How much do 3D Environmental Artists make?

[Craka_J]

I've recently taken up a job to be a terrainer (3D Environmental Artist) for an MMORPG but my payment has not been confirmed yet. I am eager to find out how much I can make doing what I do, so I'd really appreciate it if someone can enlighten me on how much terrainers usually make in USD (U.S. Dollars).

I've searched over four game websites, including Blizzard Entertainment, about what terrainers are paid and all sites say: "You get good benefits" and say you'll get something special concerning the game.
~Craka_J

 

[Cheeder]

"concerning the game" sounds like royalties. Which means you get 2-5% of the money for every game sold or something around that number.. depends on if it's going to be a hit, which depends on advertising. Plus the number of developers affects that number.

One of the best programmers in the world works for my uncle getting 50k a year when he knows he could be getting over 200k a year for his skill. He's just dedicated to OpenBSD.

 

[Craka_J]

Ah, well thanks a lot for helping me out with that. That kind of sucks that my budget will rely on how much the game makes. Guess that's a good way to keep me motivated to work as hard and as best as I can.

Amazing how that programmer lets your uncle pay him so little compared to what he deserves. Though your uncle is lucky as hell to get that great of a bargain!
~Craka_J

 

[Jacek]

erm... you got a job as a terrainer? are you qualified for the job? ;f

 

[Craka_J]

According to the Game Developer who recruited me, I don't need any diploma of any kind. Just skill and 'talent' and she said I have exactly what is needed so... yes, I guess I do qualify.
I've had over six years of experience with modding and terraining for games. And I've worked with Warcraft III's World Editor for almost five years now!

I'm also thinking of applying for a Game Designer position since they've been needing one. But I think I'd best be better off sticking with what I've got.
~Craka_J

 

[Sansui]

ehem...
When you said environmental artist, I assume you know what you are getting into correct?
its not that easy of a task. Conserving polies, and building a nice looking WORKING mesh.
hand building dungeons and buildings, trees ect.
I trust you have a strong background in 3dsmax or something equivalent and texturing with photoshop or something equivalent?


Anyway, as it is prolly an idie project i would be surprised if you get paid at all. Most people do those works pro bono for experience and to become known. All though donations are always appreciated.

 

[Craka_J]

I understand that I'll have to be careful with model placement and conserve the amount of models placed so people even with noob PCs don't lag due to high amount of polies on the screen. Building things myself with models provided to me is no problem. It takes a bit longer and can be a little frustrating at times, but no bigge about it really.

I have almost no knowlege of how to make models. Though I know stuff about models such as wireframe, bones, UV mapping, etc.
I'm trying to get good with Adobe Photoshop. Hard to do that when you don't own a copy of it though.

The developer said everything will be provided for me that I would need. She also included that I would, in fact, get paid. I think the MMORPG will be a pretty big hit since the idea is totally different and has never been done before in any game. It's extremely realistic too. But sometimes great games like that fall fast and easy so it's best not to keep my hopes up, but to keep my spirits high.
~Craka_J

 

[Cheeder]

The game which has the most realistic graphics/models/meshes/world to date is America's Army

www.americasarmy.com

Their graphic files extensions are .art

I figure it's a start to understanding, knowing and/or figuring out how to make such realistic graphics. That is, of course, if that's what your company is going for among other things.

The game is free but it's about 3 gigs.

 

[Craka_J]

WoW is 5gigs, and that's an MMORPG! America's Army is only a FPS isn't it? Cool.

[Edit]:
Graphics suck btw. The environment is cool and pretty realistic. But I've seen better in WoW terrain. :/
~Craka_J

 

[Cheeder]

WoW is 5gigs, and that's an MMORPG! America's Army is only a FPS isn't it? Cool.

[Edit]:
Graphics suck btw. The environment is cool and pretty realistic. But I've seen better in WoW terrain. :/
~Craka_J

Trust me when i say that those google images give the graphics no justice! Those are screenshots and lose a lot of detail on their way through to google.

There are settings for details in the game. If you put all the detail up it's damn near amazing! When i first saw it, i mean, when i first got up as close as possible to a unit and saw the actual threads which make up their unifrm, i was blown away. I think they use real pictures for such meshes as the uniforms. It's crazy.
Again.. no capture is going to do the (potential) graphics any justice.

 

[Gilles]

What game are you working on Craka? Or is it hush-hush?

 

[Craka_J]

For now it is a "hush-hush"
They told me that the developers are going to start revealing it to IGN, GameSpot, etc. in early or mid December. That's what they told me anyways.
~Craka_J

 

[TheDivineBoss]

I'm hearding something about 'she' and 'her.' Who is she? And how did you ''convinced'' her to give you the job. Know what I'm saying? Know what I'm saying? Nudge nudge.

 

[Sansui]

Crakaj you do know as a 3d environmental artist you will need to know ALOT about making 3d models.
it isnt just putting things places.
plus you being 17 I'm going to say this is full of it, if not you will be fired for falsely representing your skills.



