[Dr. CKeymaster Rupees: 1,000 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

This week, you were asked to read all of Schell’s chapters 25 and 26 on working in game design teams — and pages 366 – 369 from Fullerton’s chapter 12. Each of these readings focus on the work of game design teams.

Use this forum to discuss your reading!

As in the past, you must post at least once by 11:59 pm on Friday, February 10th… and you must respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 pm on Monday, February 13th.

Remember that the point is to have a conversation and to learn more about game design together. To that end, here are some things you might discuss in your post:

– Quotes that you found to be especially insightful, along with explanations of why you selected these quotes.
– Questions that the readings raised for you — especially as we approach the portion of the course where YOU begin working in game design teams!
– Any “AHA!” moments you might have experienced, if the readings prompted you to suddenly see or understand something in a different light.
– Connections to your own experiences playing, analyzing, or designing a game
– Questions you might have for your classmates (“Did anyone else think ___ about the part where Schell says ___…?”)
– Anything else, really, that’s notable, interesting, and discussion-worthy.

Have fun!

• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Dr. C.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Being on a game design team, there is a need for communication for the goals and plans to actually play out the way everyone wants it to. Not just in game design but in many aspects of life, communication is a very important key to life. In Fullerton’s view on game design teams he discusses the idea that “it would be problematic if team members from each side were making decisions without having the procedures involved to maintain consistency,” (Fullerton 368). If there is no communication there is no unity and unification in the actually game itself. There could be a disconnect in different focuses in a game design team which will allow for there to be a a disconnect in the game and the audience. Communication is always a key when working in a group which can be connected Schell’s ten keys to communication. One of the most surprising terms was persistence and Schell talks about how you need to write things down and I never really thought about that when doing group work. When I think of persistence I never thought of writing down certain key things in the meeting so that you can touch upon next time. Usually I will just make a mental note and hope everyone is on the same page next time we meet. I now find this very important in communication and making “…sure someone in every design meeting is taking notes that can be shared with the team,” (Schell 420). This stretches to even more communication in future meetings and you can start right where you left off. Without communication there is no way for a design team along with any type of team to be successful.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Erin! I also discussed Schell’s persistence. This isn’t something I have given much thought to either, but I do find it very important now that he mentions it. You know when you are discussing something as a group and that one person goes, “You didn’t tell me,” or, “That isn’t what I heard!” Well, I feel like Schell is really thinking ahead by encouraging everybody to take notes and write things down, this way there isn’t any room for debates later on about who said or didn’t say what. I agree with you that without communication, a design team would not be very successful. Communication is key to many things throughout life and also in game design.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I agree! While reading these chapters, I learned why communication is super important in game design, and without it, you are risking the success of your game. Without communication, I wonder how many problems this could cause! For instance, inefficient workflow, misunderstandings, and definitely an increased risk of project failure. Additionally, I like how you mentioned what Schell said about persistence because this was a point I thought was insightful as well! This reminds me of some techniques I enforce when doing group works for school projects or assignments. I find that writing things down allows team members to understand each other’s perspectives and to reach a shared understanding. It also is another form of documentation that Schell says is important. Writing these notes serves as a record for future use and makes sure that everyone is working from the same information. It is important game designers take all of this into account when working with their team.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Reading chapter 25, it was apparent that the author of the book wanted to get across to the readers that the secret to working successfully in a team is love. Working with a team in game designing is something that happens very often, so being able to function on a team is crucial. I enjoyed reading about the three types of “love problems” that can happen to to a team: love problem 1 – team members incapable of loving any game, love problem 2 – team members in love with a different game than the one they are making, and love problem 3 – team members in love with different visions of the same game. All these issues have a possibility of occurring to members on a team, and if it happens to you, the best thing to do pretend to love it, because that could help nurture actual love for the game. This all culminates with the lens of love, which states “Do I love my project? If not, how can I change that?, and Does everyone on the team love the project? If not, how can that be changed?”(Schell, 417). Chapter 26 starts off by explaining that the magic game design template simply does not exist. It then goes on to explain the importance of game documents, stating that “game documents have exactly two purposes: memory and communication”(Schell, 426). You need to be able to remember many things about your games code, and recording your sessions are a good way at remembering things you already did. You also need to communicate with your team: everybody working on the same game needs to be able to see the document.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Erin! I totally agree with you that communication is very important in our daily life as well as in a game design team! There are so many aspects that go into game design that makes it imperative that they all communicate so the final product can be what they want it to. Unity is important in a team and I agree with your point that if there is no communication then there is no unity. A clear goal and open communication are the recipes for a good team that can make a great game together. I like how you mentioned how Schell talked about the importance of writing information down because I had a huge AHA moment when I was reading about that because I never realized the importance of writing everything down. Things can be misheard or taken the wrong way and without having it written down can cause confusion. As discussed in the reading, humans have a bad memory and we are bound to forget all kinds of details if they are not written down, even if they seem very important. I know this is very applicable to me because I always forget information. I have a terrible memory so I try to make it a habit now to write down everything that is important. I thought your response was very thorough and you reflected on the reading very well!

