you found helpful.

[wispy snow]

My advice is to NOT use big engines like Unreal but instead try your hand at the more straightforward tools that gets you quicker to that creative space (albeit with significant limits on what you can do, but that's the price to pay). Anything from level editors in existing games, modding, RPG Maker and similar genre-specific tools, and even games like Mario Maker and Dreams.
Will you be able to do exactly your dream game? Probably not, due to their various limits. But you won't in Unreal either, due to the effort and time involved in actually doing the work.
Before I got into game dev full time I used the hell out of tools like that and loved every second of it!

[wispy snow]

You're never going to be hired out of school for that, just so you're prepared for that. A creative director can come from many backgrounds, but a common theme among most that I've met is a broad knowledge and interest in as many parts of development as possible. For instance, someone focusing 90% on the art should instead aim for an art director.
If you really want to become a director, know that it will take a long time and that you're going to need to build a whole lot of trust with both the team and management first.
I would encourage you to just learn and do everything a little, but do get a specialization as well. After all, that's what someone might hire you for; few studios want a generalist "on the floor".

For reference, I was creative director for what ended up a 30-person team after working at the studio for about 5 years. But that project started with just 5 people since the rest were doing a separate game at the time, which gave me some time to warm up (aka make so many mistakes 😅).

[magic scroll]

Hi

[long stone]

Hey all, I have a question. I'm learning about DSA and purchased Abdul Bari's course, I made a slight mistake in purchasing because I realized his teaching is mostly theory than practical. Would anyone recommend I go through a certain topic with Abdul and then do questions regarding it on leetcode/neetcode before I move on? I feel like I will forget all of it if im just listening to Abdul

[ivory echo]

https://tenor.com/view/who-korath-the-pursuer-marvel-kree-meme-gif-14580500

[placid bridge]

Yeah the motivation part is pretty much the biggest part

[placid bridge]

I think you are more of a 9-5 person from the sounds of it. You want to go finish work when you finish work, probably a way more healthy lifestyle than what we have here. But yes, gamedev isnt for you quite obviously and you might struggle with a lot of different creative fields, if not all. I would reccomend woodwork or something physically creative

[grave cove]

Frankly, 9-5 mentalities should be more widely encouraged in the games industry. Crunch and long hours tend to be a management/scoping failure and not a goal to attain. We encourage everyone in our office to have a life outside of work. Some of us (like me) might go home and do more gamedev, but on personal projects. Not work.

[placid bridge]

Exactly. I don't think it's healthy either. But that's been the reality of the industry for so long :(

[grave cove]

The reality of the past doesn't have to be the reality of the present or future.
We shouldn't be discouraging people from participating in game dev on whatever terms they want to engage on it with.

[placid bridge]

True. But judging from what he said he doesn't want to learn stuff. This industry requires one to constantly learn, so in this case I defintley think this is the casse

[grave cove]

The need to constantly learn is definitely true, though personally I don't understand how one goes through life in-general without constantly learning.

[placid bridge]

You are not wrong

🤣

[fiery tangle]

Actually I think neither one should be favored. Setting a reasonable min hours (for the sake of business) and encouraging people to make their own choice is the right way to go about it. People should not be forced to stay at work if they don't want to and people should not be forced to leave (Some people would rather want to do this than anything else)

[grave cove]

I actually think that we should in fact be encouraging people to leave. Maybe not at specific times, but if someone is doing 80hrs on their own for some reason, that's a potential problem. Either risking burn out which isn't good for the project or because they're struggling to accomplish what is otherwise expected in 40hrs.
I wouldn't go as far as trying to kick people out or shut down access at specific times for sure, but everyone should have something outside of work. Even if, as I said, that's going home to do personal game development because they want to do this more than anything. As someone who does do that, it flexes different creativity muscles that then feed back into work in wonderful ways.

Depending on who the person is, you can also develop cultural problems if the lead has no life doing 80hrs and everyone else feels peer pressure to work those same sort of hours.

