*Drools*

[MetKiller Joe]

I was having a conversation with my friend who goes to Rochester Institute of Technology (where I am planning on going).

(4:38:37 PM) Jeff: that you have to see when you come up
(4:38:46 PM) Jeff: ok so it's a room filled with 32 computer
(4:38:47 PM) Jeff: s
(4:38:54 PM) Jeff: all top of the line alenware
(4:39:04 PM) Mark: O_O *mouth drops*
(4:39:14 PM) Jeff: hooked up each to 2 of the niceset flat screen monitars ever
(4:39:18 PM) Jeff: and
(4:39:21 PM) Mark: O_O
(4:39:28 PM) Jeff: they are all hocked up to xbox 360's
(4:39:34 PM) Jeff: yes to program x boxes
(4:39:38 PM) Mark: *short of breathe*
(4:39:41 PM) Jeff: and if this where not enuf
(4:39:44 PM) Mark: so
(4:39:45 PM) Mark: wait
(4:39:50 PM) Mark: these are dev consoles?
(4:39:51 PM) Jeff: theres another back room with another 32
(4:39:55 PM) Jeff: dev?
(4:39:57 PM) Jeff: yes

:D

[ultama121]

Holy shit. :O

[Zeph]

I was having a conversation with my friend who goes to Rochester Institute of Technology (where I am planning on going).

(4:38:37 PM) Jeff: that you have to see when you come up
(4:38:46 PM) Jeff: ok so it's a room filled with 32 computer
(4:38:47 PM) Jeff: s
(4:38:54 PM) Jeff: all top of the line alenware
(4:39:04 PM) Mark: O_O *mouth drops*
(4:39:14 PM) Jeff: hooked up each to 2 of the niceset flat screen monitars ever
(4:39:18 PM) Jeff: and
(4:39:21 PM) Mark: O_O
(4:39:28 PM) Jeff: they are all hocked up to xbox 360's
(4:39:34 PM) Jeff: yes to program x boxes
(4:39:38 PM) Mark: *short of breathe*
(4:39:41 PM) Jeff: and if this where not enuf
(4:39:44 PM) Mark: so
(4:39:45 PM) Mark: wait
(4:39:50 PM) Mark: these are dev consoles?
(4:39:51 PM) Jeff: theres another back room with another 32
(4:39:55 PM) Jeff: dev?
(4:39:57 PM) Jeff: yes

:D

Speaking from experience on what you just said, I wouldn't go there. They're wasting your tuition dollars. And dont get too excited about the 360 dev kits unless you're going to go there for platform programming. If then, ask yourself why you're needing stupidly expensive workstations (if they're not designed as workstations then lofl you're getting screwed) to type your code.

edit: Looked up the school and laughed. It looks like a slosh between programming and introductory digital art.

edit2: The school of design looks to start out good, but I dont think it'll get you to a good place either :\.
This school looks like they're just trying to be the one to hand out the most unique degrees.
Now if they had one or two degrees covering BS and BFA in the subjects and different concentrations for you to choose from, I'd say go for it.

[MetKiller Joe]

Haha, might be the case with the courses.

It is better than my high school. They spent 20,000 on a rented website that is all JavaScript with no links. Then 100,000 on a rock mosaic in the commons. They receive a couple of million dollars from Alumni and 15,000 in tuition from all students.

So, yeah, the fact they spend so much on alienwares I'm not really too happy about, but relative to what I've seen and experienced, it is a big improvement. Also, I don't know what I'm going to model for, so I like having that bit of lee-way if I decide to go in console development.

[Zeph]

Wait, so what are you wanting to do, program or make pretty pictures?

[MetKiller Joe]

Wait, so what are you wanting to do, program or make pretty pictures?

Rofl. Nice way of putting it.

I will probably Major in Computer Programming with a Minor in [whatever I can study that involves specifically creating game environment (Using UT3 etc)].

Though, I want to do video game environments. The programming industry is a bit more solid and guaranteed than modeling (even though all of those jobs are eventually going to Asia). I feel that if I am good enough, I will either switch Majors, double Major, or simply try to get accepted for a position using my future portfolio.

The better question is if you think RIT is somewhat mediocre, then what do you suggest?

[Saggy]

Rofl. Nice way of putting it.

I will probably Major in Computer Programming with a Minor in [whatever I can study that involves specifically creating game environment (Using UT3 etc)].

Though, I want to do video game environments. The programming industry is a bit more solid and guaranteed than modeling (even though all of those jobs are eventually going to Asia). I feel that if I am good enough, I will either switch Majors, double Major, or simply try to get accepted for a position using my future portfolio.

The better question is if you think RIT is somewhat mediocre, then what do you suggest?
I'm in the exact same situation as you. I'm aiming to do the same things in life as you, although I still have a little ways to go, and I'm to interested in what school I should go to to fulfill my goals.