The Environmental Artist is responsible for creating all types of 3D environmental scene and elements. They work with the game designers to integrate and refine these elements.



I was turned down for a job as a junior environmental artist because my 3d skills were not up to par.

 

[Jacek]

i hate him very much, but i must say sansui is right this time...

from what I've heard, most terrainers (3d environmental artists blahblah) even have to care about collisions T_T

 

[TheDivineBoss]

Duh you answered the question which was RETORICAL: Do terrainers/3d environmental artists care about collisions in their maps? :S

 

[Jacek]

not really retorical idiot, I've read something about terrain artists making collision bounding boxes in their maps for ingame physics

 

[Craka_J]

Don't terrainers in WC3 deal with pathing as well? Like pathing blockers and invisible platforms for example.
~Craka_J

 

[Cheeder]

Cracka_J, do you know if it's going to be the next WoW? And what determines that is advertising as i mentioned before. You see, the laws of insider-trading do not apply to a company's employees/developers AND close friends. So, if you knew it was going to blow up, you should invest in the company.
What info-exchange becomes insider-trading i'm not quite sure, but i don't think saying, "I have a feeling X company is going to blow up soon", because that's just an opinion.
You've probably been briefed on what you can and can't say, but seeing as how you already said that your company is working on a project, despite the fact that they're going to announce what they going? to do, you might want to ask before you dusclose which company you work for.
You should check with your employers, but i, and i'm sure others are interested to know what company you are working for.

 

[Sansui]

Doing terrain in wc3 has NOTHING to do with 3d environmental art work.
Just filling you in, since doing terrain in wc3 has nothing to do with anything in the real world of making games.

I guess the closest would be the game designer since he is the person who uses what the environmental artists create to make the world seamless and lively.

 

[Cheeder]

Define "designer".. Do you mean programmer? Because, technically, Cracka_J would be the/a designer! hehe

 

[Infinitynexus]

I must say, I hate sansui with a passion, but he is right for once..

This smells of lies and treachery!

 

[Craka_J]

The developer told me that they use a custom made World Editor set up to be similar to WC3's World Editor. The only thing that's keeping me from working is that it is in Hungarian and right now, they're translating it as best as they can to English for me.

I can't invest anything to this because I have nothing to invest! Not even money. The most I can do is come up with clever gameplay ideas and terrain as best as I can.
~Craka_J

 

[Dr Super Good]

Craka_J, any kind of game programmer tends to earn near minimum wage. Unless you are really good and get a few promotions or you take a job for a company like blizzard where they want quality, but then again I dought they would choose a person like you atleast for now. Some benfits you might get thoe are free testing of the game / a free copy of the game and if it is a pay to play game you might get it for free (no monthly cost to you). Also you would be a moderator of the game's online capabilities (chat rooms ect) like most game programmors are (if not all).

Pathing in mmorpgs tends to be done via geometry collision so bugs of getting stuck can happen if you are not carefull where you place stuff. This also means you have to make sure that there are no acedental shortcuts through a missplaced tree or wall since thoes could give some people an unfair advantage / cause bugs.

Feel free to post any details / screenshots of what you are doing to this thread if you are allowed to.

 

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

The game which has the most realistic graphics/models/meshes/world to date is America's Army

www.americasarmy.com

Their graphic files extensions are .art

I figure it's a start to understanding, knowing and/or figuring out how to make such realistic graphics. That is, of course, if that's what your company is going for among other things.

The game is free but it's about 3 gigs.

Oh please.

Anybody with a decent amount of research done would forget about a lonely "freeware" game and immediatly say "Crysis".

@Craka: Wc3 terraining is NOT 3d environment making. 3D environment artists use modelling programs, add collision, even texture their own stuff.
You have experience with using already made models and an easy terraining tool with pre-made pathing and collision boxes.
Though I'm pretty sure you're not lying, I find it hard to believe someone would hire you for professional work.

 

[Cheeder]

You can be sure one of two things..
AA has been around a lot longer than Crysis, with it's realism embeded from the beginning
Crysis based their idea of realism (of meshes) off of AA

 

[Craka_J]

I don't really care too much about how much I get paid. I am just curious. To be honest, I just want to terrain this game for the experience and for fun. That's usually my motivation to terrain stuff: For fun!
And it's better off that I terrain for fun because then the results of the terrain are rather great, or at least far greater than a terrain I'd make if I were terraining even though I hate it.
~Craka_J

 

[robot-dude]

Most jobs sites mostly say this for

"3D Environment Artists"
Salary £DOE

 

[Craka_J]

DOE? What does that mean/stand for?

Oh and sorry I cannot provide screenshots or anything like that until I believe Decemeber 6th or some time around that date.
~Craka_J

 

[robot-dude]

i know one of the DOE is "Department of Environment"

But i don't know what £DOE is.

 

[TheDivineBoss]

DOE = Depending On Experience. Just googled it. So don't reply it if you suck at it.

 

[robot-dude]

XD well when i googled it thats what i came up with.. But oh well.. We all do our own little things.