How close would moding this game be to learning game development?

[M00NC0BBLER]

I have a friend that doesn't like that I'm learning to mod this game. They keep saying that I need to go to school and learn from teachers and have other students around me. While I do agree that school is important and working on a degree in video game design does sound fun. I just don't see what's wrong with learning how to make games through a game that's already here. I also happen to love science and the fallout universe. 

So what is everyone's opinion

 

[RoNin1971]

one does not exclude the other so its a bit nonsens, unless you spend whole days on modding and neglect you education 

Note: any future boss has no idea who you are, what you like and can do, without a diploma or degree.

So, get educated and use your spare time for modding.

[fraquar]

My opinion?   Here's 4 of them.

1)  Whatever time you spend, you need to complete something(s) tangible and be able to in sit-down with a prospective employer be able to show them and discuss what you did and why.   If all you end up doing is this for a hobby - you will have issues without formal training because then you have nothing but hope - and that isn't enough to get peoples attention.

2)  You need to be able to put together a quality Resume.    Just remember that the Resume is essentially a sheet of music - and any employer worth their salt will expect you to be able to play that sheet of music.    If you say you did/can do this, that and the other - they will find out pretty quick if you are a fraud just by talking to you.

3)  You need to network yourself.    An employer will take very seriously a recommendation from a fellow colleague - even if that recommendation only talks about things like commitment, ability to learn, etc.

4)  If you go the conventional education route you better be committed (I don't mean to a mental institution)...  I mean you need to know that "she's the one" (i.e. whatever field you choose).   Conventional education comes with financial burdens that you will have to carry with you at arguably the worst time in your life to have such burdens.

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[Oynlen]

I would say that modding this game and Skyrim is very engine specific on an outdated game engine specific to Bethesda. Starfield may be a newer game, but Creation Engine and its versions is limited to only Beth games. I'd suggest learning blender or similar 3d modeling software as well as mostly Unity/Unreal engine 4-5. Photoshop, substance painter, writing code and learning about programs that can generate 3D models from scans. (the later are not great but will generally give you a fast base 3D model to build from and improve) AI implementation is one thing you can learn that "can" apply to Beth mods and is something that will become more and more common, but that's 3rd party software you need to learn. All of the 3rd party softwares are like transferable skills but the modding and implementation on Creation engine is a dead end for Beth games only. At most, you might get an idea of things. 

Generally, Enroll in a few courses. Making a mod is not gonna go on your resume. Grilled Turkey got hired for their 3D modeling experience (probably blender and 3DS Max) They put out mods here but likely had a full portfolio of 3d model work too. When they made the Fo3 ghouls mod, people were asking if it could add to the Leveled list not simply replace the ghouls and at the time, Grilled said they did not know how to do that, which is very basic modding. Dev teams don't want people that know all aspects, they want you to just be good at one thing. That one thing was 3D modeling/rigging and Bethesda hired them. 

But yes, Go to school and choose something that interests you. For me, I hate coding/writing script. I much prefer 3d modeling or texture work (tho all I can do is edit existing models) Some like the coding as it gives probably faster results if knowing the language vs modeling which has multiple levels of implementation as well as fail points.

While I suggest learning multiple things related to develpment, what I mean is choose what your interest is and focus on the tools needed for that, none of which are creation Kit

[pepperman35]

With all of the layoffs in the gaming industry these days I would recommend getting a solid education that gives you flexibility across industries.  Computer Science/Data Science would be a good field to look at for such a purpose.   Mathematics and engineering would be another area to consider.  There a lots and lots of modders but very, very few get hired by the gaming industry.    In similar vain, many people play sports in high school/college but very, very few go pro.  That said, build a solid work ethic which can be demonstrated via a professional resume.

[South8028]

Huge competition in this area. To succeed, it is not enough to have useful skills. You have to be the best of the best. To be the best, you should pay attention to detail, be meticulous in your work and try to do any, even minor, work with the highest possible quality. In a word, you need to really love what you do. There are very few people in the world who love their work. People who hate their jobs are 99% of the world's population.Therefore... Perhaps it doesn't matter what you do at all. Do whatever you want.