Hi there!

[Pidesco]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Linear Algebra is easy. In fact it's, by far, the easiest math course I took in university.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

I'm slef taught so it can't be that hard....

[Sand]

A ten page essay is easy.

 

Math is not.

[mkreku]

Weirdly enough, for me the easiest math courses were the ones involving differential equations and stuff that weren't so.. abstract. Discrete mathematics was also child's play. Actually, I can't remember having problems with any math course except Linear Algebra.

[Sand]

The easiest courses for me dealt with literature, religion, astronomy, and philosophy.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Sand

[Missy]

Hey, Obsidian peoples and fans!

 

I've decided to start participating in 2 forums more actively today. A forum about music, and this, the forum for my favorite game company (because they made my favorite game - KotOR 2!)

 

From what I've seen there are some pretty interesting threads going on, and I didn't want to jump in without an introduction.

 

I'd say more, but I'm actually excited to read more, so I'll just leave you with this quick hello.

 

Muah!

 

-Jade

 

Hello!

[astr0creep]

Hi Jade and welcome.

[Walsingham]

A ten page essay is easy.

 

Math is not.

 

You've clearly never seen a mathematician trying to write a ten page essay. I have. It's the sort of thing you really need to do sitting in a deckchair with a pimms and lemonade.

 

*remembers comment about his avatar, blushes incandescently and starts muttering*

 

*remembers he's just been whacked on the snout and runs off*

 

Arf arf arf arf arf

[CoM_Solaufein]

Greetings new member. Enjoy your time here.

[Sand]

A ten page essay is easy.

 

Math is not.

 

You've clearly never seen a mathematician trying to write a ten page essay. I have. It's the sort of thing you really need to do sitting in a deckchair with a pimms and lemonade.

 

*remembers comment about his avatar, blushes incandescently and starts muttering*

 

*remembers he's just been whacked on the snout and runs off*

 

Arf arf arf arf arf

 

If I can get one out in less than 6 hours and still get high marks on it then anyone can.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Sand

[metadigital]

So if I sat here and started blerting about Graph theory, you wouldn't assume I was talking about diagrams?

 

Right... though discrete mathematics wasn't my favorite part of the curriculum =\

I like discrete maths.

My least favorite form of math are matrices. I know you can do them on the computer but my professor thought it would be best if we did them manually...

 

THE HORROR!

Matrices are super cool. Very complex and non-trivial, but super cool.

 

I'm really enjoying the physics I'm studying now. Much more than I expected to, actually. I may decide to do a degree in it ...

[Rosbjerg]

Weirdly enough, for me the easiest math courses were the ones involving differential equations and stuff that weren't so.. abstract. Discrete mathematics was also child's play. Actually, I can't remember having problems with any math course except Linear Algebra.

 

differential equations was where I crashed and burned in the Gymnasium times.. I got an F in math from there on out.. I didn't understand any of it! Just couldn't wrap my head around that kind of mathematics.

 

Never had a problem with either Physics, Chemistry or Biology, even though they contain quite some math themselves.

[Pidesco]

Not understanding differential calculus, while at the same time not having problems with Physics is kind of contradictory.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

So if I sat here and started blerting about Graph theory, you wouldn't assume I was talking about diagrams?

 

Right... though discrete mathematics wasn't my favorite part of the curriculum =\

I like discrete maths.

My least favorite form of math are matrices. I know you can do them on the computer but my professor thought it would be best if we did them manually...

 

THE HORROR!

Matrices are super cool. Very complex and non-trivial, but super cool.

 

I'm really enjoying the physics I'm studying now. Much more than I expected to, actually. I may decide to do a degree in it ...

 

Quartonians... Now that's something of a mind bender... I still don't fully understand them.

 

Matrices are great... They can be a little troublesome, but for the most part in terms of coding they're usually already written for you, and implementing basic matrix functions for manipulative purposes isn't hard as they're well documented.

 

Doing clever things with Matrices can be tho' depends on the job..

[Rosbjerg]

Not understanding differential calculus, while at the same time not having problems with Physics is kind of contradictory.

 

tell me about it..

 

I'm pretty good at abstract systems and finding a pattern, which relates well to physics, but at the same time if it becomes too abstract (eg. pure theory), even if there is a clear pattern, I can't see the logical core. Which is why I fail so hard at math in general - and German (no room for being creative), while at the same time being quite capable of learning French quickly - illogical in a logical way - like Physics.

 

I guess I'm mildly number-blind and have a dislike of rigid systems.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Rosbjerg

[Jade]

Okay, so what do you eventually wanna do when you finish Uni?

 

I'd love to work for a game development company. I'm not entirely sure what position to aim for, though. I suppose initially what I would have to bring to the table are some decent programming skills, handiness with Databases, good 2d arts skills, writing skills, and some voice acting (a more recent venture).

 

Ideally I'll be able to come to a mutually beneficial understanding with a company that has a need I can happily fulfill!

 

Slightly less ideal but more realistic, I'll start at the bottom of the chain somewhere and work my way up (and I assume, come closer to figuring out exactly which position I would excel at along the way).

[LadyCrimson]

I'm pretty good at abstract systems and finding a pattern, which relates well to physics, but at the same time if it becomes too abstract (eg. pure theory), even if there is a clear pattern, I can't see the logical core. Which is why I fail so hard at math in general - and German (no room for being creative), while at the same time being quite capable of learning French quickly - illogical in a logical way - like Physics.

