My suggestion would be to work on mods and building your own modules (or, if you're interested in working on games like Half-Life, Team Fortress, or Unreal games, grab those editors on the web and start making your own maps). Don't do this with the intention of making this a portfolio piece - do it with the intention of making something gamers can play, and ideally, have it be something you submit to the gaming community to try out. Get their feedback on what you made, revise and iterate on it, then put it up again. Players can give you the best feedback on your work of anyone.

Also, look for ways to help out with mod communities - game development isn't a solitary process, and the more you can show on your resume that you brought a module, adventure, or campaign to completion with 10+ other people, that really stands out as valuable experience in the gaming community.

Here's some other advice specifically about RPGs, if you're interested:

First off, if you're interested in story and world creation, I would recommend trying to get established in the pen and paper game industry or in books or novels - game design requires a love of game mechanics, lists, and tons upon tons of rule sets. If you're interested in computer game designing, then here's what we look for/what you should focus on:

1. A love of RPGs.

2. A critical eye for RPGs (and preferably, other games as well), including feel, interface, pacing, weapon balance, level design, and so on. Play a lot of them and be able to tell what you like and don't about each game. The more specific, the better.

3. Good design skills - not only do you notice the elements mentioned above, but you can also implement them well. Know and recognize game clichés.

4. Good writing skills - when not actually arguing and throwing feces at each other through our cage bars, a large portion of a game designer's job is design documentation or writing 5000 emails. That means you need good technical writing skills and an ability to organize your thoughts. You need to be able to pass a document off to audio, QA, marketing, the programming staff, and an artist, and they should be able to find out whatever information they need just by looking at the document.

If you want to prep for a job in the game design field, I'd suggest the following:

1. Play a lot of games and analyze what you like and don't like about them. If you interview for a game company, that'll always be part of the interview questions, and having smart answers ready beforehand helps them determine if you'll be a good developer or not.

2. You should play a lot of games, but just as importantly, watch a lot of other people play games. Pay attention to how the game is played, especially the interface and menus and the means by which the player interacts with the game. When you do, you'll quickly start seeing what irritates players and what they enjoy - keep a running log in your head of successful ideas used in games and what made them work.

3. If a game comes with level or map editors, play around with them, try out levels or scenarios with your friends and use that as an acid test for your work. There are tons of editors out there, like the level editors for Oblivion, Fallout, Dragon Age, Warcraft, Neverwinter Nights, or any others you can get your hands on. Put your levels or mods up on the net, get critiques, and try to make a name for yourself as a good level or map designer before you even go to a game company - it helps when the interviewer's already seen your work on the internet and perhaps even played one of your levels.

4. Persistence and enthusiasm mean a lot in the game industry, so if you get knocked down once, just get back up and try again. You'll get noticed.

5. If you're looking for college classes to take, I'd suggest some programming courses and creative writing courses, maybe a little bit of art, and any classes that deal with interface design or layout for computer programs. Learn how to write critically and technically, and become familiar with Microsoft Word. Programming classes are a bonus because it helps designers understand how computers "think," and gives them better avenues of communication with programmers in general.

6. Game development is a very team-oriented process, so we'd also recommend taking as many college classes as possible that reinforce teamwork and communication (or if not in college, finding the opportunity to work with teams). If you have difficulty with working in teams or communication, your job in game development will end up being more difficult for both you and the people you work with.

7. A lot of designers did not start out as designers. If you want a door into the game industry, try manual writing, web design, quality assurance, or any of a bunch of other jobs in the game industry. Make your interest in becoming a designer known, and if you have the skills, somebody should give you a chance.

Then there's the application process. A lot of this information you can find on the web, but it can't hurt to stress it a little more:

1. Always include a cover letter with your résumé.

2. Spell-check and proofread anything you submit. Ask your friends to look over your cover letter and resume, too. We have rejected numerous applicants because they don't proof their work - in the game industry, that kind of attitude creates bugs and makes people mad.

3. Research the company to which you are applying. If possible address your cover letter to the specific person who will be reading it. Customize your résumé and cover letter to suit that company and the position to which you are applying. You don't have to know everything about the company, but know enough so you speak intelligently about what they do and why you're interested.

4. Carefully read and follow the company's submission criteria. For example, if they ask for a writing sample, be sure to include one. Again, we have rejected numerous applicants because they can't follow directions, which again, is a bad thing in game development, since it causes bugs and makes people mad.

5. Touch base with your references before you give their contact information out. Sometimes relationships sour - or dim with perspective. Or, in some cases, aren't even there anymore.

In any event, hope this helps. Good luck!

Chris