My Dream Job

(Click the image above. ;] )

I'm a WRPG grognard who was bought up on interplay games. One of my earliest gaming memories was having my ass kicked by the goblins just before the Kuldahar Pass in Icewind Dale. I was five and it was my brother's save, and he was not impressed by the mess I had made of his party. Being a lead dev at a much beloved studio like Obsidian is the dream, and one I considered wholly unatainable up until recently.

Creative writing has been a passion since my tweens, and games longer still. Making the stories that give games their look, feel and soul is what I'd live for if I ever had the chance. Dreams aside, the internet and the increasing use of software like Git and sites like Github make working as a narrative lead/developer possible from anywhere in the world.

Being a lead narrative designer sounds fairly straight foreword and light on technical ability. However, positions in IT and gaming have considerable subtext when the duties of a role must be considered; professional networks, experience as a "grunt" programmer and some prior proven narrative ability or interest is desirable in a narrative lead. A narrative lead still needs to be able to test their story lines in game, to understand the basics of coding in Java at the very least and needs to understand the whole game-building process. Games are a unique form of art; they are usually built in teams and are handled and created like a product.

As of writing, I posses virtually none of the skills, experience or networks a developer needs to become a narrative lead, let alone a find an entry level position in any of the studios I'd like to be part of, or the cyber-security jobs I'm also interested in. I have no qualifications in IT or game development but I really, really wish I did. I want to get a degree in IT. I am perfectly aware a degree is not necessary, but I want to learn how to software and get a certification out of it that any given HR department or person will like. I want to develop freeware games and write creatively on the side, network with other narrative-driven devs and work at catching my dream job. If I can't, then I'll figure something else out. I find infosec interesting too.