I have a hard time making decisions. Even the most trivial of situations in which I have to make a choice can turn into a sweat-inducing period of soul-searching angst. I once went back to a store 4 times after I had purchased a jacket to make sure I had made the right selection. You can probably appreciate, then, how wracked I feel, now that I'm faced with multiple career opportunities. Let me break it down for you. I work in Vancouver, probably as close to paradise as you can get in Canada (environment-wise and weather-wise, anyway), programming video games. I'm working on a game that has the potential to be a home-run, and the company I work for is pretty good. We got lots of free perks, such as stock options, year-end bonuses, flexible work hours, free hockey game tickets, free snowboarding passes and free sea kayaking passes. Oh, and I got a raise. However, I'm not working in the area of game development that really interests me (AI engineering) and I'm probably not going to get that opportunity for the forseeable future, as there is a glut of engineering talent and they need me to work on this system, since no one else has the experience to work it. Additionally, I don't quite get along with one of the lead engineers (long story), and he just so happens to be the lead gameplay/AI engineer. I get the feeling my talents are not appreciated by my current employers; I can do so much more. Oh, and I don't want to work on mililtary shooters anymore, something which this company specializes in. Anyhoodle, Vancouver is probably the worst place to be a single person; everyone here is so clique-y that it is quite hard to socialize with people outside of work.
Okay, so that's the background. Now, here are the wrenches. I was contacted by a company in Boston that is working on a fantasy online RPG (an MMORPG, for my geek peeps). Specifically, I was contacted by their Chief Technical Officer, a guy who was a lead engineer on a past game project I worked on in LA. One of the first things he told me when we started talking was that he has always felt my talents were wasted and that there are plenty of opportunities with this company to do the kind of AI work that makes me love being a game programmer. Anyway, I flew out to Boston recently, talked with the team and got some info about the project. Let me just say the talent they have assembled and the game they are creating have impressed me so far. I mean, this would be an opportunity to work on a fantasy RPG game with guys who worked on the pen-and-paper version of Dungeons & Dragons (a big thing for a geek like me). They are putting on the full-court press now to woo me over to Boston. So, the opportunity looks great. What's the problem? Well, the studio isn't really in Boston; it's in some hick suburb west of Boston that is a significant ways away from the city. I'd have to drive to work everyday, something I don't relish doing given global warming and the cost of gas. I like being able to cycle to work everyday. Plus, the weather in the northeast is such a drag, especially in winter. Oh, and I'm kind of weary of having to start all over again in a new city (though I don't really have any attachments here in Vancouver). I'd love to work on this game and I'm 90% certain I want to jump at this opportunity, but the living situation in Boston is just really holding me back.
Oh, and now there is a company in Los Angeles that is trying to recruit me to join their team for a high-profile shooter project.
So, dilemma. I know I've asked this of you before, but I'd like to hear your opinions.
Okay, so that's the background. Now, here are the wrenches. I was contacted by a company in Boston that is working on a fantasy online RPG (an MMORPG, for my geek peeps). Specifically, I was contacted by their Chief Technical Officer, a guy who was a lead engineer on a past game project I worked on in LA. One of the first things he told me when we started talking was that he has always felt my talents were wasted and that there are plenty of opportunities with this company to do the kind of AI work that makes me love being a game programmer. Anyway, I flew out to Boston recently, talked with the team and got some info about the project. Let me just say the talent they have assembled and the game they are creating have impressed me so far. I mean, this would be an opportunity to work on a fantasy RPG game with guys who worked on the pen-and-paper version of Dungeons & Dragons (a big thing for a geek like me). They are putting on the full-court press now to woo me over to Boston. So, the opportunity looks great. What's the problem? Well, the studio isn't really in Boston; it's in some hick suburb west of Boston that is a significant ways away from the city. I'd have to drive to work everyday, something I don't relish doing given global warming and the cost of gas. I like being able to cycle to work everyday. Plus, the weather in the northeast is such a drag, especially in winter. Oh, and I'm kind of weary of having to start all over again in a new city (though I don't really have any attachments here in Vancouver). I'd love to work on this game and I'm 90% certain I want to jump at this opportunity, but the living situation in Boston is just really holding me back.
Oh, and now there is a company in Los Angeles that is trying to recruit me to join their team for a high-profile shooter project.
So, dilemma. I know I've asked this of you before, but I'd like to hear your opinions.
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and i didn't get that job. i'm pretty bummed about that.