Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

Building Game Worlds
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U L T I M A T E G A M E D E S I G N
RS: Definitely, my drawing and color comp skills. Everyone can learn to use a computer in a few
hours, learn a software package in a few weeks, master it in a few months … but it takes years to
develop your drawing and artistic skill. Furthermore, you have to maintain them every day. It’s not like
riding a bike … once you learn, you’ll never forget. With art, it’s a daily regimen; you must draw every
day or you’ll lose your skills.
TM: What do you enjoy the most about working in games?
RS: It’s a fun environment, you don’t have to dress up, and sometimes you get free food and ice
cream … you can’t beat that!
TM: What do you like the least about working in games?
RS: My only issue is the commute. I hate driving … anywhere. That’s why I love working freelance.
I only have to come into the office every once in a while for meetings, to hand in some artwork or
something like that. I love telecommuting. I wake up … I don’t even have to comb my hair or dress
up. I usually just get up, make my pit-stop, sit and eat breakfast at the computer desk as I work.
Before I know it, it’s time to go to bed. I’m at least 85 percent more productive this way.
TM: Agreed. How has the impact of new technology changed your work over time?
RS: It’s only gotten better and more fun to work in this industry … we now have fewer limitations
than just a few years ago. Faster CPUs, affordable graphics cards, better software, better hardware,
online gaming, broadband, etc.—I could go on and on.
TM: What practical advice would you give to aspiring digital artists?
RS: Don’t do it! (Just kiddin’.) No, really, I would push myself to develop all the skills of my craft,
but concentrate on the industry you love. Is it film and broadcast? Is it special effects? Is it character
animation? Which area within these fields do you want to get into? Modeling or animating? Particle
effects?
Obviously, you must master all the basic facets of 2-D and 3-D art, but specialize in the one area
that is best suited to you. Don’t try to do it all. If you like to animate, focus on character rigging
(forward kinematics, inverse kinematics, setups, and envelopes) [forward kinematics refers to the use
of joint rotations to pose a character; inverse kinematics refers to controlling a number of joints using
an IK handle; and setups and envelopes refer to slider-based motion control of joints or vertex
groups, and so forth] and animation. If you like modeling, then focus on a particular part, like polygon
modeling. Build the cleanest models you can. But don’t forget to still work with NURBS [Non-Uniform
Rational B-Splines] and splines, since the new technologies are allowing us to do more amazing things.
Don’t be surprised in the near future to see full-resolution film-quality characters. Oh, and most
important, try not to master more than two 3-D software programs! Don’t be a pig like me and use a
great deal of your precious time learning every program out there and then end up never being able
to use half of them … better to be great at one than to be good or average in a couple of them.
TM: What are you excited about in the near future for digital art?
RS: Man, that’s a question I was hoping you wouldn’t ask. I’m excited about so many things and I
can’t really talk about a lot of them (signed NDAs [nondisclosure agreements], you know!). It’s such
an amazing future! The bar is constantly being raised. The effects are so incredible now. Technology
is allowing for more and more creative/expressive freedom. Artists are only limited by their own
imagination. Heck, man! I’m excited about everything!
TM: How important is it to specialize your art skills these days?