[fiery tangle]

I agree with your point about the burnout. But each person has a different threshold for it. So putting a hard number like 80 hrs on it won't fit every member. And about the peer pressure, I definitely agree that some people feel it a lot more than others and sometimes even go as far as to demean them for putting in more hours than them and making them look bad. But that cannot in anyway be a reason to ask them to hold back. If there is another co-worker who can accomplish the same amount of work in 40 hours then that efficiency should definitely be rewarded. Quality and efficiency is more important than the number of hours.
That being said, it's hard to put all of these ethical viewpoints into a common guide on how to run game studios because each one of them have somewhat different work cultures. They just need a few good people managers/leaders who are invested in the idea of taking care of both the studio and its employees. Good luck to anyone trying to find a perfect fit.

[gleaming fossil]

Hey! I’m a computer science student just starting out with Unreal Engine 5 currently focusing on C++ and planning to use Blueprints soon too.
I’m working toward becoming a gameplay or systems programmer and I’m trying to figure out the best things to focus on early. If anyone has advice on:

• What kind of projects or portfolio pieces helped you get noticed
• How to improve while still in university
• Or anything you wish you did earlier

I’d really appreciate it. Just trying to learn the smart way while I have time. Thanks!

[wet grove]

Hi everyone! I’m looking for a dev with experience using UE5 in VR gaming, I need proof of previous work with your name or some information confirming you made the work on it! It’ll be working on Inventory management and Storage systems then eventually gameplay, more in my server, touch the MP tag for more info! Thanks

[chilly sundial]

You're looking for the job board, read #instructions 🙂

[wet grove]

Thanks!

[keen drift]

Honestly, for programming in-general, just doing a lot of different projects for fun will suffice. Its important to keep the dopamine in your work, and its important to have realistic expectations: it will take you years to get to a decent level of programming, especially in C++ where you need to kind of know what's happening in the background.

Unless you are in a top school, your program will be probably not good enough and you need to keep that in-mind as well.

Be very skeptical as well, very few people know what they are doing and are mostly just being lazy, and repetitive, because that's just human nature. There's a lot of power in just logically thinking things through. For example, if someone recommends "Clean Code" by Robert Martin, you should instantly realize that person is a junior level-wise and has not learned enough yet.

I am not confident in this statement, but making a game engine from scratch is probably the most efficient and relatively simple use of your time. Look for keywords like: Vulkan, custom shaders, mesh shader pipeline vs traditional pipeline, serialization, replication network(try to mimic Unreal Engine's replication network, look at its source code), GUI, animation and skinning, ray-tracing, collision, packing your 3D data in some custom format, embedded LUA, logging, input handling, audio system(try building this with native drivers of your OS), texture compression... There is so much a game engine does, but a lot of it really translates well into general programming and vice-versa.

[oblique ice]

so if not in top school not good enough? 🤔

[wraith mortar]

In US, EU, CA, AU, NZ? No, nobody cares, they care about the quality of the work you can demonstrate
But it might be different in China and other similar countries

[glad lichen]

Hi, wanna get into game dev with unreal, been looking at a udemy course, anyone got some advice or tips?

[oblique ice]

keep learning, fail, do game dev and keep making

[glad lichen]

That I will do, just asking whats the best start

[proper viper]

Just watch or purchase some courses. The first real hurdle is just learning how to speak Unreal and gaining the contextual knowledge to ask the right questions when you are ready to develop something. The concepts you learn in courses or tutorials will be specific to whatever end product they are building towards and might not necessarily coincide with what you want to do, but the contextual knowledge is why they're still important. Take notes, do dev logs, don't be afraid to ask AI.

