Evening Reading

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  my head tells me my heart isn't capable of thought : aeg1x
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    Most mean you are cold hearted conservative. :p : dookiebot
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      "Must mean you are a cold-hearted conservative." - Fixed Your lack of proofreading must mean you are a... : digitalrogue
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        Your contentious brow beating is indicative of a smug independent. Now the cycle is complete. : comiekazie
        • "Your contentious browbeating is indicative of a smug independent. Now the cycle is complete. I admire yo... : digitalrogue
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  I'll never regret my time in game development. It has definitely made me a better developer overall, alt... : RomSteady
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    I'm going to do it, do the dance of "few years of pro game dev, burn out, and move on to "real work" soft... : freakynipples69
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      "real work", eh? : wendigo
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        making games isn't real work, everyone knows that. : freakynipples69
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          I hope you are kidding. : lplasmatron
          • i'm sure he is : Schnapple
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        He can start converting software over for the Y3K switch. : Prozium
        • That'd be Y10K. If it supports 2K, it will support 3K. : bombay
        • Y2K38 : lunarbunny
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  as long as you have the math skills and brain for it, it might be better to work crazy hours for somethin... : sticman77
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    Good math skills even help with regular development. In the last two weeks, we've discussed mapping a ... : RomSteady
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      Words. All I see is words. : freakynipples69
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        something about a herp derp point estimate : electroly
        • Herpes? Yeah, I've heard they are a bitch. : freakynipples69
        • Da Derp Dee Derp Da Teetley Derpee Derpee Dumb http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153784 : azuvatar
        • Hahahaha, same here. : node
    • But can she bake a cherry pie? : dognose
    • are you programming the future? : sticman77
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      You do strange stuff. I'm thinking of your old job interview post where you guys were doing extremely od... : BouillonCubes
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        We ended up with a total of five people who passed the initial screen, and three who passed the in-person... : RomSteady
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          One interview question, now. Lets see if I can answer it. : freakynipples69
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            How many herps does it take to derp a slerp lerp? : indosauros
            • Pi : freakynipples69
          • Here are two of the questions from our in-person interview, one code-related, one not. We have to add : RomSteady
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            It was some weird thing where he/they were trying to do some sort of odd math on small amounts of data in... : BouillonCubes
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              The question asked back then was how would you count the number of bits set in an unsigned integer. To... : RomSteady
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                Split the bits into groups of 4 and count? : freakynipples69
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                  Why groups of four? What do you gain by doing that? : RomSteady
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                    1010 = 10 0101 = 5 I can easily distinguish values that way, and add up the totals of the groups : freakynipples69
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                      You are aware that for the purposes of this test, 1010 would be the same as 0101 with regards to input, r... : RomSteady
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                        Nope, I'm not hired. : freakynipples69
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                          Pseudocode for one possible solution: Set Count = 0. Take value. While value is not zero... Chec : RomSteady
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                            If you're going to do this, you might as well do this, right? http://pastebin.com/ZryERbkg No branc... : daVinci1980
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                              May as well have your for test be testVal != 0. : RomSteady
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                                Nah, cause then the compiler can't unroll the loop--it doesn't know how big the loop will be at compile t... : daVinci1980
                                • True, but most compilers will only unroll up to 4 iterations without a compiler hint. : RomSteady
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                            I completely misunderstood the question then. I wasn't even considering solving the problem via code, I w... : freakynipples69
                            • Haha, I was thinking the same way. But I'm a network guy and I'm always working with binary in my head f... : Gwyndion
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                  easy answer involves x & (x-1) : cltcprd
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                    That tells you whether a number is a power of two, not how many bits are set. : daVinci1980
                    • I'm not the only idiot here! I kid, I knew I wasn't the only idiot. : freakynipples69
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                      I said it involves it, it's not the whole answer :) : cltcprd
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                        Am I missing a way that this would be a clever optimization? If you're going to loop through all the ... : daVinci1980
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                          Sorry, I just know if from doing interview prep for the past month. { int i = 0; while(x!=0) { ... : cltcprd
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                            Ha! That is a clever optimization. :) I'd probably still do the lookup table. ;) : daVinci1980
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                              Lookup is obviously faster, but sometimes you can't use extra memory like that :) : cltcprd
                              • And if you are only going to be doing the operation occasionally, it may not be worth the initial cost of... : RomSteady
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                                Totally agree. They become impractical for many applications. That being said, it's a useful optimization... : daVinci1980
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                                  There have been times, especially in console game development, where we were scrambling to find 256 free ... : RomSteady
                                  • #2621

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                                    By: daVinci1980 x Show Full Post

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                                    I've had the general solution to this problem for years... Find one texture, drop the top mip level.
                                    