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I totally agree with you. In the game design team, if there is no good communication, the game team will be out of touch on different concerns. Thanks for letting us know the important of taking notes while conversion. I also never notice that before. I usually sit down and leave after listening to my teammates’ discussion, without taking notes. Yes, we might forget the thing we talked. We might consider something is trivial while discussing, but this thing might be very important in retrospect but we have forgotten what these things are when we need them. This also shows the importance of taking notes. You also let me know the importance of sharing notes in the team.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Erin,
I agree with the importance of effective communication and persistence in writing things down because it’s not only a way of creating unification but also reaching an understanding with your team regarding the development of a game. I also don’t think about writing things down in a group project because we would usually assign each person to a role in a project and use that as what you consider a “mental note” to use in future conversations/meetings. However, we sometimes would get lost the next time we meet because while we have notes of each individual’s role in a project, we need ideas for developing a project. That’s why it’s essential to write things down because it creates an organization of our ideas, memorization, and strong communication with each individual in a group so that their ideas are not left out of the group.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Erin, I like how you put an emphasis on communication within a design team as that is the root of all teamwork. Communication is crucial in things such as game design as every member of the team must be on the same page in order for a successful gme to be produced. As we have read in earlier chapters, each position on a game design team is crucial however if they are not on the same page and all have different visions, the game will not get equal effort therefore it will not be a success. Thus, communication is a necessity in game design in order to create a successful game.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Being able to efficiently work as a team is an important aspect of not only game design, but also life as discussed in both Fullteron’s and Schell’s readings. Schell states something I found very interesting, “If even this does not work for you, if you find that not only do you not love your game, but you have no particular love for your audience, only one thing remains: to pretend” (Schell, p. 416). This actually made me laugh a little, because it is so true! Whether it be an idea or a project, we have all had something in our lives in which we had a plan, and the plan was either changed, or didn’t work. But sometimes if we just pretend, we can may actually surprise ourselves and begin to actually love it. I also liked Schell’s key 10 issues in order to have good communication within game design. A few of these key issues are persistence, comfort, respect, honesty, etc. Specifically, persistence stuck out to me, as we cannot always go by what is being said in the moment. Often, there may be one team member not present, or maybe not actively listening, so Schell stresses the importance of writing things down this way you always have a reference point and everybody can remain on the same page, thus eliminating room for any issues to arise. Fullerton’s reading discuss the process a bit more in depth, including the designer, marketing team, producer, etc. Fullerton states, “Understanding your role in a team and having the interpersonal skills to work within a team structure are as important as any of the design skills we have discussed to this point. Game development is a collaborative art, and game teams are getting larger and more complex every day” (Fullerton, p. 369). I really loved this quote, as I think it depicts game design perfectly. Game design is a collaborative art, and although I don’t think it’s impossible to do everything by yourself, I think it would be quite difficult. I love how Fullerton encourages everybody to embrace the fact that the game design process is collaborative, and to put all these wonderful ideas together and be able to have many like-minded (in terms of liking games) with you through this process, is a great thing.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Megan!

I really like the quote that you used from Fullerton, I found that part so true and interesting to the reader based on not only game design but in so many others aspects of life. All team work is a collaborative effort and people need to realize that there needs to be a time when all the skills are talked about and divided. It is such a fun time to collaborate with others on game design because the sky really is the limit and people have so many different opinions and ideas based on what their interests are. Without a team, no one is there to double check your work or come to a conclusion with others. Like I said in my post, communication really is one of the most important parts of working in a team and game design shows it. Game designing is supposed to be fun and fun can be achieved when there is a collaborative effort to it.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan:
I totally agree with you on the point that only the game designer love the game and the team that he works in, he could design and create a good game. I also find Schell’s 10 issues in order to have good communication very important. I feel myself often distract when doing discussion and taking notes is really important for me to keep concentrate! I also believe that design and create a game by oneself is possible. If a team has bad communication and collaboration, I believe this team’s members’ effiency will even lower than people who design the game by themselves.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Megan,
I also found Fullerton’s depiction of game design as “collaborative arts” intriguing, which ties into one of Schell’s ten key issues in good communication, such as persistence. The significance of persistence in effective communication allows us to jot each of our ideas down on paper, which serves memorization of each of our roles in game development. It also promotes the concept of “collaborative art” in game design in which we take each person’s idea to not only feel like they’re left out. The concept of persistence utilizes their ideas in case changes need to be made for the game or establish what the game should entail that would influence players to play their game.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan! What stuck out most to me from your post was your analysis of collaboration within game design and how important this factor is in the game making process. I believe that communication and collaboration go hand in hand within the game design process and are equally important. Collaboration ensures that all team members are on the same page with their plan of action so that the development of the game can go smoothly. Another thing with regards to collaboration is that it allows for teammates to get their ideas out and then the team as a whole can take all of the ideas and figure out which would be best for the game, thus creating a successful game in the end.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Chapters 25 and 26 discuss the important qualities of a successful game design team. Communication is important in almost all areas of life, so it wasn’t a surprise that it is equally important in game design! On page 419, Schell breaks Team Communication down into ten key elements: Objectivity, Clarity, Persistence, Comfort, Respect, Trust, Honesty, Privacy, Unity, and Love. By having each of these components in your team, each team members are able to have a clearly communicated vision of the plan and design, and there is less room for misunderstandings. I think number 6, trust, was the quality that struck out the most to me. It was interesting to read about just how important trust is in any workforce. Designers and programmers alike should spend time with one another outside of the project, to build that trusting relationship. And like Schell mentions if you can’t trust your teammates, communication and every other important aspect crumbles down with it! Additionally, when reading chapter 26 it was really interesting to read about the kinds of game documents, and how it relates to communication. These documents show how tons of work and research goes into creating a game.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Ani! Yes, I thought Schell’s ten key elements to ensure communication were wonderful for not only game design, but for just about anything in life. I also think the element of trust is interesting, and that it is important for a design time, as they work together so closely, to spend time outside of work together and get to know each other better. Trust is a big thing, and I think it will play a significant role in the level of communication the team has.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Ani!

When I read this part I thought that persistence was the most important but after you description and review of trust I can see as important as persistence if not a little more. Without complete trust, everything else will not go accordingly. You are supposed to trust your teammates to get things done on time and a certain wait and if they do not then it breaks your trust and you do not know if you can rely on them again. Accountability and trust go hand in hand, without the person knowing they are accountable for a certain issue no one will trust them. Trust is a crucial part of communication and without it then a game design team would be ruined.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani,
I agree that trust is an important component in any team. If you don’t trust your teammates, then you cannot collaborate with them in a meaningful way. You have to be united in your team vision, and there are so many components of game design that depend on chemistry between teammates. There are so many teams involved in creating a game, so they need to all believe in the other teams.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Ani!

