What it's like to be a Game Design student at Full Sail (Online) 

(the secret is that you don't need college but it helps and goes a long, long way)

I feel the same

Yeah game designer say the same thing but I'm more scared of procrastinating then doing this class.

Your experience, it worth it? Also, the master degree learned about programming video games?

@@orlandoc1694 Ya get what ya put into it, would be my answer. If you do well and network and build a portfolio then it's worth it. You don't need a degree to be a Game Designer. You can learn on your own and build your own games or a portfolio to show studios if you want to job hunt. If that's your path there are plenty of tutorials and free or cheap game engines and other software.

Don't be scared. They have people there to help you at every turn. If you're online, your student liaison will give you calls about every month starting out to see how you are doing and how you are fairing in the classes. Also, don't be afraid to talk to your professors, they are there to help.

Jarid Gaming I’ll be right there with you

@@CliffGore84 you got this!!!

how has it been going?

I start June 3rd my buddy is doing game art and I'm doing game design kind of nervous

I work in design development for software and I work with a couple of friends from college. I make more money than I previously did and my family has grown from 2 kids in college to now 4 lol

@@BlakeAllenTaylor Thats so awesome to hear man! Congratulations! My kiddos are still young. I Have a 5 year old and a teenager that has definitely kept me busy outside of my studies.

I appreciate the love!

Hey Bryant! It's scary. It's monumental. It's all on you. That's tough to ask yourself; if you 'can'. I think you can. Just apply yourself from the start and you'll notice a pattern emerge from their courses. Be the glue that attracts many people. Create comms outside of class [discord]. Communicate and keep adding 1 or two people per class. It's starts to feel like a combat unit before long (lolololol). I still talk to my group, almost daily. If you have more questions, just ask. (I'm doing really well). Life is balanced, I have a 4th kid due in a few weeks and I have a Web Dev job where I get to design out almost all the features and mechanics; mostly the systems thinking. Life is good.

Hey YoBoiKevo! Hit me up on Skype. I have a group that I created that consists of current Full Sail students and Alumni. BATaylorAtFullSail.

Skype me : batayloratfullsail. I'll get you in contact with game artists and designers so you can ask your questions

ArKimation What's the difference

me too

The difference is that one is the aesthetics (what the user sees and interacts with) the other, being design, is about the back-end rules and designed experience.

Hi, thanks for the replay was wondering that for a game artist it is necessary for him to study fine art or if for a game designer it doesn't matter what you are ...i mean even if you are a psychologist, biologist, graphic designer etc you can still work in it..........excuse my english xD

It's went down since then

Hey! Glad to hear it! Contact me on Skype: BATaylorAtFullSail. We can communicate further from there.

Well, 1) you could still do your studies with all that is going on. 2) I like Unreal as it has more options but Unity is the game engine that Full Sail will teach you on. 3) Learn C# now. 4) You might lose a little sleep during the later months. 5) Learn game design documentation formats. 6) drop any ego that you may have because you're going to get shut down a lot in Game Design. You're the ideas guy, the architect, and the mental artist. Full Sail is worth the experience, alone.

I think you should go to school if you wan to, or if you want to self teach your self there are a lot of gumroads, tutorials, etc that you can use to learn design on your own. I will say the plus of going to college is that they teach you the core fundamentals and give you a really solid foundation in design, 3D, whatever it is you are pursueing. Personally I am a 3D artist and I go to school at Academy of Arts University Online. I have enjoyed it so far, but it is hard and very time consuming. I will say that going to school is not just enough. You need to be able to network and have great social skills too. I definitely recommend saving up and flying out to GDC one year for some experience with that. I also disagree about it being like a movie star. I think since I am a 3D artist it is a bit different, but there are so many indie companies now days that finding a job in games is a lot easier than it used to be(still very hard and competitive) and if you are a 3d artist there are always jobs in advertsiemetns too.

How u doing now

:-( I'm > 30 now lol I was 25 when I started.

Why does that matter? Do we suddenly lose our creative quality after the age of 30 and have nothing left to offer over the younger gens?

@@studiovulcan4411 did I say it was a problem or do you have a guilty conscious or something...

@@reptroiskingofthecity403 I guess it's all a perception of how I read your comment but "damn" usually has a negative connotation associated with it and people don't usually state things for no reason like "socks exist, wow" as that would be useless. So, it's understandable with the way it was written that at first glance it could be perceived as a negative perspective on the subject. In this case, the age of full sail students.

