My personal Dilemma

[Psykogundam]

Hey, i havnt made an off topic post in quite some time.

Im having trouble deciding my future. Its quite a personal thing, but i think explaining myself here may gain some attention from people who know what im talking about.

The issue is this. I am absolutly crap with numbers. i can barely count
But i am really good with art. Specifically sketching and visual creation. Im currently in college doing a course in Graphic design. but its an intermediatary course between Ireland's equivilant of High school, and college. Ireland's got a very good education system these days, and i have a huge selection of courses i could go on to do next year. but theres only one industry that i have always wanted to get into. Computer games design.

Since i was a little child i have always been fasinated by games, and their possibilities. And i promised myself, that one way or another i would end up making them. and that senario has literally come to be. i actually have two options. i can either go to Art college, for four years of the most intensive outlandish, abstract, and excrusiatingly exausting physical work that i have ever exposed myself to. or i can go to study computer games development which is just next door in a nice warm office, but ultimatly, and most probibly fail due to my lack of interest and ability in coding and mathamatics.

I want to master my skills, and my gift. I also want to study 3d modeling, texture design, dabble in sound engineering, and ultimatly, get the piece of paper at the end that says i have acomplished that.

I think there are a lot of people that cant draw or craft to save their lives, and they would say, somthing like "go for the art degree, i wish i could do what you can do, it would be a waste not to." but at the same time, i look at people that are tremendously good at maths and solving puzzles, and i wish i could be like them. and that wish gives me detairmination to conquor my failings.

anyway, i just wanted to vent. what do you guys think?
Maybe some of you have the same thing going on, or close to it. if so, dont be afraid to say so.

Cheers for reading

[Scot]

Psyko, at the end of the day, your a gay art boy!!

Jokes mate, I see what you're saying, and I do say that, goddam I wish i was good at art sometimes, but my problem being I'm also pretty shite at maths, so didn't get even one I would say, if Gaming is what really interests you, then I know texturing doesn't use maths, Modelling i asumme uses some form of it, but very minimal IMO. Coding yes, probably uses numbers, but it won't be like out of this world crazy hard maths. If you think that you will lose interest in gaming due to it, I would strongly suggest the Art, although that can be a hard market to get into, but I'm guessing you are a talented bloke, so I'm sure you could succeed.

At the end of the day, no matter what I(god help you if you listen to me ) or anyone else counts for nada. It is up to you and what you feel is right. This decision, you want to look back on in 40 years or so, and say, that was a great decision, as to me it sounds quite important(almost as important as 'left or right hand?')

Of course, you can easily combine the two, visual creation and gaming or computers at least. Programmes such as Photoshop etc, if you can get good on, can let you make fantastic stuff, and meanwhile you can still be drawing yourself, etc.

As I said, it's up to you, but I hope in some way I helped

PS. your sig name is wrong, only just noticed XD

[WNxKenwayy]

go to Art college, for four years of the most intensive outlandish, abstract, and excrusiatingly exausting physical work that i have ever exposed myself to.


If art college is the most physical work you've ever done....damn.

Secondly, at least based on stateside results, get the game design degree if you want a real job doing real work for a real company. In the states an art degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on in terms of real world application.

[Rudd]

Gotta talk to a careers advisor really, ask about how easy it is to switch over if you don't like one.

[Psykogundam]

Originally Posted by WNxKenwayy

go to Art college, for four years of the most intensive outlandish, abstract, and excrusiatingly exausting physical work that i have ever exposed myself to.


If art college is the most physical work you've ever done....damn.

Secondly, at least based on stateside results, get the game design degree if you want a real job doing real work for a real company. In the states an art degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on in terms of real world application.

Art degrees in ireland and france are different from the rest of the world. The teachers are nut jobs, who take massive pride in forcing the students to do retarded things.

@Rudd and Scot, thanks for the input. i appresiate your advice.

[Harrod200]

If you don't like maths, you won't like any computing course. Graphic design, whatever, they ALL have maths & programming modules. I imagine you're better off smoking weed with the other artsy fartsy types for the next few years and playing with modelling programs/whatever in your spare time.