[ivory lynx]

Agreed with the above a big part of learning the engine is learning what you are looking fir contextually in the graph which alot of tuts will give you that awareness of

[glad lichen]

Solid advice, already got some experience with development, just needed a recommendation of a course to try out

Appreciate it

[static sentinel]

I recommend courses by Stephen Ulibarry (Druid Mechanics). Of the courses I've watched his has been the most complete and informative, though he has a habit of referring people to his other courses where he goes deeper on a certain concept but a quick Google search or asking ai would solve that problem so it isn't that much of a big deal. I never finished any of my courses because at some point in the course I'd divert so much that its near impossible to continue to follow it 😂

[glad lichen]

Well I was thinking between Gamedev.tvs 30hr course vs Stephen Ulibarrys ultimate game developer course, it looks raad fun, but hes got 3 or maybe more courses, so I dont know if i need all of them ir just the one

[woeful iron]

From what I hear gamedev.tv is trash for unreal

[glad lichen]

Could be, got some time to think it over

[static sentinel]

For Stephen Ulibarry, tbe ultimate developer course will most likely be enough to get you set with everything you need. I found gamedev.tv's course to be rubbish because they always told me what to do but never why I was doing it so I was not learning anything, just following along with what they did

[chilly sundial]

not to mention gamedev.tv just like giving out bad advice

[glad lichen]

Stephen ulibarry it is then, ill start learing as soon as im back from the hospital, thank you stranger

[woeful iron]

I only ever did a Tom Looman course but very shortly for like 2 days and then just started yoloing and figuring shit out as I go

[strange plinth]

same, unsure if its the best example

[glad lichen]

I just realized hes got 2 courses named like this, you specify which one you meant?

[static sentinel]

Unreal Engine 5 C++ The Ultimate Game Developer Course

[static sentinel]

You're welcome fellow stranger

[glad lichen]

Thank you

[strange plinth]

#instructions

[delicate drum]

Ok I will have this filled out then thank you

[strange plinth]

#rules

[tranquil oracle]

Hey everyone!
I’m working on my UE/C++ Gameplay Programmer portfolio and would love to learn from your experiences. If you felt your portfolio landed you an interview or offer, could you share:
1.  What kinds of projects or systems you did and highlighted
2.  How you structured/presented your work (readme, demos, docs, sites)
3.  Any lessons you learned or changes you’d make today

Totally respect your privacy - no need to share actual assets or code, just a high‑level overview. Thanks in advance for any tips!

[ivory geode]

In the current market, you either need to make a game and sell it or make some very impressive tool.

[chilly sundial]

Not true really

I landed my placement offer a just under two years ago with a couple of unreal demos I'd been working on, a C++ project in SFML and a C++ project in DirectX.

I had my most complex ones front and center on my portfolio site, detailing the challenges I faced and how I overcame them. I'd also try to include a showcase video where possible. I also listed my skills and strengths on my About Me page and had a link to my github clearly visible at all times.

As for the changes I'd make, one would not be using Wix, it is total ass. To the point where now I'm updating my portfolio, I'm completely re-doing things with Jekyll.
I'd also put more emphasis on the projects. My landing page now not only shows the project and a visual to capture interest, but also important information such as what the project was briefly and what it was made with. You want as much info to be presented neatly and concisely without whoever's looking to have to click. First impressions matter.

The only other thing I'd do is get more projects on there with some more variety. I'm currently refocusing around more tools/engine based projects, so I'm aiming to include more things that highlight that, rather than some of my older BP projects in Unreal that probably aren't doing much lifting on a programmer portfolio aside from being eye candy.

[ivory geode]

Oh yes graphic programmers are in demand

But still, in like europe you are going to see a very few job listings for that

[woeful iron]

where did he say he was a graphics programmer?

[tranquil oracle]

That’s unfortunate. So you’re saying it’s easier to make a commercial project or a really useful tool than to get a job in Europe right now?

It’s just that I’ve had two bad experiences with enthusiast projects: big ambitions, not enough experience or management skills, and worst of all—no willingness to make the project smaller. At this point, I’d rather spend my time working on tiny but non-trivial projects.

