Platforma průmyslové spolupráce
CZ.1.07/2.4.00/17.0041
Název
Effective Leadership in Game Industry using Agile Methods
Popis a využití
• úvod do agilních metodik s využitím v herním průmyslu
• výuka: vývoj digitálních her
Jazyk textu
• anglický
Autor (autoři)
• Jan Meravý
Oficiální stránka projektu:
• http://lasaris.fi.muni.cz/pps
Dostupnost výukových materiálů a nástrojů online:
• http://lasaris.fi.muni.cz/pps/study-materials-and-tools
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Game development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Game studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Agile methods for game development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1 Introducion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Agile development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.1 Team experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.2 Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.3 Size of agile team and scalability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.4 Sprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.5 Artefacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Agile Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3.1 Scrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3.2 Feature-Driven Development (FDD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.3.3 Test-Driven Development (TDD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3.4 Lean Software Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.3.5 Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) . . . . . . . . . 14
2.3.6 Extreme Programming (XP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3 Team leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.1 Quality Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.2 Qualification & performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.3 Cooperation effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.4 Meetings management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.1.5 Effective team leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2 Negative behavior of team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.2.1 Intrusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.2.2 Will to change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.3 Procastination and excuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.4 Finishing tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.2.5 Non-profiled cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.2.6 Attention to multiple problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.2.7 Precautions planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.2.8 Exploiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2.9 Unrealistic expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2.10 Social copying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2.11 Same level of understanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2.12 Inefficient testing and resting time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2.13 Strict tokenism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.3 Positive benefits from team behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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3.3.1 Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.2 Win - Win strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.3 Managing assignment of tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.4 Do not reinvent the wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.5 Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.4 Communication practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4.1 Active Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4.2 Communication experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4.3 Body language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.4.4 Mental Strategies (MS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.4.5 Decision moment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.4.6 Perception glasses of our experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.4.7 Effective habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.4.8 Person centered approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.4.9 Uncospious problem solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.4.10 Uncertain truths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.4.11 Association thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.4.12 Attention hardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.4.13 Knowledge influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.4.14 Conclusions summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4 Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.2 Project organization phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.2.1 Idea and vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.2.2 Project start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.2.3 Pre-production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.3 Development phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.3.1 Project development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.3.2 Game design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.3.3 Testing and profiling quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.3.4 Poolishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.4 Production phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.4.1 Project release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.4.2 Maintenance and support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.5 Best rest practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
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1 Introduction
In this thesis I will explain the agile methodologies in relation to game development,
leadership and practical situations. Thesis consists of both theoretical knowledge and
practical experience, gathered through meeting sessions and interviews from czech
gaming companies and their activities.
This chapter provides brief introduction to game development.
The second chapter shows benefits and difficulties of transition to agile development
methods. I focus on smaller development teams and present procedures for streamlining
development in an effort to ensure the smoothest transition of the development
team from traditional practices to the agile.
Third chapter describes the effective communication habits, improvement of cooperation
and team leadership. This includes active listening and communication principles
of handling problem solving. I explain how to prevent and resolve conflicts within
management and optimize source planning. I show methods how to deal with different
people and keep team motivated to improve collaboration on a professional level.
The last chapter consists of best practices, tips and trick during the whole game
project lifecycle gained from real experience, sessions and interviews. This chapter advises
how to manage game development and overcome problems of decision making
in both management and development. Goal is to give wider introduction and informations
for game Developers based on real czech and international projects. They should
serve as guide, that worked for other game creators and are widely used in many game
companies.
1.1 Game development
Game development teams (often called as indie development teams)1 are formed from
individual game Developers and their passion for making games. Game titles from the
past continue to have strong influence for making new game titles. Teams behind games
are considered “crazy” but with potentional that can be seen by Investors. Friendship
core and common sense is a fundamental essence, that holds team members together.
One person works on multiple things, that project requires. Cooperation with management
does not cause much time consuming problems. Self-organizing structure helps
indie-development team members to work together with efficiency based on team teoretical
knowledge and shared experience. Team is aware of their competitors, technology
restraints and targeted audience of players2. Wide platform opportunity and the
market size gives them easier chance to develop first game product (or prototype) that
is used as their flagship and reference. Visual sells. This first moment is crucial to re-
1. Indie development team - Usually small development team up to 5 people working on their own small
project(s) with minimal sources.
2. Player - Customer who buys game or it’s content. Can be referred as independent Tester(s) or end
user(s) means the game playing person (in basis) who is capable of feedback
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1. INTRODUCTION
plenish investment of time and funds for the team. Main problems in the present game
industry are strict dates of game product shipment which is often delayed (by multiple
reasons from ensuring content sustainability to development maintainability).
1.2 Game studios
Decade ago the games were made by enthusiasist who enjoyed making things as best
as possible at the costs of personal time. This common sense was key to sucsess. Team
expanding was fast and risky, but when the gaming product was successful the company
growed. Classical software development practices were not suitable for this kind
of game development. Larger teams required extensive human sources and management.
For more effective resolution, these teams were divided into departments.
This approach created thousands of top triple-A games3 (and their content) over the
last decade (and many comebacks). Less known is the fact that sources invested into
these successful games were tremendous (Valve, Activision, Blizzard, Rovio) (however
worthy in the end - because new concept and tittles were not available on franchise 4
market).
Another good example is the game called “Portal” from VALVE. This game was
made by nine people with base on Half Life project engine which company developed
earlier. This game become very popular by new creative concept of logical spatial thinking
that ended up as main product and game of the year 2011 called “Portal 2”[1]. Valve
invented new unique strategies within agile development to rehire and maintaining
team members. Team members are free of choice to do work they want on the product
that suits them best (when the position is available - which mostly is). Another good
concept (proposed by Activision) was letting team members choice to do for any project
in any company wing for one whole day of a week (overally benefitable over exploiting
- the rest week is used as the controlling mechanism).
There is great base of indie Developers, that are focusing on mobile games for
tablets, phablets, smartphones and for platforms (and market stores) namely iOS, Android,
Blackberry or Windows Phone. These are overflowing with titles, so the quality
of gameplay is what maters. (For example rovio and their product “Angry Birds” the
core franchise of this Finnish company now earns most of the income from things
around their popular product[2].)
3. Triple-A games (or AAA) - Games developed for major platforms with enormous marketing budgets.
4. Franchise - System and marketing in which one party gives the second side right for direct or indirect
use the “game package” as industrial and intellectual property.
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2 Agile methods for game development
2.1 Introducion
This chapter presents brief introduction of most frequently used agile methods that are
used in game industry. I will demonstrate their utilization and how to manage them
effectively in order of deterministic approach, that ensures the product Quality Assurance
(QA)1. I will explain and give examples for commonly used agile methods in real
situations in relation that affects the team, motivation, stability and maintaining performance,
with including best practices and potential pitfalls. In the end of each method
I will talk about real experience and recommended solutions for critical situations I
gained through objective observing and professional interviews.
2.2 Agile development
In further view I will focus on the game development and process of delivering game
product through agile approach instead of classical development. Agile methodology
cannot be considered as a manual guide that commands how to handle specific life
coaching or development situations. In Project Management, the three main components
are Time, Features and Quality (Figure 2.1)[3].
Figure 2.1: Relation of three influencing elements
In order to achieve best results the tact, soft skills and person centered approach is
recommended. This thesis should be read actively with Proactive Approach2 and can
be used as an ispiration for self development that helps the way to treat with the team
and the customers. Methodology can only recommends what is right, but it’s up to
1. Quality Assurance - Activities that test whether the requirements of product are fulfilled on a certain
certified level.
2. Proactive Approach - Thinking deeper about issues out of personal subjectiveness, in order to find
simplier and more suited solutions.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
person to decide each specific situation. Real experience from life and practical situations
helps build character and leadership that enhances the personal effectivity. One
can also learn from experience of others and this thesis is based on my own personal
experience (without embellishments - even fail experience can be valuable), or from top
game company managers. I know some of them personally and I believe in their experience,
skills and senses for results that can be measured on real released game products.
(Blizzard, Valve, Geewa, 4K games, Adobe Flash, Tinysoft, Cuketa, Dark Sheep,
Fun2Robots, Keen Software House, Pixel Federation, Mingle Games and many others.)
Agile teams are formed (usually) of generalizing specialists (people who have more
technical specialities). Agile team roles are stable but in different sprints3 there can be
changes within team structures (someone can be pulled off to help work on something
crucial that is determined/required for project success). In common words the point is
that employees have sufficient skills to operate within the team to get job done, when
each one can help at position that suits him best. It is not only possible for people to
become more agile it’s very desirable and necessary.
Agile methods are widely used in gaming industry for their dynamic approach and
adaptation for customer’s needs[4]. They differ from straight-forward development
and aims at completion of product by using specific open-minded and adaptive techniques,
rules or habits[5]. This thesis explains positives and negatives of each method
with guides that are used in gaming development to make development smoothier and
reduce risks. Such problems occur when unexpected requirements appear during the
making but their benefits are significant. It is up to decision of whole team if they are
aware of this fact and able to estimate if such work is within their capacity to implement,
test and add into gameplay. This is the main reason of delays[6]. Gameplay as
the result of team effort cannot be fooled (and so do gamers).
2.2.1 Team experience
It’s a good thing to finish the successful project, but the most important is to look back
for failures and learn a lesson from them. Project analyst will do this, but so should Developers,
their manners and habits caused them (in case that we exclude management
and choices out of the box)[7]. When we got budget for some project it is “easy” to make
plans, count with all known possible threats, calculate them, direct development and
lead team by the plan. Unexpected issues or special situations might affect the plan in
all project phases. With every new project there comes risk, which is lowered by previous
team experience. It is a good way to think ahead and plan that something crucial
will go wrong for sure. Rather than spend all budget on project that might shine or fail
suggested is to revalidate satisfiability of the plan after every milestone4 (such as alpha
version prototype, multiplayer release, etc.). Work out the game features that players
3. Sprint - Limited time lasting event for the whole team that is used to complete selection of tasks. (Will
be mentioned later in this chapter at 2.2.4)
4. Milestone - Specialy chosen goal that indicates the completion of some important work, progress state
or project phase.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
actually like. The game is made for them so their first look on something half finished
should be one of team goals to achieve. This way can save time, sources and prevent
meaningless development solutions that will be used very rarely (use saved time on
more important things). Keep in mind that end user (as the game’s future player) want
more “meat" than “sauce". Entertained player and his interests are the value, that we
want to offer for mass audience. Good team strategy is to build fertile ground for players
and stay connected to gaming community.
2.2.2 Roles
Figure 2.2: Small agile team structure
Team leader Act as a Project Leader, that is responsible for obtaining sources for the
rest of the team as he is some sort of a their project facilitator (team coach). He helps and
supports the team. Sometimes he even defends team from management and distinquish
distraction from what belongs to the problem and what is out of the scope[4]. (In scrum
methodology this person is called “Scrum Master".)
Team member Referred as Developer or programmer. He is responsible for the creation
and delivery of product.
