Academy of Interactive Entertainment ques

Looking at going right into second year or doing both years?

I am in the first year now and I know theres some previous students around here and at least one second year programmer.

The best advice I can give you: do not use the fridge :)

Feel free to bug me with what ever questions you have.

looking at doing both years i think...just to be sure i get the hang of things from scratch

the fridge????

Remember the fridge in ghostbusters? Yeah, something like that...

The place is quite good, you get reasonably decent hardware, and all the tools you need.

I can't say much about the first year as i haven't done it, but from secondhand info the first year is where you learn most of the basic skills for games programming. The first year involves "standard" education, with assignments, homework (?) etc.
The second year doesn't involve any direct learning/class structure. Instea dthe second year is just one big game development project. Tutors are there to help you out, but they don't actually conduct classes, it's just up to you to figure out what needs to be done and do it. The most important things you learn in second year are probably not to do with programming (although it may depend on your skill level when entering the year), but more to do with team-work, dealing with people and generally how to deal with a medium scale project.
Anything more specific?
CYer, Blitz

only one more question...what is the average age of people going to AIE?

average... well, iirc their youngest has been 13, and oldest late 50's.

Just as long as your young enough at heart, and mature enough to distinguish between playing games and making them.

To be a bit more precise, the average age in both the second year classes this year is early 20's.
First year class is mainly around that age group but there are a handful of older people afaik.
But it's the same as pretty much any school, generally people in their younger years.
CYer, Blitz

ok...thats all..much appreciated

Just to give you an idea of what we did first year.

C then a character generation assignment in C
C++
Worked in small groups to write a chat client/server with a network lib
Worked in small groups to write a basic network game (my group did blackjack)
Basic DirectX stuff
Moved on to Auran Jet tutorials.
Random terrain generation assignment using Jet
Terrain assignment with character, collision, etc using Jet

For the second half of the semester we are working in teams of about 4 people writing a small game. My group is doing a 3d style lemmings game.

holy crap that sounds kool...

hopefully by the time I come there I will have been programming in C++ for about a year. do u think I will I be able to pick up all that stuff pretty easy then?

lol :) I had a whole two weeks experience with C++ when I got there. You should be fine.
I did a year and a half of programming at TAFE and that was mainly Java.

that sounds exactly like what I am doing atm...Cert 4 in IT (Programming)...

well thanks for all this...i'm looking forward to going

"The best advice I can give you: do not use the fridge :)"
Oh god, dont forget the SARS microwave just next to the fridge, stay away from that :P

Mmmm... microwave goodness! :)

the reason why i bought my lunch from home or went to the watson shops. at least i knew what food poisoning i would get from there. vera's cafe had some good food though. so to answer your question about the AIE, there are some good food venues around the place. as long as you don't mind stomach parasites :p

is there a subway near by?
that is what i survived on when doing my course (not at aie).
it was either that or food from a hospital cafe across the road.

Theres a subway near the bus stop on the ride in... so not much good if your after oozy hot meatball subs.

But the chip shop next door to the AIE actually serves beer!!!! I kid you not!

Seriously though, AIE is a great school and it got me where I am today... I just finished working on the last Unreal Tournament game for Epic and I now work for Discreet. Great school.

But yeah... stay away from the fridge if you want to live.

ooh a daz siting!

*edit* better post something substantial.

The shops up at watson (a 5 minute walk) are pretty damn good, food is nice, and not too expensive.. I can confirm they sell beer too.. Though you gotta be careful, some of the beers have been sitting there a while, and taste crap.

Best thing the AIE gives you is structure, you'll learn things quicker there than by doing it on your own. Home computers tend to have too many distractions.

Ever notice how much fun solitaire can be when you need to get work done.

solitare? porn is my weakness :D i just keep telling myself that it is for reference... at least i could do that at the AIE.

Heh, siting of Daz is rare now after his pokemon trainer upgraded him to travelling Daz.
I just finished the Korea and Taiwan max 6 launch... am in Shanghai right now sending out the message to all the homies.

To back up what the bobster said, the AIE is great because the students really get together and boost each other up the ladder. Very cool to see.

And what the hell are you talking about... its BEEER. BEEER NOT BAD. BEEER FREIND. (twacks bob with a club borrowed from a buffy episode)

Pron siting? ...at the AIE?

You could download the 'girl' series of renders from CGchannel and say they are just for refs I guess.

haha. if i want to look up crap, i'll do so in my own time. not someone elses. i will actually be joining up with this site this week though (hopefully) www.3d.sk. they have some great reference there. and no porn ;)

well AIE is sounding good from all the comments you's have given...

for those of you that have been there, what course/s did you do there?

first year. Beginners Modelling/Animation using 3D Studio Max.
second year. Advanced Modelling/Animation using Maya.

the first year was good as it tought all the fundamentals, but the second year is when you can really open up and have fun.

I did the course seven years ago when it was a single unit.

Hey! I never said beer is bad, but beer that has been left sitting for months.. Thats a different story.

*off topic*
Nice work with the Discreet job too, does that mean you now have darth vader music that follows you around? :D

Ok I'll be nice.. But still, congrats :)
*/off topic*

I did the Beginners modelling/animation using 3dsmax.
and the Dip2 in game development. The Dip2 in game dev is one you'll do in your second year I think Kane, you work with a bunch of artists to make a game.
http://www.fileplanet.com/files/120000/120496.shtml
Heres the game my class made, if you'd like a look.

frist year Beginners Modelling/Animation using 3D Studio Max. "with Aven and Bob"

2nd year, worked on game demo "hail"

and now i work of irrational game australia, for 6 months now.

One thing about the AIE "and most places you can study at" you only get out what you put in. There are about 8 or more times as many poeple which past the course at the AIE then get jobs in the game or movie industrys.

I saw the screens and video of Hail and it looks kool...

so what were u saying...not many people get jobs after graduating, or the opposite...

and whats it like at Irrational?

Not many poeple I would guess 1 in 8 (maybe wrost) get a job in game or movies industrys. But I would have to say I wouldn't be were I'm today without the AIE.

Irrational Rocks :)

I am not sure if you are talking all graduates or art graduates there Doord.

I have found that with AIE programmers not many people know about that side of the course. Heck even Irrational (thinking Jon) didnt know much about what the programmers do.

As far as I know Mortifera (spelling?) group was the first group of programmers through AIE, second group would be Hail. Most of the Mortifera people were hired up by MF (as I understood). I know of one or two Hail programmers getting (and keepings) their jobs.

Otherwise this years group is the first year to graduate programmers that went through both years.

well that sounds a bit more promising![:D]