I enjoyed your insight to the texts. I would have to agree that trust is one of the more important elements of team communication because it allows for efficient progress. To work in a team without trust, everyone would have to go around checking each others’ work. However, expanding on the ten elements, I believe that it can be applied to any workforce or group in general.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani! I completely agree that communication is an essential factor within a team that must be taken very seriously and must be prioritized because without proper communication, teammates will not be on the same page and the game will not be cohesive. It is important for each team member to communicate with each other so that the plan is clear to each person, therefore each job is done properly and there is less of a risk of mistakes to happen.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I like the idea of passion because it extends to more than just the design team → it is something found in school projects, clubs, anything involving a team. I thought the first love problem was really interesting, especially when they mentioned that the person most likely to not love the game is the person in charge – I wonder how you can get them off if they are higher up than you, though. The chapter gave us some insight into the real workings of a game design team, and allowed us to realize how some games can have such terrible designs, while others have very good ones. One other thing about working with the team that I found insightful was the detail about ambiguity. You don’t want to set yourself on one design from the get-go, because then it’ll be hard for other people to feel like they can contribute.
I thing I found interesting in the second chapter was how Schell states that the game design document for the mechanics was out of date and a “terrible mess.” It’s interesting to think that in the professional world, there seems to be an acceptance of the fact that this document will not be the highest quality. I think that it reinforces the idea that these documents are not the ultimate form of designing games, but rather just vehicles to get ideas flowing and remembered. It’s important to remember that design documents are purely for communication and memory, so that way you can create them based off of your team’s needs and not because you need to follow a certain formula to succeed.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christoper! The ambiguity is a big one. When you are working as a group, even in a group project per se, it is so important to keep an open mind. I have been in group projects before where one person is doing all the work, and sometimes, it’s because they want to because they want to do the project exactly the way they want it. In a process like game design, creativity is necessary. I feel that without ambiguity, the game may be lacking in some ways. When everybody works collaboratively and is able to share their opinion and time, that is what will ensure a game design team is on the road to success.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christopher!

I really like your response to ambiguity, for me I like everything to go according to plan from the start and when it does not, I get stressed out. I do not like change but in a team/group i feel like you need to be able to go with the flow of things and listen to other ideas. These ideas are things that could make the game even better than the original plan. Keeping an open mind is important to communication and sharing different ideas. If someone has a close mind and only wants to stick to the original design it can be very discouraging to the team itself. With this being said, your post really opened my eyes to realize I need to be able to go with the flow more and allow for the game to be different from the time we created the idea to the actual game being played by others.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

In Chapters 25 and 26, the “team” aspect of working as a game designer was presented, as well as the idea of a Game Design Document. What stood out to me while reading was lens 101 – the lens of the team. Schell states, “You might think that all this team talk has nothing to do with design and that if other people on the team don’t do their jobs, it has nothing to do with you as a designer” (Schell 423). I think that with this lens Schell tries to accentuate that game design is no different from other jobs, and other other cooperation and teamwork found in society. In all honesty, some “gamers” found online tend to deceive game design and pretend to know all about that – that if they wanted to, they can become a game designer. However, just like any other profession in the world, game design requires social skills and in order to succeed, you must be knowledgeable. Without proper communication and teamwork, game design will be very difficult. Perhaps this is why in media, many game companies, for example Riot Games, has a very friendly and casual work environment – as they are already well accustomed to each other from working as a team. Each member of the design team requires all 10 keys to communication, and without a single one by even just one member, the process will be much more difficult than necessary. Also, the “art bible” that was mentioned on page 429 was also eye-catching for me, as I do something similar as an artist. When I take commissions from people, I always keep the necessary references together so that I know I’m on the right track, being consistent with my client’s orders. Also, it made me realize that good communication is also necessary when keeping documents.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi! I agree, it was really interesting to read how Schell says game design is not much different than other jobs or really even other aspects of life, where things like communication and teamwork are still important. It gives the designers the ability to trust one another outside of work and form that dependable relationship early on. I thought it was really interesting how you mentioned the cruciality of the documentation process in game design! It is another way designers are able to communicate their ideas and intentions with one another, but also allows them to break down tasks into more manageable parts.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Rachel!

It is interesting to think about that being on a game design team is really just like any other job, you need to be able to work with others to be successful. It is very rare for someone to complete an entire project like creating a game by themselves and have it be successful. While not everyone is going to get along in the real world in their jobs, game design is the same way and you just have to push through. Along with this, I found it very intriguing that you mentioned keeping documents for your art work and commissions, do you just keep a document or do you also send it to the client? I also feel like for you, it shows that communication with the intended audience is very important and you brought that idea up through your art!

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Rachel:))

It is very cool that you have created a business out of creating artwork. I would love to see it sometime! I also enjoyed how you connected your creative business to the attention to detail required for a game designer.
I agree with your point because jobs not in the STEM field are generally overlooked by many and not appreciated enough. The complexity it takes to work with a team to generate a single comprehensive game takes a lot of skill, and I am happy you pointed that out. Overall, great insight to exploring the work environment and ethic of a game design team.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Rachel! I really like how you made the connection between game design and other jobs because I totally agree! I think, at its core, the aspect of a team is presented in almost every job in some way, shape, or form. Not only is teamwork important in game design, but communication is as well. My favorite part of the reading was when Schell was discussing the importance of communication and the ten keys to team communication. I like how you mentioned the chill environments of game companies, I thought that was a very interesting point. I think that because everyone had to learn how to work well in a team and needed those social skills to succeed, that is why these big game companies are often very chill because most of the staff there have developed the skills needed to succeed in those scenarios. I think it was also funny how you mentioned the “art bible” because I did the exact same thing! I thought it was hilarious and very interesting when I was reading about it, but I definitely understood its importance. Artists all have different styles so it is important to have a coherent plan for how certain things will look like and for consistency. I think your response was super interesting and you did a great job at reflecting on the reading!

