Welcome
Welcome to GameDevForge!
I've played with the idea of creating something along these lines for a while. Originally, I planned for a blog where I would post about useful tips and tricks I've learned over the years. However, after seeing the knowledge level of a few people fresh out of University, I decided to expand the idea into a learning and documentation resource for all things game development.
Who am I?
I'm Lewis, a Senior Game Developer currently working at BULKHEAD. I've been in the industry for around 5 years now and have worked on a variety of projects ranging from virtual reality training simulations to multiplayer first-person shooters. I have touched on many different areas like gameplay, networking and systems architecture to name a few but have also had experience planning and leading smaller teams.
At this point in my career, I feel like I have a lot of knowledge to share and I want to help others learn and grow in the industry. I don't doubt that I will make mistakes or miss out on some key points in areas, but I hope that the community can help me improve and grow this resource.
Find out more about me on my website.
Who is it For?
Everyone! In its early state at the writing of this post, there is not a lot of content, especially for anyone already at or above the beginner level. However, I plan to expand the content to cover a wide range of topics and difficulties as time goes on.
At the moment I am focussing on the modules section, which will be a series of tutorials and resources aiming to take a novice from beginner to intermediate levels and beyond.
Why?
One reason is to help others in general. That being said, I will benefit massively from this project too. Taking what I have learned over the past 5 years and putting it into writing will help me solidify and document my knowledge. I also hope to learn a lot from the community interacting with blog posts and tutorials and giving feedback on what can be improved.
There are many resources out there for game development, but I feel like there is a gap in the market for a resource that compiles all the aspects of learning, research, and development into one place. I want to create a resource that is easy to navigate and understand, up to date with the latest industry knowledge, and continues to be useful past the beginner level.
Back in my University days, I was lucky enough to have lecturers that really pushed me to learn and understand the core concepts of game development. From what I have seen recently during interviews and informal chats with fresh graduates, it seems that isn't always the case.
By no means are you supposed to know everything when you leave University, but I feel that there are some core concepts that are being missed. One of the aims of this website, will be to provide industry knowledge for the expectations of a Junior Game Developer.
What's the Plan?
Modules
I have a lot of ideas for this project, but like I mentioned, it is in its early stages. The modules section will come first which will be broken down into different areas.
- Java
- C++
- Unreal Engine
These three areas will be broken down further to cover a wide range of topics. Take Java for example, It's purpose on this resource is not to make someone an expert Java developer, but rather give them a solid base to work from. C++ will be more advanced and tackle more complex topics like 3D rendering and game engine architecture.
From my experience, people want to jump in with a game engine like Unreal Engine or Unity without understanding programming at its core. This is a big mistake and can put the brakes on learning and development.
Blog
I plan to post as much as possible to this blog, although I imagine it will be quiet for a while during the development of the modules section. The GameDevForge blog is and will be my main blogging platform.
So expect to see posts from a variety of topics based in and around game development.
Unreal Compendium
I plan to write generalised knowledge about systems within Unreal Engine. Inspired from other well know resources and developers like:
- Cedric Neukirchen's Multiplayer Network Compendium For Unreal Engine
- Ben ui's Resource for Unreal Engine
- Chilli Tomato Noodles Planet Chilli Wiki for C++
Check them out!
I plan to write about a variety of both systems and game development practices for Unreal Engine.
Unknown
I have already got a lot of work ahead of me, but who knows? I may expand these plans into new areas or ideas as time goes on.
Suggestions
As a community open source project, I hope as time goes on that the community can help me improve and grow this resource. If you have any suggestions or ideas, comment on the GitHub Feedback discussion.
I look forward to hearing from you!