I'm good at programming my coffee machine, is it enough?

[LegendaryOtter]

Helo there :stroggbanana:,

I’m interested in how much further knowledge would I need to have an entry level position at a game development company or even if what I have counts.

I have been doing self-thought C++ OOP programming for about 3 – 4 years now during my spare time. I have also been using Ogre3D Graphics Engine quite extensively and I have some experience with DirectX, which I was using for at least a year.

I have made a 2D game with DirectX and C++ and a 3D game with Ogre3D and C++. I’ve used Blender to make models and manage the scene.

There are some screenshots for the thrill of it:

I know that this is just scraps and nowhere near to the level required in the industry, but I’d like to know your opinion.

I’m retaking my exams this year as I’m currently on a gap year. I had some quite severe cases of anxiety and depression last year due to the exams and I will try to take the exams this year somehow. My grades will end up bad and I will have to defer my application for another year. I’m really tired of being in this state of mind.

Any advice/comment is appreciated. Thank you.

[Aradel87]

Just recently got my first job.

[from a core tech perspective]

My advice would be to keep working on projects on the side (don’t neglect school though). A good and deep understanding of C++ helps. What I did was I looked at existing libraries and tried to learn as much as possible from them about optimisation, tricks you could use to improve your coding and so on.

If I had to do it all over again I would have focused on smaller projects. Depending on which route you want to go in development Gameplay, Core Tech/Backend, Graphics. Focus on something very specific like a custom memory allocator, a really cool shader or something like that. If you can keep those close to industry standard I’d say you’re in a very good position to get considered by any employer.

Math skills are generally a good thing to have, a solid understanding of linear algebra helps a lot. Having experience with engines is also good. Implementing third party libraries making them work together is not a bad thing to have looked at.

[Fluffy_gIMp]

Can’t really add any more to the great advice already given! best of luck!

[shibbyuk]

My advice, based on personal experience, is to focus your efforts on your exams right now. Although grades aren’t the be-all and end-all, you will find that you can maximise your options and opportunities the better your qualifications. A lot of recruiters will be quite ruthless in filtering out candidates in the easiest way possible when they have lots of applicants.

Once your exams are over… then you could work on developing your 3D graphics and game development skills. One immediate suggestion is to work on your texture mapping; this is a great skill to have under your belt and goes a long way towards creating more realistic or detailed graphics. Also, learn to write shaders and develop your skills in the associated fundamentals. Note I’m not in the industry but work on mobile games in my free time. See if you can finish a complete game - I can tell you that getting across the line is incredibly difficult when you’re the only person working on all aspects of the game!