Starfield

[al_infierno]

I'll never be able to relate to people who complain about working long hours. My clients expect me to be at their beck and call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on weekends, on holidays and when I'm on vacation. When I'm on trial, I frequently work 16+ hours a day for weeks on end. Thankfully, I rarely have trials. Half the time I have to deal with haggling over the bill and issue discounts if I want to get paid. I have no unions and no advocates other then myself. I earn a good income, but for what I have to put up with, it should be a tremendous amount more. Still, no one cries for lawyers. Guys who live in their parents' basements making computer games though? The world is ready to rebel in their names.

With that said, this is shaping up to be a really good game and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

It's odd how you knee-jerk this reaction just because FarAway mentioned that shorter working hours is an advantage of working in a "standard" IT job instead of game dev.  He wasn't even wringing his hands or calling it unfair, just mentioning that it's a reason why people often make the switch.  I also find it really weird how you characterize game devs as "guys who live in their parents' basements making computer games."  Many junior and entry-level devs probably fit this stereotype, but like other types of programmers there are plenty of people who make a career and support homes and families like everyone else.

I mean, if you were offered a new job doing pretty much exactly what you do now, but working less hours and for more money, would you refuse?

[Jarhead0331]

I'll never be able to relate to people who complain about working long hours. My clients expect me to be at their beck and call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on weekends, on holidays and when I'm on vacation. When I'm on trial, I frequently work 16+ hours a day for weeks on end. Thankfully, I rarely have trials. Half the time I have to deal with haggling over the bill and issue discounts if I want to get paid. I have no unions and no advocates other then myself. I earn a good income, but for what I have to put up with, it should be a tremendous amount more. Still, no one cries for lawyers. Guys who live in their parents' basements making computer games though? The world is ready to rebel in their names.

With that said, this is shaping up to be a really good game and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

It's odd how you knee-jerk this reaction just because FarAway mentioned that shorter working hours is an advantage of working in a "standard" IT job instead of game dev.  He wasn't even wringing his hands or calling it unfair, just mentioning that it's a reason why people often make the switch.  I also find it really weird how you characterize game devs as "guys who live in their parents' basements making computer games."  Many junior and entry-level devs probably fit this stereotype, but like other types of programmers there are plenty of people who make a career and support homes and families like everyone else.

I mean, if you were offered a new job doing pretty much exactly what you do now, but working less hours and for more money, would you refuse?

I think it is odd that your knee-jerk reaction is to assume I was just responding to what FarAway said rather than what Destraex and Skoop said first. Try reading more of the thread for better context. It's also a common theme that repeatedly appears in gaming press. We've discussed it often here. "Poor under-paid, over-worked game programmers." I just don't have sympathy. That's all. Why turn it into a big deal?

[son of guest]

For what it is worth, I do have sympathy for you Jarhead.  That sounds like an awful job, I wouldn't want to be on call 24 hours a day, every day and having to fight for every dime you're owed.  Our work-life expectations have been skewed for a long time, I'm always happy to hear when people are able to break out of bad situation.

[Jarhead0331]

For what it is worth, I do have sympathy for you Jarhead.  That sounds like an awful job, I wouldn't want to be on call 24 hours a day, every day and having to fight for every dime you're owed.  Our work-life expectations have been skewed for a long time, I'm always happy to hear when people are able to break out of bad situation.

I've been trying to break free for nearly 22 years. They say it is never too late. I'm working on a thing though...fingers are crossed!

[Tripoli]

For what it is worth, I do have sympathy for you Jarhead.  That sounds like an awful job, I wouldn't want to be on call 24 hours a day, every day and having to fight for every dime you're owed.  Our work-life expectations have been skewed for a long time, I'm always happy to hear when people are able to break out of bad situation.

I've been trying to break free for nearly 22 years. They say it is never too late. I'm working on a thing though...fingers are crossed!

As an recovering attorney, all I can do is give you my sincere best wishes on getting your legal escape hatch completed.   :)

[Gusington]

I get nervous when JH mentions 'things.'

[W8taminute]

My brother in law is a lawyer and also self employed.  He does have a secretary but he handles all of the cases himself. 

I rarely get to hang out with him and goof off like we used to when he was just working for a law firm.  I know what kind of pressures you're going through JH.  Heart goes out to you. 

[Gusington]

Brother-in-law-yer?

[W8taminute]

^Yes.  I see what you did there!

[Gusington]

 :))

[Skoop]

I just mentioned the game dev industry because if you talk to teenage kids now days all of them want to be game devs and video game streamers.  But when you have a surplus of people all wanting to do that....well it's more cutthroat for wages and benefits.  Mean while all those extremely important real life careers are complaining of severe shortages coming.  I thought the whole Covid thing would be a wake up call to young people, but it had the reverse effect.  Maybe the coming recession will have the desired effect.   

[Gusington]

When there are rolling blackouts because of the shortage of electrical engineers, future game streamers and devs may have second thoughts.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Nah, they'll just blame Putin.

Things are really bad where I work now.  We lost quite a few good people due to retirement, relocation because of the high cost of living in the city, vax mandates, and poor management (DEI based hiring quotas are taking a toll).  Even though our starting wage is more than double the provincial average, we have not been able to hire a single person in 4 months.   We get very few qualified applicants and most turn down the offer once they look into housing costs here.

Management has started hiring co-op students from various trade and engineering schools to make up the shortfall  (I'm working 60-80 hours a week lately and all day off requests are refused until at least November) but most of the kids who show up seem to have some very odd ideas about work ethic.   It's quite common for them to show up 1 hour early or 2 hours late because they think flex time is a right.  Some won't do certain menial jobs because they think everything they do needs to have "an impact".  I guess it's a result of the educational system but nearly all are very confident in themselves to the point where they'll start monkeying around with processes they don't fully understand and end up screwing up the system.  They're quite unused to receiving criticism and many dint know how to handle it.  They tend to run to HR and claim harassment or they get bitchy and gossip  behind people's backs.

I'm very concerned that we're setting ourselves up for failure in the near future but I don't see a solution at this point.  I'm looking at taking a pay cut and acceptinga gig in a small town somewhere.

[fabius]

I'll never be able to relate to people who complain about working long hours. My clients expect me to be at their beck and call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on weekends, on holidays and when I'm on vacation. When I'm on trial, I frequently work 16+ hours a day for weeks on end. Thankfully, I rarely have trials. Half the time I have to deal with haggling over the bill and issue discounts if I want to get paid. I have no unions and no advocates other then myself. I earn a good income, but for what I have to put up with, it should be a tremendous amount more. Still, no one cries for lawyers. Guys who live in their parents' basements making computer games though? The world is ready to rebel in their names.

With that said, this is shaping up to be a really good game and I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Please don't take this a patronising, you know it, we all know it- that much usually comes at a health cost. Do the good stuff and have a plan just in case you have to reduce the load
Said in concern for fellow humanity not from a know it all tone

[W8taminute]

^Good points!