My class was doing a thing about finding careers and it got me thinking. Would it be possible to take your mapping experience into the job market? I also was wondering if the game companies actually use the same editors that the community does.

So lets start a discussion.

Mapping is only a very small aspect of game design. The majority of the energy goes into AI programming and art works. I am saying this based on my knowledge from my game-designing friends.

so, you might want to hone your skills in other aspects of game design too.

Mapping is a part of any FPS game but one would only need to look a short time to notice that the maps made by the great mappers did not work for HL1. The maps were good yes, but there are many better mappers outside the game. I have seen this true in quite a few games as well. There are some very amazing HL1 maps created by users. All of which outstrip the maps inside the game. So far however, I have seen very few maps compare to the team on the HL2 staff, but some user made maps are at least on par.

I would venture a guess that mapping by itself is but a tiny portion of creating a game so if you want to get into the market, I would say your chances are slim to none based on mapping talent alone. They obviously do not put a high priority on those positions.

I can only base my opinion on what I have seen. Maps created for most games must have other priorities involved than purely putting this wall here and that water there.

Getting a job in the gaming industry is VERY possible - but very much dependant on your willingness to PUSH YOURSELF. Even with schools like GuildHall in Dallas, or the Art Institutes (I went to Art Institute of Houston), where they actually focus on game design - the deciding factor in whether you get a job or not is YOU... not a diploma. This is an industry where you have to sell yourself, and be in the frame of mind to sell your skills.

Also - there is more and more of a great divide between Art and Design. This means that you are usually going to have to choose a path. Very seldom will you find a roll that lets you design and fully art a level - especially if you're doing singleplayer level design. So, that's a question to ask yourself. DO you love game design, or do you love game art? If you know exactly what you want, then the only thing keeping you from getting it is time and effort. My theory is that you can build up to a base professional skill level in roughtly 2-4 years, starting almost from scratch. It all depends on how dedicated you are.

I made the decision to persue a career in the game or animation industry roughly 5 years ago. I went from a job with 'pop-a-lock', unlocking cars, to working at the 3rd best small company in the U.S (Insomniac Games) - seeing a AAA game on store shelves with my name on it (Ratchet Deadlocked). It took me 4 years of dedicated work, and I might have been able to do it in 2-3, if I had been more focused on exactly WHAT I wanted to do.

Oh, I guess I should add this too. What got me my job - the reason I beat other designers who had MORE experience, was my Halflife Level Design. It wasn't even the quality of my work (although who knows where I'd be if it was subpar)...it was the obvious DRIVE and EFFORT that spoke through my work. Not only did I have an animation degree, I also had a whole seperate portfolio and knowledge of game design that gave me the competitive edge come interview time.

Hehe, you got a good game to your name Finger (Ratchet)....all I got was stinky ol' Rogue Ops " SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">

Half-dude, while the majority of game developers use proprietary tools, the concept and functionality behind them is generally the same as the two main editors available to amateur mappers. UnrealED with its negative space doo-dah, where you subtract stuff to make things, or your Hammer/Radient school with additions. Familiarise yourself with as many packages as you can. " SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">

Also, don't take this too personally, but you will also need to develop thicker skin and be willing to take on criticism without flying off the handle - cos in the games industry, you'll get a lot of it.

Right on the money there, Finger. After the 5 years I've been working in the gamedev industry, I haven't encountered anyone at all who has done BOTH the design AND art for a level. I've got a degree in Illustration so am from an art background and have built 40-something HL1/2 levels, but I've still only done design and scripting. As you suggest, typically people have to choose to follow an art OR design discipline.

The number of first person shooters in development using Valve's tech isn't very much at all - as Adam said most will use their own proprietary technology. Most gamedevs develop their own tech, tailored specifically to the game they're creating. Anyone looking to get into the gamedev industry definately shouldn't set their sights on specifically working with Valve's tech, because the likelihood of that happening is minimal.

Lastly, due to circumstances (family etc) you may have to take what you can. Not everybody lives down the road from Valve or id or any of the other big boys. You may have to take whatever you can find, even working on some poxy game that'll sink without trace. Still beats doing a "proper job" anyway.