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Project 2
Identifying a Specialism

Following my successful placement on Quantum Loop’s Fast Track Development Programme, I have been asked to reflect on my progress and the diverse range of skills I’ve developed across several disciplines, including Games Design (Level Design), 3D Art and Animation, Programming, and Audio Development.

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During the programme, I explored various industry-standard tools, creative processes, and production workflows, producing a range of experimental outcomes that demonstrate my growing technical and creative abilities. I also researched the work of leading practitioners in the field, using these insights to inform my own practice and to better understand the variety of professional roles within the games industry.

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As Quantum Loop moves into the next phase of its talent development initiative, I will now take part in a process designed to help me identify and pursue a specialist pathway. To do this, I will critically reflect on my experiences so far, evaluate my strengths and interests, and decide which area I want to develop further.

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Throughout this project, I will carry out a deeper investigation into my chosen field, building on my previous experimentation to develop a more focused understanding of my specialism. The project will conclude with the creation of a professional personal statement and an industry-standard CV, both tailored to a specific specialist role I aim to apply for in an upcoming group project at Quantum Loop.

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These materials will not only form part of my formal application for the group project role but can also be used to support my future progression goals, such as UCAS applications, university interviews, or entry into industry-focused higher education courses.

Task 1
Selecting a Specialism

Industry Skill Comparison

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I decided to make a radar chart to analyse my skills and lack thereof as a means to determine what areas I may need to improve in accordance with how important they would be relating to my specialist area (programming). Evaluating myself this way allows me to visualise key weaknesses and focus on how to mitigate them to my best interest. 

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My highest-scoring skills were teamwork and basic design principles, with programming in third place and communication in fourth. These show me that I have a well-established understanding of working on a group project in my preferred specialist role. I believe that these skills being my highest are due to a range of factors, such as my personal preference for programming in place of something like 2D art, alongside my amicable circle of friends, improving my communicative skills through daily.

Skill Reflection

Introduction

  • What skills did you choose for your radar chart, and why?

  • What is the purpose of evaluating yourself with this chart?

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Reflect on Strengths

  • Which skills scored the highest?

  • Why do you think you are strong in these areas?

  • How have these strengths helped you in projects, learning, or personal growth?

  • Are there examples of when these skills helped you succeed?

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Reflect on Areas for Improvement

  • Which skills scored the lowest?

  • Why do you think these areas need development?

  • How have these weaker skills affected your work so far?

  • How do you feel about your ability to improve these skills?

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Set Goals and Plan Next Steps

  • For each skill, decide whether you want to maintain, develop, or master it.

  • What specific actions will you take to strengthen your weaker skills?

  • How will you maintain or continue building your strengths?

  • What is your timeline for working on these goals?

 

Conclusion

  • What insights did you gain from creating your radar chart?

  • How will this reflection guide your next projects or learning?

  • What changes do you hope to see in your next self-assessment?

Task 2
Specialism Research

Planning Resources 

In preparation for writing your research report into your specialism, you will first need to research articles, blogs and YouTube videos to help collect your information. Use the following table to document your findings.

Include mini description of why finding the resources helped you 

Tools, Software, and Materials

Think you've done this, please upload

Production Pipelines

https://gdkeys.com/game-development-process/ 

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Conception Phase

  • Why does the author choose not to put a timeline on the Conception phase, and what examples does he give for how long Conception may last at big studios?The article says that many studios run multiple projects in Conception simultaneously. Based on the article, why is this cost-effective?

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Pre-Production

  • The article stresses that Pre-Production should not become early Production. What three goals does the author say Pre-Production must accomplish?

  • According to the article, how can teams “hit walls later on” if they use Pre-Production incorrectly?

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Production

  • What is scope creep as described by the author, and why does he emphasize that “if new features go in, some scope must go out”?

  • Provide an example from the article where a real game was canceled due to scope-related issues.

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Polish

  • Why does the author claim that teams rarely respect the need for a substantial Polish phase?

  • What risks develop when Polish time is eaten by extra Production work?

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  1. Why does the author argue that even solo developers should follow a structured pipeline?