@@studiovulcan4411 well sorry for your misinterpretation - but I'm also 30+ and a current full sail student so it was more like me finally stating what I had presonally noticed in my own experience based on who I'm taking classes with actually, no pun intended

You'll never stop overcoming obstacles but it get's easier to overcome obstacles. Life is good. I'm not in a game dev world but I am in some really cool dev/it positions. I learned from full sail how to keep learning. I'm stable with a big family.

Thanks for the Grads, OP.

Absolutely! Ask all the questions: I've lead every single design, development team. The trick is to start out with 110% momentum and keep that going as a regular, normal pace. Your road will not be easy. The adjustment to online life isn't easy. You will make friends, lose more friends (due to grades or $$). Ask for Alicia Hopfensberger to be your Student Liaison as you'll speak to your liaison more than any other person there. She's the bee's knees. Network from the beginning. Get your LinkedIn up to snuff. Reach out to recruiters NOW and let them know of your path. They WILL remember you. Design is 90% from the heart, 5% psychology, and 5% collaborative. I have a plethora of friends that can help from many design areas. OHH, OHHH! Get your C# up to par, too. Learn how to code, NOW. Programming Fundamental classes are weeding out classes. I have a vast network and if you ever need help, find me on Skype or hangouts. On Skype, look for Gengar.

The best way to answer that is in the Game Design path, you'll take a PGF (programming foundations) 1 and 2. Do not be fooled by the title. Full Sail will plant these, "Weeding Out" classes. These classes are designed to push you to the limits of what you know. Maybe there was no precursor class? It might seem like they don't care or they're dumb in scheduling but it is 100% not by accident. Therefore, you'll be tangentially learning a new and extremely valuable lesson in development; how to find the info on your own. You'll realize that most mechanics in game are from other games; just used in a different way. I can't say that you'll walk away from these classes able to code entire mechanics or features (personally, I think that you'd better learn how to). However, I can say that you could 100% put the effort into it. I've told this to many people coming into Coding. As long as you have the drive and you give it 110%, you will eventually have this "ah ha" moment. All the things that you're doing will just click, one day. I do suggest downloading Unity or Unreal Engine, downloading Visual Studio, and following youtube tutorials. Become familiar with your environment. Also, CodeAcademy.com is a great place to get lessons. In game dev @ full sail, you'll study C# if they're going the Unity route. Sadly, I'm not too sure if Code Academy offers C# lessons. However, the point of my suggesting the website is to get you familiar with coding. Follow up with youtube tutorials. Get to know it the best you can, right now.

Hey Harley! Hit me up on Skype. We'll connect and I'll connect you with others who are at various stages in the online program. You'll even have access to speak with various alumni that are working together to work on actual games. We also help you learn how to solve the problems you'll be facing. Skype: BATaylorAtFullSail

Alright, added you looking forward to some answers:)

Sent bro. Feel free to reach out on finite mathematics or any programming c# class

I’m A Female And Thanks What Will I Have To Download For First Day?

Whoops! Sorry. Am responding to these via mobile. First thing, eh?.. the drive to go at it 110%+ and let that be the norm. Think outside the box. You need to download self discipline and dont be afraid to exhaust all resources to succeed.

Blake Taylor Appreciate It Bro Good Looking Out Already A Head Thanks Tho!!

LinkedIn or gamedevmap.com

hows it going for you?

Hey man I'm looking for all the info I can on this. How has your experience been?

I'm sure that lots of changes have happened since I attended. I"m sure the same model exists to some degree. Be super nice and be a team player. Lower that ego when you get in groups and adopt the rubric's goal. Good luck!

They will literally force you to go through it unprepared. It's a weeding out class. Sink or swim. But they've been teaching you how to find documentation this while time, tangentially.

PCPARTPICKER.com - For PC building (cheaper in the long run) CodeAcademy.com for learning some basic programming. Also, download Unity 3D and follow some tutorials on how to code some type of movement on a ball. It's not too hard. From there, you should be able to get some grasp on how to do some decent coding. Also, FS will teach you how to search for answers on your own (one of the main things you'll learn, tangentially)

Blake Taylor wow definitely appreciate you commenting back bro. . Figured with the video being a year old I was going to be out of luck. I signed up for codecademy, but how powerful should I go for the starter pc? CPU and Graphics card? for example what set up are you running on now Edit: going out and finding information on your own is a very underrated skill, and you earned my sub lol

