Design Teams Team Structure Interdisciplinary Teams Sep 14

Design Teams Team Structure Interdisciplinary Teams Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 1

Game Design 1. 2. The game design vision drives everything Every team member contributes something vital Respect their expertise Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 2

Team Structure g Director/Producer – The person who’s driving – Has the creative vision for entire project – Possibly an expert in some area Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 3

The Game Vision g. A game derives from a vision g The Visual, Audio, Graphics, AI, Networks derives from this vision g It’s a collaboration! g It’s probably not a dictatorship – No one person can do all the work Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 4

Team Components/Members Game Play/Storyboard g Level Design g Graphics g Graphic Design g Animators g Mo. Cap Actors g Networks g Multi-player Design g Sep 14, Fall 2006 AI g Audio Design g Dialog g Voice Talent g Playtesting g Marketing g Technical Writers g IAT 410 5

Software Engineering g The Waterfall Model: – Design -> Spec -> Coding -> Testing g Better: – Programmers discover what the customer wants – Programmers implement prototype – Users test prototype – Tests feed back to design Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 6

Game Software Engineering g Many team members are not programmers g Eg. Graphic artists are picture people g Marketing people have limited programming or design experience Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 7

Specifications g Game specifications will cover many bases g It’s not all about software per se Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 8

The Bottom Line g The team members are there for a reason: g Each Sep 14, Fall 2006 team member is an IAT 410 expert 9

Design g Like any design job, there must be a logic to the game design g The logic drives – Choice of materials – Arrangement of elements • Colors, textures, shapes of items, musical instruments, etc Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 10

Logic Source g The detailed design logic arises from game logic – Eg. Audio design derives from game design g The driving vision comes from the game – It’s not about creating a hit record, for example g Team members… Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 11

Game Play Expertise: Games, Storytelling g Provide a compelling experience g Set up goals for player(s) g – Script – Storyboard g Programmers – Control game logic – Formal Language Scripts, etc for game play – Formal Language Script interpreter Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 12

Level Design g Expertise: Games, Storytelling, Creative writing g Provide compelling experience this level – Adjust difficulty appropriate to level – Subsidiary to game design g Design – Spatial layout – Composition of forces – Pacing Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 13

Level Design g Expertise: Games, Storytelling g Programmers – Creating behavior of enemy agents in geographic space – Special-purpose features this level – Design tools Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 14

Graphics g Expertise: CS -- Computer Graphics g Programmers – Create the graphics game engine – Customize engine components for particular game – Visual effects – Performance tuning – Until recently, used most CPU Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 15

Graphic Design g Expertise: Visual Arts/Graphic Design g Providing the visual content – Design the look – Implement the look g Graphic system design will generate a visual – Main task is to make the system visually consistent, coherent Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 16

Animators Expertise: Visual Arts/Animation g Create the animated characters g g – Animation control & playback system – Scripting setup – Simulation system – Keyframes – Mo. Cap – Capture, Blending, Adjustment – Programming simulation controllers to create good animations Sep 14, Fall 2006 Programmers IAT 410 17

Mo. Cap Actors g Expertise: Dance, Acting g Act out motion scripts – Create consistent character for each captured motion – Seamlessly join together motion segments g Programmers – Motion capture – Data management Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 18

Networks g Expertise: CS Networks, Multiplayer g Programmers – Implement network components – Client-server system – Server creation – Create multi-player control for game • Prediction, Etc Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 19

Multi-player Design g Expertise: Multiplayer, CS Networks g Design multi-player scheme – Resolve conflicts – Deal with lag g Programmers – Game-specific strategies Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 20

AI g Expertise: AI Algorithms, AI Game Practice g Programmers – Create the AI engine • Could be just a general object suite – Customize to game components – Responsible for good AI enemy play • Details! Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 21

Audio g Expertise: CS -- Digital Sound Filters/Effects g Programmers – Create System-level audio software – Environmental effects filters – Resource management Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 22

Audio Design g Expertise: Music g Designers – Create audio space – Interact with other system elements • Player health, location • Time of day, environment Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 23

Dialog g Expertise: Creative Writing, Play Writing g Create believable speaking characters – Create lines of dialog that will sound good – Get the point across (or obscure it!) Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 24

Voice Talent g Expertise: Acting, Radio g Create a compelling animated voice character – Voice fits the body – Delivers the lines appropriately Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 25

Playtesting g Expertise: Games, Dealing with people g Test the game with real users – Get feedback – Adjust game difficulty – Adjust explanations, back story, etc – Get organized! Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 26

Marketing g Expertise: Game market, distribution g Get the game on the market – Figure out who your customers are – Generate demand • Get it reviewed favorably • Place ads • Hype Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 27

Technical Writers g Expertise: Technical communications g Create documentation – Game manuals – API manuals • In house • External Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 28