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I am a game-engine-developer... without any work at the moment. People just rarely want my skills, I work with C, C++, Lua, ASM, blazing-speed well built code

by speeder 10y ago

I am a game-engine-developer... without any work at the moment. People just rarely want my skills, I work with C, C++, Lua, ASM, blazing-speed well built code that takes a long time to make. People don't even ask me to do interviews, when I see all these posts on HN complaining of interviews I can't relate, I never get invited to them in first place, because I don't know React, Enterprise-Java, Electron and other whatever new very high-level tech designed to speed up dev (at cost of program speed for end user) that is popular.

ddorian43 10y ago
Can you transition to db-engine-developer ? Being on the low-level it should be easier. Example: http://www.scylladb.com/company/careers/#software-developer http://www.scylladb.com/company/careers/#software-developer (they like kernel hacker more, but who doesn't) You can build new features in c++, everything has to be fast/low-level, networking, use Lua to create coprocessors etc. Why not apply/interview with them ?
- pekk 10y ago
  Can you imagine what humanity would achieve if we stopped developing pointless or redundant new database engines?
  - ddorian43 10y ago
    I can, we'd have in-core sharding/ha/multi-dc in postgresql by now if they didn't focus on nosqls :(
    - anarazel 10y ago
      I doubt that. If you're referring to the people adding the json datatype & operators, there's little overlap with the people working on replication related issues.
vvanders 10y ago
A lot of ex-gamedev(I'm one of them) go into embedded devices and mobile where power/perf still matters or over into financial(more common in eu gamedev) where latency is king. That's the route I took(gamedev->embedded/mobile->bigco), I'd look into those type of companies where a low level native skillset matters.
maccard 10y ago
There are plenty of jobs available for game engine developers, and low level engine programmers in general. If you'#re applying for jobs with React/Electron in the descriptions, you're not really applying for engine developer positions, though.
- speeder 10y ago
  Where? Mind you, I don't live in a first world country... So it must be either remote, or allow relocation. (in my country at least ALL jobs are for React/Electron/Java... I applied to them because they are the only job listing that existed in first place, better to work on the 'wrong field' than to be hungry).
  - scandox 10y ago
    Well we're in Ireland and looking for a good C++ programmer. But not in the Gaming space I'm afraid :(... It's very dispiriting to see someone with your skills having any trouble finding work. You should be in very high demand.
  - maccard 10y ago
    I don't know where youre located, but in many parts of the world there are low level c++ jobs available. The us and Europe are full of them, and every company I've spoken to has offered relocation. There's a difference between people not wanting your skills, and people not wanting your skills where you're located, unfortunately.
adamd_shieldai 10y ago
I'm just going to put this out there. Game engines have a lot of similarities with the problems in Robotics. Given an array of on-board sensors you need to build a model of your environment, plan through it, behave intelligently, and network information with other robots or human users. Furthermore to validate the product you need a simulation environment and engines like Unreal are starting to be used to do so (https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim). High performance code is key to making it all happen in real time and C++ is the native tongue. I work at http://shield.ai/ http://shield.ai/ and we're building these robots today. Our mission is to reduce American and civilian casualties to 0 by 2030 in ground combat. If you're interested - here's my email adam.dorwart [at] shield [dot] ai

by speeder 10y ago

ddorian43 10y ago

Can you transition to db-engine-developer ? Being on the low-level it should be easier. Example: http://www.scylladb.com/company/careers/#software-developer http://www.scylladb.com/company/careers/#software-developer (they like kernel hacker more, but who doesn't) You can build new features in c++, everything has to be fast/low-level, networking, use Lua to create coprocessors etc. Why not apply/interview with them ?

pekk 10y ago
Can you imagine what humanity would achieve if we stopped developing pointless or redundant new database engines?
- ddorian43 10y ago
  I can, we'd have in-core sharding/ha/multi-dc in postgresql by now if they didn't focus on nosqls :(
  - anarazel 10y ago
    I doubt that. If you're referring to the people adding the json datatype & operators, there's little overlap with the people working on replication related issues.

vvanders 10y ago

A lot of ex-gamedev(I'm one of them) go into embedded devices and mobile where power/perf still matters or over into financial(more common in eu gamedev) where latency is king. That's the route I took(gamedev->embedded/mobile->bigco), I'd look into those type of companies where a low level native skillset matters.

maccard 10y ago

There are plenty of jobs available for game engine developers, and low level engine programmers in general. If you'#re applying for jobs with React/Electron in the descriptions, you're not really applying for engine developer positions, though.

speeder 10y ago
Where? Mind you, I don't live in a first world country... So it must be either remote, or allow relocation. (in my country at least ALL jobs are for React/Electron/Java... I applied to them because they are the only job listing that existed in first place, better to work on the 'wrong field' than to be hungry).
- scandox 10y ago
  Well we're in Ireland and looking for a good C++ programmer. But not in the Gaming space I'm afraid :(... It's very dispiriting to see someone with your skills having any trouble finding work. You should be in very high demand.
- maccard 10y ago
  I don't know where youre located, but in many parts of the world there are low level c++ jobs available. The us and Europe are full of them, and every company I've spoken to has offered relocation. There's a difference between people not wanting your skills, and people not wanting your skills where you're located, unfortunately.

adamd_shieldai 10y ago

I'm just going to put this out there. Game engines have a lot of similarities with the problems in Robotics. Given an array of on-board sensors you need to build a model of your environment, plan through it, behave intelligently, and network information with other robots or human users. Furthermore to validate the product you need a simulation environment and engines like Unreal are starting to be used to do so (https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim https://github.com/Microsoft/AirSim). High performance code is key to making it all happen in real time and C++ is the native tongue. I work at http://shield.ai/ http://shield.ai/ and we're building these robots today. Our mission is to reduce American and civilian casualties to 0 by 2030 in ground combat. If you're interested - here's my email adam.dorwart [at] shield [dot] ai