Hey!!!! Thanks bro! Nah, I keep up with it. I wanted to share my experiences with those looking at going to Full Sail. My build at home costs > $1200 and is in dire need of some hardware upgrades. I can still play my favorite games on Ultra but updating is always good. However, I would like to point out that on or after your 4th month at Full Sail Online, you'll get your Launch Box. This comes with a new Macbook Pro, insurance on the thing, and various other necessities to get your school work done. I built my PC with income tax money. I started Full Sail when I was married with one kid and another on the way. It was rough. I was 25 ( I think ) when I started that journey. I'll do an update video really soon. Honestly, your first semester or so is getting the BS classes out of the way; ie, Creative Writing, Research, Physics, and the dreaded Finite Mathematics. So, if you can get access to a Google Drive folder now, it will go a long way in your first few months. If you have to, go up to your local Library and use their PCs.

Hey Veronica! The key to your success at Full Sail is to hit the assignments hard, methodically, and accurately. Give it 110% each day. Go to work, spend time with the kiddos, and then, "BAM"; 110%. You'll start to realize that you're being taught something tangentially. The faster you realize what that thing is the better. I'll give you a hint. It has to do with research. For the first year, I would get my assignments turned in usually around Tuesday to Thursday. The hardest challenge that you'll face is working in a team. Those hours can usually start and run late. There will be a few "weeding-out" classes that I've noticed. Those "weeding-out" classes are judging you on how well you've picked up on the tangential lessons. So, fret not. Here's what I suggest: Make friends with the smartest people in the class (you'll get to know them better when you start having team classes). Create a chat for those people to communicate in. Talk with each other and share your thoughts, ideas, sometimes how an answer was found but never the answer. You're doing not only yourself a disservice but potentially the gaming industry by sharing answers. So, bust your butt on day one and let that be your norm. The hardest thing I've ever had to do is look my oldest in the eyes and tell him that I can't play on nights where he really needed me.

Some of the hardest classes are going to be in coding. We jumped from a javascript based perlenspiel.net engine straight into a unity project with a stoplight state machine in C#. This caused a massive amount of my classmates from graduating with myself and others. There are many more examples. The pattern is that for every doubled up month, there would be a single "weeding out" class. You need to guild-up with your classmates and talk not only in class but after. I still speak to my homies from college, often.

@@BlakeAllenTaylor it seems like we are going to start learning C# and the unreal engine as far as i know. visual scripting is also a thing i'd like to get down within unreal. there are definitely some "weeding out" of students happening already, and it will only intesify as we get further within our degree. thanks for the response! what kind of jobs have you had since you graduated?

That's Awesome! It's memorable and I still keep up with my friends. Take it all in.

How are the job prospects and how ready do you think you are to enter the industry?

@@Trokkian I feel as if I am ready or atleast more ready than if I didn't go. There are Full Sail alumni that come back and look at midterm projects and final. One came by our booth for our midterm(Game Devs Midterm gets shown off, not Game Designs) and said it was almost equivalent to a final project. Every game created also gets hosted on Full Sails website to download. (Though our professor said that they were planning to remove the server so I'm not sure) Some professors are from the acual industry aswell, I've had teachers who helped producing DS games, PC games, and more. Also Industry studios visit and host events every now and then where you can ask questions to them, try to get their contsct info, and show what you can do to them. I lack social skills, but here you'll need them if you want to survive. You can the best programmer or deaigner, but ya still gotta talk your way to the top.

@@Joe-wi6yk Hey. I'm looking into the game design program at full sail right now. I will be attending virtually and I have a few questions before I pull the trigger. It's been a few years since you finished up I assume so hopefully you can help me out a bit. It's way harder to find actual people to talk to about these things then I thought it would be. How was the market for you after graduation as far as finding a job? Did the employers look down on the full sail name or is it more of a show me what YOU can do industry. I know the pacing and structure is gonna be fast paced and that's right up my alley I found traditional schooling to drag and become boring resulting in classes that I should have easily gotten an A in drop a little lower due to loss of attentiveness. Fast pace classes remedy this for me. I'm curious how well the professors are at attending to your individual questions and needs. Do they take the time to help you get something or do they brush you off. Last question(s) I don't wanna bombard you too much sorry. But since you've graduated would you recommend full sail to others? Was it worth the cost admission? Do you have any regrets or advice you'd give to someone looking into it?

