How outsourcing support gets

In the gaming industry, many studios or project teams exist to catch up on the version and schedule, leading to a lack of manpower or time. At this time should be the hands of the art design work, outsourced to the company outside the design company, to obtain more human resources, so that design companies to help provide art resources, to ensure the feasibility of the project plan. In the project art resources outsourcing, usually, outsourcing is also the most frequent use of outsourcing stage, is the initial development of the project.

What I want to share is how to get the outsourcing support in the early stage of the development of the game project. Outsourcing here refers to the game art resources outsourcing. Below I will mainly through the job responsibility clear, the process carding, the cooperation key analysis solves the article title to raise the question.

First, let's understand what outsourcing is and how we outsource our working relationship. Outsourcing is the outsourcing of resources, and outsourcing suppliers, that is, resource providers. In the following article, outsourcing provider, I will be referred to as: CP

CP Company is an independent design company. Partnership with the project team. The project team is the initiator of the requirement, while the CP is the execution side of the requirement. The two sides are equal in their position of cooperation. This is to remember clearly, is a cooperative relationship, the mentality should be set, do not think that they are God, how to toss, want to change the needs of how to change the demand. After all, a good and equal mentality is the first element of cooperation.

In fact, the process of cooperation with CP is a process of communication. So the core question is how to communicate effectively. The effectiveness of communication is directly related to the progress of the project and the stability of the quality of the art resources.

Good communication, in fact, is to see whether the information resources can be effectively exchanged in a timely manner. To achieve this, we just need to do it both effectively and in time.

Effective preparation

I. Exchange of attitudes:

Good attitude is the first element of cooperation, which has just been said. Most people don't want to talk to people they don't like. Since all are unwilling to communicate, barely communicate, the information is certainly not 100% exchange, will increase the number of exchanges and time, thereby reducing communication efficiency, increase the cost.

Two. Adequate preparation:

1. Documentation Preparation

Before outsourcing, the project team should make a comb of the information that they need, such as: Game theme, world view, art style, resource quantity, production cycle, production category, output style, etc., made into documents. CP is also a game-maker, and if you want to collaborate better, you have to show sincerity and information so that they understand the project, so CP can better understand the needs that need to be made. The description of the words and phrase will only increase the cost of communication.

There are two documents to be provided:

The first is a requirements document containing: requirements of the production category, the number of requirements, detailed requirements description, the production cycle of requirements, the needs of the follow-up person contact information.

The second is an art production specification document, contains: Output size specifications, output file style, the actual use of the scene, the final use of the environment, style reference map, the final completion of the example, the production of technical points described (for example, to stay white ah, head body ratio ah, whether to transparent background, color requirements Ah, etc., According to the actual requirements of the project completed)

Take "Hero Kill" as an example:

Here need special note, CP Company in the current market environment, roughly divided into two categories, one is the initiative to undertake the work, this type of CP company, will assume more design work, to provide more new ideas and suggestions. This kind of CP company mainly exists in foreign countries, there are very few in China. The second category is the company that passively undertakes the work, this kind of company mainly is to play the role of the producer of the resource, the idea of the project group is realized directly, very little undertakes the design work. The vast majority of CP companies in the country are such companies. This is also determined by the domestic industry environment. Because most of the domestic companies do not assume the ability to design, so the project team in the preparation of requirements, to be as detailed as possible, the more detailed CP know what the project team want to do, reduce unnecessary communication costs.

2. Identifying Ideas

As far as possible in the prophase to determine the requirements of the description and the actual need for the general direction of things. Avoid late changes in demand and reduce wavering ideas. Requirements change equals redo, which increases the time and cost of communication.

Three. Human resources planning

1. The requirements document and requirements planning to the CP, in the CP on the requirements of the content, production specifications, development time after the initial understanding. Require the CP to arrange with similar project experience designers to participate in the early cooperation, this can speed up early running-in, effectively cooperate with the project team output art resources.

2. CP is required to ensure a fixed human participation, to avoid the change of personnel may bring quality, output instability. If the stage of cooperation, the emergence of human status, should be in advance with the project team to avoid idle or inadequate communication.

3. Egg Basket outfit, find several more CP, once a CP problem, there are other CP can continue to cooperate. Avoid the risk of project disruption as a result of a sudden cooperative interruption.

4. Arrange the team to audit and follow up the professionals. Ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the description.

Four. Quality control

So how do we communicate these CP faster?

1. In accordance with the progress of CP, constraints Audit process and content:

In my case, the hero killed in the role of the original painting, there are two stages, in order.

Figure:

First of all, is the draft audit phase, this stage does not need to draw too meticulous, do not need to paint, only need to be in the form of black and white drafts to draw a rough sketch. The feedback at this stage needs to be manually plotted to identify the problem where the maximum number of times is also the most frequent.

At this stage, you need to review the core elements of this work, which will affect the entire frame of the picture.

The elements that need to be audited are the composition of the picture, the body structure of the character, the general style of clothing, the appearance of facial features, expression, age, perspective, and approximate spatial relations.

Next, is the color manuscript approval phase, this stage needs the fine drawing and the color. After the last link is confirmed, this link is relatively relaxed. After all, the details are good to draw, as long as time is enough.

This phase needs to be audited elements are: color relationship, light and space relations, the draft to determine whether the continuation of the elements, the density of the relationship between the screen, the reading rhythm is reasonable, the details of the control and drawing.

2. Specify a fixed feedback template to avoid duplication of work and feedback omissions:

Take the heroic kill as an example:

In 1, we have detailed the need for feedback elements in each phase to make these elements into tables.

Each feedback only needs to be in the corresponding category of the table, screenshots and feedback questions, describe the way to solve the problem.

In this way, the document to the CP can be avoided, after the CP modified also easy to find, the modification of CP has been omitted.

Timely communication

Five. Communication tools

Agree with CP on timely and effective communication tools, such as QQ discussion group, Professional forum, Email, telephone or other convenient tools. (I suggest using QQ discussion group + telephone combination Way)

Six. Progress control

1. Daily collection and feedback.

2. With CP agreed to a good daily communication time, to avoid fragmentation of work time. Also avoid a number of CP suddenly contact you when the time is crowded.

3. Preparation of the scheduling schedule, each phase of the preparation of the planning form and weekly feedback records.

Seven. Timely settlement

Because CP and project team cooperation is for commercial purposes, it needs to be profitable. Ultimately, the goal is to exchange funds for cooperation. Therefore, the timely initiation and completion of the settlement, will maintain the CP company normal operation, CP input of the manpower will be more stable, cooperation will be more smooth.

The last point, because it is early cooperation, so in the running-in period, the waste of time is unavoidable, so please pay enough patience and careful.

Thank you for reading how to better get outsourced support at the early stage of project development. I hope this article has some help for you and I look forward to communicating with you.