[ZiyangParticipant Rupees: 45 RupeesRank: White Sword]

These two chapters are not really about game designs, but how to make a team really work in general. Most group projects I have been through in Rutgers are terrible. Most time you will not be able to find your group members, and everything got delayed. In the end, when they finally showed up, you still need to take care of the mess they caused. Otherwise, you will get a bad grade thanks to them. According to the analysis of Schell, the problem might be “love”. To be honest, I don’t even like the project I am doing. The only thing that pushes me forward is my GPA. I don’t have love for the project. But another thing that matters it, I actually don’t have much conversation with other people in the group. We will talk only when we have to meet (the deadline is approaching for example). It is already difficult for us to stay together, nonetheless to work together. So Schell’s idea of communicating more than just project itself might be helpful. another thing is about active or passive. It is really easy for people to be passive if they feel something is not in their control, or their opinions don’t matter. Like there is a genius who knows everything about the project, and the rest of people can really just follow, since they are not able to provide a better solution. Even if they might still have passion to the project, they would not give any suggestion since they think it will make themselves awkward and get denied. It is necessary to exclude the useless people from the group of course, but sometime people are way more creative and smarter than we thought they are. They are just having trouble expressing it, maybe they are too shy or maybe there is not a proper chance. So there should be more conversation between group members, and we should know more about each other besides doing the project. It doesn’t mean we have to make friends to everyone in the group, but it would be harm to make some. Speak as objectively as chatGPT and listen as carefully as a close friend.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi, I like how you related the themes of chapters 25 and 26 to a problem I’m sure most of us can relate to… unfortunately enough! But, it does go to show just how important collaborating with your team members is. I think it is pretty obvious when kids enjoy what they are doing and when they don’t. Schell says that one of the best ways to create a successful project (or game) is to love what it is you are creating. When people love what they are doing, they tend to have a more positive outlook, which when working with people, will help create a more supportive work environment. I think a great example of this is deciding a major you want to study in college. I know a lot of students who are forced into doing a major their parents have decided for them, or choose something for reasons other than what actually spikes their interest! Ultimately, these students often face a lack of motivation and are less likely to try their assignments and goals. This is a similar idea to what Schell expresses.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang,
I can definitely relate to what you said about the applicability of this chapter to teams in general and to Rutgers groups. I have experienced groups in which I could not trust my partners, and I ended up doing all of the work just because I felt like they would not be able to do it in the final day. I also feel like there is definitely a problem with love for me, and it’s mainly because in school and in my major in general, everything feels so forced. I have trouble finding enjoyment in the work that I do, and I wonder if school would be any easier if the enjoyment was there.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang, I really enjoyed your post because you connected the theme of our reading to a problem that we all have as people. I definitely relate to the issue you brought up with group projects for college students, as a majority of the time communication issues arise within the group. Most of the time, students feel as if they are doing all the work because their group members don’t do work or is either not trustable. Also, as you said, because most of the time we are forced to work on projects we are not interested in, group members tend to not be interested, causing even more lack of communication. If students collectively voiced their opinions, even if it is the fact that they aren’t interested in the subject, would reduce a lot of the communication issues found today.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang
I totally understand your feeling of working alone in projects. I did have the same situation in Rutgers. I n the week that the project is assign to my group, everyone in my team is communicate positively. But when the semester is over, the people in the group will always disappear. For my GPA, I have to do their part. This made me very tired at that time. Therefore, I think communication within the group is very important. In addition, I also agree that sometimes we just don’t like the project we are working on Because in the university, everything is assigned to us. It is difficult for university to meet everyone’s needs.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang,
I can relate to working with those types of people in group projects, especially here at Rutgers. The problem you’ve already pointed out is that they don’t have the drive or passion for engaging in group projects because they’re not satisfied with the projects they’re doing, or they fear expressing themselves, which they would be labeled as “awkward.” This is where effective communication comes into play because it not only engages each individual in a group project but also provides confidence and encouragement to share their ideas and determine how to go about the project they’re working on. This action will earn the confidence and build a level of trust and respect with one another in contributing to the project by sharing their ideas and working collaboratively on the project. Communication also ties into this situation, which promotes effective listening and working together to resolve any issues they come across while developing a project.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang,
I really enjoyed how you connected working in groups at Rutgers to how the different love problems, and how any of these three love problems might come up in these groups. Working in groups with other people can be challenging, especially when one member of the group is contributing more than another member. In a group setting, you need to be able to communicate with your partners, and make sure that everyone is on the same page. If not all the members of a group feel the same way about the project, this will show in the amount of work that they contribute.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Scott.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziyang! Brilliant job on connecting your real life experiences in working on a team with the way Schell and Fullerton describes game design teams. I think that it really emphasizes the important of having a team that you can trust if you provide examples of situation in which it doesn’t work, kind of like a contradiction proof. In my own experiences, not only have I not worked well in random groups in class, it was also due to the topic of the projects. I found it that when working on things that I do not truly love, the work feels forced and feels ingenuine. However, when working on projects such as something involving video games, I am able to use strong personal connections and good memories in order to bring power to my work.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ziygang, I enjoyed your post and I too agree with your opinion on college group projects and coming together to complete an assignment. I think that Schell’s points on love for what you are doing is very important in having the motivation to produce something worthy of a passing grade. Communication with the group essential in getting building rapport and gathering opinions.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The chapters we had to read for this week focused much more on teamwork and how designers come together to create a game. Everyone is different and some people might have different visions of how they want a game to be, which is one of the main problems with love. Teamwork is a huge part of game design as you have people from all different skills and backgrounds coming together to attempt to bring this vision of a game to life. Various elements such as audio, mechanics, aesthetics, and so much more will need to reinforce the theme of the game and work well together and this is why it is so important to have a set plan and a team that works well together. I enjoyed reading about the ten keys to team communication because I always recognized the importance of teamwork. It has been an important part of my life both in school and at work, so I am always looking for ways to improve. I had an AHA moment during the paragraph about objectivity because referring to ideas as my idea or Susan’s idea can be harmful because people may avoid saying certain things to certain people or may not want to critique someone’s idea. I never realized this was an issue, but when I had an AHA moment, I started to think that this is true for many scenarios. When something is personalized, such as when saying “My idea” or “Susan’s idea”, people are way more likely to fully critique it or give honest feedback. If I hate Susan and she suggests an idea, I may critique it more harshly than if it were someone else’s. Like in many other parts of our life, teamwork is crucial in game design.
In Chapter 26, I really enjoyed reading about the different types of documents. As discussed in Chapter 25 during the team description, humans have a terrible memory, so it is crucial that we keep written documents so that the information is there when needed. Was anyone else fascinated by the different kinds of documents there were? The one I thought was the most interesting was the system limitations. I had never thought about the possibility that an engineer tells the designers and artists what cant be done, but ultimately this is a good decision because if there is too much going on or too complex, it can negatively impact the experience of the player. In my experience playing VALORANT, I know there was a redesign in the BETA version of the game because there were too many flashing lights, so there were corrections as well as a warning for anyone who might be epileptic. VALORANT already has a lot of stuff going on on our screens and I can only imagine many engineers had to use these system limitations so designers didn’t go crazy with how much can be on our screens or how fast they can be on our screen.
I thought the funniest document was the art bible, the name of it even made me laugh. It is crucial that artists have a document because, the way I see it, artists have different styles, and a “garden” can be drawn or designed in thousands of different ways. This art bible is crucial for making sure everyone is o the same page with guidelines and consistency. I thought that was a very interesting document as well. Overall, I thought both of these chapters were very interesting and I liked how the chapters highlighted both the teamwork aspect of game design and what the important keys are towards a successful team as well as what key components are important for designing a game, such as the documents.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Izabella, if you like learning about all the different documents that go into the game, sometimes the studios behind games release these, especially for concept art and stuff, so that can be really interesting! Although for all I know you’ve already gone and looked at them, haha. I think you bring up a good example from Valorant about how too much on the screen can actually be detrimental – without some limitations in place a design team might try too put every cool thing they can think of in a game with less thought about how the finished product can come together. I guess that’s why Schell places so much emphasis on having different teams, documentation, and feedback – without these systems in place its harder to catch the small details, especially when there’s so much to work on.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