Sort of. You'll take a questionnaire, setup your school account, get the finances in order, and once you're squared away (meaning when Full Sail knows that you'll be able to pay) you can start class. First class is a breeze for sort of hard for some. If you fail first class, you can get your money back ( from memory so, not 100% sure). But remember, Full Sail is a for profit college. A good college, though.

Yup. If you got the money. They accept people with GEDS even. I graduated from this joke of a "university". I am now going to a real college down the street (UCF) for comp sci. Best decision I made. Dont go here, a community college even has better education than this place.

Jon, you are totally right, we just hired a “ graduate “, he is in no way prepared for work in the graphic design industry. He has just basic skills, which he still has trouble with. You can get a better education at State colleges! If you can pay for this school u will be able to get in.

@@dhp7799 Well I am going to FullSail now for my Bachelors in Computer Animation. The classes are letting me know what areas I want to concentrate in. Now I know I want to concentrate on Animation. Will I be a pro after going through these classes? No..... Especially if I don't put in any effort to go the extra mile. So I will also take classes at AnimSchool or Animation Mentor as well starting in July. Since those classes concentrate primarily on animation. Buy the time I finish this degree plan at Full Sail I will also have finished my classes at one of the animation schools. So I will have a degree and the necessary skillset to be an animator. I know some people say these classes are too intense but they seem easy me. Then again I also buy extra tutorials off Udemy or watch free ones on RU-vid.I try to figure out as much as I can before a class starts on my own. So then I am free to ask the really important questions in class. I guess you just have to really be passionate about what you want to do.

I have to admit that I do not regret game design. I learned many other skills like coding in c#, story telling, leadership in Collab environments. I've made friends that I still talk to on the phone. I've met many of them at graduation and many that live near me. It's hard. There are weeding out classes. It's designed to keep you on your toes. One thing to strongly consider: how close are you to the dev studio you want to work at?

PTSD required for graduation

Can I get your help

You may ask me questions and I could attempt to answer. What may I attempt to help you with?

@@NicholasCastillo-o1s nah don't be. It's worth it if you know how to adapt. It is hard as a mofo, yes but don't let that get to you. You can do it. Just give it 110% and let that be your normal. Make friends along the way and maybe a discord for you guys to talk. Good luck!

Hello! Sorry for the late reply. Art and design converged in the very last month to polish up the game that designers make. For the program, I'm not too sure what gauntlet game artists go through. It's worth every second of it, I'd wager. This is my highest recommendation: Try to make a big group of friends AND use LinkedIn weekly if not daily.

Dude, you are one of the only positive recommendations that I have found for the program. On the internet, I have found mostly negative reviews. Its too steep of a price tag for me to take the risk. Instead, I'll just pay $20 bucks for whatever class I need on Udemy. Thanks for the reply.

Here's why: I was a 30 year old in college. My work ethic and reasons are very, very different. Most people I went to school with were 18-21 y/o and are uncertain with have a rebellious attitude. Full Sail is incredibly hard as they have a Harvard for Digital Entertainment mentality to uphold. When kids can't hack it, they blame not themselves but the school telling them they aren't good enough. Full Sail has a 44% graduation rate for a reason, friend lol. Yeah, the price is steep. Half the people that dropped dropped not due to bad grades but for not being able to foot the bill. Good luck on your adventures.

I am a full stack dev now.. but not in game design. Sadly, Game Dev was a stepping stone and not a door.

Blake Taylor I am going to school for Game development and programming for SNHU. I see that this degree is pretty comparable to computer science. I would be totally open to getting a job that was not directly related to video games. You work for a company? Or you work for your self? I just hope I can get a decent paying job, and I am not wasting my time with this. I’m already 29 years old, about to be 30 soon. Any suggestions are very helpful what do you recommend if you could do it all over again?

@@videocardzrule354 I'll state that it started out slowly but it pays off. Time is the enemy. The biggest takeaway from full sail is they taught you how to teach yourself. I work for a company with steady pay (even in these times). In this field, you have to stay on top of the current stuff. Am using React, Express, graphQL and various other components. Design reaaaally helped me put things together in a cohesive manner. The problem is that the industry is a die roll. You're going to have to take some risks. Equally, any company is taking a similar risk when hiring a noobie. Good luck!

