Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

[Malacite]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

I need to take programming courses, and probably some refresher courses in flash and photoshop as it's been a while.

[Armando]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

I'm not convinced you need to know Flash. These days it's possible to make browser games that rely purely on HTML5 and WebGL (OpenGL for browsers), no plug-ins involved as long as your browser is up to date. In fact, the game library I'm learning to use right now lets you write a game in Java and deploy it to Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and HTML5 with almost no code changes. It's also compatible with this open-source tiled map editor.

I recommend you download Eclipse IDE for Java Developers and hit up Oracle's Java tutorials. Maybe buy yourself a book on Java too if you're really serious about it. I wouldn't recommend starting off with C++, it's got a high learning curve and even once you're good at it, it's easier to make mistakes in C++ than Java. Python is easy to get into but the game development libraries aren't as developed as other languages from what I can tell.

Photoshop is probably overkill for sprite-based games.

[Icemage]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

I need to take programming courses

Yes.

and probably some refresher courses in flash

Nope.

and photoshop as it's been a while.

Optional, but handy.

Also worth mentioning: Do not ever, ever go to school for game design. I mean it. Go to school and learn something more practical. Very, very few game designers come into the job out of college (and this is NOT due to there being a lack of people who actually buy the hype and get "game design" degrees).

Everyone and their brother thinks they have good ideas. Some of those ideas really are good. The trick to being a game designer is simultaneously knowing what you want to do, knowing how feasible it is from a technical standpoint, and how to communicate those ideas successfully. Failing at any of these three means you are a failure as a game designer. Ideas aren't even the beginning; they aren't even the beginning of the beginning.

So instead if you want to do game design, learn some code or polish your artistic skills and work on a game. Now is probably the best time in the history of history to be an independent game developer, and you don't need a fancy piece of paper saying that you know the ropes to do that; you just go and do it. If it then turns out that you actually enjoy the process and are good at it, then you have something to stick in your resume that is worth more than 100 game design degrees.


Icemage

[Armando]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Another idea: design a board game/card game. Since all you need is the ability to print paper, the barrier to entry is really low (unless you want to actually sell it, which is another matter.) It's a good way to exercise game design skills while you learn how to program.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

On that note, Google Mark Rosewater. One of the lead designers for M:tG at Wizards of the Coast, he's written several articles about the ins and outs of game design in general.

Here would be a good place to start doing some reading.

[Malacite]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Hmm, well the only other subjects that interest me as far as a degree goes are Graphics Design, Creative Writing & Political Science.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Just mark me down as undecided.

Every major's terrible.

[JTF-Taru]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

A mod can lock this thread now if they want as this one by Elmer covers everything in one post, plus this thread is messy and has gone off topic and is about career advice now.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Wait wait wait...We have threads that stay on topic?

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but re-watch the Adoulin teaser trailer at 1:00.

I think SE has confirmed that he will play a part in this expansion.

[Raydeus]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Nah, that's mirror Universe Yggy. You know, the one who could actually afford 2 Gs.

- - - Updated - - -

PS > And the voice of the "Narrator" is annoying as hell.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

I know, right? Couldn't he at least act like he was trying?

[Romyro]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

yes i agree...he did a rather poor job.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

Has there been any further information about either one of the new jobs yet? I know we got a little blurb of info on Geomancer and their polarity thing... as well as a short listof their enhancement effects. Has anything come out about Rune Fencer yet? Spedific things really... not just "they're the third tanking class" and "Use defensive and offensive skills"

- - - Updated - - -

I know I won't be planning on bringing either of them up to 99, but I'm trying to think of the possibilities of using either one as a SJ. I can only see Geomancer being a good SJ if their JAs avaiable to them at 49 would be worth it... or if the get that Regain spell below 49 (which I doubt).

As for Rune Fencer... I might like it as an alternative SJ to WAR, THF, or DNC on NIN... but again... only if it turns out that their abilities pre-49 are worth the effort. If not, I'll likely avoid both jobs completely.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Vanafest Info - New Jobs Revealed!

We haven't really heard anything more, or at least not as far as I am aware. There's plenty of wild speculation going around, but that's about it.
I might end up giving Rune Fencer a try if they give us another storage unit to work with. I like tanking and it might be fun to actually play a class designed around it.