The problem is, I struggle to figure out what the scope of a project should be. Should a project showcase only one system, like combat? Is it okay to use just white blocks or dummy characters, or is it better to replace them with proper assets? Or should I make one bigger project with multiple interacting systems, VFX, SFX, assets, cutscenes, and so on?

Probably there isn’t one right answer, but I’m still interested in what others think about it.

[woeful iron]

I don't think that's true tbh

sounds like Laaven has maybe soured from facing one too many rejections

I would say make some projects that showcase what you can do an more importantly what you want to do

they don't need to be full games

I had like 1 platformer game (but only with 2 levels), a game jam project. A tech demo showcasing fuzzy logic in game AI. A small tool to preview HLSL shaders. One very small tower defense game but just one infinite level. A project creating a software raytracer and then one group project.

To give you some ideas maybe

no one expects you to make fully finished games

cause that's also not what you would be doing in your job most likely

just show your skills and that you have some ambition I would say

I can DM you my portfolio if you want. It's far from the best tbh though and haven't updated it since I got my last job

[tranquil oracle]

That'll be nice, thanks!

And also thanks for the detailed answer

[ivory geode]

I assumed that from him mentioning directx

[ivory geode]

The problem is thats what you might be competing against

[digital gate]

Before I got my current job, it was absolutely brutal trying to land freelance clients and a lot of studios were difficult to get interviews with.

I did manage to scrape by and pay (most of) my bills, because you may find people willing to take more of a risk with a less experienced dev if that means they don’t spend their entire budget on a programmer

I landed my first 6mo contract because I didn’t immediately dismiss the clients idea as too ambitious, and I was able to point to toy demos or prior smaller contracts and talked a pretty good talk. That game never made it off the ground. Some time after that, I was brought on for a 1yr at a different project.

That wasn’t quite enough to attract my current employer (although, I had a marketplace code plugin and my work towards another was what got their attention).

[digital gate]

To this point, a reality of the current market is that a lot of experienced AAA devs keep getting laid off. I probably wouldn’t have been chosen for those early contracts in today’s market.

[tranquil oracle]

Sounds quite depressing, but at least makes clearer what to expect

[digital gate]

Something I would do differently is to do a lot of game jams and try to get some contacts earlier on. Then, you might find people who want to collaborate on some portfolio projects, and if you find a fun game in the jamming process, you can build that into a full offering.

Best luck

[crimson mulch]

I know this question probably gets asked a lot but I’ve been doing some research into c++ and found that it’s more common to have c++ in the game development industry than blueprints and is more preferred. So is it worth learning?

[void gust]

^ I'm pretty sure that depends on the game engine.

[digital gate]

C++ is transferable more directly than BP, although programming concepts are even more transferable. Prioritize whatever you learn faster in, but try not to avoid C++ just because it is scary, and don’t avoid BP just because it is said to be slow or is locked into UE. Build your toolbox 🧰

[woeful iron]

if you're looking for a developer/programmer job, yeah definitely. No one is hiring pure BP people. Like if you're a designer and you know BP that's good. But if you're presenting yourself as a programmer and BP is your only skill, no one will hire you.

what?

Unreal Engine?

I'm confused

[royal lintel]

so say we all

[violet sentinel]

Hi everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well. I wanted to share that I’m currently exploring new opportunities where I can continue to learn, grow, and make a positive impact.

If you happen to hear of any openings or know of any opportunities that might be a good fit, I’d be truly grateful if you could let me know. You can also take a look at my background here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viveklakhanpal15/

Thank you so much for your support — I really appreciate it!

[woeful iron]

https://tenor.com/view/déjàvu-drift-anime-initial-d-car-gif-17211916

[plucky hatch]

Hello y’all

I mostly bring ideas

And I need help

[round radish]

What sort of help?

