The Final Thesis Post
It’s been quite a ride. About nine months ago I started on a semester-long journey where I would imagine an idea, build that idea into reality, and then display it for the world to see. If you’ve seen my other posts, then you’d have seen what I’ve been up to these past months. Just last week, I completed a fully original side-quest adventure that takes place in In Fallout 4. Here’s the final download link if you own Fallout 4 and want to play the mod. If you are starting your thesis soon, or have just started, I may have some advice for you.
First, is the initial idea. How I came up with mine wasn’t too tough. I have always been interested in modding games, but never took it up. As an idea that involves working in an actual engine and with professional level tools, it was a no brainer for me to spend my time on this project. For you, I suggest doing something that you actually enjoy doing because it really helps to get you motivated into working on it. Even if you believe you have a solid idea already, don’t lock out other peoples opinions. They might have good ideas on how to make your project better, especially with big projects like these, you may have not seen all of the options by yourself. And don’t feel insulted by their advice, they’re just trying to help you. Plus, in the work environment, you’ll soon be in, teamwork and taking advice in a healthy way is mandatory for a good job.
I suggest, when coming up with an idea, that you don’t go in blind. Find something that you already know a little about. For me, I knew about mods, could see what they can do, and I knew the base game very well. That allowed me to jump into the new features much easier. I was able to slowly immerse myself instead of jumping in head first. With a time limit, it’s best to start on something when you know where to start it. But, don’t forget to leave room for improvement. If you are already an expert coder, don’t make your project about making a website. Something like that doesn’t build your knowledge and doesn’t look impressive.
When it comes to working habits, I never made myself a solid schedule. Instead, I set personal goals in my head of where I wanted to be in my project for the next week. Also, when I got done one goal, I immediately set another one, even if I technically still had time left since finishing my last goal early. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can start today. For example, I would decide to finish another segment of my level by the end of the week. If I finished that goal before the end of the week, I would set another one for the next week and continue working.
One of the most important things is to never be afraid to ask questions, even if you think it’s a dumb one. Since I was learning a program that nobody around has used before, I had to search online for a lot of answers. Many of those questions I asked were very simple, like, “How do I move the camera?”. It’s simple but it’s those necessary questions that you have to ask at some point. Because if you never do, you’ll never learn what you need to succeed and you’ll just cause yourself more stress.
Lastly, when your project is all done, you’ll be making the shift from student to professional. For me, that meant creating an online portfolio of all of my work so far. This is one of the most important things for artists, for it shows who you are and what you can do to prospective employers. I have mine set up on Artstation. It’s a great place to get started with your artwork and to reach out to others in your field.
Welp, that’s it. I’m out of here. Well, out of the oven and into the frying pan, at least. I’m looking forward to the next stage in my professional journey and I hope you find that excitement as well.
