Computer Games Technology Course

[kyo_244]

Hi there! Any decent games programmers out there? Im thinking of attending this course at Paisley uni in Scotland but am not too fond of maths.. Love games tho! :P Any advive on this?

[Cantaloup]

It depends on your current level of knowledge, the particulars of the course, and what you hope to get out of the class. If you could provide some more details, I can try to advise you.

[Poofta!]

not sure how the system is in scotland, but here in US, all computer engineering/programming programs are stock filled with math (advanced stuff) and physics (especially electrophysics)

im a civil engineering major with a minor in math and my roommate is computer engineer/programming major, hes taking the same math as i am plus more advance stuff pertaining to stats and series.

if you dont 'get' math right off the bat, and have to REALLY study it to understand wtf is going on, i dont recommend taking some of this stuff... i dont know about other schools but in my school the general consensus is if you dont have a natural affinity for math, youll die a thousand deaths in the advanced math courses we have.

[cyberfluxor]

I'm not familiar with how their programs are there but to become a true game programer you must get a degree in Computer Science or Electrical Computer Engineering. Masters degrees are a sure step in the door at the big league. Now, with math here's what you should expect:
+Calculus 1, 2, and 3
+Advanced Statistics
+Linear Algebra
+Discrete Mathematics/Structures
Computer courses to expect:
+Basic & Advanced programming courses dealing with:
--CPP/GPP standards
--Java
--ASM
+Theoretical Computer Science
+Advanced Data Structures
+Impact of Computers in Society
+Internet Concepts
+Object Orrientation Programming
+Computer Architecture
+Operating Systems
+Databases

Now, if you're going to a "special" technology college that does a 2 year plan then expect some different things. It'll be similar, but expect being thrown into design and abstract courses.

If you do not like math and studying isn't your cup of tea, then don't waste time and money, just continue enjoying games. Some of the courses can get pretty tough and require even some of the best to study.

On a presonal note, yes I'm obviously a programmer bent on making video games in my spare time. Currently I'm working on CS, IT, and Business degrees so I can get in a good paying position to fund my side quests and adventures of game design. You don't need expensive courses to learn to write code or design games, only if you end up going for a professional job then you need it for that job placement. I'd suggest looking at what languages you have available, what system you will write for, and start doing the research and learn to code on your own. You will learn a lot about computers and what they can do.

[kyo_244]

Thanks for the help guys! Still a bit confused though.. I must admit i havent had that much experience in programming but i was always attracted to modern technology and all its aspects! Maybe i should do a degree in computer animation.. I think thats a bit more focused on artistic desighn and use of software. I'm also considering digital art and media or cinema.

Heh looks like i dont know what the hell im doing eh?

then again i might be good at programming and dont want to lose that chance..

[kyo_244]

It depends on your current level of knowledge, the particulars of the course, and what you hope to get out of the class. If you could provide some more details, I can try to advise you.

here's the deal mate: http://www.paisley.ac.uk/courses/ug-...p?courseid=350

Take a look and let us know what u think..

[Cantaloup]

here's the deal mate: http://www.paisley.ac.uk/courses/ug-...p?courseid=350

Take a look and let us know what u think..

I am not that familiar with the UK education system (I live in the US), so when you said "course", I was thinking you were talking about a single class. What is described is a 4 year degree program. I have read the overview, and here are my impressions:

This appears to be a heavily software-oriented computer science program. I don't really see much hardware-oriented content mentioned beyond the first year, unless it is implicitly included in some of the topics. In other words, they don't specifically mention areas such as Computer Architecture, Logic Design, Electronics, etc. I don't see Operating Systems or any kind of Algorithm Analysis class mentioned. The former, IMHO, is required if you plan to use this degree outside the games industry. The latter is important for games as well, so hopefully it is covered somewhere in there. Also conspicuously absent is any mention of Artificial Intelligence or Parallel Programming/Concurrent Programming. I would check to make sure these areas are covered somewhere in the program.

On the positive side, they have PlayStation 2 developer kits which should provide some great hands-on experience; most "general" computer science programs will probably not have access to these. Of course, by the time you graduate we will be on the PlayStation 3. Another thing I liked was that you have the option to do a year's paid work in an industry job and they give you some business training.

As for math, I'm not familiar with the (UK) prerequisites listed at the top of the page. Typically for a Computer Science degree you need at least a few semesters of Calculus, a Statistics/Probabilty class, a Discrete Mathematics/Linear Algebra class, and possibly a class on Differential Equations. The 3D graphics topics will require vector mathematics, trigonometry and analytic geometry (usually covered in Calculus classes over here). Depending on what physical process models are covered, you may need differential equations. If you don't like math, I think you may have problems when you get to these particular areas.

My suggestion would be to get in contact with a career counselor if you have one at your school. It may be you want to do something more focused on IT than computer science if you want less math.

[kyo_244]

here's the deal mate: http://www.paisley.ac.uk/courses/ug-...p?courseid=350

Take a look and let us know what u think..

I am not that familiar with the UK education system (I live in the US), so when you said "course", I was thinking you were talking about a single class. What is described is a 4 year degree program. I have read the overview, and here are my impressions:

This appears to be a heavily software-oriented computer science program. I don't really see much hardware-oriented content mentioned beyond the first year, unless it is implicitly included in some of the topics. In other words, they don't specifically mention areas such as Computer Architecture, Logic Design, Electronics, etc. I don't see Operating Systems or any kind of Algorithm Analysis class mentioned. The former, IMHO, is required if you plan to use this degree outside the games industry. The latter is important for games as well, so hopefully it is covered somewhere in there. Also conspicuously absent is any mention of Artificial Intelligence or Parallel Programming/Concurrent Programming. I would check to make sure these areas are covered somewhere in the program.

On the positive side, they have PlayStation 2 developer kits which should provide some great hands-on experience; most "general" computer science programs will probably not have access to these. Of course, by the time you graduate we will be on the PlayStation 3. Another thing I liked was that you have the option to do a year's paid work in an industry job and they give you some business training.

As for math, I'm not familiar with the (UK) prerequisites listed at the top of the page. Typically for a Computer Science degree you need at least a few semesters of Calculus, a Statistics/Probabilty class, a Discrete Mathematics/Linear Algebra class, and possibly a class on Differential Equations. The 3D graphics topics will require vector mathematics, trigonometry and analytic geometry (usually covered in Calculus classes over here). Depending on what physical process models are covered, you may need differential equations. If you don't like math, I think you may have problems when you get to these particular areas.

My suggestion would be to get in contact with a career counselor if you have one at your school. It may be you want to do something more focused on IT than computer science if you want less math.

Perhaps i could take IT as a general course? would that still involve alot of maths?

[Cantaloup]

Perhaps i could take IT as a general course? would that still involve alot of maths?

Information Science/Technology-type programs (sometimes also known as "Informatics") tend to lean more toward business applications, and as such concentrate more on topics like database systems, networks, and decision support systems. "Pure" Computer Science tends to require more advanced math, whereas IT is more application-oriented. You will still need some math however, particularly Statistics and Economics classes.

[kyo_244]

Can someone please tell me what IMO means??

[Cantaloup]

Can someone please tell me what IMO means??

IMO = In My Opinion

Useful link: http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm