Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

Building Game Worlds
240
U L T I M A T E G A M E D E S I G N
always have opportunity of some kind open to them. It really is essential to try to become
the best at something. You might get lucky! Smaller subsets of the game artists
and designers I’ve known have experienced relatively constant work. In trying to
help point you in the right direction, it’s best to be prepared for either case.
One thing is sure: artists and game designers are always looking for opportunities.
First and foremost, you want to build games. Day and night, you want to build
games, but stay open to new kinds of game entertainment by type and by kind. Don’t
limit yourself to a single genre or necessarily to a single platform. The more kinds of
game production experiences you participate in, the more you will learn about the
process of building games. This is not to say that you shouldn’t try to get core experience
on specific platforms; you should always try to do this as opportunity allows.
If you’re not geographically located near the offices of some local game developers,
you may have to relocate. Try to build a relationship with a “somewhat” local
developer before making any moves. Don’t be overly aggressive, just follow the web
postings and be consistent. You probably won’t be able to start in a design capacity
until you can prove that you’ve had a hand in building commercially successful
games at some level. Don’t be too impatient. Like I’ve said, if you’re just starting out
you’ll have to find your way into a game developer and then show them what you can
do. Check out Appendix A as a starting point.
Role Definition for Game Designers
Your contribution to a game developer as a game designer is largely dependent on
your own skills, goals, background, aptitudes, and interests. Different game development
studios (from the largest to the smallest) have dramatically different ideas
about which kinds of skills are required to be a game design team member or a lead
designer. Some choose to focus on art skills like traditional design, while others focus
on scripting language ability. Still others focus on having art and scripting skills in
abundance, while also being able to double as a character rigger or technical director
(setting up character or prop models for animation).
In terms of job descriptions, you have three common classifications: lead designer,
game designer, and level designer. There is often plenty of overlap in these classifications.
A lead designer is a senior position, although game and level designers can have
senior positions as well. Seniority, no surprise, is based on experience and exposure.
A lead designer is responsible for defining, creating, and supporting any and all
overarching gameplay functionality details. They help to keep focus on building a
game title that plays with fundamental fluidity and excitement. They make sure that
a title is competitive from a gameplay and visual design standpoint.
A game designer can also be the lead designer, and vice versa. Game designers are
focused on defining and developing the big picture gameplay details for a game developed
often from scratch using a variety of means. Many have sufficient art and