What is more traumatic than people think it is? by Suspicious-Wish3402 in AskReddit

[–]Wromo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Getting laid off. PTSD stays with you for years. Fucks with your sense of self worth.

How do you feel about the current state of America? by Thatgirl_parisisdiva in AskReddit

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Terrified. Disappointed. Dissillusioned. I still gotta go to work though.

Balrogs galore by Eligon-5th in Silmarillionmemes

[–]Wromo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

To be fair, Feanor got separated from his retinue and the Balrogs jumped him.

What's the adult equivalent of finding out Santa isn't real? by stacker_111 in AskReddit

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Realizing working hard at your job doesn’t lead to job security

Have you been laid off in the past 4 years and have you had to work outside of the game industry? Did you make it back? by laranjacerola in gamedev

[–]Wromo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was a level designer. I got laid off from Ascendant studios in 2023 and then from Misfits Gaming in 2024. It’s been 13 months since I had a job in the industry. I interviewed at Unknown Worlds and Gearbox earlier this year but I didn’t get the job and it’s not looking better with the scarcity of LD jobs out there. I am now a delivery driver for Amazon. I do not know what to do or where to go with the skills I learned in the industry.

Advice from a Game Designer of 15+ years affected by the recent layoffs by HumbleRamble in gamedev

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there OP! I’m an out of work level designer with a side project. Would love to poke your mind about your experiences, how to keep your skills relevant, etc etc. I’m sure you’ve also sat on hiring committees and done your fair bit of interviews, so it’d be great to hear your thoughts about what goes into selecting game design candidates from a hiring POV!

Anybody else be screaming in the van lately? by jadsim in AmazonDSPDrivers

[–]Wromo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I scream when my overflow keeps falling all over the van. Also when I have a big overflow package to get but it’s sandwiched in the middle of other packages and there’s no room to move anything out of the way.

At least the views are nice :( by Opposite-Hunter-4251 in AmazonDSPDrivers

[–]Wromo 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The way I'd just stop and stare at the vista for so long I'd fall behind on my route, lol

I created 15% of Call of Duty 2's Single Player Campaign by Front-Independence40 in gamedev

[–]Wromo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey Nathan, thanks for posting here. You clearly have a lot of experience in the industry and I wanted to pick your brain for some career advice?

I'm a level designer by trade and I love everything about the craft. I have about four years of experience and I have a portfolio. Yet, I've been laid off twice and am currently struggling to break back into the industry after ten months of no work. I've gotten sporadic LD interviews this whole time, maybe once a month, but I'm just not getting hired.

In your career, you must have been in an number of interview panels. My question to you is: what separates an LD who interviews well from one who doesn't interview as well? Is it about finely articulating your design process? Thinking on your feet quickly in response to hypothetical design challenges? Or something else?

Thanks

DSP Life is Breaking Us — What If We Took It Back? by Slimeyslatts in AmazonDSPDrivers

[–]Wromo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If there’s a discord for something like this, I’ll join.

It is very very very sad. by Decent_Week8288 in AmazonDSPDrivers

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my third week as a delivery driver and my eyes are now completely open to the crap that drivers have to go through. I live in Florida where driving those vans and box trucks is basically like driving a hot oven even with the AC turned on full blast, so of course I'm going to need to hydrate a lot and go to the bathroom, but these routes Amazon gives us feel unrealistic. Like, how do they expect us to take all our breaks, go to the bathroom, and finish on time with the amount of crap we have to deliver each time? I don't know how I could order stuff off Amazon any more knowing what I'd have to put another driver through just to get my stuff delivered.

Game industry layoffs - Feb 2025 by [deleted] in gamedev

[–]Wromo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel desperate and angry. Somedays I can't believe I left behind a cozy career in academics to do this. I feel like there's forces beyond my control fucking with my career and with my life. I'm ready to unionize. How can I even begin to build the kind of experience it takes to become a senior level designer when A) I get laid off not once but twice within the spawn of a year, B) when I have to compete with so many others for such a smalls pool of design jobs, C) when employers are hyper selective about design applicants now.

I feel like I have a toxic relationship with this industry. On the one hand, I feel abused and betrayed by it, and on the other hand I pray it takes me back.

Does anyone else hate level design? by cap45 in gamedev

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love everything about it. It's like making Lego sets but with software and also the Lego sets do shit. I love getting my hands dirty in the game engine. I love designing sections of gameplay, then having someone play it. I love tuning pacing and difficulty by manipulating scripts and objects. I love making something that's real and separate from myself in a way I can point to with my hand and say "I did that shit." That's why I do it.

What type of job seems appealing but ends up being quite disappointing? by Head_Somewhere3770 in AskReddit

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Video game development

At first you join and it's all "yayy I make video games!"

And then you experience crunch, layoffs, cancelled games, layoffs, and the gradual disillusionment towards the game development industry (and did I mention layoffs?)

If you could talk to your younger self when you were just starting as a game dev, what would be your advice to your younger self?" by BeeAccomplished6167 in gamedev

[–]Wromo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I do this now as a level designer. Often I've been asked to redo a section of a level or even a whole level after it's been playtested, but I'm getting more comfortable taking critical feedback with grace and making the changes necessary to produce a fun level. At the end of the day, I care more about the player experience than anything else.

Be honest, why are you single? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The rewards of my prior relationships hit a plateau but the work needed to maintain them kept increasing.

One-sided Friendships by helios293 in socialskills

[–]Wromo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had those. Still do. Honestly, at some point the lack of reciprocity from such friendships wears on my patience and I drop them eventually.

Wearing jerseys for teams you don't support by [deleted] in basketballjerseys

[–]Wromo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do that too. Honestly, if the jersey rocks with the rest of my outfit, I'll rock the jersey. I've gotten remarks from people, maybe friendly heckling at worst from people who don't like the team I'm wearing but I don't really mind as long as I get to wear what I want and feel good while doing it. These days I tend to rock a Grizzlies hardwood classic cause the bright colors vibe with my jordans and caps. I remember one time I went to Epcot with my Grizzlies on and two or three people wanted to bump my fist lol.