After reading Fullerton’s text and chapters 25 and 26 of Schell’s art of game design. I am more aware of the different departments that contribute to developing a game and how critical communication is between team members. There were many positions that I did not think have importance. but after Fullerton’s in-depth explanations of the various positions I am aware of the value in a position like the producer. The producer main task is to be the project leader and serves as the communication link between the developer and publisher. In the text, Fullerton states that it is important to direct your ideas and concerns to your project leader and let them do the job of expressing your thoughts for you to another department, this is their primary function to communicate your ideas to other team members, this is essential because you want your coworkers to respect your ideas in the same way they respect your ideas and expertise (Fullerton). When you communicate your ideas with respect and professionalism, it can solve indifferences such as schells, “Love problem #3 Team members in love with different versions of the same game”(Schell, 414). This led me to think of the times I have gotten into disputes with people at work, if you have a concern or idea instead of coming off the wrong way it might be better to express these ideas to someone in a different position who may have a better approach at addressing it.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny,
I also realized that the project leader has a pivotal role in a team. Especially when the team is as big as a video game design team, it is really important for there to be a point of contact that can relay information. It is even more important that the team leader knows exactly what to say and how to say it, because any slight miscommunication can lead to the video game being planned the wrong way.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny, after reading your post, I was able to realize that the project leader, or the producer, has a lot of impact in a team. Without the producer that keeps the team together, the team would not be focused on the task and it would be very difficult to keep the team on task. The leader is essentially the person that keeps the team together, allowing for efficient, accurate communication and unity of the team. When something goes wrong, it is the leader’s mission to fix it, and to guide the members on the right path on what needs to be done. Communication is extremely important when working as a team, and when group members voice their opinion, the producer is who needs to get everyone together to focus them on the “version” of the game the producer is going for.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny! I think your response was very interesting because you focused on the importance of the departments and the specific roles and I thought that was very fascinating! I think when you are in a position such as a producer where you are the link of communication between two important roles such as the developer and the publisher, you need to make sure your communication is thorough and clear. Any sort of miscommunication can cause a huge problem because of the importance of a producer’s role. I like how you described the way communication travels in a company or team, such as between the producer and the developer and publisher as well as between the team members, project leaders, and different departments. I think looking at the way communication travels is important when understanding how a team works. I thought the way you discussed and explained it was very clear and interesting. Furthermore, I also have as similar experience that you described where I have had problems at work, but I will go up to someone else who may be more suited to addressing that problem. I think this is important to stop certain issues from being communicated or blown out of proportion. I think your response was great and I loved reading it!

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny,
Reading this post, I would also agree that the project leader is an extremely important role one can play when designing a game. Of course, when developing a game, there needs to be someone that is put in charge of the project being developed. The project leader needs to be able to communicate ideas from one person to the next, and we already know that communication is vitally important in designing a game with a team of people. It is important to treat your group members’ ideas with the same amount of respect that you would want your ideas to be treated with – when everyone’s ideas are treated with respect, this could effectively reduce the risk of any of the three love problems occurring.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Destiny!