[OiSkout]

Learn math. It's pretty important, in like everything.

Also, art is a lot of work. By that, I mean you're going to be spending a lot of time doing labs and projects. Sometimes they'll be really taxing, other times they'll be easy, but very time consuming.

[CodeRedFox]

Originally Posted by Psykogundam

The issue is this. I am absolutly crap with numbers. i can barely count

Well for once I can give some pro help. Being a Visual Effects Artist along with doing PR, I feel like I can give you some real world advice.

College:
A piece of paper saying you know something don't mean crap. At the end of the day the question is "can this guy get the job done". I would say do some college as the experience shouldn't be missed. But dont think you will learn anything useful other than BS your way around....and make future connections. Personal time will be the major factor. I did so many after class projects. Filming after school, making games, going to the local hardware store to make lightsabers for a VFX project....ahh the good old days. Thats where your gonna learn, doing things for fun.

Work vs Books:
Reading book and doing tutorials is great. But you will learn more the first week of working then two years of reading books. So get any job you can in the field.

Network Network Network:
Go on forums, website, and meeting (even if that involves flying). Most of my jobs....at least in the last two year have all been because of people I know. That right there tell you how important it is.

This networking also extense to games like PR. You already a tester which is a big step. It wouldn't take much to become a r-con or dev. Your names already in the group as a tester.

Just do it:
My last bit of advice, "just do it". Really if its something you like to do you should be doing it already. You see me on the forums mouthing that quote off all the time. And I say it just not from experience here but also in life. If anyone remembers this is how I became part of the PR team. One day I said "I'm gonna make a map with or with out the PR blessing". Or course this all goes back to teamwork as a ass that wont take feedback will be ignored.

Last note:
You dont need math. We use these $3000 computers to do Computer games design you think something as small as a calculator will be a huge road block. I have a calculator near me at all times. And I'm doing complex particle math. People understand artist are math dumb. Hell I'm bad at spelling and I also keep the internal VFX Wiki going.

Point being is if you can get the work done people dont care HOW you do it.

So thats what I can offer. Real world & real life experience.

Lifes short, have some fun in it.

Me,
Visual Effect Artist

[General_J0k3r]

there is a game design school here in berlin

Games Academy - Games Spieleentwicklung Spielprogrammierung Berlin News

i have a friend who goes there and he likes it very much. they have teachers that are practioners of the art as well, giving you connections as well. it's not free though :/

other than that regarding maths: you can't really compare the math you do in school to the math you'll do at uni. at least that is the case for germany. i know quite some ppl who sucked at math in school but are very much OK at uni even with rather "arcane" stuff. plus it helps if you know why you do it and that it will actually be of use for you.

i don't really know, in the case of you going for games design, an art degree will help .

and listen to CRF imho, i fully agree with him regarding the general stuff

[OiSkout]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]CodeRedFox

College:
A piece of paper saying you know something don't mean crap. At the end of the day the question is "can this guy get the job done". I would say do some college as the experience shouldn't be missed. But dont think you will learn anything useful other than BS your way around....and make future connections. Personal time will be the major factor. I did so many after class projects. Filming after school, making games, going to the local hardware store to make lightsabers for a VFX project....ahh the good old days. Thats where your gonna learn, doing things for fun.

I'd say college is quite important.

It doesn't happen for everyone, but I think one big thing a lot of people miss out on(because they don't "get" it), is that it makes them better overall. I don't mean whatever you majored in or learned in general, but ability to argue, present, research, etc. Granted, like Code said, you have to then apply such ability.

I didn't realize till after I got out of school, college actually made me "smarter." For instance, since I half-majored in philosophy, I learned how to argumentation and logic. When I listen to my friends argue, I notice significant difference in their presentation, perception, and bias. Some of them didn't go to college at all, others dropped out, and some are going to medschool.

Granted, it varies. I know people who went to a good uni(with me), and still are total idiots.

But now I gotta go back to work. I finish up explaining later heh.