So, full sail is renown for being difficult. That is on purpose. They are tangentially training you real world scenarios. 1 - Logic, logic, logic. This is the key to success at full sail. So, if you're well versed in C# or various other coding skills, you'll be extremely valuable. I'd also recommend learning your way around popular / trendy mechanics in games. Learn various mechanics. Every game is essentially the same set of mechanics or cherry picked ones with different features and re-skinned. 2- I think my fafsa took care of $5k per semester ( i could be wrong as it has been > 2years.) 3 - If you need to get your bs from full sail it will take just shy of 3 years to acquire. One of my good friends is US Military. He already had 2 bachelor degrees prior to coming to full sail (Architecture and Software Dev). This friend was able to skip 25% of the classes as he's already taken the basic / general studies classes. 4- They both have their pros / cons. On Campus - Pro - You're in direct contact with the teachers and you're not just a number but are a face. You'll make friends via groups you can join and have hands on experience in a dev studio. On Campus - Con - Extra living expenses and the area around full sail is sort of run down. I had a buddy who is from the NE area of the US ride his bike to and from school daily. He was not used to criminal acts being done so regularly. He went in to withdraw money from an ATM and came back out and his bike was gone. :-/ Online - pro - You're taught real world responsibilities as everything is based on your efforts. If you do not succeed it's because you didn't try. I was once told something by a higher up they dropped the ball on something and had to hush us up. "We give you the materials to make a C average. It's up to you to make an A". That stuck with me. Additionally, you're not bound to just the tools they've given you. IE, assume you're in an advanced probability course and you're learning truth tables and reading The Game of Logic. You're studying the pie cabinet logic. You're not bound to using the methods they've given you. You can literally go online, paste in the logic to a truth table calculator and answer your tests that way. :-) Online - cons - You are just a number. When you have a problem that requires immediate attention, you will not get it. It may take weeks to mend the issue and then the only one who's hurt in the end is you. Remember that they are a business and for profit. Their grading is erratic. They have a rubric to grade from but none really use it. You can argue to get the grades changed though. 5 - I don't think that a degree means dick to those companies. They want to know what you've done. Do you have the experience / the quality to work there? That's what they're after. They want a success story being hired on. So, don't think that for one second that your degree will get you in the door. It doesn't. 6 - I maintained a 3.9 GPA all the way up until Final Project. I graduated with a 3.5 GPA. I'd honestly look at getting on board with a company now and telling them that you're going to attend college at the same time. EA is big over where I live (Baton Rouge, LA) as they have their main QA facility on LSU campus. It's the absolute perfect place to get your foot in the door. I suggest working in QA first while attending college. It's going to show that company your dedication, you're earning your stripes in QA and you'll have the book knowledge, hands on knowledge and upcoming knowledge for future designs. Good luck friend! Feel free to reach out anytime!

Blake Taylor I’m really appreciate you for your good information. I’m 100% sure you will have a great future in your career. My another question is, do they just teach programming in game design? I like to improve my 3d modeling and VFX. Also I really interested to work with graphic and CGI environments too. My goal is MA. Cause I got my bachelor already. is it possible to learn this skills in one pack during education in game design MA ??? Thank you again Taylor

Stein's Domain Of course! Download unity OR unreal as I think FS has switched engines. Follow RU-vid tutorials on how to get a simple ball to roll. Look for C# ball move unity. Download visual studios as you'll want to edit your code here. Just dont set breakpoints for Unity. VS tends to hate BPs in unity. This should show you how your script connects to game objects that you'll set as variables. The inspector should populate a game object field with the variable name you give it in the script. Then, you'll code the physics based on input. Set up scene (a plane and a ball), attach script to ball, assign game objects to variables in inspector, debug, debug, debug, debug, debug, console.log is your friend, debug, debug, debug eureka. For Unreal, its node scripting. Same principle; follow YT tutorials. Should, at minimum, get you familiar with it.

Go for it. A college education will open up opportunities for you. In addition, you'll get to network with a lot of like minded people that may remain your life professional partners.

I have a buddy that went through the Program with me. He has 2 degrees, is a full stack dev, and is a vet. His credentials are amazing and is a world class programmer. He got an entry level position coding for Battlefield. It took him until a few months ago to get a game programmer position. Now, to be fair, he didn't know anyone in the industry and was selected completely off merit. To get a position in the game industry, I'd suggest you start networking NOW. Get on LinkedIn, research all the game dev studios... who works there, who is on the recruiting team, etc etc. So, when you're ready to jump over, you'll know someone or have a better platform to jump from. I'm a developer due to this degree. It was amazing. A lot has changed in the program, from what I hear. Your dreams are crushed. Put together a portfolio of all your work, something that can be easily accessed. A static site like a Google Site and display your projects from Drive. Good Luck!