I found what you said about the project manager really interesting. It seems that they allow for people to freely express their opinions without being judged by their presentation, eloquence, position, and whatnot. As you said, it allows everyone to conduct themselves professionally and hear each other out, whether they are merely a member of the team or the team leader. I have never rally worked with a project manager before but a liaison between two different departments seem like the mediator needed to relay ideas and bring people together.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The significance of chapters 25 and 26 provides us with the context of building a solid team to develop an impactful game. In chapter 25, Schell explains that building a solid team involves strong communication with one another and respect. He highlights the ten keys of team communication: objectivity, clarity, persistence, comfort, respect, trust, honesty, privacy, unity, and love, and without these elements of team communication, the “love a team has for this game will be jeopardized” (Schell, pg. 10). I agree with this quote because there some gaming companies where they don’t use these elements of team communication in which may lead to either technical difficulties in a game, the division between the employees and employers, team members leaving the company frustrated, or pushing the game to be delayed/canceled. Konami, for example, is a gaming company that used to make decent games, such as popular titles like Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid. The company’s public split with Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid, led to specific titles being pushed back, such as the cancellation of silent hill, which not only created a backlash against the company creating slot machine games based on popular game franchise, it also created controversy of running an unstable company. After Konami had cut ties with Kojima, the company began falling apart due to the division between the employees and the higher-ups. Where employees are constantly being monitored under surveillance, receive little break time, and are understaffed continuously; where game designers would take over the roles of custodian, which pushed the majority of the employees to leave this company due to the mistreatment and distrust.

In chapter 26, Schell emphasized the significance of documentation, which entails all the essential information about the budget, the design, system limitations, story overview, etc. In brief, documentation serves as memorization of what game developers should know during the game development process in regard to how the game is being constructed, and strong communication of who takes charge in the role of the development process, whether those that deal with budget cuts or game designs. During this chapter, Schell states that “to understand the correct structure of the documents for your game, you must first understand their purpose”(Schell, pg. 14). I can relate to this quote because there are times when some games are not impactful or not as good as other games where there are technical difficulties with the games such as glitches, the design of the game doesn’t stand out, the characters or the stories are not impactful to the gamers, or the gameplay mechanics are confusing. It can also be due to the disorganization of the team where some developers don’t grasp the idea of the game; the process of the game was rushed, which left bland designs and technical difficulties, and didn’t put much time into developing a story, or creating over-the-top characters that players may dislike. Bubsy 3D, for example, was considered to be the “worst game of all time” due to the Bubsy being a disliked character by players; where they describe him as “cringe,” the controls of the game were often confusing where the camera spun randomly, and the character jumps to high, and the flat design of the game which only showed color geometric shapes. This can also be due to the game developers rushing this game to compete with popular games, such as Super Mario 64, in which they rarely put time into fixing the mechanics and controls, coming up with better game designs, and improving the character development of Bubsy.

Here are the links I used to explain the importance of communication and documentation in developing a strong team:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/08/03/scathing-konami-report-alleges-cruel-and-unusual-employee-practices/?sh=17343757408b
https://www.thegamer.com/the-20-worst-playstation-1-games-of-all-time/#bubsy-3d-eidetic-1996

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Shamar, wow I’ve never heard of Bubsy but I guess I didn’t miss much. I actually wonder about more popular games that still seem to be universally hated like this, because I kind of assumed there would be some aspect of focus testing. Or at least if it wasn’t formalized, they would ask around for general feedback. But like you said, the production could be rushed which might mean they just don’t have the time or priority for this, even though a game needs an audience at the end of the day. Also, some very interesting games on the list you shared, haha.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Reading chapter 25 of Schell helped me understand the key issues in the process of designing a game in a team, which is three love problems: “Love problem #1: Team members incapable of loving any game”, “Love problem #2: Team members in love with a different game than the one they are making”, and “Love problem #3: Team members in love with different visions of the same game.” As a game designer, you must at least have a game that you love to play. Otherwise, it means you have no interest in games, which also means you won’t be successful in game design. Additionally, the game designer must have a passion for the game they are designing. If the game designer doesn’t like the type of game they are designing, then the designer will have a hard time generating enthusiasm for the game. This reminds me of my learning experience. When I was a freshman, I had to take a course called “General Physics” to fulfill my computer science major requirements. This course introduced us to knowledge and concepts in optics and electricity. However, at that time, I thought these knowledge was completely useless in my computer science studies. As a result, I often lost focus in class and even skipped it. It wasn’t until my classmate told me the importance of this course that I started paying attention to it and became interested in physics again. I think designing games is similar – only if we love the game we are designing can the audience possibly like the game.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Kangwei, I think you bring up a really good connection with your class how sometimes we don’t even know that a subject or project can be interesting until someone puts it a certain way. That can apply to this too – whether it’s as a player, where someone can explain a game to you in a way that seems more interesting than the marketing, or as a designer, where someone just needs to explain what you could like about designing it. I’m pretty sure there’s an example in the text too about trying to get the animators interested, and while they were put off at first once they really got started and realized how they could be creative with it they were a lot more interested.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Kangwei,