Product owner Represents the Stakeholders. He owns the product and is accountable
for ensuring that team delivers value to the business.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
Optional supporting cast
Stakeholder Practically anyone who supported the project or team members. (Individuals,
End users, Vendors, etc.)
Technical experts Usually an expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide
help and overcome some specific difficult problem,find or make solution that just
need to be done on a professional level.
Domain experts Sometimes they are required to analyze, guide or explain the details
of sponsoring executives or compatibility of project vision. (The Product Owner represents
wide range of Stakeholders (not just end users), and it is not possible to be expert
at every single kind of domain.)
Testers and feedback support Often independent users that works in parallel through
the game development lifecycle. They validate gameplay, report bugs or generate feedback
report. They act as hidden team support.
2.2.3 Size of agile team and scalability
First of all, what is considered as a small agile team? It is a team up to 9 members by
theory[8]. Yet in real job it can be few members more, even if they are not primary part
of the team, or their job is just some part of task that can be done in parallel. From middle
to big agile team is considered to be up to 20 members (or more)[9].
Small agile team - Works closely with a Product Owner to build a high quality
product on semi-stable incremental basis. In this thesis I focus mostly on these smaller
teams (sometimes referred as indie teams).
Large agile team - Often known as a team of teams approach. Project strategy involves
organizing larger team into a collection of smaller teams by project needs and
management architecture. These subteams are responsible for delivering working parts
(subsystems) without delays. This strategy is referred as Conway’s Law5. Larger agile
team of teams can contain some special roles of Architecture Owner, System Integrator,
Project Management Activities Advisor, Technical Issues Master and(or) someone to
deal with requirements, product ownership & law issues. There are several critical issues
with work cooperation, user feedback control and project subpart integration. The
project is split into wings (departments) for specific tasks (Testing, Gameplay, Core,
Management, Specialists, Product Owner, etc.)[10, 11].
5. Conway’s Law (1960) - Effective team structure of organizing larger team into subteams around the
system architecture. (One of several lean development governance strategies.)
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
The Agile Process Maturity Model (APMM)6 is worth to be mentioned for it’s important
scaling factor and flexibility in middle sized game projects[12].
Figure 2.3: Large agile team structure
2.2.4 Sprints
Are directed by the coach who suggests tasks and tracks their progress to make sure
all team members get tasks by their available time and competencies. Selection of what
tasks will be done is marked in the sprint backlog that details the time cost that is
determined by the whole team. Team will identify and discuss how much work is likely
to be done during the current sprint. (Prioritizing the product backlog and estimation
practices.) Suggested is to keep iterations and sprints consistent in duration for better
planning and delivering.
2.2.5 Artefacts
Project backlogs Sprint backlog and product backlog are recommended. They serve
similarly but with different purpose. The product backlog is viewed by Product Owner
6. Agile Process Maturity Model (APMM) - Contextual framework (by IBM) that can helps to effectively
adopt agile practicles.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
as a high point of view of all the work that must be done for the game product. Sprint
backlog contains detailed list of all tasks and user stories for the sprint. (In product
backlog team estimates user stories with relative unit called story points, but in the
sprint backlog team estimates task in hours.)
On more general level - backlog defines the number of tasks completly done (based
on their priority) compared to incomplete planned tasks. This two numbers are tracked
in time (for example each week or sprint) in a graph. The lower fluctuation graph contains
the better is both estimation and measurement.
Tasks can be measured by estimating techniques. From Analogy-based estimation,
WBS-based (botton up), Parametric models, Size-based models, Group estimation, Constructive
Cost Model (COCOMO), Mechanical or Judgmental combination[13]. The most
suited and effective way for agile planning and gaming development itself is Planning
poker and Three-Point Estimation (known as PERT). I can recommend these two for
their observable, conspicious, transparent, dignified, simple, fast and common use for
their uniformity in agile approach[4].
Figure 2.4: Planning and Tracking Project and Iterations
Main purpose of these estimation techniques is to exclude psychological aspect
called Social Copyring7 and discuss the real value of each task from different views.
The Planning Poker method can extent meeting time so it should be used with caution
and on most crucial or critical tasks that may require variable sources (or team has no
previous experience about them).
Burn down chart Represents graph of work left in time. Is a prediction of all the work
that will be completed. Burn down charts are commonly used in all agile methodologies
for projects that contains measurable progress over time. Chart can also be used
for measuring performance even though not as most reliable source. (Burn up chart is
inverted burn down chart.)
7. Social Copyring - Psychological aspect of adapting to behaviour of others.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
Figure 2.5: Burn down chart
2.3 Agile Methods
In this chapter I will introduce the core information (and possible restrictions) for use
of each agile methodology[4] in relation to suitability for developing game products.
Each subchapter will be enclosed by summary.
Figure 2.6: Value propositions comparison in relation to traditional development
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
2.3.1 Scrum
Sometimes referred as agile developing framework which is based on iterative and
incremental basis. Work process is divided into sprints that represents cycles. These
sprints usualy lasts from two to four weeks. During each sprint the selection of tasks is
made by their priority, contribution and complexity (or performance) with emphasis to
end users. At the end of each sprint there should be working version of game product.
The process begins with the Product Owner. His goal is to find game product that will
have good market value for customer demands (and is within team limits). The result is
the product backlog that is as complete as possible or compartmentalizable into parts.
When this is done the prepration of sources and sprints themselves begin. When everything
is implemented from product backlog the game is prepared to air on market.
Scrum is smoothly handling this by using simple methods. Three kind of artefacts are
used in process: product backlog, sprint backlog and burn down chart.
Scrum roles
Product owner Is liable for business value of the project.
Scrum Master Referred as Project Leader who makes sure the team is developing
productively and effectively.
Team member Develops the game product itself.
There are also some roles that are not listed in scrum process, but they are necessary
part of development. I am speaking of Testers, End Users, Investors, Support or
Specialists.
Together as a team they are responsible for delivering the product to the market.
Meetings
Regular sprint planning Is used when there are enough tasks in product backlog.
First of all the Scrum Master must decide how long the sprint will be. How long will the
sprint lasts and what can be really made in this time. Then team corrects, revises and
estimates the time required for each task (for example by aforementioned “planning
poker” technique).
Daily meeting The sprint progress is notified for transparent visibility of current
state of work. Important and crucial things should be discussed which should not take
a long time. Recommended meeting time is 15 minutes after beginning of the work.
(Often referred as stand up meeting.)
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Sprint review meeting Regular revision at the end of each sprint to forego future
failures. This time is dedicated to analyze what went smoothly, what was wrong, and
how to prevent fails for the future sprints. Scrum master is recommended as discussion
moderator.
Figure 2.7: Scrum visual lifecycle
Summary Scrum focuses more on managing project control and revision than implementation
or effectivity principles. Adequacy of followig solutions is unstable and
depends heavily on Scrum Master, for he is the most responsible person and critical
aspect of this methodology. There is not clearly specified what to do in each situations
and it’s natively accepted that the team members have at least some experience with
agile development, time management, transparent information highway, cooperation
and team strategy that also involves the inner culture of team members and their motivation.
For very high adaptablity the SCRUM can be used in various situations for
it’s simple and clear rules that offer stable results in a long period. I recommend this
methodology to all sizes of game agile teams at condition, that there are experienced
management leaders and skilled Scrum Master with infrastructure support for both indie
and senior Developers (good balance is the essence). In some cases SCRUM can be
time consuming as the price of excellent documentation artifacts and design quality
(with the code inspections). Should the team hesitate over task, the customer feedback
is the essence for defining which tasks are the most important.
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2.3.2 Feature-Driven Development (FDD)
Emerges from iterative and incremental basis as combination set of techniques and the
way they are connected. The feature approach has real value for end customer. The
project starts by making the feature list. Each feature is then carefully planned and designed
how it will be build. Simplicity is an important factor but not always achievable
in real situations (not everything is simple including critical solutions). The measure
that comes into process is importance, significance, meaning, weight, value or interest
by moment and actual need of end user. These are designed upon understand what
needs to be done to warrant feature realization. The features are divided into parts and
realization is given to suitable team member (or a subteam) by personal skills and task
type (saving precious time). Planning is derivated by full list of features and assignation
starts from hardest estimated tasks. Then the first project version is made upon these
model semi-parts, solutions and discussed feedback. This proces is iterated through
whole set of features until game product is good enough to fullfill plan requirements
and team expectations. Planning is critical and should be very durable, because rate
of change is significant element[13] (imperfect estimation is the cost of feature adding
strategy). The planning strictly based on features can be tricky and costs a lot of unplanned
extra time.
Process The end user is in the center of team interest strategy. Primary objective is to
look upon the project through the end customer eyes. Each task or game part is considered
as a feature. Main goal of using FDD is to repetitively deliver working version of
game product. This is rated by end user and work is submissioned to this reason. FDD
helps to remove the uncertainty from developing process and powers management of
critical applications (databases, game core engine, game rules implementation, etc.). Iterations
are usually faster. Implemented features should be split into smaller tasks that
are simple enough to be completed within given time. Customer representative is part
of the development team so he responds flexibly to change and results of his feedback
are easier guaranteed [14].
Six main roles: Project Manager, Chief Architect, Development Manager, Chief Programmer,
Class Owner, Domain Expert
Support roles: Release Manager, Deployer, Build Engineer, Tester, Administrator,
Toolsmith
Summary FDD combines best from both classical techniques and agile methodology
(it falls into agile more). It is a good first way of migration to agile development (if the
team is not more than 12-15 people). FDD should be used with caution and in relation of
how is the team depending on end user feedback (and team abilities to process them).
Well managed collaboration is hidden aspect of determining success. Gaining adequate
information from gaming comunity is optional but is worth mentioning to include wide
set of feedback options.
12
2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
2.3.3 Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Test-driven development helps professional software Developers deliver clean, durable
code that works, without delays. It is based on making sustainable tests that rely on the
repetition of a very short development cycle. Automated tests are used to detect any
unexpected changes in project behaviour. Effective layout of a test case ensures that all
crucial actions are finished, visibility of the test case, and smooths the flow of execution
(often relies on some principles of extreme programming). TDD can be understood
as “tool” that supports to create better written pieces of code and consistent making
of a structured documentation test case. Productivity of programmers tend to make
more relating code quality. The use of debugger is suppressed at the cost of more code
but the direct correlation leads to flexible problem solutions (because of smaller size
of project parts). Gameplay is the potentional problem. Automated tests are checking
code integrity and solution reliability. They are unsuitable of achieving the level of human
perception and sense. Overtesting can become time consuming problem and the
level of coverage plus testing detail gained in repeated TDD cycles[15] can not always
be recreated later (they would require unadequately more sources). The benefits of the
approach are significant, and the costs are low by comparison. Gaming is based on
mathematics and algorhitms that can be tested with ease (non gameplay related systems
are easy to test) But a lot of things are visual in nature, and aren’t obvious how to
have them properly tested. It is challenge to balance everything within testing limits.
