So I have read many of the FAQ and how to break into the business of games on this forum which are very informative. After much reading I went and looked at questions that interviewers ask to find out if programmers know how to program and OH MY GOD. I have to admit I am kind of speechless lol. I thought I knew something, wow WAS I WRONG.
I have recently, completely written my own game engine using C++, Opengl. It can import any type of geometry file type. I have a fully operational scene graph to manage my game objects and animations. I have written a math library that include Vectors, matrices, quaternions, and the combination of all these into my own Rigid Body Transformation class which i thought was totally awesome lol. I have created glsl shader programs to implement effects such as bump mapped textures, specular, Cube map shadows, Ambient occlusion, super sampling, and even vertex displacement for like cool distorted lens affects. I am also using physX for all my collision detection, character controllers, projectiles and what not. All while trying to keep the cleanest and commented code calligraphy.
I am so passionate about learning how to be a better programmer and the whole game development process but after reading this article I feel like a complete failure.
Five-Essential-Phone-Screen-Questions
I do how ever feel like I could probably accomplish many of the exercises form this article
Programming-Interview-Questions
The thing is I am not a CS graduate So i guess many of the questions are just common place for some one with a 4 year CS degree. I mean I think what scares me the most is that I don't use many different languages. I pretty much only use C and C++. I have made a few silly apps to calculate things for my android using java and xml but nothing like serious. But reading a C# program is pretty easy i mean it all looks very familiar as well as Python and Java. But I think if i was asked some of those 5 essential phone screen questions i would be done LOL, like never seeing the inside of an interview office. I have a masters in architecture and while in grad school had taken a few CS classes, but for the most part I have taught my self much of what I know. I really want to try to work with a game company, and reading the forums because i don't have a CS or equivalent degree I need to have something to show i can do what is needed. But I feel like i wouldn't even be able to make it past phone screening. I have come such a long way with it and i love this so much but I am not sure there is a place for me. Like with all that I feel i have learned i don't think its even like a tenth of what a programmer is expected to know. and to play catchup on all that i feel at this point might be a little futile i mean I'm 32. I feel a little beaten at this point and the only reason i am placing this post is i don't really have any one to talk to about this. All the people i know are architects making buildings. Buildings are is soo boring to me. Every time I get even a small function to work I feel like the KING OF THE UNIVERSE. And as much as i would absolutely love to learn every subject discussed in those five essential questions, in and out, i just don't know if i have time any longer. plus i also read an article about how even programmers with years of experience are often passed up because of their age these days. so I don't know, perhaps i am psyching myself out or perhaps i am just now seeing the light.
I guess my questions is what do I do just keep studying and continue making programs to prove myself. Is making programs really enough to show like i know how to program? and on top of making things do I also need to crack open my copy of "The Art of programming" while knocking out every one of those topics discussed in that Five essential articles. I think at this point i need to pic and choose my battles. Like what is the hierarchy of importance or do i just need to know everything?