  2. What does he mean when he says that a pipeline “is not playing against creation”?

  3. Summarize the author’s final pieces of advice for navigating the pipeline successfully.

  4. Why is understanding the game development pipeline essential for you as a programmer

The Role of Research

What does a games user researcher do? | Games User Research

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Why do teams run user research studies instead of relying only on intuition when making design and programming decisions?

 

Using the “Door Problem” example, explain how user research can help identify issues with player understanding or behaviour.

 

Think about how players know which doors open, what signals help them, and how research exposes confusion.

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What kinds of design questions do teams want answered before programming or scripting final behaviours? Name two.

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What is a user research study, and why is it helpful for game programmers?

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What kinds of data are collected during a study? Name two types.

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Why does the research cycle repeat after a study is completed?

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How do you think a game programmer benefits from researching gameplay in similar games?

Investigate Career Progression

How to get a job as a game programmer | GamesIndustry.biz

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What educational paths do industry professionals recommend for aspiring game programmers?

 

How can aspiring programmers gain relevant experience for their first game development job?

 

According to the article, what is the typical career progression for a game programmer?

 

Which qualities and skills are highlighted as essential for a game programmer in the article?

 

What advice do Monteiro, Palmer-Leandre, and Cakmak give to new programmers for improving their skills and starting a career?

Task 3
Applying for a Specialist Role

Analysing my skills

During my first year, I believe that my strengths lied in the programming side of the course, where I was drawn to the more logical side rather than the creative as it simply made more sense to me.

Having said this, I do feel as if my 3D modelling left some things to be desired last year.  This year, I hope to improve my modelling and generally become better in the creative side of the course.

Upon finishing my course, I believe that I'll be able to use the time management skills that I have managed to develop throughout the duration of this course. Alongside this, I believe that this course has made me more personable .

University Research

Conduct thorough research into one university course and analyse how it aligns with your desired specialisation.

Identifying Key Skills

Create a list of:

 

Industry Skills

  • Skills relative to the specific role, for example a 3D artist needs to have knowledge of Maya and/or Blender.

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Employability Skills

  • Skills that can be used in any role such as teamwork, leadership, organisation skills.​

Exploring Junior Roles

Job Title Here

Job Link

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Begin with describing the job role:

  •  Who is it for? 

  • What are they asking you to do? 

  • What responsibilities would you have?

Then focus on the skills that the job asks you to have:

  • Compare the skills that you currently have to the job's listing.

  • Do you feel you could successfully apply for the role?

  • Identify skills that the job requires that you currently do not have, what would you need to do to be able to apply?

Personal Statement Draft

Why do you want to study Games Development?

  • What inspired you to get into games development? (first game you played, a moment that clicked, a role model, or a project you worked on)

  • What excites you most about games development (designing levels, mechanics, storytelling, coding, user experience, game engines)?

  • Have you explored the games industry? (followed game launches, read developer blogs, watched GDC talks, explored how AI/VR is used in games, etc.)

  • Do you already have career goals? (indie developer, gameplay programmer, level designer, technical artist, etc.)​​

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How have your qualifications and studies prepared you?

  • Which school/college subjects have given you relevant skills? (Computing, Maths, Design Technology, Art, Physics, Media)

  • What specific modules, projects, or coursework helped you learn about programming, design, problem-solving, or creativity?

  • Have you worked with coding languages, engines, or tools (C#, Unity, Unreal, Python, Java)?

  • What transferable skills have you developed? (teamwork, analytical thinking, attention to detail, time management, critical evaluation)​

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What have you done outside of education to prepare?

  • Have you created your own games, mods, or prototypes? (even small projects count!)

  • Do you do online courses, tutorials, or game jams? (Unity Learn, itch.io, Brackeys, Codecademy, etc.)

  • Do you participate in clubs, competitions, or communities (coding clubs, esports, Discord developer servers, hackathons)?

  • Any hobbies that link to games dev? (art, 3D modelling, storytelling, board game design, logic puzzles)

  • Part-time jobs or volunteering that show transferable skills (teamwork, resilience, communication, customer service, problem-solving)?

Developing a CV

In preparation for writing your research report into your specialism, you will first need to research articles, blogs and YouTube videos to help collect your information. Use the following table to document your findings.

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