Design creates the rules, puts together the mechanics, sets the art theme and feel, and monitors the entire dev process. Art simply follows directions from the inspiration the designer gives based on the need.

@@BlakeAllenTaylor alright, thank you so much! Been really thinking on going to Full Sail, I just like to do my research on a lot of things before i pursue. So far of my knowledge I've gathers....full sail is hard😂but I've learned hard work pays off in the end. So I'm thinking it's worth it, and I hope all goes well. And I will do whatever it takes. So close to being done with high school, learing how c# and c++ at the moment so hopefully that'll help give me a head start

Same here but after 2021 after tenth

Yep! One of my best friends graduates from that exact same Degree at the end of this month. From what I hear you have to do tons of studio time, write a ridiculously long paper, mentor some BS Game Design students, give some public talks, take tons of tests, and various other things. If you want to talk with him, find me on skype and I'll connect you with him so you can ask him questions directly. BATaylorAtFullSail

Yes.. Learn all you can about probability theory, C#, and more C#. Also, throw in a few videos from Extra Credits on game design. Of course, there is a plethora more to learn.

Download Unity, Watch tutorials on RU-vid. I'd also highly recommend looking up Game Design Doc (GDD) practices. I'd also take a stroll on over to CodeAcademy to learn all you can about coding structure and practice. You'll want to learn C# and I don't believe CodeAcademy offers that. However, that doesn't mean that you can't learn good practices. Next, download Blender. Watch all the tutorials you can on good 3D modeling and animation practices. You can make beautiful things in Blender, if you know how. Unity>

Blake Taylor, I appreciate that man. I will check that out. I’m getting a laptop in a few days, then I’ll download and get more into the foundation of game design programs. Also what’s a good software program for video editing for beginners?

​@@KP-sg2xn Buy a few good tutorials off of UDEMY. The tutorials go on sale all the time. They usually cost 11.99 when on sale. They cover almost everything you will need to know. There are many Unity tutorials for sale at UDEMY. I have purchased Maya and Blender tutorials off their site. A lot of what I have learned in Maya also translates over Blender. I want to start my own animation studio one day. I will very possibly end up using Blender at that point. I can't really give you any advice about free Video Editing software. The school I go to already has Final Cut Pro on the laptop they sent me. My advice is to first buy a good tutorial. After that is when extra advanced tips from RU-vid videos come in handy. The paid for tutorials will help you build a solid foundation.

Am going to tell you this now, I took it when Unity was the main engine we used and focused on. Regardless of the engine, I'd imagine that C# is absolutely, 100% a weeding-out class. This is where difficulty ramping comes into the course. Sink or swim. My suggestion? Create a network of friends in the early months. Keep those friends. You're going to have to rely on each other to make it work. With some luck, you'll have a guy that can teach what is going on. First C# class was building things in Unity like a stop light. Then, on a timer, have the lights switch including yellow light functionality with blinking. So, network and practice often. As an Alumni to the Game Design Department, I can say with confidence, git gud. Good luck!

@@BlakeAllenTaylor thank you , this helped a lot.But i have doubt is this masters of game design or normal game design

Negative. Actually, the entire process is for getting into the mind of a user and returning a unique experience; regardless of the platform. You'll learn how to build analog games (board games) first and then move onto making video games. I was able to use my degree to become a software engineer. Same principles apply to software that are in game development.

Well, as a designer you'd create a prototype in unity, after pre-production, with minimal coding, art, and development. Said prototype is used to test out your mechanics and level layout. Once you or the shot-caller is satisfied with the design, the prototype can be passed to art and programming to further the development based on your design doc or they can start from scratch. So to directly answer your question: Both. Unity is a place for both parties in your question (design and art) to develop. Design comes up with the rules and what the player will be doing and implements into a prototype for testing and art creates the art and places inside unity.

Blake Taylor ok thank you so much. and great video

I actually had a scholarship. I found my State's Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The scope of this department is to help those who were incarcerated. It helps them get the skills needed to get off the streets, etc. There's also a clause in their program that allows those with a learning disability to participate. I have had bad ADHD since early childhood and this has been documented with various doctors. I just had to prove it, take a few of their tests and maintain a 2.0 GPA and perfect attendance.

graduated with a 3.52 WOO!