For example making of HUD8 and GUI9 depends on the feel and effective control of the
scene. Some solutions are not definite until team deploys them. They might influence
game mechanics, even though game itself pass all tests. Such changes are very common
in game development. This continual change is the main reason why it is hard to use
pure TDD principle in game making.
Summary Previous experience of Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)10, Dependency
Inversion Principle (DIP)11, and the Open Closed Principle (OCP)12 are the backbone
for serious consider of this development type (with management support during the
whole process). Previous experience in other agile methodology is required. Project
plan should also count with TDD and have mechanism for sustainable approach (including
early and release development phases). Under these conditions I can recommend
TDD methodology for middle to long sized agile teams.
8. HUD - Head-Up Display used in video gaming to display pieces of information about the player,
game objects or goals on the screen such as health bars, score, items or progress.
9. GUI - (Graphical User Interface) Allows to manipulate with the game product on both visual and
intellectual level through set of graphical controllers, display objects or in game buttons.
10. Single Responsibility Principle - State that every class should have single responsibility based on principle
of cohesion which can be the reason to change.
11. Dependency Inversion Principle - Software parts or modules on high levels should not depend on
lower levels and they are both depending on abstractions and details above them.
12. Open Closed Principle - Principle of how software entities (classes, functions, modules, etc.) should
be open for extension, but closed for modification.
13
2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
2.3.4 Lean Software Development
Is based upon distinguish everything that does not give added value for the customer
in scope. This technique is used in some part of the rest agile methodologies. It represents
set of principles for quality, speed and balance. Lean thinking is looking for the
solution by approaching to optimalization, reducing waste and improving overall flow
of value through a system[11]. Top processes produce parts only if lower processes require
them, which helps in minimizing the “work in progress” (they have to pull for
them directly). Creating knowledge and eliminating waste helps to build project parts
and faster deliver whole product (whcih is optimized as whole).
These principles should not be used as a goal but as decision making guide focusing
on improvement of a system on overall basis as much as possible. Opposite from TDD
that stands on integrity by inspecting the last phase of creation the lean principle supports
establishing integrity during the creation process. It is easier when teams know
they have the supporting mechanisms, including dependable version management. Is
partialy present in game development from some form to another by type and size of
project.
Summary In Agile software development, lean has become a common practice to visualize
and share project status by posting cards on a wall of the project room or use
specific tool for this purpose. Sustaining lean rules, separate and serial processes by
type, assigning requirements and task lifecycle is time consuming but the contribution
is equally rewarding with better task control and management. For more complex game
projects there is a very good and benefitial use for lean principles when the team have
will to use them.
2.3.5 Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
Invented to fix some of the weakneses from the Rapid Application Development (RAD)
13 method by providing a framework which takes into account the entire development
cycle. DSDM was one of the first agile methods (and widely known method) that defines
most of principles used in agile development. DSDM basis are user involvement
with iterative and incremental development. The delivery frequency is increased and
supported by integrated tests at each phase. The acceptance of delivered products depends
directly on fulfilling requirements[16]. It can be used in various situations for
managing project subparts, namely exploration, engineering or solution incremental
deployment.
Summary DSDM is not rare in game development, yet rather hidden. Some of the interviewed
czech indie-teams bought third party solutions (engine modules, gameplay
13. Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology that uses minimal
planning in favor of rapid prototyping.
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2. AGILE METHODS FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT
tests or tools for testing quality) and poolished them by themselves (For example the
cooperation of “Adobe” and game company “CUKETA” poolished new rendering technology
“stage3D” in flash by using computer graphics). Generic approach of solution
delivery by fixed time and cost with support can be still considerable agile method for
especially new teams that works on their own engines.
2.3.6 Extreme Programming (XP)
Use of beneficial aspects from traditional software engineering practices that are taken
to extreme levels. The early delivery and following improvements of project is based
on essentials of communication, simplicity, courage (challenge) and respect. Mainly focuses
on engineering processes, explaining the analysis, measure development and test
phases with approaches that make a substantial difference to the quality of the end
product. XP empowers a confident respond to changing gameplay requirements in all
phases of software lifecycle (including the late release). Managers, customers and game
Developers are equal partners in a collaborative team. This environment of listening to
the real values (goals), revision of design, and testing is best known for it’s Pair Programming14
practices. Self-organizing around the problems supports implementation
of simple, yet effective solutions. XP can be higly contributive methodology, when the
team has previous experience and is well known of what Product Owner expects. XP is
very well suited for small teams and smaller game projects because of it’s high success
ratio[17]. The planning is very dependent on feedback quality, negotiation with Stakeholders
and meetings with Product Owner. Preparation is easy and results are simple
to measure. Quality assurance is easier to obtain by XP.
Summary With experienced practising of teamwork the XP principles are much more
effective. This methodology can be widely used for all small agile teams and departments
focusing on specific problem solvings. Management has to know how to manage
human sources and sustain support to get all main benefits of following XP principles.
14. Pair Programming - Activities involving pair change and labor alteration involving control between
jobs on specific tasks.
15
3 Team leadership
3.1 Introduction
In this chapter I show most commonly mentioned issues and principles that affect performance
and quality indirectly (from view of management). I explain what I have
found contained in multiple referenced theory and periodics from multiple views. I
explain the solutions in simple words for easier and deeper understanding of team
leadership based on readings and conclusions of project management discipline.
3.1.1 Quality Assurance
Games are played in realtime with some level of complexity. This makes them hard to
compute for all possible options. Tremendous number of combinations brings problems
for testing. Some can be made by computer but the Tester (which is in this case player)
is required to check them. Not only the development is driven by best features of whole
team, but also the final customers needs to be taken into the process. It’s because of submarine
syndrome1. (When team tests the game by playing it so many times they used
to disregard some game glitches unaware of knowing how important they can be.) Attention
to detail matters. QA activities guarantee that requirements of a game product
will be fulfilled. This requires systematic measurent, comparison with standards and
monitoring of processes associated with feedback that confers error prevention[18].
3.1.2 Qualification & performance
Put your own spin and flair on your job, personalize it. (We will not stick to a diet if we
don’t like the food.) If something is not working consider modifying it or stop doing it.
3.1.3 Cooperation effectiveness
Good example are Testers and Developers. Developers can not do the Testers job on
their own work, because they feel responsibility for solutions they had made. It’s hard
for them to find the bugs in their work because they are thinking in some straight forwarding
way to solve tasks and did not made bugs at first place (on purpose). Also
reporting mistakes in their own work would undermine themselves. On the other side
the Testers are in some way happy to crush (destroy) the game software. Their effort invoves
finding as many bugs as possible in each problem resolution. Even though both
Developers and Testers are facing in different direction their cooperation is necessary
in close relation with solicit to build fine tuned game product[19]. To do so they have
to find common language. Objective view is the key to progressive support and the understanding
that someone elses work is required to make product better (even thought
1. Submarine syndrome - Attention to detail is absent after many repetitions (of testing or playing the
game in this case).
16
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
it is agains your work) leads to higher responsibility. Establishing of cooperation takes
time and must be planted on good ground with care and support of Project Manager.
3.1.4 Meetings management
Meetings preparation Personal requirements and topic with containing proposing
time, place and time lasting informations. Presence on time and being relaxed for the
topic. Have documents ready and prepare required presentation technical base. Make
regular breaks and declare how long they will last.
Effective discussion Moderator is recommended and he should have skills to know,
how will the selected solutions influence things out of the discussed topic. He distributes
documents, introduces problem, works with discussion and also summarizes
finally selected solution or future sprint steps for everyone present. He should also
dampen negative elements and direct the discusion back to the original issue and provide
uniformal guide. Team members should focus deeper and with wider range about
the problem. This requires presense of different team member roles. Administration
of relaxed atmosphere can involve spontaneous conversation stimulations as jokes or
crazy solution ideas. Distraction should be managably restrained to point, when present
members reclaim new energy to continue in discussed problem. Moderator should also
calm down insultations and gauge to discussion transparency. His job is to help team
members think spontaneously about the problem from different perspectives in order
to achieve more efficient solutions. This can be trained so well that audience comes to
conclusions naturally.
Personality collisions When game Investor (for example) and company representative
firstly meet to agree on contract there is a need to find "common language and
understanding". (These principles are also applicable to “customer” that orders the
product in the classical development.) Good success rate enhancement trick is to come
to Product Owner with set of negotiators of different personalities. After deciding who
suits for him (in communication) best will take the role of main talk (yet quite expensive
solution).
Objectively directed person When the Product Owner is arogant, then objective
proofs and facts with cooperation talk are better, than situation when someone entertains
too much about game product benefits and advantages so the Product Owner may
think team is trying to mess (cheat) with him or offer things he simply doesn’t want[3].
This kind of person is usually assertive, directive, known of what he wants, prepared
to check every contract issue and project progress or question anything regullary
(and plan or ask things ahead).
17
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
Emotionaly directed person For emotion like submissive Product Owner (or Investor)
there is better to create bond, show compassion and shared value over uniformity,
dominance (or that you must be always right).
This kind of person is persuadable, opened, honest, intuitive, little uncertain or shy
and trustable, but also most oftenly fully unaware of what he truly wants or gets.
Balanced direction Balanced representative is most compatible in meetings. (This
comes naturally). Probably the worst combination is when nobody cares on both sides
(for example two flegmatics). Serious project discussion goes somehow randomly, but
then acts as seriously assigned. Without Project Owner interest, guide and control of
the crucial problems comes usually too late in process for the team apply all changes in
a given time.
Meeting closure At the end moderator should read final meeting summary that the
team members agreed on. Everyone should be aware of current situation (even if they
get lost at some decisions) and open or close future sprint/strategy plan.
Last meetings Revision meetings are good to revise the results, even though in agile
development the overall team failure can be known even before final release. (Aside
from classical development where the Project Manager is happily shaking customer
hand with acceptance protocol on the table while holding the bill in other hand behind
his back.)
3.1.5 Effective team leadership
Studying leadership at university can be hard. The first thing is to learn how to learn,
how to self motivate to get things done. Practice combined with teoretical skills is most
self-rewarding. Managing work within the team is challenge and requires both soft
skills and knowledge. Manager is the one who takes the whole responsibility. The most
important of all is the team support. (It’s the core of future business in order to breathe).
It’s his job to think out of the box and plan ahead while constantly analyze risks. Here
comes the opportunity to build level of management that will boost the developing
process. Effective leading improve weak points and enhances opportunity. Distribution
of responsibilities among employees is necessary to make sure there will be always
someone who will be responsible. (In reasonable level of complexity and with back up
plan that some team member may be released from the project or inaccessible.)
Personal effectivity and objective approach Be fair. There’s always some group within
the organization that appears to be the pure gold. It might happend that somebody
seems to get more attention and popularity than others. Top management can’t see into
all team interactions but every employee feels and knows decisions made from above.
Project Manager must be aware of this.
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
It s a tough situation to be in, but you can definitely take the focus on creating
some solid recognition, rewards program or responding personally to suggestions, and
performing some other actions that will include involved employees. Just remember
what you do for one person or group you should not forget to do (from time to time)
something similar for other team members[20]. Project achievements are made by sustainable
effort of whole team, no matter how small part was the employee involved in.
