College classes?

Of course there are no required classes, but there are some classes that will help you a lot.

Classes in writing are a must, a technical writing course would be even better. Writing a rule book clearly is one of the hardest things about designing games.

Math classes are a plus also. Classes that deal with probability and statistics are especially useful for balancing your game.

Depending upon your subject matter, history may be good to help you get a good background for whatever you might be designing games about.

Sciences are good also, clasess like Pyschology and Sociology can't hurt. You can try and figure out what people may like to play and how they may interact within given situations.

Classes in computers are helpful too. These days, a computer will probably be your most useful tool in developing your game.

That leads me to Graphic Arts classes. Having the ability to effectively communicate what you want your game to be like visually is invaluable.

And last but not least, business classes! If you end up wanting to sell your games, you're going to need to know a lot about the business side of the industry. Going in blindly may cost your dearly. This also holds true for planning your game from the start. You will need to know about how much stuff costs, how much to pay yourself, how much your game should retail for, your rights as a designer, etc. etc...

These classes just skim the surface too. Can anyone else recommend any useful college courses? (Hmmm I've almost got a whole curriculum's worth of classes right there, perhaps I should start a college? Do any of you guys need jobs as professors? =D )

-Darke

I don't want to speak out of turn, but I wonder if tailoring education to board game design is a wise idea. I'm sure lots of different people draw on different areas of experience and expertise in designing games, but I'm a little sceptical about making it an education goal. There's something to be said for the joke that becoming independently wealthy is probably more directly useful! While there is doubtlessly value to courses training people in technical or historical aspects of art, I wonder if this is something you can do for board game design... personally, I'd think that the wide range of views you can draw on from forums like these, the SAZ etc. are more valuable than one "expert".

Richard,

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. I simply offered a list of classes that one might take to give them some skills to aid in designing games. Are you saying that these classes won't help them with game design? I agree, none are really NECESSARY to be a game designer. I could argue that 75% (with on the job training, it could go as high as 100%) of the classes you are required to take to get a degree for whatever occupation are also unnecessary. Sure, it's not a good idea to make it a career choice (but who knows really?) out of designing games since it probably won't pay the bills, but one could choose classes that might aid you in game design when choosing from a list of electives or among possible general education classes. Not sure what your getting at, especially with your reference to 'one "expert"'. Please clarify.

-Darke

Regarding "one expert"-- yes, that was a reference to the fact that people offering such courses will be acting as instructors when most of the issues they cover are either ones to do with such individualistic creative processes that they would be challenged to 'infect' students with it, or oft-debated factual issues ("How do I submit a prototype?" "Should I bother with an NDA?" "How much testing is enough testing?") where I would argue multiple opinions are more useful than a "definitive" answer from "one expert".

I hope that clarifies what I meant- and apologies if, as I gather was the case, it seemed I was contradicting your post, Darke. I was thinking aloud regarding my doubts at the sort of thing the original poster, and others, considered. I remain concerned that a traditional academic context is unlikely to be very useful for board game *design*, as opposed to the study of board games.

Best wishes,

Richard.

Richard,

Ahh it all makes sense now. I agree that a curriculum based upon Game Design would not be a good idea. In reality, there isn't a market to currently support such classes. There's barely a market to support curriculums in video game design, and that is a multi billion dollar industry. If a college did offer such a curriculum, I think they would be setting up their students for failure.

-Darke