JenneinCA Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 My twelve year old wants to write role playing games as a career. He reads about them all the time. He thinks in stories and lore. He spends nearly all of his free time studying games and the way they work. He worries about balance between different types of characters. And weapons. And spells. And everything else. He has ideas and he wants to show them to everyone. This afternoon he play tested his role playing game with two people that he didn't know and had never met. He walked them through character creation and then played a mini adventure. And everyone had a good time. The two play testers had fun and so did my son. He has been bouncing off the walls in happiness since they finished. A happy kid is the best thing ever. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobeatenpath Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Wow that is actually a complicated thing to achieve - well done him! I think your son and mine would get on like a house on fire :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 (edited) Congratulations to your son. I remember a few years ago my boys were really into the same thing. They created a 'game' and tested it on Daddy. The game they made was, so, very, very unbalanced. But they had so much fun making it. Supposedly Dh's character had a movement of about 2 and their character had a movement of about 20 and could defeat any bad guys by just walking near them - or some such nonsense. Happily Dh played it with them, and let them talk about it. Edited December 12, 2016 by Julie Smith 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Congratulations!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Awesome! If he wants other beta testers, let us know! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Awesome! You can actually study games in college. If that's a path he's interested in, take a careful look at the various schools that offer it - the coursework that is required (and that which is optional), the instructors, and the other students and their work. We found that some programs focused on the programming side of computer-based games, some on the art, and some on the storytelling. The things you mentioned - balancing the games, creating the characters, the world, the weapons, and so on were part of the program at Rochester Institute of Technology, and the graduates we know seem to have a good track record of employment with game companies, especially since RIT is a co-op school so the kids come out with real-world experience along with their degree. It sounds like your kid is well on his way to a potential career in the gaming industry. I went to BlizzCon this year (gaming company convention) and it was interesting to see all of the different kinds of jobs that together made up a game company. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenneinCA Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 Awesome! You can actually study games in college. If that's a path he's interested in, take a careful look at the various schools that offer it - the coursework that is required (and that which is optional), the instructors, and the other students and their work. We found that some programs focused on the programming side of computer-based games, some on the art, and some on the storytelling. The things you mentioned - balancing the games, creating the characters, the world, the weapons, and so on were part of the program at Rochester Institute of Technology, and the graduates we know seem to have a good track record of employment with game companies, especially since RIT is a co-op school so the kids come out with real-world experience along with their degree. It sounds like your kid is well on his way to a potential career in the gaming industry. I went to BlizzCon this year (gaming company convention) and it was interesting to see all of the different kinds of jobs that together made up a game company. I didn't know it was a real major! Could you give me some more information? Like the name of the major and some schools that offer it. He would love to find some other people who could talk to him about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I didn't know it was a real major! Could you give me some more information? Like the name of the major and some schools that offer it. He would love to find some other people who could talk to him about it. If you are thinking local, I believe both UC Santa Cruz and USC have game design programs. UCSC's might be tied to their CS or engineering schools. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 That is quite awesome!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I didn't know it was a real major! Could you give me some more information? Like the name of the major and some schools that offer it. He would love to find some other people who could talk to him about it. My oldest is taking a table top game design and theory elective with our homeschool group. The instructor is using a college syllabus and paring it down a bit for this class. It's been quite rigorous. I will try and look up the class it's based off of and send to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 You might find some resources on this website: http://teachingdesign.blogspot.com/p/about.html My daughter's gaming class is using some of his content for their work. If I find anything else I will add it. Not sure if it's exactly what your son is into, but he mights find some things of interest. Game design and game theory is discussed here a LOT. My daughter loves to watch game theory videos in her free time on YouTube. She's kind of obsessed about it, so I get the happiness in your post. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I didn't know it was a real major! Could you give me some more information? Like the name of the major and some schools that offer it. He would love to find some other people who could talk to him about it. Not only is it a major, it can lead to the kind of jobs with good pay and good benefits, and you can wear a t-shirt and jeans to work. Here is RIT's Game Design and Development major info. Note that admission is competitive. USC has an excellent program; admission is very competitive. It's been some years since we looked; there were a couple of other schools at the time with programs but we weren't as impressed with them. I am sure the picture has changed since them, so take a look! Homeschooling will give your child the advantage of becoming widely read about the industry and experienced with self-produced games. A broad education including history and literature as well as the STEM subjects will provide a rich background for inspiration. Visiting a few conventions of various kinds, listening to podcasts, and the like will provide additional depth of immersion in the industry. Games = making a living? Yes, it's possible, for the right kid. Have fun on your journey! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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