Needs advices about portfolio and career

thinkinmonkey

Hi all,
I'm following this forum from a while and after some "little" game experiences with a local company, I took the decision to be a professional and mature game artist.
So I've planned to create a portfolio and I've defined two projects inspired by games Dead Space and Unrealt Tournament 3: they are designing a level and modeling a necromorph character.
Well, I know they are very different in approaching and in career, but my purpose is to push me in a virtual working enviroment of a virtual AAA game company and trying to get the best and understanding what looks more natural.
Actually I use Blender (able to render in realtime GLSL shader), Gimp (it's a paint program) and ZBrush, I feel very confident with them and I have good knowledge about modeling, texturing and animation, I think, on a middle level.
For the first step, I'm developing an idea about the level, so my efforts and questions are just about that.
My doubts are:

1. Could the knowledge of Unreal Editor be considered a plus in CV ?
2. Is it better to create the level in UE assembling pieces from 3d software or assembling the level in 3d software then exporting to UE?
3. Which is the normal workflow for a level design: sketching a rough idea, creating a basic level to understand encumbrance (?), then refining, refining, refining... ?
4. Is the bonus dvd with Unreal Tournament 3 a good start for level editing?

At the moment they are enough... at the moment !
Thanks in advance for any help.

Ben Apuna

For what it's worth here's my two cents. You say you want to approach this as if you were working for a AAA company. Then the first thing you need to do is decide which area you will specialize in, do you want to be a character artist, an environment artist, or an animator? Once you decide on that then focus your portfolio on that type of work.

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, knowledge of developing assets for UE3 is a plus, but if you are not going to be doing much work in the editor itself then it's not such a big deal.

2. Unless you have access to a custom exporter then you will need to assemble your level in UE3.

3. This is a matter of semantics but "Level Design" is a entirely different discipline which focuses on gameplay rather than aesthetics. A level designer will probably blockout a level using rather simple geometry adding in triggers and other gameplay elements. In an ideal environment once the level is deemed fun to play it is then passed on to the environment artists to pretty it up. As far as the environment art side of things go then concept sketching and gathering reference photos is usually the start of things.

4. Sorry I haven't seen that bonus DVD but from what I understand it is a good introduction to using UE3.

Ben Apuna

Oh I forgot the most important thing, Pimp your stuff in the Pimping and Previews sub forum here to get critiques as you work on it, and good luck!

fast1

Ben Apuna wrote: »

Oh I forgot the most important thing, Pimp your stuff in the Pimping and Previews sub forum here to get critiques as you work on it, and good luck!

yup i agree. oh and welcome!

thinkinmonkey

Thanks for your answer. Then I go on!
@Ben: thanks for explanation about difference between level designer and enviroment artist. But is level designer a bit similar to game designer ? Does the last make the same choices and works in the same manner?
Thanks again.

Ben Apuna

Yeah there's some crossover between level designers and game designers. Game designers are probably going to focus on gameplay as a whole rather than just the levels themselves. I don't have much/any experience in either discipline so I don't know for sure but I'd bet that there are places where the game designer and level designer are the same person. Either role will probably also need some computer programming or at least basic scripting knowledge.

renderhjs

obviously you want to confidence in how to do it right - but there is no right path in doing a good or perfect portfolio.
What I can tell from expierence (and I prepared many times so far in my life a portfolio over and over) is that even though you might lack at something there will be most likely something in which you show more strenth in your portfolio.
And because everyone has different strength's and expierences the questions you asked can not be simple answered. For example the difference between level designer or game designer becomes irrelevant or more blurry if you showcase work of booth categories. Showcasing might be the word anyway because what defines you is your visual presentation (not the work essential itself but the presentation!). What I mean with that is that simply putting a table on your protfolio or CV with software you know can be so meaningless compared to your portfolio that simply shows what you did in the past and before.

sicsided

I agree with everyone else here, that you should choose a specialty path and really hit it hard to show your greatest strengths. Getting into other areas isn't bad though either, as it will show you know the whole pipeline, but sometimes not the best to put on your portfolio for what position your really going for. That's where your resume would come in.

Here is my pipeline of sorts when creating a level.
1. After coming up with an idea, talk with an environment artist, and go over the possibilities of utilizing certain assets to create dynamic gameplay or scenarios in the level (ie. Building blowing up, electrified field of goats)

2. I'll sketch out a draft of the level, usually from a top down view, and then a threequarters view in certain areas to show routes specifically.

3. In the editor, I'll create a blocked out version of the level, with geometry from the editor. Using textures supplied in the editor (usually color coded ones if its a red vs blue type map) I'll plaster the areas that are specific to each team or are neutral. Place ammo/weapons/health where I think there could be interesting results involving fights or a desperate route to get health while carrying the flag. Any scripting that needs doing, I'll usually do a quick setup so we can get to testing.

4. Playtest. Change what's needed. Playtest. Change what's needed. Repeat. I will probably run around the level by myself for awhile also, finding little areas that could add or need to be removed for the overall experience I want players to feel. Playtest, change what's needed. If the outcome is great, I'll get an environment artist to come explore the level with me and talk about areas to fill.

5. Once assets are created, start placing them in the level, and doing quick little playtests to see if it helps gameplay or gets in the way. Then I'll usually do a pass on the area for optimization (portals, clipping, etc.) Scripting sticks its nose in again.

6. Once things are placed, I start to light the level, manipulating and playtest over and over again. Adding noise emitters and other types of emitters around the area to get the best look out of all of it.

7. PLAYTEST

8. Final tweaking, PLAYTEST, more tweaking.

9. Release map.

I've probably forgot some steps in there, just a warning. I am also a student, and this is how my pipeline goes. Probably different than in the industry but it works well for me right now.

As far as job postings go, I usually see level designer positions wanting knowledge in 3d applications or even being able to do some environment art. I like to do both, although I'm stronger as a designer. And it is likely to see game designers hop over to level design and work there during production from what I hear.