It’s whole team success. From psychology of personality it is recommended to point
out effort and personal success in front of whole team while taking personal critisism
personally in private talk[21].
You need to understand sometines people choose not to lean. Some people can not
(or choose not to) play with the rest of the team. They are most of the times the core of
your toxic environment. Even the best coaching and support system makes no difference
in their performance and attitude. You got to have a system in place to be able to
get rid these people from your organization without ruining social hierarchy.
Effective problem planning management Project Manager will face tough decisions
every day and constantly looks for possible solutions (that’s his job). He will improve
processes on the go (by their engagement into the team). Project Leader creates a plan
that will be followed and this is never easy. (Because of tremendous possible scenarios
in game industry.) The plan should be stable, understandable and divided into milestones
that will make sense. In gaming development the plan will probably change
multiple times and therefore new misunderstanding and exceptions will follow. Project
Manager will constantly check the progress and regulate the product shape. Team cooperation
generally gets work done acording to the plan (when their temper and inspiration
is well managed), but the product will tremble as the gameplay and design give
it it’s shape. This process requires effort of the whole team under support and help of
Project Manager. The best effective solution is to make space in plan for these dynamic
changes that will influence the whole product and even count with delayed delivery
and additional testing time in contracts.
3.2 Negative behavior of team
In this subchapter I will explain some of the negative aspects that dampen effective
cooperation and the work itself. This chapter contains most disturbing practices that
management has to face in order to make precaution and prevention. Brief common
sense viewed from the role of team leader or manager. Illustrated examples of unfolding
these practices are given with possible advice that may lead to their solvings.
3.2.1 Intrusion
Every disturbance requires great concentration as the counterpart. Every time an employee
has to answer some unrelated question that someone asks it costs his time to
19
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
re-adapt into the problem he is solving. (Question is out of his current scope of work.)
Constantly annoying other team members with questions can lead to hesitation and
resignation to solve the problem until there will be “fresh air” again. This is serious
problem with many possible solutions - lock on prioritized tasks, full time coaching,
discussion or quote messaging[22]. (New employees should be under supervision of
assigned team member that will have time to provide them guide and answers to their
questions.)
3.2.2 Will to change
It is not always in human (Developer) nature to embrace the change. Team members
get used to some specific technology or principle. They can be persuaded or just forced
to do it, but always this topic should be discussed with the whole team to identify
experience capabilities. New employees might also hesitate too much or act reluctant
by new style of approach, but they can surely be coached with support help from the
rest of the team.
3.2.3 Procastination and excuses
Most people at one time or other have procrastinated, which is normal, but when it
becomes obsessive and chronic there could be an underlying issue behind it. Procrastination
can result in additional stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, loss of professional
productivity for not meeting responsibilities or commitments. Let’s just say we have to
deal with real procastinator, what can be indications of such behaviour can be seen on
Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1: Procastination examples
20
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.2.4 Finishing tasks
When something is almost complete and it requires last few final minutes (it can actually
take much more than that - even hours or days of work). In this particular situation
the main problem is time estimation. For Project Manager small task can look simple,
but not for the Developer. You (as Project Manager) simply can not want it precisely,
because the Developer is usually not qualified to estimate things precisely with all relations
to tasks planning. (This also includes known problem which is thinking inside
the box.) Don’t force Developer to tell you exact time when it will be done. Ask him for
the rought time or extremly worst precise he can deliver (for calculations). Speeding
up the process can bring new bugs into the problem - “expensive solving time bugs”.
Sometimes “When it’s done it’s done” sentence should be accepted, because excessive
planning can stroke productivity.
3.2.5 Non-profiled cooperation
Leadership should be taken more as an action than state or position. (Where boss says
“Do!" but true leader says “Let’s do"[23]. Readable problems and constructive solutions
makes good ground to learn new skills and work on solutions as team. The goal is
to make problems so readable and give space for their solutions so constructive that
everyone wants to work on them. (Cooperation is side-effect of such effort.) Coaching
is therefore important part of teaching and training the team and profiling employee
skills and competencies. This way they are properly supported with actual information,
while achieving specific result of work. On the other side facilitator is an individual
who enables team to collaborate more effectively (activities that make tasks for whole
team easier).
3.2.6 Attention to multiple problems
One solution can bring new problems. These problems are more likely solvable, but
they can (and will) spread bugs. Some of the bug fixes will be quick but few last will
be tricky and thus the solution will require more testing time. Too many given tasks,
simultaneous problem solving or thinking several steps ahead just stroke the mind and
when someone is interrupted he usually has to rethink or start over. Solve tasks properly
one by one and count with time reserves during their estimation[13].
3.2.7 Precautions planning
I will demonstrate this on example. Project leader should manage his time to be able
help others with issues that prevents them from doing their job. On the run there appears
a serious problem with developing and meanwhile some employee complains,
that he can’t do his job because something is wrongly configured with his computer.
Leader should make precautions to fix this problem, because he is currently working
21
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
on critical problem and cannot fix the problem right now. Priority depends on situation
and influence of how many people can do their jobs in contrast of problem critical
importanity[24]. Precautions can prevent many casual problems related to work, when
they are set well. (Someone else dellegation could possibly fix that team member issue
with the computer and team leader could still work on critical task.)
3.2.8 Exploiting
Artificial systems like school or tests is where people can climb over, or find exploits
when they learn how to manipulate with rules up to their edges. This will not work
for any long-term activity. In role of Project Manager keep in mind, that there could
be always someone who will keep looking for shortcuts of making work easier, even
though the risk of postponing the problem elsewhere. The quality of work or extended
time spent will later suffer project progress so track issues to their origin and mismanagement
prevention should be applyed regularly.
3.2.9 Unrealistic expectations
We can not expect perfect solutions, and bulletproof clarifications because they differ
from person to person. Explanation can be taken from different perspectives that
may lead to collisions, arguing or denial of other principles. Trying to understand the
behaviour of others can help building the view of their perceptions. Based on what
assumptions and how probable they are right. (For example person who makes tasks
done but with bugs, another one effective but at cost of time.) Knowing each person is
better for distinquishing and preferable assigning critical task (or allocating sources).
This can be benefitial for the whole team. Their efort won’t get unnoticed when this is
done correctly and sources are invested at their max profit to perfectionalized product[22].
(Project Manager should listen and believe to Project Leader for he knows his team advantages
and disadvantages best - team is unlikely to be perfect.)
3.2.10 Social copying
Is part of social mirroring phenomenon[25] that affects practical process of acquiring
new skills. Copying unnecessary actions is more based upon observing actions made
by someone else than true learning of how to use objects. This strokes creativity in
gameplay. New ideas can achieve game diversity on the market. Another problem lies
in personal charm and skills with feigning interest in things that interest others, which
is sufficient to make a good impression even though person simply doesn’t care. New
different way of thinking, visual sense by new unfamiliar perspective is something that
players want to experience. They can choose the product that suits their notions above
average game products on market, that is why this matters.
22
3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.2.11 Same level of understanding
The best practice of knowing that team member understands what he should do is to
ask him to repeat the task assignment and talk about procedures he suggests to make.
This is an elegant and unoffending way, where employee feels important and aware
of what is his goal. (Active listening should be used and possible corrections made to
fulfill the task goals.)
3.2.12 Inefficient testing and resting time
Developer should take extra time to test functionality and be certain before he provides
it. Later it will be hard and expensive to find it and make a fix. Some solutions requires
time to make them right. Successful Project Leader is proactively trying to understand
each job of each person and make professional relationships separately (with caution
and objectively). Knowing the sensitive difference between “slack" and “relax" (not exploited)
is required. Sometimes non-violent “check" is not a bad thing to do. Principle of
attentin breaks[26] can be used to offer mandaroty time to think about new task before
starting to develop them (right after finishing previous task).
3.2.13 Strict tokenism
Tokens in To-Do lists2 are very important for tracking the state of progress and self
motivation. To-Do lists works individually well, but are not suited for the tasks used by
whole team. Advanced task lists based on tokenism might require precious estimations
and be properly assigned to individuals, team members or departement, that is able to
process them completely.
The strict checklist practice or exaggerated policy of making nothing more than a
token effort is undeterministic and should not belong in game development practice
of any kind. (Because the suppression of unlisted ideas and dampening opportunity to
manifest creativite thinking[27].)
Figure 3.2: Tokens and tasks
2. To-Do list - Set of tasks, improvements or issues that can be tracked and marked with token of completion.
(Side by side to other possible token practices as estimation, priority or usefulness.)
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.3 Positive benefits from team behaviour
In this subchapter I will focus on the advantages of team cooperation and give advice
to strenghten the team through relationship consisted motivation, communication
practices and deeper view to the act of effective decision making.
Most people want to learn and are teachable. Even the ones that use odd strategies
over recommended usual. So often people are not given encouragement or feedback
of any kind. People get bored, feel unchallenged and are not supported in any way.
It could be any employee. Without recognition support of work might happen, that
team members just get discouraged and give up[20]. With good manners the person
can become very benefitial for the whole project. Good manager should give chance to
everyone, even crazy or stupidly simple ideas can help to avoid problems in the future
and simplify the journey to achieve goal. (Spark of enforcing new ideas have much to
offer.)
Motivation does not work same way for everyone. Sometimes we try the quick fixes
to improve near environment but that doesn’t work. Or we "shock and awe" by bringing
in some specialist or radically changing the working proces and procedures. But then
we stop pushing it. We need to change the overall habits and team culture starting with
our environment which is always a lot of work. (Blaming is pushing water uphill and
will result only in foam at the surface.)
3.3.1 Motivation
There is positive and negative motivation which can be conditioned and unconditioned
(spontaneous). Treat well, but with care, patience and understanding. For long term
periods the cooperation with good motivation is more suitable (and required) for the
job[8]. This differs from person to person. Being open minded and listen can help understand
team member and based on type of his character decide how to treat him
to gain his attention for doing work right. Show facts to assertive person or acknowledgement
for melancholic person. Use the best of unforced psychology of character[20].
Sugar (give extra limited time bonuses or create motivation) and slash (push effort or
lower bonus funds) can suit well and varies from team to team, therefore finding a
good balance is recommended[28]. We simply want to feel better, be cheered and feel
that someone trust in us. Mastering our feelings can lead to better experience and that
is why the team motivation is so important (Motivation is in this case the feel of being
part of a team, where you can stand for your solutions and support others).
3.3.2 Win - Win strategy
Approach where every agreement, task, job and cooperation is equally rewarding for
both sides. When one side profits severely more than other it is not win-win strategy it
is act of exploiting the partner[29]. (It is like having golden goose that lays golden eggs,
you can either kill the goose and get many golden eggs at once, but if you feed her it be
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
mostly rewarding for both sides.) This should be used not only in pacts with Investors
or partners, but mainly inside company environment. Leader should give employees
reasons to stay in the company. Presentation of company growth, information meeting
or any other team every effort counts and will be remembered in team. Sometimes a
little is enough to motivate all members of the team for career growth. Create program
to let them know management did not forget about their future and they will work
hard for the company to achieve it (if setted up beneficial for both sides, exploiting can
be noticed in time).