I think that the Love problems applies to seeing a passionate process through in aspects of accomplishing a goal. You must have love for what you are doing, if not an unfinished goal is the only thing accomplished. I agree that reading the love problems made me ponder on experiences in which I did not complete.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello great post, I agree with all of Schells love problems, I think that having passion for the game you are creating is critical. Its critical because you want the user to have a similar experience and to possess some of the same feelings that you have towards the game. With that being said, what you put into the game is what users will take from the game in return. With anything task you are completing, having a passion for it makes the process smoother and the overall outcome better.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The readings that were assigned for this week had a strong focus on teamwork and how important it is in the game writing process. As we know, teamwork is a crucial portion of all things which require collaboration, however what I found the most interesting is how Scheel describes that, “The secret to successful teamwork is love” (Schell, 414). This is an interesting thing to point out because teamwork in a business/writing setting would not typically be described as containing a factor of love, but rather something more like determination, hard work, and collaboration. But all of those things stem from the love the team must have for the project they are working on and the job they are to do. Schell outlines love problems within game writing and what stuck out to me the most was, “Love problem #3: Team members in love with different visions of the same game” (Schell 415). This is something that I would never think to consider as a possible problem that game writers/designers would face, but it makes a lot of sense as people see the same things from different perspectives and this could cause a problem when collaborating for a game design. If team members have different visions for a game and cannot come to an agreement, the game will lack love from those members who are not creating the vision they wanted, and therefore the game design will lack the effort needed for the game to be successful.
In Fullerton’s reading, we can see a more in depth description of the team structure and the purpose/job of each position on a team. While it is important to understand all of the working parts of a team structure, the most important quote I took from the reading was when Fullerton states, “Understanding your role in a team and having the interpersonal skills to work within a team structure are as important as any of the design skills we have discussed to this point. Game development is a collaborative art, and game teams are getting larger and more complex every day” (Fullerton, 369). This put into perspective that while each individual’s role is extremely important, how the team works as a group and collaborates is more important as proper collaboration is the only way to develop a successful game. I relate to the quote ‘there’s no I in team’ because in game writing because the success of the group collaboration is what is important, nit just the individual success of the teammates singularly.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Alexis! I like how you emphasized the importance of team compatibility and how real these “Love Problems” can get. I think the element of love being the main factor of working in a team is a universal rule when working in any team. When it comes to business and starting companies, one of the most important factors is to have people around you who complement you well. Similarly, in game design, it is important that everyone on your team loves what they’re doing so that other important factors such as communication runs smoothly.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

In chapter 25 of Schell’s “Art of Game Design,” Shell emphasizes the importance of love in creating a successful game. With this comes the need for teamwork among team members. Everyone on the team needs to be in love equally with the game in order to create a successful game. According to Schell, all disagreements need to be left at the door. Shell also mentions three problems that tend to arise when creating a game with a team. Those differences are team members that have no love for any game, love for a different game, and team members that have different views on the same game(Shell 414, 2009). This is a very important chapter that explains working with a team and can translate into any industry.

In chapter 26 of Schell’s “The art of Game Design,” he explains that the process of game design is not straightforward at all. He says that there is no “magic template” for a game (Schell 426, 2009), which basically affirms that no template fits all games. The designers must work around with different templates other than the most common templates. As well as this game design requires a lot of memory and communication because as said in the last chapter group work is completely key. As well as this Schell explains the different groups involved in game design. Those groups are writers, engineering, art, management and player. Which all have instrumental roles.
The reading
Pages 336-339 is discussing the growth and evolution of game production in the gaming industry. The author notes that as the number of people involved in a typical game production has increased, the budgets and timelines for production have also increased, leading to higher expectations for sales of each game. The author provides estimates of the average team size and development time for A-list games on different console systems and discusses the various job categories involved in game production.

The author also touches on the importance of building a strong and effective team for successful game production. The author emphasizes that it is not enough to simply hire a group of talented individuals, but it is also important to define a structure for the team and create a working environment that supports their ability to succeed. The author suggests ways to foster a sense of authorship among team members, such as setting up weekly meetings and encouraging open communication. The author also highlights the importance of finding the right mix of talent and personality when building a team.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello, I like the point you made about game design not having a template. With this in mind, it makes sense now why collaboration is so important when creating something so complex. You need a team that will pick up you short comings and offer ideas and insight that you may not have. Game design requires a lot of memory and communication because as said in the last chapter, group work is completely key. At first, I did not take this point seriously. But then I read Fullerton’s text and learned about the various roles and how equally important each role it. I look forward to seeing what group work has to offer.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Robert!

I found your focus on the three types of loves interesting. I think out of all of them, having differing views is the most occurring, which is why I want to address a different one instead. The love for a different game is interesting to me because it shows that game designers play favorites and are biased. However, I do not think that detracts from their ability to making a good game, as their passion for games is still there. It can give them a different perspective that their other teammates have. It can also challenge them to think about, and even come to love, different types of games. I think having a team that all completely loves and favors a type of game does not foster the creativity ad=nd innovation that conflicting views do.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

“In the passionate throes of design ecstasy, it is easy to become attached to
an idea that struck you like white lightning from heaven. But if other team
members don’t like your idea, where are you then?” (Schell 419).

This quote stood out to me because I think objectivity is one of the aspects that are most lacking when working as a team. Drawing from my experience in group projects, there are definitely passionate and hot-headed people who fight tooth an nail her their idea, or shoot down others due to a reason that is too opinion-based and biased. Objectivity plays a key role in allowing people to separate themselves from their beliefs and emotions and think from a logical and unbiased standpoint. However, I think this can also become a detriment of a group is too objective. If everyone is too passive, not wanting to reject or support any one’s own particular idea, then there arises a problem in which no one is saying that they are thinking and get the job done. Opinions can be shared, but one must keep an open-mind and remain objective when coming to a final decision as a team.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Christiana!
I enjooy this quoote you picked out! It highlights the true meaning of teamwork, where your sole opinion is not the only thing that matters in making decisions about the game. The opinions and ideas from your teammates allow room for feedback and improvement will bound to be constructive, rather than waiting for the players’ opinion. This ties in with the peer review process.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Christiana! I think this quote is a good example of what could happen when working in a team. It is very common for people to disagree on certain points and it is also common for people to hang onto their beliefs too tightly. Overall, having people with differing opinions on a team is important as it can give you viewpoints on ideas that you would not have thought of. Several like-minded people could cause teams to make minimal progress and limit the potential of an idea. So I agree that people on teams must be open minded and prepared to listen to others.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Christina,
Thank you so much for responding to my post. I really like the quote that you responded with. It perfectly sums up what it is like to work in a team, especially for the person who comes up with the idea. People tend to be more biased when it comes to their own ideas. Therefore, there needs to be more people that give feedback to create a better understanding of what will work.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Christina,

