Computer Games Design

Aard

Hi! Has anybody here done Computer Games Design (CGH)? What are your thoughts on it? I just came across it yesterday, and it looks like the perfect course for me - only two years, and in a field that I'm totally interested in. I wonder if it lives up to one's expectations though. Also, is it useful in getting a job afterwards? Thanks for any comments at all!

docdolittle

Aard wrote: »

Hi! Has anybody here done Computer Games Design (CGH)? What are your thoughts on it? I just came across it yesterday, and it looks like the perfect course for me - only two years, and in a field that I'm totally interested in. I wonder if it lives up to one's expectations though. Also, is it useful in getting a job afterwards? Thanks for any comments at all!

Hi, I'm in the second year of CGHND now so I'll try to answer the best I can.

It's a really good course, I went straight into CGH and skipped LUDO which is the one year FETAC Level 5 course to help you move onto CGH. If you are looking to skip LUDO, you might need to look into a bit of games design now, bit of 3ds max and the unity engine we just started using this year. Your best bet is to go along to the open day on Wednesday 10th February 2010. You can ask the lecturers around then and see if you are better suited to LUDO or just go onto CGH...

Yup, it would be useful for getting a job afterwards (I really hope so anyway! ) You can also go on to do other courses in ballyfermot and elsewhere (Like Scotland) to get a Degree/Masters and all that jazz. A few students that have been in the course before have come in to talk to us about how they got jobs in the industry after they left the college...

Em.. If you want to know anything else about the course, ask away

Aard

Thanks for that, docdolittle. I was a bit confused by the two courses on offer! I'll be sure to head to the open day. I was wondering about the certification - I've never heard of "BTEC Higher National Diploma" before. It looks like a UK cert..? Does it fit into the FETAC model? (Not that I'm too worried about it, but it's best to have as much info as possible!)

docdolittle

Aard wrote: »

Thanks for that, docdolittle. I was a bit confused by the two courses on offer! I'll be sure to head to the open day. I was wondering about the certification - I've never heard of "BTEC Higher National Diploma" before. It looks like a UK cert..? Does it fit into the FETAC model? (Not that I'm too worried about it, but it's best to have as much info as possible!)

Yup, t'is a UK cert, the way you are marked is very much like a FETAC level 5, the grades you get will be either Pass, Merit or Distinction for each module.

FETAC Level 7s go by A1 A2 A3 and so on...

In BCFE you can also go on to do a 1 year add-on course for media managment http://applications.bcfe.ie/courseinfo.php?course=22 and get a BA (Hons) Degree in Media Production Management. Or you could go into the 2nd/3rd year of a games design Degree course elsewhere...

steve_

I wouldnt worry about ludo personally, its pretty much void of game design. Using things like FPS creator is just a joke and the 3d work you'll do you could easily teach yourself. Go for HND or CGH and start your own study now. Hopefully by September you'll have surpassed the things you'd of been thought in LUDO and will be good to go. For your own sake id start right away with getting to know programs like 3d max, Unity, photoshop and Unreal Ed (not sure if there still using that). Sites like CG academy and 3d buzz are good places to start.There are dozens of sites to show you how to use photoshop, unity has a great users forum which will get you started and 3d buzz also had a very indepth unreal ed training course, which you can also get for free if you manage to find a GOTY edition of Unreal tournament. I purchased the modelling fundamentals dvd's from CG academy and by completing the first dvd i had already covered more then i did with my year in LUDO. Just my two cents

docdolittle

steve_ wrote: »

I wouldnt worry about ludo personally, its pretty much void of game design. Using things like FPS creator is just a joke and the 3d work you'll do you could easily teach yourself. Go for HND or CGH and start your own study now. Hopefully by September you'll have surpassed the things you'd of been thought in LUDO and will be good to go.

I heard they stopped using FPS creator though and are just using Unity now though. Fair enough about the lack of 3d learning, I've heard bad things about it from ludo peoples... I'd say LUDO is a great stepping stone though and would help you see if you want to go onto the 2 year HND. Don't forget there are like 3x30 classes of LUDO and there is only 1 CGH class, I wouldn't mislead people to only apply for the HND, I'd advise to apply for both. But if you are prepared for studying it over the summer and all you'd be fine. (oh, what did you mean go for HND or CGH :P The course is CGHND Computer Games, Higher National Diploma)

You still have to impress shane and whoever else is interviewing on the day. So learning some of it now and saying what you've done and looked up in the interview now would help.

steve_ wrote: »

For your own sake id start right away with getting to know programs like 3d max, Unity, photoshop and Unreal Ed (not sure if there still using that). Sites like CG academy and 3d buzz are good places to start.There are dozens of sites to show you how to use photoshop, unity has a great users forum which will get you started and 3d buzz also had a very indepth unreal ed training course, which you can also get for free if you manage to find a GOTY edition of Unreal tournament.cents

Yup, getting used to 3ds Max, Unity and Unreal ed, which some have free licences now would be a great advantage going in. We're using these atm.

Unity is here http://unity3d.com/unity/download/ (Free)

Unreal Development Kit http://www.udk.com/download (Free) (some tuts http://www.hourences.com/book/tutorialsindex.htm and as you said eat3d and all help)

I heard there was a free student licence out for 3ds Max... can't seem to find it though.

I'm sure people can find there own copy of photoshop :P

steve_

Doh i meant to say CGH or DMH, similar course focusing on different aspects of the media. I also agree with you LUDO is a good, get my toes wet kinda course, and is good for seeing if its the kinda thing you wanna get into. But id take LUDO with a pinch of salt, im sure you'll agree, course content in LUDO compared to CGH is very very different. One thing i noticed with ludo is people get kinda relaxed with work as in fairness its not hard at all, then get a good ol slap in the face when they enter CGH. I done ludo last year and we were begging to use unity over fps creator. Sadly i couldnt afford to go to college again this year but im going back in September then hopefully to Napier after i finish either CGH or DMH

feckhead

FPS creator has been scrapped for LUDO and any in-engine stuff will be done in Unity from next year.

CGH is a completely different course to LUDO and you WILL need some knowledge of 3ds Max, photoshop etc. You don't have to be an expert, but if you know the basics, you'll be fine.

This year, 1st years covered:

3ds Max and Zbrush for 3d moddelling/animation.

Unreal Engine 3 (UDK), Unity, and DX Studio game engines.

Flash for 2d games and concepting

Photoshop and GIMP for storyboards and texturing

Soundforge and Reason for sound production.

There's also a lot of programming (actionscript), theory and some law involved (copyright etc.) in the course.

If you want to secure your place DEFINATELY APPLY EARLY. If you have to attend an interview with Shane, bring some of your work with you. Show that you are genuinely interested in the media. You'll have a much better chance of getting a place.

Now is a great time to do the course. A lot of the software you need is now available for free and there are some excellent support materials to help you along the way.

Be prepared to do a lot of work, the course is by no means a walk in the park.
If you have any questions PM me. I'll be doing an in depth feature on the course over on the GMRFM site soon.
Lee

royalt

Thanks for the info guys.
That sounds like an interesting course, I'm gonna give it a try next semester.

O1

Hi there Docdolittle,

Now that it's been some time since you took that course, I wonder if you could revisit this thread with a further opinion on how it stacked up in the end.
No need to go into your personal info but would you still say that it was useful for getting work afterwards?

Any further tips on how best to prepare for the course if I was theoretically starting in September