                                    Problem solved. ;)

                                    Nov 04, 2010 10:54pm PDT
                                    I've had the general solution to this problem for years... Find one texture, drop the top mip level. ... : daVinci1980
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                I'd use the same logic as a priority decoder. Do a 256 value lookup table and then do something like this... : daVinci1980
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                  This is also a good solution that trades space and initial setup time in exchange for speed. : RomSteady
                  • It comes up in hardware design, I ask people to design priority decoders for me for interview questions. ... : daVinci1980
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      I chuckled at slerp and lerp. CAN I JOIN?!? : jingletard
      • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slerp : RomSteady
  • dunno about that. i love having a life outside work far too much. : the city
• I'm in the same boat, now. : BlackCat9
• it seems like an easy choice to me. i'd never work in game development even though i certainly admire th... : electroly
• game development is the bees knees. : fufux
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  As a developer I'm very glad I didn't go that route. Saturated market, relatively low pay, unstable empl... : BouillonCubes
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    And to work for Blizzard or Valve, you need to go through all that low level bullshit I assume. : freakynipples69
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      Probably, or come in at a high level having gotten experience elsewhere. Seriously, as a programmer you ... : BouillonCubes
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        Sadly, I know this, but I get depressed when I think about NOT working in the game industry for some reas... : freakynipples69
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          Once you get into business software dev you'll (hopefully) find that the security, pay, and relatively lo... : BouillonCubes
          • I definitely agree that the stability is nice, and while the challenge level may not be where it was in g... : RomSteady
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            Software for commercial real estate industry sounds pretty damn boring if you ask me. And I wonder how ... : Defacil
            • So is most game development though. "Here go work on some isolated thing that has to do with some audio ... : BouillonCubes
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      Diane has never worked for a game company before, but has more experience in programming under her belt t... : BlackCat9
      • It depends what your job is. I've worked with some insanely good coders over the years that have only eve... : Fred Garvin
  • yep, 4 years was enough time in game dev for me to realize that I needed to GTFO if I wanted decent hours... : dravalen
  • I actually moved to the Metroplex originally to get into game development. What I figured out though w... : Schnapple
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  wtf i see this thread after i just made mine. fuck me. : spaceless
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    What was the turn around period from when you submitted your resume to when you heard back from the studi... : freakynipples69
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      i didnt submit anything, ive just got a friend who works somewhere and asked if i was interested. had to ... : spaceless
      • I'm interested. Hook it up! : freakynipples69
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  Cool developers bros should get together in an indie studio and make awesome lil steam games on their own... : SpaecKow
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    Who's going to pay them bills and buy diapers? : freakynipples69
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      No one would be taht stupid to actually pay them, they'd have to take out a loan from a bank together as ... : SpaecKow
      • Hahahahaha! Good luck getting bank financing. These days the well is pretty fucking dry for indies. Even ... : Fred Garvin
  • we'd make the best tic tac toe game ever : electroly
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    Only a few people get to be involved in the actual game design and that's where the real fun is honestly.... : BouillonCubes
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      Wha? Dude if your team is like four to eight people it's impossible for any one person to NOT be involved... : SpaecKow
      • Oh making art or levels is probably a lot of fun, I'm coming at this from the perspective of a software d... : BouillonCubes
  • the programming side of a small game is quite fun if you get to design a significant part of the code. I... : threeup
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  You applying to places or seeking an education for a career in game development? : Defacil
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    I'm getting my masters in computer science, but the time to start applying for jobs is quickly approachin... : freakynipples69
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      Ah, programmers that graduate from where I go (guildhall) never really have a problem landing jobs. I ca... : Defacil
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        I was accepted from Guildhall for Level Design last year (remember? We were SMing each other about it), b... : freakynipples69
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          Oh yeah! The LD course has had it's ups and downs. But it's been a TON of fun because of how closely con... : Defacil
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            Sounds awesome! Wish nothing but the best for you! The thing about Guldhall's CS program, they expecte... : freakynipples69
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              Yeah, same here. My experience was way too limited so I took the LD track. Our capstone projects are co... : Defacil
              • Sounds extremely exciting, please keep us updated on it. Let us know when you need testers. : freakynipples69
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  if you like low pay, long hours, and no fun then its for you. But HEY you are working on a GAME! : gyokuro
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    How low are we talking about? : Anastomosis
    • Average game developer earns 70% of their counterpart's annual salary outside the games industry for the ... : RomSteady
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      - Programming: Programmers are among the highest paid talent in the mainstream game industry, with an ave... : Defacil
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        Good to see the gap closing over the last four years compared to the data I've been working off of. : RomSteady
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          Yeah, unfortunately the job security isn't there for all disciplines of game development. That's my only... : Defacil
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            Agreed. It's been a few years since I had access to solid numbers. Average length of QA career still on... : RomSteady
