Modding : the little extra to get a job

[Met@]

I saw the conversation about getting a job with modding experience in the Neo topic, and I was thinking the same thing as some peoples. Showing some stuff from modding can help sometimes to show what we can do.

Like Kaev said: "we should create another thread to discuss stuff like that."
So here it is. I suggest you talk about the jobs we can found in the game industry with the help of modding, share some experiences, tips,...


In my case, my dream is to work at Blizzard as a 3D modeller. It's an impossible dream, but it helps me to move forward. Since I've decovered the Warcraft universe when I was young, I decided to work for them. I entered in modding some mounths after that. I started 3D because of that, and I love it. With modding, I've had the opportunity to try a lot of things what I never thought I'd touch before like. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a comic drawer, but it's hard to find a job and impossible to gain his life with it now, and video game was my lifeline.

For now, I study drawing, some years after my graduate, I decided to go in a school to learn the making of video games. With modding, I've already some bases and it's helpful.

The models that I make for WoW modding can help me to fill my portfolio and to show what I'm able to do.

And I agree with the fact that talking about private servers is quite risky if it's in this same game that you want to work.

Sooo, let's talk.

[Skarn]

Again I don't agree on the point about private servers. If you were involved into the emulation scene you're a better employee than someone who does not have any idea how this game works. Employer won't give a fuck about what you did, they are mostly interested in what you can possibly do for their company now.

[kojak488]

I was a developer on Will's JutsuOnline for a time.  Just recently it helped me land an interview and job offer for a Project Analyst position, but I got an even better job offer at the same time that I took instead.

That said, it wasn't in the gaming industry.  It was with my state's government working in IT on the development of some of our software.

[phucko1]

I don't think Blizzard would appreciate of you having done private servers, I however thinks that if you say you've been doing WoW Modding for yourself and not for a server it could be a plus, that you know how their client works, the file formats, etc.

I think Emulation is alot more helpful for programmers since their code is not necessarily only appliable to WOW.

[schlumpf]

just don't go into making money with the servers and stuff is fine. especially if you do art for fun, not code for money.

[iindigo]

I think maybe another big factor is exactly what you did with your modding/private server. Running a bog standard blizzlike clone server or fun server isn't particularly impressive and probably won't get you much unless you're a core engineer and managed to get your server stable enough to support 5k+ online players for extended periods of time or something like that.

If you manage to do something really interesting and creative within the restrictions of WoW's engine and infrastructure, on the other hand, it shows how much potential you'd have with teammates, a tech team to develop engine features you need, etc. and could play a major part in getting you an offer.

[Ohai]

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