/digipen/ - DigiPenitentiary

that implies any of us actually graduate without switching to RTIS or BAGD

i swear every day it's "hey did you hear X changed programs?"

To quote one bsgd, "we're all fuckin crazy but we usually get hired"

Junior BSGD here. Here's the information DigiPen is legally required to provide regarding the BSGD program's results:

https://www.digipen.edu/fileadmin/disclosures/BSGD.html

Notice that 75% of it is blank, because not enough BSGDs have graduated in the past few years to legally be able to post this stuff without disclosing personal information.

You see, by sophomore year the large pool of previously freshmen BSGDs is a damp patch on the pavement. A lot of freshmen drop out early in all programs, but a lot of freshmen BSGDs transfer programs when they realize that either the coding + math or the game design just isn't for them.

However, according to the few BSGDs I've talked to that came before me, the prospects of completing the program is pretty good, since you'll have enough coding experiences for a wide rage of programming jobs and enough design experience to get the jobs that RTIS grads often find too subjective (UI implementation/design, a variety of AI related fields, any programming title with "gameplay" in it, and so forth).

Just keep in mind that getting hired as a straight-up game designer, whatever that means anymore, is highly unlikely (it's also what a lot of BAGDs go for, so those few open spots are highly contested).

>>2940

based on that website, for both BFA and RTIS only barely more than half the graduates did it in 4 years. How can they still claim it's designed to be completed in 4 years?

>>2964

You'd be surprised how much BSing goes on between DigiPen & the accreditation agencies. Most the teachers talk about the five-year plan like it's the norm (because it is), and just ask anyone about GAT 260 (except SRS, because it's not listed there due to accreditation requiring more ART for the design programs to be legit).

Also, credits are supposed to be based on both time in-class and expected homework (1 credit = 1 hour of class-time + 2 hours of homework). Good luck finding a game team of people who each put only 10 hours a week into their game and came out with something they were confident would pass, or anyone who passed all the GAT 2xx classes and never put in more than 6 hours a week into it. Heck, the teachers for 240 and above will tell you that 8-10 hours a week is usually the minimum a person can put in and expect to pass with. At any other school such a class would be 4-5 credits, but DigiPen is not some other school. Is really is something else.

You probably get the idea by now, even if I've mostly brought up GD classes. Most of the people who graduate in four years are able to take summer classes and/or transfer stuff in from other colleges. As someone who's done a fair share of both, I highly recommend doing those if you can manage. It's a huge safety net and it'll save you a lot of grey hairs if you realize that you actually can afford to bomb that midterm you were worried about.

>>2998

Other than one little thing, I agree with you wholeheartedly

>GAT260

260 used to be an art class when Paul Clark taught it, but the dude was stoned out of his fucking gourd and the busybodies in his last class decided that getting an A in a shitty class was too easy for the next wave of sophomores/juniors' courseloads and whined to Student Affairs.

>>3001

Ah, that makes sense. Though based on what I've seen the class now is nothing like it used to be (Rowan teaches it now, and there's about as much essay writing as there is drawing). At the very least it isn't an easy filler class; there's actually some reason for it, though art isn't that reason.

Regardless, it actually being a (real) art class at one point would've been lost to history if it weren't for the accreditation requirement. And the accreditation authorities stopped by last year, so they've already had the chance to change it to what it really is.

>>2964

imo they're more or less something like 4.5 years of degrees which is probably due to gen ed courses. These degrees aren't designed with them entirely in mind i guess.

>>2998

Most professors don't talk like it's the norm. They say it's okay to do so and don't be ashamed. Big difference. Which I agree, some people can't handle the responsibility of that 1 extra course a semester. Nobody should judge them, but keep in mind that you'll end up spending more money by doing so which is probably the only reason why I would judge you when this place is a flat rate system from 16-22 credits.

I obviously don't agree when a course breaks that 1 credit hour = 2 hours rule of thumb, because it's bullshit when you get something that requires 10+ hours and due within the week. Over multiple weeks? Well they did give you weeks to do it, are they at fault most people will do it over a couple days? I don't know.

>Good luck finding a game team of people who each put only 10 hours a week into their game and came out with something they were confident would pass

It's not hard to pass game. You'll piss off your teammates by not doing a 'lot' of work. Just follow the dumb requirements and have something remotely like a game. It doesn't matter how shitty and short your 'game' is, failing is hard if you put even in the minimal effort. Though, that is a C. Depends on how much you care about your GPA which almost nobody will give a shit about.

>>3003

i dunno man. some of my teachers talked about them 4 year plan students like they were doing something different. though if they're understanding about it about it like you said i don't see why i'd mind.

but i can't agree with you at all for gam class. i have seen and been on some of those teams with that one guy who worked by the hours they needed to pass instead of the tasks they were given and the whole team got wrecked when that task was needed to get through the next milestone. too many teams run into problems and work on the edge despite guys who work overtime on it. i just can't see a whole team of that guy getting thru milestones and having a passing grade by the time turn in rolls around.

>>3007

I don't know bad your team was then, but I can assure you spending the 5 hours lab and the 10 hours based off 5 credits is more than enough. Ben and Ellen will give you a C/B depending on the work done based off those hours alone. Which is minimal since you spent no time outside of that, I don't entirely agree with but you are making a game. Obviously minimal effort and then complaining about 'oh fuck [insert team] being teacher pets!' is silly.

It's not my fault you left something major up to him and he was a moron. It is easily doable if everyone just does their part. Including physics, if he just follows some guides and books then you'll have one working within one milestone based off 60 hours.

I'm just saying it's completely possible and has been done and if you think about it most teams would be just that. Except for some reason this doesn't work entirely due to some mysterious reason of 3 spikes of productivity instead of having it steady across the 14 weeks.