stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
A drummer. Ironically, when I did eventually pick up an instrument it was the guitar. Makes sense really, I don't have enough co-ordination for all 4 limbs. :)
mspencer82: I went through a few phases when I was around the age of five or six. First I wanted to be a paleontologist, then I wanted to build robots. I can't remember what followed, but the next logical step would have been building robot dinosaurs. Needless to say, I haven't done any of the that.
...Are you me?
After that, it was a scientist. I thought it was all about mixing funny chemicals randomly and thus accidentally discovering, oh I don't know, laser cannons.
After we got a computer, when I was 9, I decided, with child's logic, that since my mum wouldn't allow me to play computer games, I'd make my own. Being the creative sort, this appealed. I started learning to program in VB; had to take the book back to the library; never found it again. I learnt HTML instead and rocked that for a few years, writing designs for games rather than the games themselves, occasionally sending them off to companies in the vain, childlike hope that they'd get made. I bought a Java book at one point, but the compiler betrayed me and wouldn't work (I now have a suspicion I installed it wrong, but meh). This all changed when in year 10 my Computers teacher gave me a Visual Basic book - a proper one. I learnt fast. I wrote the first version of my first game.
Over the next four school years I went on work experience with a game graphics designer (twice, and learnt a TON!), rewrote the game several times, threw in DirectX, and now I'm teaching myself C++; three books on the subject, game-orientated, are winging their way to me through the post. As I might say were my facade of internet respectability to slip, I dig this shiznit.* I love writing games.
(Alongside that, I've written a tabletop game, and tried and failed to write numerous novels; I never stick with the plots. The TTG is gold though. In fact I enjoy writing rules for wargames even more than I enjoy programming. It's surprisingly similar, except that the challenges are in making the gameplay good rather than making the game work, and it doesn't give you motherf***ing automation errors.)
So yeah. Don't forget your childhood dreams :)
*Don't worry... I don't actually speak like that. 'Dig' to me is the forced movement of bits of ground. I'm just failing at humour, is all.
I'm starting to think I am you. When I got a computer I wanted to make games too, so I ended up learning Basic. One major difference between us is I gave up on that early. The closest I got to an actual game was a program that would play Battleship with me. I know, most people teach computers to play chess, I taught one to play Battleship.
My current goal is an aircraft technician in the RAF. It's a more realistic goal than what children seem to choose today - The chances of becoming a professional footballer is practically nil, and to be a pop star you need a rich daddy who spoils you and a lack of talent - Miley Cyrus is a perfect example.
mspencer82: I'm starting to think I am you. When I got a computer I wanted to make games too, so I ended up learning Basic. One major difference between us is I gave up on that early. The closest I got to an actual game was a program that would play Battleship with me. I know, most people teach computers to play chess, I taught one to play Battleship.
Hey, it's more original, at least. Don't knock your achievements ;)
(I taught mine to bombard a lone spaceship with endless amounts of baddies that statistically should wipe the floor with it, and often do. My game's kinda hard.)
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
PedroSteckecilo: I wanted to be Indiana Jones... I still do... kinda.
After that God awful movie?
Im studying to be a writer, and journalist. Im going to use that to try to work as a game reviewer. Been my dream for awhile but it might be fading away.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
No, I'm saying that P.E. has nothing to do with game developing.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
I think what he is trying to say is that a single qualification in PE and a lot of time spent playing Gears of War is not a great base for working in the game industry.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
No, I'm saying that P.E. has nothing to do with game developing.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
I think what he is trying to say is that a single qualification in PE and a lot of time spent playing Gears of War is not a great base for working in the game industry.
1.As I said I'm shit at P.E
2.Played halo already from what I've heard is kinda the same premise.
3. I've thought about this for a while and have already moved into classes and subjects that'll help me get to where I want to be so it's not just mindless day dreaming.
When I was a wee young lad I wanted to join the lowest ranks of a retail store, slowly working my up until I had reached the status of Store Manager. Now I'm interested in becoming a lawyer.
mspencer82: Recent generations have been told from a young age that they can do anything they set their minds too because they're "special". Years later, those of us who didn't develop an entitlement complex discovered that we were lied to. We're not all astronauts, doctors, and firefighters, and most of us hate our jobs.
I went through a few phases when I was around the age of five or six. First I wanted to be a paleontologist, then I wanted to build robots. I can't remember what followed, but the next logical step would have been building robot dinosaurs. Needless to say, I haven't done any of the that.
What was your dream when you were a kid? What did you want to be when you grew up? Are any of you actually living your dream?