3.3.3 Managing assignment of tasks
Modeling task interactions and task representations are just one side of the business
task management systems[30]. Personal capacity consisting of passion, collaboration,
event plan or solution exploration (research) is basis for making more suitable tasks
solutions and code optimized performance. Everyone has different set of skills and
weaknesses. These affect will to work on tasks that are challenging, creative or out of
routine. Team leader should do best from least and that kind of effective manners will
be noticed by team members. Sort the tasks with reason and give opportunity to the
whole team to work on them by their abilities and capacity. Nobody wants to do only
boring tasks, and free will of having option helps even if tasks are not interesting at all.
3.3.4 Do not reinvent the wheel
We can build upon establishment of what previous generations of Project Managers
have learned. Even if you don’t have a mentor or are unfamiliar with your situation
you can always stop looking for excusions and do some research. Do what other successful
Project Managers do. There are many support groups, books, periodicals, sessions,
events or semminars to find. (Good start can be “How can leaders achieve high
employee engagement”[31] and “The Agile Project Manager”[24]). You have more of a
support group, than you think, if you listen to people and whole team (some can offer
much more, and gladly share it on ask).
3.3.5 Teamwork
The vision is clear to create systems for success[32]. There is a need of a good firm culture
and work balance to let employees be effective as a team. True proffesional friendship
is long term win-win strategy. The weak elements are recognized, but that does not
mean they are no usefull at all. Keep looking and find the suited way of how to involve
everyone in the process, because there is almost zero probability that everything will
be perfectly suited, supported and sourced just for the job. Teamwork is result of trust,
honor and support of management.
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.4 Communication practices
This subchapter will explain the way how we precieve information, learn, think, make
decisions and understand the opinions of others in order of productive cooperation.
I explain possible ways, how to learn from every experience and make personal enhancemet
practices for discussions, meetings, negotiations, problem solvings, communication
advancing or criticism facing.
3.4.1 Active Listening
Active listening is act of communication understanding. It is not just listening to the
words, but also thinking about them. It can be trained and mastered, as long as we
consciously aware the fact of allowing changes of our view to the opinions of others
(Initial rejection3). Being fair and critical to our own ideas is very difficult, but most
personally rewarding. We can bring into discussion a lot and take even more, when
we learn to listen actively. There are many tools and techniques that will help us, from
person centered communication to soft skills. The main issue leads us to psychology.
It is founded largely on the use of psychological knowledge about human actions[33].
(For example everyone unconsciously searches for friends like them who act (and think)
in a similar way, this is coming out of the psychology of personality[34].)
3.4.2 Communication experience
There are many definitions, opinions and views about communication itself. Some information
from the discussions has been surely familiar to us in some way. Thinking
about them, we sort our own knowledge or take a new interesting points.
It’s like building skyscraper from “stones” of our knowledge. Solid foundations give
us chance to make a “higher tower”. The more sophisticately we can reshape them, the
better we are able to arrange them, so that they fit into each-other more smoothly. Each
of us will gain a different amount of these “stones” from one specific conversation,
that may fit into our knowledge “building”. And every single act, expression, gesture
and words, to some extent affect experience of others. In meeting or any discussion
we do compare what we have learned and heard so far. We think about what we hear
in that real time. And also we assume what will come next or think steps ahead of
that. We decide whether it is precious and interesting for us (or not). Feelings during
actual moment with active listening with will be unique (never happend again) and
lasts longer[27]. (But we will remember how we “felt" about the discusion, because
only in the future we are able to truly measure the value of memories from the past
moment.)
3. Initial rejection - (The first part of the personal defiance law) "Well, it’s not true at all.", "Under certain
circumstances it could be true", "I’ve always maintained that this is so right!“.
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3.4.3 Body language
Represents body gestures, intonation or facial expression with possible relation to personal
distance area4. Warm welcome, shaking of hands or friendly gesture manners
can lighten future communication or reveal hidden feedback. Practice body talk at the
mirror. Give it half an hour and compare results. You will teach yourself how to act at
certain situations more appropriately. Training in this discipline comes naturally. (It can
improve quality of information that you want to show in gestures.) Strongly focusing
on acting or excessive gestures can be noticed and you miss the whole purpose of doing
them. Body language should feel unforced and natural.
Some countries have specific conscious gestures (usually related to certain continent
or time of history) that represents certain action. There are also widely used signals for
expressing enhanced feeling for situation. Knowing the possible unconscious reactions
in discussion can indicate many emotions and acts. (attention, nervousness boredom,
shyness, trust, vigorousness, critical evaluating expressions, uncertainty, lieing, superiority,
taking or giving control, thinking or making a decision). They can be tracked
personally, but are not always that reliable (and can be cheated). Keep in mind that
there is information hidden within words in every discussion.
Influencing the discussion Is the higher level of Active Listening which differs in
using all of our senses for following and comprehending the personal activity. Sentences
used in talk steers the conversation towards unconscious direction that contains
the subtly colored opinions of the speaker. Well trained manipulators can notice lies
and deep character decision making. Whether consciously or unconsciously, positive
or negative, the person who leads a conversation is kind of manipulative for convincing
others. Like when we go to a meeting with an important person. We dress professionally
and act nice, especially if we want something from that person. Dresscode is
therefore important and varies by situation, firm rules and occasions. In meetings keep
a mind of the bussiness goal. Female members of the team should wear decent proffesional
clothes and not attract unnecessary sexual attention. This helps everyone to focus
about the discussed topic more than being distracted by the look of a person.
Over time we realize that the actions of others and our own are based on similar
behavior. We may also find more precious information in details and words aside of
conversation, such as body language. The effort to understand the problems enable
us customize it with significant influence of the relation to discussed person and the
problem view from his perspective[35].
4. Personal Distance Area - May differs from person to person and represents the level of personal unenforceable
acceptance or “access" towards person - intimate zone(under 45cm), personal zone(45cm-1.5m),
social zone(1.5m-3m), public zone (3m or more)
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.4.4 Mental Strategies (MS)
Set of decisions that lead us towards a certain goal. MS are sometimes referred as a
habits of thinking or active learning srategies[36]. MS represent absolutely any decision(s)
we do. It is plainly sayed a whole process, that we have to think through and
consider, untill we came up to decision. (This process happends within Decision Moment
and uncosciously.)
(Example of situation:) The goal is to reach some finish place from start location
within some city infrastructure. Each of us can get there by different ways. (”Straight”
- ideal and perfect. ”Zigzag” - any solution close to ideal. ”Around” - out of the box
thinking.) We use different sequence of direction changes (decisions) that lead us towards
our finish place goal. We constantly try to improve our strategies. (The effective
enhancement of “zigzag” solution can be for example taking a “bus” for partial way
near begin and end locations that can save traveling time.)
The main difference between habit and MS is uniformity and applicable on higher
level of thinking abstraction[37, 38]. All habits are MS but not all MS are habits. Habits
are easier to understand (more like overall personal rules), because they do not directly
explain problem solvings (or interraction) how we are recieve and process information
in decisions[39]. (Habits rather permit the inference, but MS highlights the awareness
of decision making steps.)
MS Matching Noticing similar experience in some situation or similar behaviour (attention
focusing of brain neural association) gives opportunity to revise and rethink
the possibly different reaction of person (in same situation with different experience)
can be very informationly self-containing. (Like living the similar situation again with
different decision and observing of possible results.)
MS Learning collisions The first basic understanding of the perception of narrative
impersonal from our opinions. It means new opinions can conflict with our own. Think
about them from the different perspective. The more the person observes the sooner
he will understand not only how it formed, but also why. Everyone learns new things
differently, what we like, what we are good at, and what seems good in this teaching
is a form of coincidence. The understanding we have gained can lead to refution[38] of
other opinions. (First step of understanding the problem is knowing of it’s existence.)
MS Defense against change Our mind naturaly rejects ideas that would affect our
current way of thinking too unduly. This psychological defensive system works best
against collisions in our MS. We can usually conspiously decide whather we have will
to allow the change or defend and reject it. The deeper strategy fits into other strategies
that build our personality the harder it is to change it.
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MS Rapid change Any new experience that collides with our behaviour can cause
mental strategy rapid change (catharsis, neutral or hurting).
3.4.5 Decision moment
All of our considerations, knowledge and experience helps us to make certain decision
within moment of a second. This moment can cause Avalanche Effect5. By noticing it
we can extend this moment and even find out what was the main cause which directed
result decision in that certain way. We better understand based on what pillars we make
decisions in that instant moment. This can be trained. (We can also notice the decision
moments of others, but we don’t know how “close” or ”little" could made their decision
ended different.
The first and fastest decision is more based on our mental strategies than be misleaded
by our thinking “reason". Decisions based on first impression and reflex can be
more right[21] than when we consider them in the second thought. Worst thing in decision
moment is not to come to any conclusion be constantly hesitating. (Deciding to
not to decide can also be an option.)
3.4.6 Perception glasses of our experience
We see the world through a kind of filter glasses with a color filter which represents our
experience. We color that filter through which we are looking as we learn. This leads to
denial of some things that are in collision with what we know.
Each of us will gain something different from the same situation. We have to understand
that even very different strategies have reason from certain point of view.
Observing the reality is rooted deeply in our mental strategies. It is therefore important
to realize and investigate not only what we see, but also how we see it through these
glasses of our perception. Learn from every single experience. We can learn more from
active listening (and precieving all sense information), when we correct (or throw off)
our color glass filters to see clearly without prejudices. The way we understand and perceive
reality helps us create mental strategies and form our habits and behaviour[40].
Active understanding and even comprehension of the world through eyes of someone
is very hard, reconciliation is reachable but this can be manipulatively glitched.
Every word, gesture or act of any kind is manipulation to some point. Simply because
when the person hears similar thoughts, he won’t notice any manipulation. Reconciliation
is usualy learned as a result of catharsis. Catharsis is plainly sayed “the peacefull"
solution of win-win agreement (Usually leads to bond and true friendship in work,
family, or with friends). Religion exploits this but our actions can be considered also on
interaction level as Self-Fulfilling Prophecies 6 and Pygmalion effect[41].
5. Avalanche Effect - Small “snowflake” idea(experience,feeling, etc.) can be responsible for coming of
an events that may shape and affect us much more later.
6. Self-Fulfilling Prophecies - Is the karma-like habit reaction or expectation that something will happen
because we think that way.
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.4.7 Effective habits
Seven[21] habits and eight special habit [42] of effectiveness described by Stephen R.
Covey in shortened core idea form:
1. Proactive approach Rather than react to specific situation as the circumstances victim
keep looking for alternative solutions. (I could approach this differently instead of
reacting with “that is the way I am”.)
2. Begin with the end in mind Imagine how will you look or remember the current
situation from the future. Do things in what you believe, you like and the way that
worths your time.
3. Putting first things first Make a schedule of your main goals and base your time
management on that. Prioritize important and critical tasks over features.