 

I guess I'm mildly number-blind and have a dislike of rigid systems.

I understand basic math because I can visualize it - if I have one candy bar and there's another candy bar, together they form something we've decided to call "two." The more complex and theoretical math becomes, even if repeated use shows it always provides the right answer - or the answer we seek/works for our purposes, at least - I have more problems with truly grasping it because I don't see the logic of how we get there.

 

Teacher: "To calculate this, use this formula."

Me: "But why that formula? Why does that work, what's the reasoning behind it."

Teacher: "It just does."

Me: *frowns*

 

[Pidesco]

That's a pretty bad teacher.

[Rosbjerg]

Teacher: "To calculate this, use this formula."

Me: "But why that formula? Why does that work, what's the reasoning behind it."

Teacher: "It just does."

Me: *frowns*

 

 

I've always hated that explainaton!

[Guard Dog]

Okay, so what do you eventually wanna do when you finish Uni?

 

I'd love to work for a game development company. I'm not entirely sure what position to aim for, though. I suppose initially what I would have to bring to the table are some decent programming skills, handiness with Databases, good 2d arts skills, writing skills, and some voice acting (a more recent venture).

 

Ideally I'll be able to come to a mutually beneficial understanding with a company that has a need I can happily fulfill!

 

Slightly less ideal but more realistic, I'll start at the bottom of the chain somewhere and work my way up (and I assume, come closer to figuring out exactly which position I would excel at along the way).

Game development? The line for that job starts over there. Waaaaayyyy over there. I think everyone on this board, myself excluded wants to have that job.

 

Seriously though. If that is your goal I'd recommend involving yourself with one of the many high quality modding groups out there. The work is hard and the pay stinks but you will get your name and abilities known to developing studios. I can think of a dozen or so modders who landed jobs at Bethesda, Bioware and Obsidian. Some of whom post right here on this board.

[Pidesco]

Teacher: "To calculate this, use this formula."

Me: "But why that formula? Why does that work, what's the reasoning behind it."

Teacher: "It just does."

Me: *frowns*

 

 

I've always hated that explainaton!

 

I'm tempted to say that your bad relationship with math was a result of the way you were taught instead of a consequence of any fundamental lack of affinity on your part with the subject.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Pidesco

[LadyCrimson]

That's a pretty bad teacher.

You'd be surprised how many 'bad teachers' I've run across. But it's not just a matter of how good or bad the teacher - no matter what their answer, it's likely to sound like "It just does" to me. My brain is very visual and I just can't visualize abstract formulas & explanations. It takes an exceptional teacher to make me do that. Most don't have the time, even if they have the know-how.

 

Luckily, higher math isn't a requirement for social survival.

[Rosbjerg]

I'm tempted to say that your bad relationship with math was a result of the way you were taught instead of a consequence of any fundamental lack of affinity on your part with the subject.

 

I'm tempted to agree with you.. but mostly because that let's me off the hook..

 

I had some great teachers through primary though - and I still sucked at it.. So I can't blame it entirely on the teachers.

[Pidesco]

That's a pretty bad teacher.

You'd be surprised how many 'bad teachers' I've run across. But it's not just a matter of how good or bad the teacher - no matter what their answer, it's likely to sound like "It just does" to me. My brain is very visual and I just can't visualize abstract formulas & explanations. It takes an exceptional teacher to make me do that. Most don't have the time, even if they have the know-how.

 

Luckily, higher math isn't a requirement for social survival.

 

I wouldn't be surprised. Teachers are, more often than not, incompetent. What annoys me is the amount of people that blame mathematics for the teacher's failings.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

Okay, so what do you eventually wanna do when you finish Uni?

 

I'd love to work for a game development company. I'm not entirely sure what position to aim for, though. I suppose initially what I would have to bring to the table are some decent programming skills, handiness with Databases, good 2d arts skills, writing skills, and some voice acting (a more recent venture).

 

Ideally I'll be able to come to a mutually beneficial understanding with a company that has a need I can happily fulfill!

 

Slightly less ideal but more realistic, I'll start at the bottom of the chain somewhere and work my way up (and I assume, come closer to figuring out exactly which position I would excel at along the way).

 

Games development companies are ALWAYS on the look out for programmers, the hard part is to do with the whole games development experience, understanding the processes that are required in getting the job done, programming as part of a team can be extremely challenging when you consider that many folks have different styles. Atleast that was what my last conversation with Steve Prichard, who runs Rebellion Derby (formally known as Core Design).

 

Also for programmers a good portfolio is also helpful, usually a bunch of simple games which are stable, like say Space Invaders, Asteriods, heck even Tetris.

 

I think that one of the main problems I have come across in regards to games programmers and software developers is the approach to writing the code, somebody who develops business applications is going to work more towards a well structured and stable piece of code, where a games programmer may write more hack like code with an emphisis on speed and memory usage.

 

It sounds to me like you should be able to knock something up on a mobile phone using J2ME, Notepad and Photoshop(or even MSPaint) with your current knowledge base. As all your current skills are useful as a role as a coder at any company... LONG LIVE PROGRAMMER ART!