Introduction
Hello, I’m James Dotzel. I’m from a small rural area in Pennsylvania where the biggest nearby cities are old, dying coal towns. Not the most interesting environment, I always thought. So I grew up playing video games as my escape and was always interested in how they were made.
I have a background in electrical/computer engineering and went to Penn State for my degree. I had always thought of going to school for video game design, but I was never that artistic, and I got talked out of it. Electrical engineering seemed like a better money maker and more reliable.
But I found it hard to be excited to go to work. Every day was a struggle to push myself to do a good enough job to not be fired. My heart wasn’t in it. When Covid came around I couldn’t find work.
So I started working for the family art restoration business and learning how to paint. I started to realize that artistic talent is mostly just the courage to start something and the patience to see it through.
Then I heard about the Vertex School and decided I should take my shot at actually finding a career I would be excited to have.
Experience Before Vertex School
In college, I worked with AutoCAD and SolidWorks to model some relatively complex mechanical parts. I also used them for modeling applied forces and stress tests on those parts.
I had zero experience with artistic 3D modeling software.
Interest in Game Development
I felt that my background in programming and engineering, mixed with a few years of artistic experience made me a good fit for it, rather than a more artistic-focused program.
Why did you join the program? What skills did you want to level up?
I need to level up all my skills, really. Before starting with Vertex, I didn’t even know which programs it was important for me to learn to get serious about being a video game developer.
Best Part of the Program So Far
For me personally, the structure has been incredibly helpful. I feel like the course, so far, has been designed to introduce all the many different components of video game design in a logical and effective way. There’s so much to learn but the structure of the program has made it feel manageable.
Who Do You Recommend the Program To?
I would recommend this program to someone who has at least some experience with either programming or digital art software. And, obviously, a love for games and the drive to learn many new things. This course definitely teaches you to be a generalist who can work with a large variety of programs and tools.
The Vertex School Experience
My experience has been great so far. I am excited to learn and work with all the software. I look forward to learning, which sounds like a cliche, but it’s genuinely the first time I’ve felt this way about learning something.
Do you want to learn video game design coding?
Learn more about the Game Development Program now: https://www.vertexschool.com/game-development-program
Recommended Read: https://blog.vertexschool.com/game-development-program-katelyn-salo/