4. Think win/win Is the belief that there is a solution that is profitable for both sides
(Symbiotic cooperation). Most people have a win/lose mentality. If the other loses, we
win. But this usually not lasts for longer term period.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood We often have our opinions ready
even that we do not understand the person or the situation. To learn to listen is therefore
a crucial habit for effective communication. We will not only listen in order to
understand, but also to reply more precisely.
6. Synergize Synergy is the added value of the whole in relation to the separate parts.
Synergy requires trust and openness. We should keep looking for the qualities and
potential in others, so we can create bond and make cooperation.
7. Sharpen our habits Constant effort to improve, enhance, maintain and renew out
mental, social, emotional and knowledge capabilities. It is vital to keep nourishing and
developing our habits.
8. Find your own voice Personalize your work in an effective order. Known what
you want and became the change that fulfill your dreams. Help others but don’t forget
about yourself, else you just end up completing the dreams of others. This habit is not
ment just for individuals, but also for organisations.
Summary: In order to achieve better decision effectivity through our habits we need
to listen and act with open mind (§1,2,3 - Independence). So we can start influencing
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reality outside more effectively (§4,5,6 - Interdependence), and with our continous improvement
(§7 - Effectivity enhacements). And most of all developing new habits, that
suits us best, through our skills and experience (§8 - Comprehending).
3.4.8 Person centered approach
A growing openness to experience Stop applying perceptual defense and have no
need for subception7.
An increasingly existential lifestyle Living each moment fully and enjoy each single
experience. Be open-minded to what is going on. This results in happiness, excitement,
tolerance, adaptability, spontaneity and trusting the others.
Increasing trust Trust in own judgement and ability to choose appropriate behavior
(not only expected ones) for each moment. Do not rely on social norms, have wider and
more reasonal choices by basic senses.
Creativity Learn how to think creatively and how to adapt to circumstances and how
to conform.
Reliability and constructiveness Individual is open to all needs and maintain balance
between them. He can be trusted and act constructively.
A full rich life Life is described as fully functioning individual which is exciting and
suggests to experience intensely joy remind of pain and face problems without fears
with courage.
Propositions of thinking All individuals exist in continually changing world of experience
of which they are center. This experience is Phenomenal Field8. We actualise,
maintain and enhance the experiencing process. Behaviour is described as goal directed
attempt to satisfy needs in the preceived field. Experience is organized in some relation
to self. Under certain conditions, involving absence of threat, the experiences which
are inconsistent with it, are examined. Structure is then self revised to assimilate and
include such change. Psychological adjustements of behavior are on symbolic levels
which involve experiencing some established life rituals. Consistency is adopted from
real experience.
7. Subception - Perception (or reaction) of absorbing information without conscious awareness.
8. Phenomenal Field - Experienced reality for the individual (is similar to perceptual field).
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3.4.9 Uncospious problem solving
Someone needs to walk, keep clicking on pen, turn eyes in different direction (directly
letting know that he is thinking and not paying attention). But this kind of thinking is
conscious[43].
Subconscious or uncospious mind solving is the fact that we can figure out solutions
in time without consciously thinking about them. We use around 10% of our neural
capacity in cospious thinking[39], but the rest (most is consumed in associations
and collecting the relevant information) is uncontrollable part of our thinking. (When
solutions are interesting this process is enhanced.) Trust in your brain, that it will uncospiously
try to solve problems which bothers you. Sometimes it at least defragments
information on the way, which may be catalyzator for it’s solving. This can be used in
variable things in both development and social management.
Last meeting of the day can focus on algorhitmic assignment solving. The task is
given and discussed only the rules. Next day in the morning the Developers (meet
again) and tends to find solutions more accurate, creative and competitive.) Adaptation
in time is responsible and possible to learn practically anything, if we keep on trying
(even complex ideas). This is silent reason what of long-period employees have so extended
hardly measurable experience value. for the company by their suited personal
experience.
Inteligence can be developed. Inteligence Quocient9 means in fact nothing more
than a number, that simply can’t content all personal qualities and aspects. But the true
improvement is measurable. (If you keep up to learn more than you forget in time.)
3.4.10 Uncertain truths
Consider that personal truth is not always correct, let’s think of it as semi-correct (or
partially incorrect) by the point of view. Some things can be very incomprehensible to
Project Managers while simple for Developers, the difference lies in perception. Accept
something new as a partial truth is possible (in case we are at least slightly critical), but
it’s very hard to admit a mistake, even if we do not know what in our behavior caused
it. We learn, that some of our opinions are most certainly wrong due to something we
do not understand (or we do not have a way to confirm it or disprove). Over time we
can understand even complex ideas when we acquire the necessary knowledge and
experience. This affects how we approach to the negotiations with team members and
accepting their opinios or excuses.
3.4.11 Association thinking
We think in associations. The more of them, the easier we will remember because the
neural connections weaken in time. When someone chewing a gum of certain flavour
9. Inteligence Quocient - Is metric used for measuring person inteligence in relation to the rest of the
population.
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while learning, then he will remember more when on the test chewes the same flavour[40].
These associations are made within all of our senses. Specific thoughts are causing
what we most commonly do - thinking and remembering what we learned to figure
out the answer for forgotten test question (in this example). Knowing how this works
and noticing it allows to remember more and in longer sequences (which can be used
to track project issues). Bringing more relevant information to the discussion makes it
more clear and asking right questions based on remembering more project issues save
time of a whole team.
3.4.12 Attention hardening
Ammount of information that human mind can process (and absorb) is limited (differs
from person to person). On difficult problems or longer meetings our brain also
looses attention. Brain simply cannot keep all neural connections and context indefinitely.
Breaks helps overally, relevant jokes helps even better (must be felt as they are
unprepared), expression of opinions can be containing and inspiring. (Active listening
leads to Mental Strategies Matching.) Spark works best, but is somehow unpredictable
(It makes a long lasted bridge to skip multiple steps and learn extremly fast by unconspicous
prethink10). Know where your absorb limit is, (when you cross it - And don’t
forget to tell others that you need a break.)
Misunderstanding drowns us and we have to go back on some most stable rock of
what we know but we are lost for a moment in what we cannot learn because we have
to swim to safe ground - something that we can step upon and start over.
3.4.13 Knowledge influence
When we learn something new (in lecture for example) we might remember 90% of it
in an hour, like 50% in couple of days and in matter of months or years we might not
remember exact words or the identic idea, but there will be something that lefts inside of
us, an experience that build our “perception glasses”. Something that will become some
part of our decisionings “mental strategies" and even though that we will not remember
exactly what happened in that lecture it will be part of us, it will be something based on
what we will maybe decide differently (that if we were not present on that lecture) and
this is something that form us. We are becoming part of our experience that we live,
learn change or trying to erase.
10. Unconspicous prethink - When we like something, we think in ideas related to close range. (When we
know enough we simply can walk upon “rocks in the swamp”(rocks represents piece of knowledge) to go
somewhere where we already have throven “rock”, that way we can stand upon advanced place and go
even far to unknown and most explorable part of “swamp”.)
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3. TEAM LEADERSHIP
3.4.14 Conclusions summary
The understanding of how we think is crucial to make better and more effective decisions.
Observing world through glasses of our experience helps us actively listen and
precieving more information from different view. Sharpening our senses, not only to
spoken words, but also to the body language gestures helps us understand and notice
the true opinions. We build our habits to achieve higher effectivity in our mental strategies.
Know what the decision moment is and how we can extend it gives us time to revise
more aspects than we would do naturally. When this becomes habit, we can think
much deeper about the problem and even include new different perspectives. Mental
strategies uwareness shows us what sequence of work needs to be done to achieve our
chosen goals, and how can we enhance this process or learn it over. The more we think
of something the more it becomes part of us. Knowledge without right habits doesn’t
support proactive MS to form both creative and objective thinking considerations. That
is the reason of how are our decisions made. Only then we can understand and realize
how to alter them in the terms of efficiency. Feelings affect our thinking mood and point
of view. We should be on guard of too critical thoughts, for they are standing in way of
full detachment from our collisions in thinking. Thrusting in yourself helps to reduce
stress levels and uncospious thinking (problem solving) will sort what is important for
your later decisions. Nonetheless the unremitting effort to improve our leadership is
the most valuable lesson we can learn on every decisions we made (piece by piece).
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4 Best Practices
4.1 Introduction
Figure 4.1: Game product consisting of many little solution parts
Game Product Many game makers (both development and management) tends to
forget of how many small things can game project consists. (Figure 4.1) The team should
be able to contain and process them. Better familiarization of team experience leads to
better planning. Each team has different set of skills and weaknesses. Management can
greatly help teams by gathering contacts to people who have faced same problems and
found their solutions. In Czech Republic there are just few developing companies that
they are well known of each other. (Know other game developers from your vicinity.)
Best practice Technique or method that gains better results over other traditional
techniques. Best practice can be referred as a process of developing or following the
way of doing things that other companies use. Inovation and improvement of practice
or it’s adaptation can lead to a it’s replacement by more sophisticated practice that
gives better results. Maintaining quality can be noticed in management standards[18].
Organizations balance their unique abilities of the team and adopts certain practices,
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4. BEST PRACTICES
that suit them best. When practice is used as a standard way of doing things with better
measurable results[24], it becomes best practice for that certain purpose. They have
strategic meaning and because of their formality and application are diverse between
many disciplines.
Personal opinions of experts Underline I present brief opinion of experts in game
development that I interviewed. They agreed to share personal advices of usefull practices
they experienced during development process. Like cherry on a cake I wanted
to give real reference from gaming representatives of various leading czech and international
companies in actual project positions, situations and proffesional experience.
Also serving to proove the value of previously presented information I have described
from theory. (That I am not the only one who thinks this way.)
4.2 Project organization phase
4.2.1 Idea and vision
Should be made by all main founders of the project. The idea should be simple enough
to explain to targeted casual customer. The vision should be even more sophisticaced
summary of the team belief.
Licencing and rights with deployment (on platform,in location, with support, and
marketing) should be mentioned here.
Project Idea should also contain the core principle or game mechanic, that gameplay
will be build upon.
Make a deeper research on the web or use contacts in game development companies
helps save time and money. (there are many located here in czech, mostly in Brno
and Prague). Also consider delays and funds spended on marketing, because even emailing
hundreds of e-mails to redactors won’t help that much and game community
is hard to obtain (for a new project) without showing them at least something more of
an idea.
Bussines plan should be well prepared for possible future Investors and check posibility
of allowing new inverstor(s) to join on the go. Also good idea can receive external
funds from kickstarter websites, social or community support and crowdfunding.
There are also possibilities to publish project on specific markets and make contract
with Microsoft, Google, Apple, Blackberry or video game platforms as Xbox, Playstation
or Ouya.
4.2.2 Project start
We get really excited about having opportunity to start something new. Whether it is
reading new book, learning something inovative, or even invinting new game concept.
But as days goes by the enthusiasm fades and fades until it just abadons our minds
and motivation dies. The hard thing here is deciding to want something, and do proper
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4. BEST PRACTICES
actions (or set of events in order) to make it happend. It is the opposite of “I don’t
think I want to invest the time necessary to complete chosen goal”. Motivation from
results is claimed only after task is done and not during work of reaching it. Many of
us have great ideas (and dreams) that are just not reachable if we don’t start small.
