Jennifer Klasing

One question I have been asked in numerous ways by numerous people over the last two days. "Does <insert games-adjacent-experience here> count when applying for a design role?" The short answer is sort of. The longer answer is more complicated. (Thread)

I started as a roleplay dungeon master in World of Warcraft. I hosted events, guided players through some simple encounters, and told a story using the limited tools available to roleplayers at that time. (Aside: Boy do I wish past-me had access to Dicemaster!)

Was this game design? Yes! But it wasn't the sort of thing that directly translates to being good at making things in a complex editor for a huge, established franchise like WoW. It was a START, a hint that maybe I COULD like the role I'm in and excel at it.

While some may not feel this way, I feel like the team took a gamble on me when they gave me a temporary assignment as a quest designer. I had to learn both how to put things in the actual game and some of the constants of game design on the job. I could have failed!

Part of what made this easy for them was twofold- one, I was already employed at Blizzard as a game master. My knowledge of the lore was well established, as was my familiarity with at least some parts of the ecosystem. I had a boss who could vouch for my work ethic and aptitude.

For those of you applying from outside with similar experience, there are more factors at play. You have to work to establish that you are a culture fit. That you have what it takes to actually make games, without having made something on the scale of a WoW quest. It's a gamble.

Further, you are competing with individuals who have created demo reels and have taken the time to practice using industry-standard tools. You are competing with people that have game design degrees. That doesn't mean you will never get hired, ever! But the competition is STIFF!