Looking for Crafting Designer
Are you an experienced and passionate game designer who is interested in working on a crafting system for 38 Studios’ massively multiplayer game, codenamed “Copernicus?” Then we want to talk to you! You can find out more about the latest game design position on the 38 Studios website. Now’s your chance to work with R.A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane, Curt Schilling, and the rest of the awesome team here at 38.
I plan on applying (gathering together some documents to send over as we speak). I’m confident I have the passion, creativity, and talent for it, but my lack of previous industry experience may be a deal breaker for ‘em. Worth a shot, regardless!
http://www.popcap.com/gamepopup.php?theGame=diamondmine
Ctrl C
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I hear this is what the kids are doing these days for crafting games.
I can has money now?
Well, I have some ideas on a crafting system which offers _specializing_ by crafting similiar items. If you craft something, you increase not only one skill, but the skill for that product + its ancestors in the crafting tree + (to some lesser extend) its children in the crafting tree. If you often use a special resource, you increase skill with all recipes using that resource. E.g. if you craft simple healing potions, your chance increase for learning other healing potions, but your mana potion skill is unaffected (or even reduced).
Besides this beeing only a vague idea, I cant apply for two reasons. First: I’m more a developer than a designer and second: the United States are somehow far off of Germany
I’ll admit opportunities like this excite me, but I usually pass them off because of the required industry experience. Need some way to get some, but can’t get some because I don’t have the experience! Why must all fun jobs be catch 22s?
In the interest of making 38 Studios’ flagship game a success, I’m going to add to my own requirements to the Crafting Designer position.
1) If you think crafting should be a “series of clicks” do not apply. Combat shouldn’t be the only engaging gameplay. Each stage of crafting (gathering, creating, and delivering to market) can and should have some game-like aspects to it. Don’t even pretend that these different stages can be specialized (a dedicated gatherer, a dedicated crafter, and a dedicated salesperson) unless all three stages independently offer an enjoyable experience. If you don’t know how to make something as mundane as sewing fun, consult a good elementary school teacher: they have to make boring tasks thrilling for kids all the time. So do good parents, often without realizing it.
2) Crafting has become something that’s used by socializers, who use it to do something productive while they chat. If your plan “forces them” into activity that makes socializing difficult, they will be frustrated. We do not want this. (note: ‘socialize’ doesn’t necessarily equate to ‘roleplay’)
3) A system that’s TOO unintrusive for #2 will be bottable. Even if you plan measures against botting in place, people will believe botting is happening. Dissent will follow. We do not want this in this game. Characteristics that can frustrate botting are encouraged. Such characteristics should be reasonably malleable to address a botter’s ability to adapt.
4) 1,2 & 3 Are not mutually exclusive.
5) A common complaint with crafting is that it may take too long to make a complete item… or (conversely) that too many items are crafted, only to flood the market. The problem isn’t necessarily that the item takes too long to make; it is (in part) that the item is the *only reward* earned in a long process. This is made worse because custom orders often had a client waiting with little to do. Your design must alleviate both of these.
6) Don’t rely solely on the player-driven economy for a “fun” experience. If people find your crafting system “fun” but can’t find a market because too many other people are already crafting for too few adventurers, they will eventually have to quit what they enjoy (but can’t profit on) to do something they find unenjoyable (but profitable). Yes, those are market forces at work… not necessarily enjoyable, is it?
6) Your design must keep in mind the late-arrival player. “Copernicus” will be taking on fresh blood for years after launch. The crafting system cannot remain viable if the early-arrivers have such an entrenched advantage that they can marginalize any latecomers.
Too many crafting/market systems work great on the first fresh batch of players all racing together to the level cap. They can earn enough to advance ‘as designed’ because there’s nobody above them undercutting their efforts. Latecomers must then earn everything through alternative means, then spend it on worthless “grind and delete” products until they reach the level cap. This will not be acceptable design.
If an applicant has any issues/concerns with the above list, feel free to contact me. I’d love to brainstorm with you- and I can do so freely since I will not be part of the interview process.
I will, however, be evaluating your work when Copernicus launches.
I’m not a game developer but I play one in my armchair.
I’d rather see someone who ISN’T a game developer be hired since almost all MMOG crafting systems are not much fun (unless you discount SOE’s Free Realms).
I’ll drive up to Boston and say, “Hi”, but I have an engineering degree and sell stuff for a living.
Yeah, seeing Game Designer positions often requiring experience can suck. But there’s always a good reason. People often say that it’s because such a position is highly sought-after. While that might be part of it, the reality is that without game design experience, or at least game development experience, it’s very difficult to gauge how you will perform in the game development environment.
I’ve seen some of the smartest people I’ve ever known who have great ideas end up not working out as a game designer. And I’ve seen “lowly” people from QA or CS become incredible game designers (I was in QA too!). Since this position is not entry level, and you would have quite a bit of responsibility, we’re looking for someone who has proven capable of designing games, even if they haven’t directly worked on a crafting system before.
My main recommendation for people who get upset when they see previous design (or development) experience as a prerequisite for a game design position: shut up and dive in. Get into the industry in a QA, CS, or other similar position. Game design is very hard to prove you’re good at until you’ve done it, so you almost always have to get in from another discipline. Does it suck accruing credit card debt while you wade through a pool of other low-paid grunts? Yep. But, it’s about the only way to prove yourself.
You don’t necessarily have to have gotten the experience in Game Design either. Contemplating applying and I meet all the requirements, but the company I got that experience with made toilets, not video games. =p
Give it a shot, Zehn.
When I was developing “training games” for the army (sounds more impressive than it was- just flash-based informational mini-sims, really) I had a chance to attend a few cons, meet some developers, and even down a few pitchers at University of Wisconsin’s Union Terrace with some (I swear, the impromptu lan party took up every electrical outlet in that place). They KNOW there isn’t a good test for game developer aside from seeing them work in other positions and examining their thought process, but they also infectious passion for their work. Every kid that approached us at the Terrace was literally flooded with advice, encouragement, and a great deal of warning. None of them left with grand fantasies of landing a designer’s job, but they had more concrete steps on how to get there.
The first application / interview probably won’t convince them that you’re ready for such a critical role, but if they’re impressed enough to see your potential, you might just find yourself informed of roles that would you to “grow into” something… or maybe just leads on fan/community activities that could increase your visibility in the industry. Many of them have been where you are.
I would suggest printing Chas resume there. He knows what not to do and may just have ideas on what to do.
“Contemplating applying and I meet all the requirements, but the company I got that experience with made toilets, not video games. =p”
So many opportunities for snark and so little time…
*whistles innocently*
I could claim that QA is the opposit of a “lowly position” if you are running a serious development organisation. At least that is my opinion from a designers perspective.