game programmer portfolio

Question

hello, i want to work as a programmer in a game modification team. Most teams require a portfolio to show.

I haven't any previous experience with game programming and I would like to know what I should program and include in the portfolio

Thank you

Answer 1

Program anything you think you could do well. A portfolio is not as much about quantity as it's about quality.

Answer 2

I'd seriously consider writing one or more small, simple games yourself before embarking on joining an established team. You'll learn a lot about yourself and the technologies involved in games development, and you'll be putting together your own portfolio as you progress. You may find that you'll be in over your head if you join the mod team directly, especially if you have no experience at all. If the team is modding a particular game like Half Life or Unreal, then I'd use the time to get familiar with those tools - using the assets which are already there will give you a useful jump start.

Your games needn't be complex or graphically rich. Concentrate on ideas and simple execution. It's too easy to get bogged down with detail, especially if you're trying to impress. How about a simple puzzle game? Or tacking on flight simulator style controls to cruise around an FPS level? :)

Best of luck!

Answer 3

A portfolio should present what you consider to be your best work in various categories. For a programming portfolio, you don't necessarily need to put exclusively games in it, even if you're looking to join a game development team.

For a portfolio that you want to present to a game development group, my suggestion would be to break down the different aspects of what makes up a game and include completed and polished programs that highlight certain aspects.

Suppose you break down the game development pipeline and come up with the following list which shows the skills you want to highlight:

• 3D Graphics
• Physics
• Human Interaction (Gameplay and UI)
• Artificial Intelligence

Take a project for each category and make that aspect shine! Make each one interesting for the end user. Having different programs highlighting different skills shows that you are multidimensional - you're not just a one-trick pony.

Now, there's one more thing a portfolio should do, and that's highlight you! The small projects highlight your skills, but usually it's good to include one major project that shows many skills and, more importantly, your personality. This should be something you're proud of making, and something that you're excited and passionate talking about. Passion is contagious! When you show passion about something, people can't help but take interest.

Hope this helps.