Getting a job, need advice from people in the industry

[spexel]

First of all, i do not expect to get clear cut answer or some magic tips to get a job. I know i have to work hard, have a great portfolio, etc. I'm more interested about getting a discussion with people who are in the industry or know the industry well enough. I have a couple of questions on my mind right now to start up the discussion.

If i'm aiming at a level designer job, does my past job in management is a good thing? (i see a lot of similarity in those 2, that's why i'm asking)

In a portfolio, is it okay to have maps that are only blocked out joined with a LDD to explain in details the creative process and how the final result should be?

I'm 25 years old at the moment and i will graduate by the end of this year, am i considered 'old' in the gaming industry?

I played poker online and live professionally for 7 years, would that be considered as a plus? (I guess it greatly depends on the type of person they are looking for and the person who is leading the interview).

I guess that's enough for now, thank you in advance.

(I'm sorry if my English is bad, this is not my first language)

[Algor]

Welcome!

1) If it helps you organize things and do your job better, sure. You're not likely to get a management position right away though.

2) No, you need to have a vision that you followed though to the end. One of the most important parts of any project is the very end. Without getting there, you lack a major part of the experience.

3) No

4) I wouldn't imagine so. Might be worthwhile to bring up briefly if they ask about yourself and your hobbies, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

[2d-chris]

nothing ,much changed, this is still as valid as ever

[Chimeray]

In a portfolio, is it okay to have maps that are only blocked out joined with a LDD to explain in details the creative process and how the final result should be?

Everyone has design ideas, everyone thinks their idea is tha bomb on paper but it hardly ever is Ideas are cheap, execution is everything... in the end only the results matter and if you don't have anything to show then it's a huge gamble if you will be able to deliver. It takes a lot of skill and perseverance to make a functional level since there's so many aspects and collaboration. If your idea is really exceptional and you have a working prototype it might be sufficient but very likely not... I'm talking about exceptions here.

So yeah, even if your blocked out map was fully scripted and playable it might not be enough to get you a job at a decent studio. They will be looking for additional skills, animation, art, ... to set you apart from the rest. I believe you need to be aware of how things work in other disciplines to be a good level designer. This depends greatly from studio to studio though, some designers only get to do scripting, some only blockouts and no prop placement and some get to do bit of everything. I think it's important to have a vision that not only plays well but that looks good as well so you need to think about that even in the blockout fase or your composition will be shit. As a level designer you have an awful lot of influence on the foundation so you better know what you're doing

You can't expect an artist to come in and take over a whiteboxed mess (even if it plays well), and vice versa... Artists can't expect a level designer to take a finished piece of art and make it fully playable without making adjustments. Gamedev is team business so you need to be able to take feedback and work together with other people, I suppose in that light a management job would look good as an addition to solid design skills.

I'm 25 years old at the moment and i will graduate by the end of this year, am i considered 'old' in the gaming industry?

Age doesn't matter one bit, skills are the only thing that matter. However, if I hear you're 25 and have been playing professional poker for the last 7 years I won't generally take that as a good sign that you are super passionate about game dev (unless you were doing that on the side, of course!). I expect the people I work with to go that extra mile for results, most people I work with have been doing this since they were 12-14 as hobbies... I guess some people can sincerely change carreers on a whim but this would be a bit of a red flag to me unless explained why suddenly you want to do level design. Unless it was not a full time poker carreer, you said you're studying? Then I suppose it's neither a plus or a bummer.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Chimeray

[spexel]

thanks for the response!