Anyone Else Majoring In Game Design and Development?

JUSTDOIT415 · 05-06-2010, 01:49 AM

Hi,

I was wondering if there is anyone that is currently or planning to major in GD&D on here?

I'm going to be majoring in GD&D so I was wondering what likes/dislikes people have.

=D

Liesel · 05-06-2010, 02:13 AM

*raises hand*
I'm only a first year but I know a good deal from speaking to upperclassmen.
CS:GD is the more common acronym.
CMPS 80K is the intro course, I HIGHLY recommend you take it. Great professor, and it lets you learn and practice game design without knowing programming. Plus, the games made in class get judged by people from EA and other companies.
The senior game design courses are very work-intensive. The groups can be as small as 3 and as large as...I'm not even sure. They aim to have a game retail-ready by the end of the year. Some groups but their games up on the iTunes store or other online stores, depending on the platform they developed the game for.
Only dislike I have is that you often get partnered with people not on your skill level, which can be difficult to deal with.

Lichen · 05-06-2010, 02:27 AM

Freshman going into game design for fall here

Have and still am working with Source SDK Hammer editor since 2004
3 years 3ds Max and 1 year Maya at a community college.
So Liesel do you think ill be ready for game design?

Liesel · 05-06-2010, 02:49 AM

I think you're going to be ahead of the curve, art and level-design wise. You won't get a chance to do any heavy work in 3-D until year 2, probably. But! You WILL be in very high demand then. Not enough good artists in this major!

Though you have to understand that the major is %75 computer science and %25 art and design. What will really prepare you to enter into the major is a basic understanding of programming.

The programming track has two possible starting routes. If you know nothing or very little about programming, you take courses CMPS 5J and 11. If you have at least a basic understanding of any kind of programming language, you (should) take CMPS 12A. 12A is the same content as 5J and 11 combined into one quarter. So you can get yourself a bit ahead, especially because 12A is offered in Fall, but 5J isn't offered until Winter.

Here's the curriculum chart. http://ua.soe.ucsc.edu/sites/default...GD_09-10_0.pdf

If you'd like more in-depth info on what to do to prepare for 12A, I can give you some pointers.

AdmiralQueso · 05-06-2010, 03:06 AM

I might! I'm undecided computer science major right now, and game design/development has always been something that's caught my interest.

I really don't know much about the programming part though. lmao

JUSTDOIT415 · 05-07-2010, 11:18 AM

@ Liesal Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll enjoy this even more! I don't have any knowledge of programming (but i tried to learn when I was younger) but I want to learn.

CMPS 80K all the way. Same with CMPS 5J and 11. lol

crummy · 05-09-2010, 03:46 AM

I got accepted as a transfer, into both CS and CS:GD. Tossing up between the two - I'm a serious gamer and like the idea of learning a lot more about how games are made, though I'm not sure I'd choose it as a career path. I'm a little worried that employers might view the CS:GD degree as worth less than pure CS.

Anyone have any idea of difficulty? From what I understand the last year of the GD course (where you just make a game) is pretty tough but the CS classes look pretty intensive too.

Any input on picking between the two?

Liesel · 05-09-2010, 04:58 AM

I don't know a whole lot about the upper division class for the CS major, but here's what I know.

I've been told that CS:GD is named so for a reason. It's very heavily CS with only a bit of art thrown in on the side, it is essentially a focused CS degree. Supposedly you should be able to get a job in any kind of CS field with it. But I think they're stretching the truth a bit on that one.

Don't feel like you have to decide yet. The programs are very similar. Many upper div classes will fulfill requirements for either major. Take CMPS 20 (I think it's offered on winter only) which will intro you to game design with programming and 3-D elements. How you feel about that class will indicate how you'll like the major.

The senior design classes are very very time-intensive. You get to make a game that is retail-ready with a group of your peers and whatever artists/writers/etc you drag into it. My friend in senior design is busy all the time, but is loving it. You'd have an equivalent project in CS, as most majors require some kind of "capstone" project.

ivers0n · 05-09-2010, 04:14 PM

i'm going to be a freshmen majoring in CS:GD, but i think i might just switch to CS. i have very little to no knowledge in programming, will that put me in any disadvantage throughout college??

Liesel · 05-09-2010, 04:21 PM

Nope. You'll be able to graduate at the same time as your peers if you do well in your classes.

ivers0n · 05-09-2010, 04:23 PM

just a little question..

has anybody tried double majoring in EE and CS? is it difficult at UCSC? i'm really not in EE, but i might consider it.

JUSTDOIT415 · 05-09-2010, 05:44 PM

@ivers0n I think double majoring is doing too much but it is possible. If i were you, I would pick one and go with that one. I would hate all that work and no social life.

Also, its ok if you don't know any programming because I don't know anything either! xD
There's a programming class that students can take that are for people that doesn't know anything and then there's another class like that but for people that are experienced.

ivers0n · 05-09-2010, 05:46 PM

justdoit415, are you going to also be a freshmen this fall?? are you going to take an intro to programming class 1st quarter??

JUSTDOIT415 · 05-09-2010, 06:00 PM

Yeah I'll be a Freshman and Yeah I'll be taking that class if I can. I mainly want to focus on programming for some reason. lol

Liesel · 05-10-2010, 01:22 AM

A friend of my roommate's is double-majoring in EE and CS. Her counselor said it was highly doable, there's a decent overlap at lower-level classes.