[MetKiller Joe]

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is another school I am applying to (though I am not sure if I will get in). A mite more solid than RIT, though.

http://www.wpi.edu/

Majors (http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Majors/index.html)

[Cortexian]

A lot of schools with computer multimedia courses use Alienware systems because of the huge educational and bulk discounts they get. At least two of the schools I've checked out with similar courses use Alienware machines.

[Lex1337]

If you go can you grab me one of those AlienWare Computers. Those are my dream computers.

[Stormwing]

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is another school I am applying to (though I am not sure if I will get in). A mite more solid than RIT, though.

http://www.wpi.edu/

Majors (http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Majors/index.html)
Zeph, didnt you go to WPI? or was it someone else...there's that CE map for it at least :P

[Kornman00]

I wish I had the time to learn 3D modeling and art, but obviously that wasn't what I was meant to do too

vOv, more time to learn coding related things

[Reaper Man]

Oh cool coincidence, I sent my app to RIT today. Photojournalism, fuck yeah. So depending on where I get into, I may see some Modacity people either at SCAD or RIT. :awesome:

[Zeph]

Zeph, didnt you go to WPI? or was it someone else...there's that CE map for it at least :P

Yeah, I have a buddy that's going/went there. His halo stuff was for the video game club there. They made the bsps on the PC for CE and programmed their own tools to get them onto the xbox. He did all his learning on his own. I dont think they teach 3d modeling for lower classmen. Jeez, I haven't talked to him in forever. He either stopped using AIM or got a new s/n.


A lot of schools with computer multimedia courses use Alienware systems because of the huge educational and bulk discounts they get. At least two of the schools I've checked out with similar courses use Alienware machines.
Alienware is Dell. My campus buys Dell workstations. The discount for the Dell branded machines is just the same as the Alienware. The only difference between the two is the fancy-shmancy case and extra you pay for the name brand. As we pay addition money on our tuition for our hardware, my major involves students in our budget. Corporate greed for profit doesn't diminish even for educational institutions.

Those schools that do buy them have been either misled and/or have a technically challenged department head or simply dont give a shit if they spend a lot of money because they have it.


I'm in the exact same situation as you. I'm aiming to do the same things in life as you, although I still have a little ways to go, and I'm to interested in what school I should go to to fulfill my goals.
Honestly, if you're looking to primarily program and have pretty pictures as a side note, look for schools that consistently send students to national/international competitions hosted by Microsoft and other major software publishers. You're only going to learn soo much from your professors. They're also only going to show you the door and how to open it. The theology behind why you're wanting to open the door and other ways to get in will be learned by interacting with your fellow students, teaching, and learning from them.

[Cortexian]

If you go can you grab me one of those AlienWare Computers. Those are my dream computers.
YOur dream PC should be a custom built rig, not some consumer garbage.

[FluffyDucky™]

^ I was going to say that. They used to be my dream pc's till I learned that custom building is a way better option.

[MetKiller Joe]

^ I was going to say that. They used to be my dream pc's till I learned that custom building is a way cheaper option.

I got my PC for 1300 instead of 4000 from them.

On topic:

What courses that people take here at Modacity cover environmental art as well as working with things like 3ds max and unreal? I'm just curious because I'm going to see RIT in two weeks, and I need to know which department to visit.

[Zeph]

I'm slowly working on a BS in Digital Media. I was concentrating on Visualization (modeling, lighting and rendering, and some basic animation), but they primarily use Maya here. So, I'm going to hop over to an Interaction concentration. It'll be things like web development, flash, and games.

We're working on getting a game development concentration built up. This is our second semester of it and we've got an intro to level design and intro to interaction class built up. The great thing about these classes is the focus is on learning how to get it done and what makes it tick. Stick guns (two rectangles) can easily get you a B in the class.

The level design one pretty much covers any way you can properly light and build a level in Unreal. You'll be using brushes to flesh out your level, static meshes to make it look decent, and terrain if applicable. If there's anything that can be used for you to make a level, you'll learn how it works and how to do it.

The interaction one is pretty much custom content creation and visual scripting. You'll learn how Unreal 3's scripting language works by creating custom items, weapons, characters, and possibly even a vehicle if time permits. You'll then switch over to the visual scripting stuff in Kismet to learn how to shape in-game events to your liking. Things like making lights turn on and off, making AI move from place to place, and even changing the nature of the game by making it a top-down or side scroller.

Next semester, we'll either be doing an advanced level development or some sort of project building class. It's been soo long since we talked about what we could do next, so I honestly cant remember which one.

http://digm.etsu.edu edit: old digm website is old
http://www.etsusiggraph.org
www.fragocity.com


But yeah, unless we get that games concentration before I graduate, I'll wind up with an interactive one. I'm in your web, makin your pages.

[Pope]

YOur dream PC should be a custom built rig, not some consumer garbage.
I have to admit though. The fully decked out Mac G5 towers we have for post production class at my school are just :awesome:

[Zeph]

I have to admit though. The fully decked out Mac G5 towers we have for post production class at my school are just :awesome:

Except for the fact you can get the exact same hardware on a PC for about 1500 dollars less.