Uni questions! [Game design and staffs uni]
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Soldato
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I'm on a leading computer games technology course at abertay, dundee. Abertay also offers a Computer Arts course (animation, modelling etc) which has a lot of game design connections, which you might be interested in.
teesside is a god awful place to live! thats why its so cheap.
the staff are incompetent and lazy and generally dont give a rats about the students. I was on the computer animation course and sometimes staff just wouldn't turn up no notice or anything.
think they had 2 decent lecturers the rest didn't no about current programs etc, or how to use them sometimes. The labs aren't fully equipped with computers often broken. hell it took 7 weeks to get a program we were supposed to use for a module onto the bloody computers in the first place, which quite frankly was disgraceful.
the staff are incompetent and lazy and generally dont give a rats about the students. I was on the computer animation course and sometimes staff just wouldn't turn up no notice or anything.
think they had 2 decent lecturers the rest didn't no about current programs etc, or how to use them sometimes. The labs aren't fully equipped with computers often broken. hell it took 7 weeks to get a program we were supposed to use for a module onto the bloody computers in the first place, which quite frankly was disgraceful.
I'd recommend doing a general computing science/software engineering degree, and choose the odd module that touches on gaming, as the chances of getting a job in the games industry is minimal and this way you'll have other areas you can fall back on.
This is coming from someone who did games programming first year, changed to SE for second
Edit: As for Staffs uni, not a bad place at all, just very few women and bars/clubs
This is coming from someone who did games programming first year, changed to SE for second
Edit: As for Staffs uni, not a bad place at all, just very few women and bars/clubs
Soldato
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EasyG said:
That sounds familiar. I did the BA computer Animation course there, and the only lecturer I had any respect for was Paul Docherty.
andy8271 said:a first for everything and im going to big up teesside
the games design course is apparently **** hot and its chepa as chips to live there
used to play on there css servers wich uses the same forum as the gamers society or whatever it is. by the sounds of it mot people on the course go on to big name companys
I can tell you thats its far from most people who go on to big name companies. Out of all the people I knew on my courese, there must have only been a handfull who got into the industry. I warn you, the games industry is VERY hard to get into. You have to be damn good at what you do to be able to get the foot in the door as there are so many people who want to get in.
Along with one other student. Yup, total class size = 2.PinkFloyd said:
Staffs is OK. Full of geeks of course, but then that's what you get with a longstanding reputation in computing-related courses. Unfortunately I finished my course there almost 14½ years ago though, and you'd have been laughed off campus asking for a games design course back then, so I'm not the most up-to-date.
no.Xtremepenguin said:
for that you need my degree - BSc (Honours) Computer Graphics and Visualisation @ SHU
we basically do all that...3d max, visual studio, OGL, flash, basic web stuff, MySQL.
Although if games is really your thing - theres an SE (games) course that runs most of what we do...but with DirectX as well i think - well they're in most of our modules
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I looked into the Games Technology course at Portsmouth, and to be honest it seemed awful. But I'm a programmer so I imagine it would probably seem quite different to an artist.
The way it seems to me is that the actual degree you'll get from these courses aren't worth a whole lot. But I reckon the courses are still worthwhile because you'll be spending 3 years building up a good portfolio (if you take it seriously of course). And I've been told that as an artist, your portfolio counts for far more than a degree.
The way it seems to me is that the actual degree you'll get from these courses aren't worth a whole lot. But I reckon the courses are still worthwhile because you'll be spending 3 years building up a good portfolio (if you take it seriously of course). And I've been told that as an artist, your portfolio counts for far more than a degree.
I'd take that article with a pinch of salt. One thing they said was "Despite having high entry requirements, the course is oversubscribed". I don't think 160 ucas points (equivalent of DDE at A-level) can ever be consider high entry requirements.
Soldato
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No, it's 240, more like CCC. Still not that high though.Psyk said:
I do a games technology course at Manchester Met, im a first year and its pretty good so far.
Ive already done 2 years of a History course at Manchester, and compared to this, that was a bag of poo.
The teaching I get is top notch, they help me when i need it and I feel like they do care.
Those saying its best to do a computing degree, theres really not that much difference. I have 1 module different to taht of a comp sci, whilst it branches off a bit more in the other years, I think the things it branches into are worthwhile (graphical mathematics, advanced programming, AI, etc).
The facilities are pretty much brand new we all use the new Mac pro's with what I think must be at least 20" apple monitors in climate controlled new labs.
Whilst it might be better to do a more general degree, im taking a chance and specialising in something I really want. I dont wanna leave uni like so many others with no idea what real field I want to work in.
Ive already done 2 years of a History course at Manchester, and compared to this, that was a bag of poo.
The teaching I get is top notch, they help me when i need it and I feel like they do care.
Those saying its best to do a computing degree, theres really not that much difference. I have 1 module different to taht of a comp sci, whilst it branches off a bit more in the other years, I think the things it branches into are worthwhile (graphical mathematics, advanced programming, AI, etc).
The facilities are pretty much brand new we all use the new Mac pro's with what I think must be at least 20" apple monitors in climate controlled new labs.
Whilst it might be better to do a more general degree, im taking a chance and specialising in something I really want. I dont wanna leave uni like so many others with no idea what real field I want to work in.
Got a gf and i generally dislike pub atmospheres and am happy to be a hermit in my room 
As for the sotware engineering, tis a no go really. I find programming intersting, but not a career decider. I have much more of in interest in design/modelling, the art side of games.
Really hope i get into staffs, as ill have a portfolio from my I-media course at college, and i should get the grades (iffy, as i find comp sci quite hard)
Talking to pink and it sounds really good.
As for the sotware engineering, tis a no go really. I find programming intersting, but not a career decider. I have much more of in interest in design/modelling, the art side of games.
Really hope i get into staffs, as ill have a portfolio from my I-media course at college, and i should get the grades (iffy, as i find comp sci quite hard)
Talking to pink and it sounds really good.
i go to staffs (internet technology). Live at home and drive there everyday so I don't know what the accomodations like but its a nice uni and I enjoy it there on the most part. Alothough sandwhiches are ridiculously expensive!
YupPinkFloyd said:
It's pretty intensive and I don't think it's much like the undergrad course so can't offer advice there. But I do really like Stafford, night life is a bit quiet but it seems a friendly place and cheap too. I know I'm hoping to be able to afford to stay in the general area after my Msc. She rocksps, the crazy woman lecturer, Bobby is awesome. She's so funny
She teaches one of my modules and she's great. Makes a bit of fun about me regarding a few things but she's really nice and extremely helpful. She's giving me a bit of a hand at the moment with building up my portfolio which is extremely useful.