By the way, if you haven't grown up yet or are still in school, feel free to share your dreams with us. The rest of us will just crush them.
I feel sorry for you. Being an astronaut is one thing, but being a paleontologist or robotic engineer is completely within the realm of reason.
No we aren't all "special" but that's because none of us are exempt from reality or entitled to riches untold, but there are very few people who are incapable of making their life something they want it to be.
I really wanted to make video games and cartoons and write cool stuff when I was a kid... guess what I do today.
In all fairness, maybe I just have the benefit of being special that most others aren't, but I think it is more to do with not giving up on something that takes a lot of work.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
No, I'm saying that P.E. has nothing to do with game developing.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
I think what he is trying to say is that a single qualification in PE and a lot of time spent playing Gears of War is not a great base for working in the game industry.
1.As I said I'm shit at P.E
2.Played halo already from what I've heard is kinda the same premise.
3. I've thought about this for a while and have already moved into classes and subjects that'll help me get to where I want to be so it's not just mindless day dreaming.
Sorry if I came off a bit pissed in that.
I don't think his comment was necessarily aimed at you, I think he was speaking more generally.
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
I think what he is trying to say is that a single qualification in PE and a lot of time spent playing Gears of War is not a great base for working in the game industry.
I would sooner buy a game designed by someone with a broad experience of playing games (and knowing what works) and the appreciation of the importance of cultivating personal empowerment through stamina and skill (i.e. PE GCSE) than anything from that egomanic CliffyB.
While i want to stop American Idol Syndrome as much as you,you come off way too harsh in your delivery. I think it's better to encourage kids to do what they enjoy, but make sure it doesnt get in the way of them having a real life
stormcaller: "When I grow up I want to write stories for games because I'm shit all at maths and really want to work with games" (in a small child's voice) crush that if you will :D
+crush+
People that think they can work in the games industry because they play a lot of games really bug me. Especially when they have one GCSE in P.E.
GSCE?
GCSE, a qualification that can be gained at the age of 16 (usually) in British schools. Formerly known as the O Level.
I'm still not getting it? Are you saying that being bad at P.E is good, if so then that's one qualification down.
I think what he is trying to say is that a single qualification in PE and a lot of time spent playing Gears of War is not a great base for working in the game industry.
I'm actually doing my internal Mocks this week. Foundation GCSE papers are piss easy. Seriously, our year took a whole ream of foundation GCSE papers at the beginning of the course to see how we were doing.
We all got C's. C is the highest possible grade on a foundation paper.
So yeah, it really pepped us all up, since we knew that there was no way in hell any of us were going to get less than a B for our Higher GCSEs.
On P.E... You simply can't fail. A rudimentary understanding of GCSE biology and a little memorizing the human body will see you through. On that whole topic though, it's that P.E. has nothing to do with games design.
As for my dreams. Well, I'm kind of aimless; however I know I will change the world for the better. Whether that be through political, celebrity, or other- perhaps underhanded- means. I've spent the whole 15 years and 353 days of my life so far being bombarded on all sides by bad news: War, Unrest, Dictatorships, Ignorance, Religion (Sorry guys.), Stuttering Bureaucracy and Useless governments.
I want to change that. I think we all want to change that, deep down. We all want to see an end to war and to unlock the vast potential inside every one of us.
It will happen, just you all wait.
Also, I want to do some kind of sponsored 'round the world think like Matt Harding. Although, for the record, I've been dreaming about doing something like that since I when I went to lapland when I was 5. It's not a copycat thing.
Not entirely sure what i want to do with my life, but i know i really want to work with animals (physical interaction, not just talk about them), and i want to travel a lot, see a few choice spots of the world, so it would either have to be a flexible job, or one that would take me places. On a semi-related note, i saw an ad for a job as an animal care specialist at a local nature center. That would just involve feeding, cleaning after, and socializing the animals, and it sounded awesome. Unfortunately it was only volunteer, and i need to get a source of income before i can spend my time doing something purely because i love doing it. If I had a job, i would have signed up in a heartbeat.
Hello everybody. I've been a long time creeper, and a first time poster on this forum, and I registered to make this post. Don't worry, I'll stick around though ;)
When I was young, I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then, when I was about nine, I saw a commercial for the Canadian Forces, saw the "cool fighter jets" and decided I wanted to be a pilot. I still do to this day. So far, I've joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets to apply for a glider scholar ship, to get the wheels moving. A few weeks before the course begins in June, I'll turn 16, so I'll have just made it in this year. To get in, I have to write an exam, similar to this one. http://www.regions.cadets.forces.gc.ca/atl/rgs/courses/exam1_e.asp
If I pass the exam, I get set up for an interview before a panel to see if I qualify for the course. If I do, I get to go to a six-week course over the summer. Thus begins my first step to becoming a pilot.