Hey matty! I never became a game designer but I have some of the best memories from any educational institution. I am still friends with everyone and have a job via the skills I learned while at FSU that makes 6 figures. I am a developer in the oil / gas industry. I did have a stint as a lead level designer for about half a year which is cool but it's super hard to become a game designer unless you have either credible showcases of games you've designed or you live across the street from the studio you want to work at. One of the best things I ever did was become a game design student (online) at FSU. It radically changed my life. I suggest making a core group of friends that you can communicate with all through your FSU career. Create a Discord and go from there. Good luck!

@@BlakeAllenTaylor thanks for the reply Blake! That is absolutely incredible about your job! I have heard software developers do get paid more than game developers so it’s good to know that a degree at FSU can open me up to those opportunities as well. Will definitely try to network with my classmates as well as that seems to be the best way to for jobs and opportunities (knowing people). That’s really neat you had a lead level design role! Do you still pursue making games as a hobby or outside of work?

shy A Nonymous just go into animation, which you can major on here

if that game designer can write a good script, and make great characters, and have animation skills and knows how to pitch a tv series, yeah why not.

What you doing now? I got a tentative pilot script for an animation... You got your skills up?

Nah. There's nothing hidden that I came across. They're pretty straight forward.

Will update soon.

Any time you can take to help me out is greatly appreciated

​@@kaicampbell7814 Hey, Kai! Sorry I was on a religious walk from Thur - Sun and had to catch up on work. Here's what I suggest: It's a 2-for-1. Download Unity3D AND Unreal Engine. These game engines are going to be your best friends for a while. Do RU-vid Tutorials. You'll learn the engine while learning to code. Try to make a Ball roll around and work your way into finding free models, textures, audio, etc. Get into the mentality that everything that you're trying to do is documented somewhere online. Find it. Understand it. Write it yourself. Join code academy. They don't offer C# but they can teach you great fundamentals. Start reading on advanced probability theory. Game Of Logic (book) is a great start. Read on the 14 Hero Steps Collaborative Leadership skills Target Demographics How to read Google Play and Apple store for trends in game mechanics etc. Good Luck!

I appreciate the advice, iv had some contact with someone in the industry and I'm going to do my best in the pursuit of this career and my education

Hey Joe! From what I hear from administrators on the inside is that they switched to Unreal recently.

Do the courses on campus. I am online and you get a lot less interaction. However, you do get more personal time with the instructor in a more relaxed environment if you take online classes.

You need to live next to the studio of your dreams. OR you can this knowledge into other areas like web app design, software design, IT, net_sec, etc. There are many, many options after college. IF you think you're going to be the next Tod Howard, that takes years of trust and hard work within a company. So, go in at 110% and let that be your normal until you graduate. tay on top of it and be dependable in a group.

@@BlakeAllenTaylor thanks sir.. I am little bit worried about it because taking this huge step depending on educational loan and all(I hope you understand) to achieve my dreams in game and app development field is just out of my reach but still I am taking this step that's why little bit worried about jobs after course.

@@arremayu hello bro, m from india.Me and my friend are trying to apply for the same , can u share your experience till now, assuming u enrolled at the University.It will be really helpful for us

@@hrushijadhav8128 Hi...Sry but I didnt enrolled to this course but there is future in this you must have to take risk which I coudnt but yeah this course can give an exposure to you to join latest VR and Simulation industry which is growing right now... DO some research and then only take decision

Loans are basically the only way.

First off, where's my gold coin. Second, not in such a simple sense. However, when boiled down, yes. Imagine attempting to put 3 years worth of experience in a short video. All of the following are hammered into your soul: making GDDs, advanced probability theories, advanced use of logic, server restrictions, programming in C#, what is fun (not that simple, btw), how to make P&L sheets, how to balance, how to do more GDDs, how to work within a collaborative setting with assholes, know that your ideas are going to be crapped on and thus how to have thick skin, how to design, how to design well, how to design based on current trends in various local and international markets based on the mechanics used, how to look up documentation, how to perform under bullshit deadlines, how to wrap an entire game idea into 1 sentence, how to be way into alpha only to have to redesign and develop within 2 weeks (redundant), how to find hidden job markets, how to find 3D model, how to balance characters based on a series of calculus equations OR just on a spreadsheet, deciding which mechanics best fit 2D vs 3D vs top dow vs analog games, how to implement flowcharts, how to publish games, how to properly write a QA findings document based on the Scientific method, how to code with real world physics, how to price your games, how to connect and speak with various team members, How to design for slot machines and/or how back-end casino games operate, how to level design and in which steps to develop, tips on staying positive, but best of all, my experiences have lead me down a path that I now have the mindset of a game designer and I've made extremely talented friends. The designer is the glue that holds it all together: the artists, the modular team, the sound engineers, the programmers, the investors, the CEO, the audience, and the QA.