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              I don't have any accurate data on QA but THQ did setup a testing lab in our building and I think they're ... : Defacil
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                That's probably the route I'll travel. I'll always develop games as a hobby. Who knows? I may get lucky a... : freakynipples69
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                  Perhaps you can do some research for your thesis? Find something in game development and build something... : Defacil
                  • Actually, I'm in the early stages of a designing a game for Microsoft's ImagineCup competition, along wit... : freakynipples69
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        80k? wtf, that's barely middle class. : Porkasaurus
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          Thats a very healthy middle class unless you live in a big city. : Discrete
          • Agreed. And even if, I'd be living large with an $80k salary. : Anastomosis
          • Even then it's dependent on where in the world this city is. $80K can put you as upper middle class in a ... : Schnapple
          • Yeah but most game jobs are in places like Seattle or LA/Sandiego area where the cost of living is high. ... : Lucy Labia
        • What? : spazzium
        • Haha. Where do you live? Must be either New York City.... or Dubai...? : Gwyndion
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        I never came close to 80k as a programmer in games after 4 years, closer to 60k(in Seattle no less). : dravalen
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          $53k after a decade in QA, significantly higher now. : RomSteady
          • Yeah, I got close to a 3x increase when I left games. : dravalen
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            Getting a job in QA has proved very frustrating for me. Every QA job I apply for has a 1 year min requir... : Anastomosis
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              Come to Seattle and I'm sure I could get you a job making $10-13/hr in games QA :) : cltcprd
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                I'm holding you to this. The little lady and I plan on moving up there sometime in the near future. So ... : Anastomosis
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                  That's fine. I know quite a few recruiters I can put you in touch with. : cltcprd
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                    Have any contacts in Massachusetts? Haha, I've been trying to get into it as well. : BBIJ
                    • Here for Mass too, hook me up. I'm serious. : Navy Spitfire
            • I've done a decent amount of QA work at this point, but every time I've gotten a QA job it's been as a "t... : thetangent
        • you got ROBBED : Lucy Labia
      • Enough with the averages, what are the median salaries. What's to say the programmer average isn't jacke... : riptyde
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        OMG that Game Design salary number is PURE COMEDY! No one I know, including me, makes 60k+, in fact most : eskimo spy
        • yup that number is out of nowhere for me too. I'm in canada, though, but that's crazy. : barichnikov
        • It's less common in the midwest due to lower cost of living. Higher cost of living on the coasts and high... : kungfusquirrel
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          Salary numbers have a completely different meaning depending on your location. Where I live, in the tri-... : Gwyndion
          • 40k range in Dallas sucks cocks no matter how you slice it. But they say 'cost of living is lower here!'.... : eskimo spy
• follow ur head not ur heart because all it does is pump blood : spiderfill
• I'm a game programmer. Money isn't everything in life. Do what you love for the majority of your day, and... : Jabby
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  Wanting to work for a gaming development company is like wanting to become a fire fighter. : cap n KRUNCH
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    How so? I thought Firefighters got pretty good pay and benefits. : datoo
    • Not the ones in Tennessee! :D : BouillonCubes
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  totally...an industry that's only grown and is now worth severla billion dollars per year is a horrible i... : zedkhov
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    Those billions of dollars don't make it into the pockets of developers, sadly. : freakynipples69
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      that's like becoming a roadie to make millions from the music biz. : skryte
      • ^^^^^^^ : the city
• It might be just me but I'd say development in general. It might be the city I live in and a lot of other... : te[R]ror
• go for it! don't be an old man, filled with regret, etc... : azuvatar
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  I've been doing it for several years now. While I'd consider moving onto something different, I genuinely... : dewdman
  • Oh yeah, and no one (and I mean no one) gets in this industry for the money. This is both a good and bad ... : dewdman
• Ridiculous hours. Always keep that in mind. You will have no life outside work. And you probably won't ev... : thetangent
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  Here's what you should expect if you go into a career in game development: The first company or two yo... : nutrient
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    Gas Powered Games looks like a fun place to work at with Chris Taylor...they made a ton of videos of the ... : Epsilon Sector
    • Christ Taylor is a hilarious guy. When I visited them Chris was extremely enthusiastic about all the thin... : Snipergen
• pursuing any type of creative job where only your heart is in it IS a recipe for disaster. it will burn ... : panbient
• well, where else are you going to get work with nipples like that. : filthysock
• Get a regular job and make iPhone games on the side. : red2lucas
• I code at a small developer that mostly does shovelware with the occasional good game in between. It is t... : Tchest
• Come to the dark side. On a more serious note - i think there is a ton of good advise here. Your first... : whippedcracker
• hows it a bad idea? game industry is the largest in the nation, right? : sanewave
• I like game development so much I only do it for fun on my free time. : zehh
• My heart tells me... I probably will never be entirely happy in this life until I am somehow involved in ... : Gwyndion
• I think the main question you probably have to resolve, Freakynipples69, is whether you can stomach the c... : wytefang
• 12 years in the game industry. Only get in if it is a passion. While you will live comfortably, you wil... : xcalibur19
• Follow your heart, but learn to accept that taking reroutes might be necessary to get there. : Mad Brahmin Disease
• This goes here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVQM6RJfK4U : Jiven
• I'm feeling the same way : Mikuya
• It is just like with any creative profession if you enjoy doing it then it doesn't matter if there is an ... : TheEmissary