[wraith mortar]

There is no good "BP only" programmer on the entire planet who doesn't know any C++

You can't get good being BP only, too much of the engine is inaccessible

Too many systems can't be built well/properly without C++

I think BP is good for learning the engine (and the programming concepts you mentioned) if you don't know how to code, but once you've learned the engine, then learn to code

[digital gate]

It's easy to get bogged down trying to be a C++ purist and lose the iteration gains you might have in BP, which is why I was suggesting to "prioritize whatever you learn faster in".

But yes, C++ is an essential element of the toolbox (moreso than BP)

[wraith mortar]

Yeah I leveled up rapidly after UE4 released and I changed from Unity thanks to BP

In the context of finding a job tho, don't think there will ever be a BP only dev in demand

[placid bridge]

This isnt going to change most likely. As AAA keeps failing and Unreal projects requires smaller and smaller teams.

I think @ivory geode is 100% correct in his takes and is not ”soured”.

You will find many people that either got lucky being born 40 yrs ago who kind of got in during the more wild west era of gamedev, where outsourcing or 3rd world nations did not compete with them and didnt compete against several yr exp devs for junior positions. Therefor have a pretty rose tinted perspective of the industry. Similarily quite a few got lucky to get in during the 2020s - 2022 which was during a historical money printing runoff of countries all over the world, which led to the glut we have now.

Almost all tech companies in the US are laying off. If you are a non US citizen you might be able to benefit from this recent change. Microsoft was the last one to fire, but they are hiring outsourced labour so that might be a benefit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/comments/1lpvssa/microsoft_laying_off_about_9000_employees_in/

I would still say that overall an issue is that regardless where you are, with tech being able to be done remotley you are essentially competing against the global labour pool now, its just going to become a more tough market because access to computers have only started.

[ivory tundra]

wrong channel #instructions

[delicate drum]

Ok

[placid bridge]

@tranquil oracle with all the previous context explained. I would just try to network and go the indie route. It is the only logical conclusion I can see to all this.

[woeful iron]

If you think chances of making a living wage of being a solo dev are higher than being able to find a job in games, I think that’s just statistically wrong

[placid bridge]

@woeful iron I would say both are about 0 in the current environment if you are relatively new to this. Most companies are more or less having hiring freezes(atleast in the west) at best, unless they are part of the AA that made bank during 2020. There are senior devs out of work, thousands of them.

Competition is fierce out there not only in gamedev.
We are in a global recession.

Indie or gamejams like someone said, will generate far better portfolio pieces imo for this competetive environment regardless, with the benefit of potentially going somewhere if scoped well.

[oblique ice]

yes, microsoft .....up

[placid bridge]

Here are some stats to back up the amount of layoffs: https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2024

[glad lichen]

Hey, would you say you that you need all of his courses or just his Ultimate C++ Course? I saw a bunch, one where he makes a diablo clone, another where he makes a multiplayer fps, would you say I need just the one or all of them?

[static sentinel]

Just one of them should be okay to get you on your feet. I didn't take the course to teach me how to make a particular game, i took it to learn how the engine works and does things. Making a game boils down to mostly your problem solving skills and if you take a course to learn how to make a particular game rather than to learn how to use the tools you'll be stuck in tutorial hell. Yes there are times you'll watch a tutorial to learn something in particular but not to build an entire game.

But thats just my opinion

[chilly sundial]

Layoffs do not mean permanent loss of job. Layoffs are frequent in the industry. Many people I know have been laid off several times, and a lot in recent layoffs that I've seen have since found new jobs.

I hate this fear-mongering approach to the industry right now. Yes the industry isn't doing so hot. It's not like that everywhere, and jobs still exist. It may not be the job you were exactly dreaming of, but it's a job. Some places are beginning to recover. Some were never in danger. Hell, if you're having major problems in gamedev, your skills are transferrable to other industries, especially in the context of programming. It's not easy, but it's in no way impossible.