I find the quote you chose insightful and enjoyed reading your response. I think it is important in a group setting to think from others perspectives and have a unbiased standpoint. Being honest on one’s thoughts regardless of who it is directed to is important in a group setting to remain objective.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

I thought it was cute that this whole section was about just loving the project you’re working on. It’s cheesy, but it’s also good. The section I found most interesting was “If You Can’t Love the Game, Love the Audience.” I feel like this is not only good advice for game design, but good advice for life in general. Even if you don’t like what you’re working on, sometimes you can choose to like it for the sake of someone else. Obviously this shouldn’t be generalized to everything ever… but it could help when it’s hard to generate enthusiasm for something you’re working on. It also probably makes a good game, since you are thinking of what people will like about your game over what you don’t like about it.
The part about staying impartial about ideas by referring to them as the ideas they are rather than who thought of them is also a great idea. I’m sure there are times in my life where I’ve been annoyed that my idea didn’t get chosen, but it would be more productive to think about whether my idea was any good in the first place. I’m like 90% sure this class has a group project in it so that might be useful here. It’ll definitely be useful elsewhere, because group projects are always happening everywhere.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Pragya, I really agree with you! I think that most of this section wasn’t that much about game design, but rather more on teamwork and love. It gives readers an idea of what it is like to work as a “team”, and this can apply everywhere, not just game design. Loving the audience part also applies to this idea. Whether it is working for a group project, a part time job, or a big project like game design, loving the audience and the idea of teamwork can help motivate people and make them work a bit more efficiently. As you said, it can also definitely apply to us in this class right now – as there will surely come a time where we have to work as a group.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I think that while the idea of “loving the project that you’re working on” can be viewed as cute, it’s some of the most important game designing advice that one could give. This advice can pretty much apply to many other things besides game design, which is why I’d agree with the comment above that states that this isn’t just good game design advice, but life advice in general. If you’re creating something, the only way that it’ll turn out great is if you truly feel love for what you are creating. The idea that even if you can’t find love for what you’re making, you must find love for your audience is honestly pretty mature. These are pieces of advice crucial to making a team work together effectively.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Scott.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

??? That’s what I said, also? Perhaps the idea of something being cute does not make it immature as well. (Also, sorry if this comes off as judgemental, I’m just genuinely confused what the argument is)

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Pragya,
This was a very great post and personal. I really like that we have the same opinion on having a. love for something that a person is creating. It is really cute when someone falls in love with an idea and then persues it. However, that could often create a division between team members because like Schell describes, not everyone will love the project in the same way as others. Great Post!

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello Pragya! I too love that quote, I think that when you cannot find the strength to love something yourself you can definitely find it in something else and use that as a motivating force. While reading schells chapters I also apply many of his lenses and teachings to my real life, some of the text is cliche and can be used in different areas of life.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

From Chapters 25 and 26 by Schell, I was able to grasp the understanding of teamwork in game design. Specifically in Chapter 25, Schell relates his theme of lenses to not game content itself, but how game design and the teamwork aspect of it may relay into the game. The Lenses of Team and Love are important in successful teamwork, as that is in a way shown through the product of the game, as good games generally have a great team working behind it.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

This week, we read about game design teams and the various aspects that make up a good development team. In Fullerton’s chapter 12, he discusses the effects of having a large design team and the elements that one should think of when building a team. With games getting more and more complex in modern day, larger development teams are becoming more imperative as there are much talent needed such as level designers, producers, graphics specialists, and much more. All of these talents must be brought together in order to create a great game. However, Fullerton emphasizes that talent is not the only thing you must seek for in a team. “Finding the right mix of talent and personality is even more crucial.” (Fullerton, p.368). Having a team that you are able to communicate with well and produce new ideas with is crucial and having meetings with set goals. As game design teams require larger and larger sizes in order to complete the projects, understanding the agenda of your tasks and communicating is very important. In Schell’s chapters 25 and 26, the lenses presented all revolve around the success of a design team. My favorite lens was The Lens of Love where a designer must love the game they are working on. “The game will feel special to them, as they realize that someone really cared how they would feel when they played the game, and knowing that someone cares about you is a very special feeling.” (Schell, p.416). This emphasizes how great of an effect that a personal connection to the game has on the product and that having a team full of dedicated team members that share this love will make the process even better. Schell also introduces 10 keys to communication. One of my favorite points was probably love and comfort. Although all of the points are essential, I feel that when someone is truly enveloped in a project that they truly care about and are comfortable in their working space, anything can be produced and in a way that no one else can. Finally, there are many documents when it comes to game design. I was very surprised at the many types of game design documents and really shifted my perspective onto how much work goes into the game. I also really liked how these documents bring together different specialized fields of talent just like how Fullerton described in his chapter. Overall, these readings really made me understand the important of a team and the little details that make a game that much better than another.

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Ethan,
Great post. I really liked your use of Schell’s quote because it really speaks volumes about how important the views of others are. This is especially true when you are creating something. It really makes a difference when people support you with your work and especially when it comes to something you love. That. is one big way that groups can be beneficial.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ethan!

You mentioned how having a good team is vital to making a good game. However, as you said, larger and larger teams are being needed to create games nowadays. Therefore, getting to personally know your team and their talents are becoming increasingly harder. I imagine that communication becomes even more of a difficult task than it already was, I wonder if there is a method as to how facilitate teamwork, transparency, and communication even within very large teams so they can run smoothly and efficiently.

[Author]

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