Next year, I can apply for a power flying course, but the process for that is relatively similar to that of getting into glider (I just need to learn about engines and more complicated navigation.)
Doing this should give me a better chance of getting into the military pilot training program, and RMC (Royal Military College) for after I graduate high school.
So, there you go, what I want to do in life. It may be rather long, but it's not a bad first post, eh?
When I was about 5 or 6, I wanted to be a country musician, then a year or so later it changed to a rockstar. Around age 10-11 I wanted to be a doctor. Now, at age 15, I've thought about it and decided what I really want to do - I want to go into a Computer Science career. Specifically, I'd like to be a Software Engineer, my goal being to be able to program useful things for my computers, and have my own super computer station set up in my apartment/house. Other things I've though about would be a Networking Engineer, seeing as that's what my dad is, or maybe work with databases. Cash is not the most important thing in my life, though I would like to find a job that would after a few years make me at least 60k a year. Ultimately the goal would be 100k+.
Maybe I'll change, I'm only 15, but I really can't see myself having children, nor having a long term relationship with another woman (no homo). I know how I act, and I'm a VERY good kid, but when I think about it, I would piss myself off if I was my father. Then there are these kids that get wasted and cuss their parents out and fuck around at school, and I just cannot imagine having to parent somebody like that. No, kids are definitley a no, and I'm almost positive I'd like to remain single.
And now I've rambled, really off-topic haha. Anyway, no, I will not ever accomplish the dreams I had as a younger kid, but I'm positive I will go into a CS field and hopefully someday accomplish my current dream.
I'm still in school, so theres still some cruching potential out there. Go team!
First, I wanted an archaologist, mainly because I had just seen jurasic park and thought i would get to fight dinosaurs. Then, a scientist who mixes random things and cures cancer. Then, more specifically, an astronomer, because space is awesome. Then EVEN MORE specifically, an astrophysicist. THEN, at the peak of my wierdness, I decided on theoretical astrophysicist who went to harvard and disproved god. Go team me!
I'd still like astronomer, but I have several other choices. First, awesome guitarist in world famous rock band, for obvious reasons. Then, guitar afficienado of some kind. THEN, I want to own a pub. I dont know why.
Also, astronaut, because lets be honest, that shit is bitchin.
mark_n_b: I feel sorry for you. Being an astronaut is one thing, but being a paleontologist or robotic engineer is completely within the realm of reason.
No we aren't all "special" but that's because none of us are exempt from reality or entitled to riches untold, but there are very few people who are incapable of making their life something they want it to be.
I really wanted to make video games and cartoons and write cool stuff when I was a kid... guess what I do today.
In all fairness, maybe I just have the benefit of being special that most others aren't, but I think it is more to do with not giving up on something that takes a lot of work.
Don't feel too sorry for me, I gave up on those dreams because of disinterest. By the time I finished school I didn't really have a dream to give up on. But you're right, a lot of things are in the realm of possibility for some people. A lot of times we're responsible for crushing our own dreams.
Even though my dreams were more down to Earth than some, I was mainly thinking of lofty, unachievable dreams. Like someone who is five foot even who wanted to be an NBA center. Almost nobody becomes what they wanted to be when they were in elementary school.
Uncompetative: What I meant was that the published authors who were famous for their short stories were, well, amongst the best writers in history:
Guy de Maupassant Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette Anton Chekov Raymond Carver
(a random selection... read any of these and you'd know why it is less of challenge to write a good novel that has some chance of publication)
Indeed. To write a short story is far easier than writing a novel, but to be recognised for your short stories is another matter entirely. Then again, I've never written anything good myself that was ever meant to reach novella/novel length, while I have written some moderately good short stories.
GenHellspawn: I guess writing for a professional publication at the age of 19 is an accomplishment, so I'll probably just go from there.
I suppose if I had ideas of writing as a career myself, that sentiment would apply to myself also. However, I never had childhood dreams of writing, especially considering that I didn't learn anything about good writing until I was about fifteen, and still don't consider it as anything more than a pipe dream. Science is my forte, and it's my interest as well, so I think I'll stick on this path.
I'd like to be an author. On the side, I would also like to dominate the free world and rule it with an iron fist. I call it...the Hitler approach to World Peace. In that anyone who disagrees with my approach will be baked into a pie and fed to fat German children.
Exactly what I was going to say.