That in no way means that you should gamble it all and try your luck at the statistically disadvantaged position of starting your own indie thing. Spending money or taking a year or two to try it your own way is in no possible circumstance the best move, unless you're already extremely stable.

The only thing doom-saying does is prevent people from having any hope of getting on their feet, and that's not productive.
What you should do is present yourself as the best version of you, to give yourself the best chance you've got, and broaden your horizons.

[glad lichen]

Mm I see, use it just as a jumping board, thank you very much, any other suggestions you might have?

And how exactly does one find a game dev intership or entry position?

[oblique ice]

apply to internship 👍

[chilly sundial]

If you have companies in mind, keep an eye on their pages. Otherwise, I've yet to see an internship that isn't posted on some job board like indeed

Networking is also a good idea. Go where the industry people are, and where the recruiters are. Talk to people, make impressions and get connections

It may take a bit for some companies to start opening those back up, but that's not to say I've seen everything completely empty and barren. Look at smaller studios, studios that might not be making the types of games you want to work on as much, anything. Experience is experience

[glad lichen]

Is it as difficult as some other fields? Finding positions I mean

[static sentinel]

Thats the stage I'm at rn so I can't provide an answer 😂😂

I haven't been able to get one

Its been hard to even find roles to apply for

[static sentinel]

Its okay to give up for the day but don't quit

[chilly sundial]

Right now it's more difficult to find a game internship than some other tech fields. It's not wrong to say the industry is in a really hard spot, but it's not the abandon all hope that I've seen some people saying.

What role(s) are you interested in?

[glad lichen]

Im not giving up, im def gonna get the course when its on sale and im out of the hospital. I wanna learn game development, dont know why it wasnt my first choice

[glad lichen]

Currently, no clue. Ive yet to start with game development

Looking to switch from full stack to game dev

Full stack no longer fulfils me

[static sentinel]

I haven't found a single internship role. And I got rejected from the only junior role I was able to find

[chilly sundial]

Be prepared for a bit of a drop in money. It's a trend in a lot of places that equivalent gamedev work earns less than other industries

[round radish]

Game dev is like teaching or nursing. It's a vocation! People want to do it, so they can be paid less for it.

[glad lichen]

I already get fiddled at my current work spot, and get paid very poorly, as its an internship. Ive freelance experience but no firm experience, naturally in my country youll get abused at firms

[chilly sundial]

You just gotta keep searching. Broaden what you're willing to go for, look in adjacent industries that still have the same "meat" of the role. Even when the industry wasn't in a hole, rejections are common 🤣

You'll get one, just don't give up. If you give up, it'll never happen

[glad lichen]

Oh im aware

Just needed a pointer where to start with my studies

And Unsigned gave me a direction

For which I am grateful for

[chilly sundial]

My personal reccomendation for starting with Unreal is to look at some of the official materials and transfer guides in #ue5-general pins.

Then just play around and get used to things, and take the dive into C++, which #cpp has some great resources about

[glad lichen]

I will, every resource is a good one

[oblique ice]

that depend, whic part game development you interested

[static sentinel]

I actually don't mind the rejection, its something I actually expected since its Larian studios i applied to😂 but its the scarcity of the junior gameplay programmer role that bothers me. There are a lot of senior roles but all the junior ones just evaporated into thin air

[chilly sundial]

You don't need a course if you don't want one, but if you do I would stick to something good like Stephen Ulibarri's work, (not the ones partnered with gamedev.tv)
You can do this for free, but if you benefit from the structure that a course gives, don't let me stop you

[glad lichen]

Id do anything to be honest

But id def prefer to work on games i like

Mr Chien I didnt understand that question it seems

[chilly sundial]

Yep, it's a frustrating state. You just gotta keep your eyes peeled, they come up from time to time. I mean this is heavily location based of course, but the general rule is the same

[static sentinel]

I know I can't give up 😂😂. Its really over once I do

[glad lichen]

If its mostly location based then im mostly screwed