[Derfel Cadarn]

Originally Posted by tsloper

1. "Designer" is the single most sought-after job title. Everybody wants to be the designer. You have a LOT of competition.

I don't expect it to be a stroll in the park and I understand that it is woefully unlikely that anyone would become a designer overnight, but it is not unprecedented that people do become designers through extraordinary effort and patience.

Originally Posted by tsloper

2. You lost me there. You need to do more research on what a designer does, and you need to get experience developing games (so you fully understand the limitations and possibilities of the job) before anyone will hire you as a designer. I recommend these:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/epi...-game-designer
http://www.gamespot.com/features/so-...igner-6129276/
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/66418.html
http://sloperama.com/advice/lesson14.htm
After you've read those, you need to get involved in some projects. Read the Classifieds at gamedev.net, participate in discussions with other people (not only me).

I will bear that in mind. I will participate in discussions, it is simply that I have just moved country. I'm doing all the related paperwork as well as hunting for jobs and internships and whatnot. Once I get the slightest amount of free time I don't have to spend on feeding or sleep, I will, certainly, participate more broadly.

Originally Posted by tsloper

3. To a certain extent, yes. A game designer needs to be able to write game designs, illustrate them to some extent, make presentations, and demonstrate knowledge of games, movies, literature, music, and popular culture.

Thanks. That answers my question perfectly as well as being the answer I was hoping I would receive. Interdisciplinary is ace.

Originally Posted by tsloper

4. Do not assume that "companies" are all alike, that "companies" have opinions. You'll be interviewed by people, not companies. And people are individuals, each one with different likes, dislikes, opinions, and tastes. A designer does need to understand psychology - psychology of players, programmers, artists, musicians, producers, marketers, and game publisher executives. Just having written an article isn't much, but if it got a lot of attention, like Jane McGonigal's TED talk (http://www.npr.org/2012/05/25/153235...ve-real-issues), that's worthy. But would it get you a job... as a game designer... if you had never actually worked on a game? Doubtful.

Got it. I understand that they're not completely alike, but at the same time I scarcely have access to the innermost minds of any of the game industry folks, so I can only conduct my affairs based on the general consensus at this point.

I don't expect an article to elevate me to the position of the next Hideo Kojima, but writing articles is one of my strengths and so if it in the least helpful, all the better.

I will do more research according to your recommendations.