In software development and certainly game development this is serious reason why
indie Developers abadon their projects, plus the gaining of new knowledge (from and
during these unfinished prototype projects).
Management of time and setting realistic goals Most team members effectivity suffer
from time mismanagement or undeveloped motivation plans of doing their work
(inability of planning whole project from the beginning).
Simple motivation planning trick: Let’s say you tell yourself: “Today I will do SDK
documentation reading for two hours.” Ask yourself as if you were arguing with yourself:
“Is this really something, that I want to do?” I force myself because I have to do
it. “Honestly?” (Notice how self-critical talk from yourself helps you test whether your
goal is achievable) Ok let’s just say now, that you lower expectations to one hour of
reading. Is your answer yes or maybe? How about thirty minutes. How about fifteen
minutes? Ok fifteen minutes of reading? I can do that, totally and for sure. Start making
goals that you know you will complete. Rather than big fails concentrate on small wins,
that cheers your motivation and enables you to complete more very small tasks.
4.2.3 Pre-production
Scrum basis is excellent (and recommended) start for creating a reliable game production
plan. Let Product Owners (Stakeholders) set and discuss the game features they
want to be developed and together prioritize them. Work out schedules, budgets and
time estimation. Define sprints, meetings, resources, features, milestones, goals, roles
and assign competencies (prevent arguing). Make requirements for each sprint, process
workflow and write tasks into the backlog. Provide stable management for accurate
problem handling and specify firm culture rules. Hire team members required for
the job, fill gaps and obtain required sources. Make collaborative plan how will Level
Designers and Gameplay Designers work together with Artificial Intelligence Developers
and define their close cooperation channels. Make technology prototype (for multi-
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player game, new concepts or performance analysis). In case of bigger project consider
distributed teams. Let feedback flow into the team swiftly and constantly (no need to
wait for alpha, beta or milestone to know what features are working). Direct remote
working members and make effort to locate team at one place (for feedback swiftness
and prevention of bottlenecks). In case of very small team choose good partners or work
alone as long as possible.
Try open source SDK1 Gaming community gladly gives advice, tools, mods or show
partialy finished game prototypes. While deciding which engine to use or chosing the
platform direction and targeted audience there is a good thing to do a little research
and engine checks. This helps to manage what is important and what we need to make
game better thatn competitors. In “Valve” this strategy was used multiple times to test
attractiveness of game scores. “Valve" also allow players to download “Source Software
Development Kit" so they can advance the game, creating mods and further content,
that can be shared among them. This gives extended credit to game, replay with new
ideas and communication with the community helps to develop better tools and engine
itself. This should be considered in case of making own engine or use tuned and more
common one that will save sources, time and money.
Proceses Avoid branching assets. Use safe processes (or define safe methods) to branch
game versions (if they are required) to avoid collisions. Consider using external level
editing tool and saving levels in XML instead of in scenes. Because it makes loading
much faster to re-setup each scene. It will be easier to merge scenes and keep track of
data across levels. Consider writing generic custom inspector code. (Inspector components
should be defined as a class-type rather than field-type level.)
Organisation Do organize all objects and entities carefully with system that suits best
for purpose of solution. (For example - folder objects hierarchicaly for more logical
access.) Separate interface from game logic. Make the game runnable at all times. Use
1. SDK - Set of software libraries and tools for creation, extension or usage of certain software solution.
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4. BEST PRACTICES
extensions to work with components that share an interface or an network interface.
Avoid using different idioms to do the same thing. Maintain your own time to notice
organization bottlenecks and do report them. Divide specialisation configuration for
different behaviours.
Direct the team The main values from agile manifest are that “individuals and interactions
are more important than processes and tools”[4]. This concludes that the working
software is over documentation and collaboration with customer is over contract
negotiation. Responding to change means more than following a strict plan. Personalize
these into development process and make sure everyone knows what is the team
strategy.
Project compiling time The size of project grows in process and compilation times
can be a significant problem, this is the indication that planning failed with estimated
distribution of sources (extended visual or sound content, high detailed polycount
models, database loadings, speed of internet connection or access to extended content).
Version management Using effective Version Management2 means less concern about
trying something out. It gives team the freedom to focus on creating code and assets to
explore new ideas without having to worry about losing any valuable work.
4.3 Development phase
4.3.1 Project development
Prototype Gather user insight and make first test version to test the technology or
concept drawbacks. Plan multiple scenarios of design and investigate possible known
bottlenecks. Discuss with team members or other game Developers technical restraints
and risks. Big game studios create and test several prototypes in mods of other games
(or simulatations). Developing own prototype contains best observed principles and
game elements. Work out game prototype at the earliest possible stage and iterate it
to revenue from a very early stage of game (Prototype strategy of creative building
concept of game “Minecraft”).
2. Version Management - Changes will not erase the original version, simple roll back can be made if
required.
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Gameplay Main goals of gameplay is to set balance between game aspects and ingame
elements. Give player space to manipulate with them and create strategy of
play. Fun, creative and challenging factors represented within level design and style
of the game retain playability. Have player entretained through the playing requires
constantly showing new possibilities, content, principles, threats and rewards. Players
want to be guided through singleplayer campaign and be praised for their job by video
or audio effects.
Sprints Sprint and task management can take more time than planned. Different set
of human sources and feature opportunities make selection uneasy. Estimations are
time consuming and department meetings are in human source collision (multiple technical
roles of one person). Do not divide sprints or make changes in planned interations.
Milestones should not change. Every change or unexpected situation should be told to
Project Leader or Project Manager, right when is it unfolded. Mismanaged tasks, supression
of interconnected problems, understatement or depreciation of tests resuts in
bad estimations and unrealistic project planning.
Engine development Involves a lot of math along with the complications with development.
Code require time to master and building own engine should be always made
by top eperienced professional Developers of team crew. (This happends somehow naturaly,
but noticing absence of someone important is a must in an early phase.)
Motivation Constantly support team motivation. When you feel like you have set up
and prepared everything to make them productive and you have nothing more to do,
think ahead and plan. At least make efforts to know team better and fullfill their future
needs. Notice every slight advantage inside new game concept and find the best way
of using it (for example give free space to talk in team meeting). Direct and push the
progress according to feedback and feeling of entertainment.
Documentation Document your setup, but do not push it or make it as priority (layer
management, tags, GUI depths, idiom preferences, object structure, animations, scene
setup, etc.). Follow a documented naming convention and folder structure are the ba-
sics.
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4. BEST PRACTICES
Online and multiplayer development Coding client and server side depends on application
domain. Network and database issues are common in online game development
and there are many widely published server solutions. Good thing is to provide
client-server architecture for specific (or targeted) platform rather than support multiplatform
sevice systems. Keep the implementation simple, consider storing data in
XML format and create stable unified services. Having server side solution is good prevention
of cheating.
Physics In computed physics where animation is combined with physics consider use
of ragdol with soft-body physics and poolish them to game expectations. Particle systems
can consume a lot of performance and should be managed on level of detail. Meta
balls, fluid simulations, or particle flowing systems are hard to make right. Tuning of
visual alternatives can achieve better looking results with significantly lowered performance
costs. Keep static objects and use static and dynamic batching to ease process of
collision detection. Using physics within game environment has to be properly tested
and make sure player can control objects as intentioned. Using cloth meshes are very
performance expensive and should be used with caution or in pre-scripted situations.
Visual effects Make sure to visually reward certain player actions and in-game events
(playing satisfaction). Use them adequate to game design and game style. There are
various animation and composing techniques along computer generated imagery and
particle effects or screen alterations. Using shaders, depth of view, blur, color defocus,
lens or sketches can improve overall feeling from the game. Visual is remebered and
sells.
Sounds Use uncompressed sound or soundtrack assets, to prevent processing them
in real time (costs a lot of performance). Use 3d sounds when adequate. Sounds should
feel appropriate to the situation or reaction to a player actions.
Keep the transparency Make goals specific and trackable. Focus on bug reports, making
fixes and subject sources. Every team or sub-team generally should have it’s own
task board to provide a way to make visible progress daily.
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4. BEST PRACTICES
Integration of social aspects Communication within the game (chat), providing connection
with facebook, google account or sending twitter information about player
progress is requested by players to let their friends know of their current game achievements
or status. This can significantly help to viraly spread the game and challenge
players to invest more of their time playing. (Flash platform released web games of
Geewa and Cuketa during years 2011-2013 notified significant increase in purchase of
in-game content by sale statistics because of good social integration.)
Project meetings When you feel some information on meeting is important feel free
to repeat it to spread that feel. Insulting and constant arguing doesn’t help anything.
After members chill down, they end up facing at the same problems (of which they
are paid to solve). In order to do that they just need to keep discussing. Prevention of
resigning, future problems and misunderstanding is the essence of a good communication.
Identify situations that in each scenario will result in failure, anti-motivation or
insulting. Stop actual discussion, think different and figure out new direction all together.
When you are not prepared to hear critism do not ask right away, gather more
information about the problem, work it out, or give it some time until you will be able
to discuss it even with risk that it might be a failure. (Prevention of meaningless and
undirectioned discussions.)
4.3.2 Game design
Creative thinking tips Collect information about the problem, before making important
decisions. Simple solutions are usually the right ones. Learn how to explain objectively
and give easy story examples.
Think oppositely Think what we do know, what is defined and why. Make simple
list of it. Partialy or completly change the headed idea direction.
Think differently Make unique unlinear change or event, that was not previously
mentioned.
Think ahead Make "mind maps" and then time plan according to mentioning listed
ideas with certain continual escalation.
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4. BEST PRACTICES
Scalability Get things together at the same scale right from the beginning. Strict
by concept and check game product parts redundancy. Make main game aspects in the
same style as planned concept.
Game structure Scale transition efforts by schedule that require collaboration among
disciplines. After each sprint make sure the core mechanics are still fun and still related
to gameplay.
Information workflow Working group conversation channel is a good thing, but
sometimes requires supression of misleading directions towards unrelated topics.
Tags Strict taging is comfortable, but slows the progress. Tabs, forms, configs, tools
or modules are recommended (when they deal with crucial elements in specific phase
of game making).
Graphic Use test art, polygonial grids, skyboxes, normal maps, lightning, colours
and gardients for shader testing and better visual enhancements. Work with prefabs
objects for specialisation and do not specialise instances. Try to establish links between
instances automatically. (Many algorithms are simplified if models have the same mesh
facing direction.)
4.3.3 Testing and profiling quality
Achieve quality There are many tools that can be used for project enhancement, statistical
information gathering, tracking, monitoring, diagnosis, security issues, platform
compatibility, support resolution, portability, validation, player performance monitoring
and can positively improve quality of the game product.
Profile difficulty Keep gameplay deterministic and stable. Ability to respond and
submit changes according to many testing sessions fasten the level design and difficulty
production. Profile patency of playing through the game levels and checkpoints.
