What are the activities at Gamedev?

Question

Game development

Hello. I would like to start developing games in the future, there is time for education, while I will work at my main job (not related to programming at all, it happened) - three years. That. I would like to teach, participate in open source projects (if there are any in game development), so that when you change jobs, you can not fidget, but show and tell something, without having to jump from place to place. In short, choose the path now and calmly, but stubbornly go along it without turning anywhere.
The bottom line is that I don't understand what I'm going to face. I saw the differentiation of specialties in game development, but did not understand: what does a person who works specifically with code do?
In most sources, programming and working with 3D models (for which my hands are too crooked) are not differentiated in any way, so I would like to clarify:
1. What exactly does each person do in large game projects?
2. Will I need to learn anything other than programming and various frameworks\applications\etc. at the initial stages (like the same 3DMark) and in general?
PS It would be desirable to work specifically with the code.

Answer 1

If you want to work with code - work. It's called a "programmer". You probably confused 3DMark with 3ds max... At the initial stages, it is not needed. Moreover, do not immediately jump into 3D - work with 2D.
Specifically, about the division of programmers - there is no division on small projects. Especially if there is no server part. In general, we can distinguish:
- game logic
programmer - graphics / graphic system
programmer - server programmer
- general purpose
Usually they start with game logic. Take some kind of engine (according to the PL you know), and implement on it something simple like arkanoid / tetris / pacman. In such games, usually nothing is required other than game logic - everything is encapsulated in the engine.