SkullTag Films Hello! First, I'd get on LinkedIn and reach out to various game designers. You can use gamedevmap.com to see various companies that you could search for on LinkedIn. Honestly, its hit or miss in acquiring a reply. Although, just stay positive, polite, and sincere and usually the recipient is flattered that someone reached out. As for coding, If you only have dabbled in some C#, I would get Unity, Visual Studio, and the Unity library for VS. From there, just follow a bunch of tutorials on RU-vid. The repetition of programming is the key to programming. I swear to you, that if you go into the Game Design Online Degree, you're going to either sink or swim. They do have weeding out classes and they are not pretty. You will watch some friends that you've made in the class accept death. Some will fail and others will not; as is life. But alas. You're being trained as a game designer. You're literally going through a tangential, complex system as you learn about complex systems and what tangential means. I'll spare you the search. It means to learn about something while you're unaware that you're learning. They will literally give you the materials to give you a C in the class. Everyone will moan in anguish and claims of deceit or laziness on the campus' staff. However, what they're teaching is HOW to research topics, implement mechanics programmatically, etc etc. Basically, they're prepping you for the real deal. We literally had to learn how to make our first digital game in JavaScript in a perlinspiel engine. Next class, design a level with specific criteria incorporated and you'll have to programmatically create the UI, animate the level preview camera, and programmatically switch between that camera to the player camera; all while programmatically detecting in game object interactions to make sure the game win conditions have been met. That's just in your first year, fyi. I have to admit that Full Sail did an outstanding job teaching me the skills I have today. I will also admit that a designer position is never open. The industry is extremely volatile. The stakes are to high. Here's what I suggest: Look into visual fx for films. At least 10 Full Sailers are on every major Film. I am a software engineer, IT, and draftsman for a large home builder company, now. Atmosphere, pay, and the enjoyment of work are all above average. I was working in the warehouse for a moving company prior to Full Sail.

Blake Taylor thanks for the detailed response, I will definitely follow those steps. Great videos btw, hope to see more soon.

You start using Unreal at FS at around the half way point of the degree. FS uses Unity and Unreal. Not sure if anything else yet.

Yes. Prepare to set aside a few hours per night. Get into a routine of that now. Do what you have to do to not become distracted. I have no clue as to your age but I'd buckle up and "hunker down", as they say. You're about to enter into a fast paced, super competitive environment that is geared towards cramming your skull with knowledge, tips, tricks, and know-hows in development, art, psychology, and design every single week for the next few years. I cried like a baby when I graduated. I love all the friends I had made. Loved the knowledge I was learning. Just get ready for ups and downs. Good teachers and bad. Hard classes and easy ones. The best knowledge I can pass along is to make friends that you can lean on day one. Share this video if you have to. Show them this message. The way I survived was to go in at 110% and let that be my minimum intensity. Be an interactive leader that listens to his / her men, strive for the best, do not over design, simplify your ideas, learn to communicate clearly, and stick to positive things. Also, hit me up on Skype. I'll add you to a massive chat room for people I've found online, like you. The chat room is a place for students, incoming students, and alumni to make contact and ask/answer questions. You'll need the help when it comes time for coding. I promise. Good luck!

BATaylorAtFullSail

Well im 33 years old and have no kids bur got a wife but i do work 40 hours a week i go from morning shift to nite shift shit changes alot cuz im the lead cook and about to become a manager

From what I can tell, Full Sail has a bigger network of Alumni (you want that). Also, the teachers are current professionals. I had a teacher who was one of the designers for Dungeons and Dragons. There's a lot of real world training at Full Sail and that went a long, long way.

So I guess it is better than The Art Institutes, I am thinking about applying for Master of Science in Game Design next year on campus.

Roger Shiau My buddy from the BS degree online did that. He went for on campus as it's a slightly different curriculum. Online Masters is more on mobile development. I made another video slightly in the early stages with the aforementioned friend. Perhaps, I should make another since he graduated in April. Good luck, either way!

Find a college that is nearest where you'd like to work.

Blake Taylor honestly I’m pretty indifferent to where I end up working. Is it likely that I’ll miss out on opportunities to work where I’d like to live if I attend a college in a far away location?