43
4. BEST PRACTICES
Test management Don’t test too early or too late. Enforce integrated testing or continuous
integration of the source code produced for the game. Test only when there is
a reason to do it. Do not always concern the actual situation because it might not be
suitable. (Different testing articles (fixing bugs) are before basics of gameplay and after.)
In later game prototype phase debug with FPS counter, graphical logger, profiler
to debug physics, animation, and Artificial Inteligence (AI). Make fast way to process
screen shots for gameplay and shortcuts for printing the state of world (player position
and state, list of important artefacts,objects or enemies, etc.). Maintain a scene with all
gameplay elements. Create constants for debug shortcut keys, and keep them consistent
in one place.
Reaction to negative comments There is generally better to result issues positively
or do not react at all. Deleting posts, blaming the person or banning accounts is very
inappropriate action and such situations should be notified but avoided. (Exception
is frequent issue occurrence, but answering should always be made politely and on
proffesional level.)
Personal issues Working long enough on a game project can be hard. Team members
might be frustrated or whole team do not see results or side rewards of their work.
This is why Project Manager job (with Project Leader) is to hold the team, help them,
motivate them, know when to push and when to be their guide. Treat with the team
members as equal because confidence and trust will not go unnoticed and cohere company
together. When it comes to personal issues, do never directly punish someone for
some unintended failure in his work, mention it overally. (Rather reveal why it happened
and create new motivation.) Sometimes even not interacting can be better than
reconcilitiate quarreling team members.
4.3.4 Poolishing
Task terms Best inspiration and motivation for having things done are strict terms[20].
This may results in earlier game fixes which translate into better gameplay, budget savings,
improved production and possiblility of adding new features. Transparent view
of the reached milestones(through tasks) is better than presentating documentation.
44
4. BEST PRACTICES
Playable game at the end of each sprint make it easier to let feedback show defects and
bugs.
Team level of task certainity depends on overall progress made on specific project,
better explained tasks fasten the comprehension of problems which leads to better solutions
(also time spent on fixing the way till team gets there). This is the point of success,
where team effectivity is high because of fact that project is almost finished (this can be
applied on distribution of tasks).
Performance Visual and logical results of accomplished game should feel stable and
without lags (by used resources). The rate of processing work, gameplay utilization,
input response time, information compression data processing or network transmission
affect game requirenments for hardware on specific targeted platform.
Graphical optimizations affect how efficiently the game is at displaying visuals or rendering
the graphics.
Procesor optimizations affect logical calculations, artificial intelligence, gameplay elements,
running engine, event or trigger tracking.
Memory optimizations are required because of platform or mobile limitations (allocation,
leaks or underspiked garbage collecting).
There are many techniques to reduce perifery data transfer latency or how to use
best of throughput limitations. Network (and communication overhead) or database
optimisations are a must for online and multiplayer game services. Game might also
run slowly on machines with older hardware and outdated drivers (this is important in
mobile game development and should to be considered from the beginning).
4.4 Production phase
4.4.1 Project release
Advertisment and marketing Write about game release to game community redactors,
bloggers, social networks or marketing representatives. Ideally meet them in person,
or invite them to team office and spread information about the upcoming game. Let
game community know release date and schedule reviews and publications according
to this date. Targeted marketplace evolves and adapts on new titles, which may affect
date of release or properly selected platform to start with. Have prepared game intro
and practical training guides(brief video gameplay introduction) on game website
(youtube can do the trick). Be aware when marketing cross the line and become agressive
against customers. Generally plan multiple marketing channels and use the best
45
4. BEST PRACTICES
of the most influent ones. It is unrecommended to agree of making support to devices
you can not really test (mobile development).
Sale strategy There are many strategies of selling the game and there is no general solution.
It greatly depends from product, targeted audience and company brand. Most
common practice is to release game product payed or free (with or without microtransactions
or in-game advertisments). Game can be also released in two versions demo(lite
and free) and full(paid). There is also financing alternative of pre-release public
or private donations, Investor and Stakeholders investments, crowdfunding websites
or kickstarters(regional).
Founding strategies to mention:
“Pay to play” - Player needs to buy the game (or in-game time) to be able to play.
“Free to play” - Players are able to play the game without paying.
“Pay to win” - Player simply buy the game features for making it more fun or easier.
“Free to win” - All players are able to play the game equally (donation strategy).
Microtransactions In-game money bought by real money for extended value and
features inside the game. Do not rush it. In current situation of 2013 the profit of microtransactions
is a most profitable strategy on mobile platforms (average players buy
their in-game content features). There are some ideologies of soft and hard in-game currency.
Goal is to let player know that he can either play the game to earn(or reach) most
of the stuff or pay to get it instantly. In time player will compare his own time spent
to the game with real money value. When the gameplay with in-game currency are
in balance with good microtransaction strategy the profit is assumptioned to become
most.
Finding good player base for beta testing Make some research and investigation
(start with asking product managers). Search through the charts of games played on
certain platforms (or engines) to locate good ground with real valuable information.
Make limited testing access. Send limited invitations. Test what is important and let
team to decide together. Testers have sharp eyes while playing games in their early
stages but wide audience keeps in mind and critically evaluates every aspect. Collect
46
4. BEST PRACTICES
both positive and negative feedback of kind, relevant or not, is the essence of developing
the game players want to play and choose to spend their time and money.
First impression Lowering expectations can be used as strategy to lead into more
happiness about the game. For exampe intro of game so epic (several levels above the
game) will result in players leaving the game because their expectations were not fulfilled.
But the bad thing is that some of these players will write the critical comments
and bad ratings - which lower new players (possible paying customers) flowing into
the game.
Manage delays Main issues of not delivering the games are delays, which are results
of mismanaged time plan. Team should be aware of time and not add more features
(bite more) than they can actually process (chew). Project Manager is the one who defines
where the limits are and consultate them with Project Leader (with supervise and
control). Estimation is necessary for planning, but in smaller projects it is usually underestimated
by whole team. (Estimations require knowing the team well and wisely
plan time reserves.)
Repay effort Show that the company can be generous for team members that created
the product. They supported game from the beginning and might help it in the future,
because they understand it deeply. Teambuilding is win-win strategy and good option
to do aside from extra salary or deal out free time. Some Europe gaming companies
supports revenue investments bonuses to team members. As the reward for believing
in company they work for. (Namely Ubisoft studios, EA UK studios or Crytek)
4.4.2 Maintenance and support
Processing fixes After release, agile method enforces faster patch development delivery
(usually couple of days or weeks). Avoid rapid changes in gameplay that can be
risky and expensive. Make production culture sustainable in longer term plan.
Maintenance Address issues when they arise and set feedback flow straight to team
department that can process them without disturbance of others. Provide ongoing sup-
47
4. BEST PRACTICES
port for the game inovations (keep it alive and popular). Team can operate on their own
in general, but will surely encounter new situations and political decisions for which
they need an expert advice.
Mobile market practices Some mobile markets, (namely iOS and Android) have policy
set to keeping applications up to date. This results should results in regular release
of updated game version else game market ranking will fall down (can be exploited by
“empty” updates just for the market to keep game app in top lists). This can be measured
and tracked in sale statistics and represents real issue among other popularity
gaining practices.
Team and project condition Managers can do simple things that can have a great
impact on team mood which means “swim one extra pool length”. It is constant effort
of finding motivational programs that the team can apreciate and inspire them to work.
Management should make creative attempts to provide more positive motivational
climate on a regular basis. Constantly gather actual information from the team. Make
workplace open and add space for fun and relax. Share information about organization
and current situation with the team. Involve team members with decisions that will
affect them and if you are not sure which solution is right always, give team members
opportunity to speak or even decide. Reward the team for their performance. Appreciate
the work made by every single member of the team and ease critical working
conditions.
4.5 Best rest practices
Planning process of saving time and sources Save time at programming editor. Save
hundred dollars on assets. Save thousand euros at building certain solution (by using
advice of companion). All these can make together remarkable savings that you may
use much more efficient on creating new content (for example), that can make the difference
between casual average rating and top A or five star market ratings.
Find the most efficient way to develop Even usage of public community solution,
exploiting existing editor tools for configuring or generating things is tremendously
48
4. BEST PRACTICES
cheaper compared to doing everything on your own.
Fight at places where you can win Invest some time to research, explore market and
critical paths, find and compare competitors and most importantly plan the process to
success.
Do what other successful game companies do Right knowledge reduce risks. Keep
looking for skilled individuals or partner companies and if possible try achieve cooperation
or at least share experience.
Be benefitial for your partners Contacts will be worth in longer period of time. They
can in fact multiply sales by many levels. You don’t know which contacts will be benefitial,
but be fair and generous (as a company) and in time you surely notice results of
such behaviour.
Be consistent and straight for both the team and customers Don’t lie. It is the best
impression when team companions notice this, and you no longer have to track what
exactly you said to someone. Good reputation in game community brings loyal players,
that makes most of the feedback. (ARMA II - 10% of users generated 50% of comments
during a year of alpha to beta phase of development.)
Fight for your team. Don’t complain, find solutions. Don’t be shy to ask for advice to
a fellow managers. Be always there for everyone to hear individual or company issues
and consider their complaints.
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5 Conclusion
The goal of this thesis was to get acquinted with agile methods and their use in game
development. I studied people-related aspects, communication management, leadership
with connection of leading a game development team. I explained player involvement
into game process and ways of his involvement for testing quality, content and
gameplay. I described brief resource management, assigning tasks and time management
of the team with given strategies of more effective managing these processes
in a role of Project Manager. I studied, compared and noted differences between agile
approaches and methods with relation to game development of small agile teams.
From third chapter I proposed set of recommendations and best practices used in real
projects of top czech leading game development studios, by their knowledge and support.
I explained how to handle management, communication and cooperation with
their favor and assistance. In chapter Best Practices I noted brief personal expert opinions
under the line, collected through interviews, calls, mails, developer sessions and
meetings with representatives of game development companies in Prague, Ostrava,
Brno or Bratislava.
Ideas for thesis extension In a given thesis size I noted what was most accurately
referred and the extension of this thesis may concern the preparation of the communication
management system with process competence approach to management culture
of the agile team.
There are fields of platform development that I was unable to focus deeper. Yet in
order to give wider introduction to game development, it is claimed by many people
who read this thesis to be very good start, especialy for new Project Managers, Project
Leaders, Cooperators, and many more including Developers (or any members of indie
team) interested in agile development.
Author’s note: The making of games in the terms of software should be made with
passion, sensation, feelings and most of all with love to the product. I have been collecting
knowledge of making games over many years. I did my best to gather most valuable
and precious information in comparison to thesis size and content as for role of Project
Manager and team Leadership in game development. Empower team members and
learn to be part of the team. Give credit, added value and helping hand. Make friends
but act fair, objectively, uninsulting, with open mind. Support to the team, for you share
the victory and the failure together. When in doubts stick with common reason and
work out each difficulty one by one at a time. I learned that respect in communication,
active listening, understanding the problems, their solutions and even comprehending
the view of others has it’s meaning, that everyone can learn, and the best way to do it
is to keep trying.
50
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