Typical ways to communicate with developers in collaboration

By this summer, I was in the 20th year of professional game design. I have led the team to design platform games, FPS, stand-alone games, multiplayer games and so on. I worked with some of the most impressive programs, artists, animators, writers and producers. Since 20, I have noticed the communication methods that creative people often use.

I know that although developers are very clever, sometimes they are not sure how smart they are compared to their peers. I have seen developers in the message board on the million-dollar game, independent game beloved, such as excessive analysis, fault-finding. We always want to prove that we are more prescient than others, or cite an example that suggests that the idea has been tried, succeeded, failed or unworkable.

Developers often use some discussion, argument, and dialectic to "win" conversations. This article is to introduce these common means.

The following statements and nicknames are not maliciously directed at anyone; in fact, there are several ways in which they are actually used. For example, a style comparison avoids making a derived product; a border case can sometimes erase a solid idea. Here's what I call "skills" for communication.

"Style contrast"

This refers to the development of a person who is not an absolute creative, immediately in his mind to retrieve his game/pop culture library, and then find the closest idea as a comparison object (often bad or failed cases).

Take Avatar as an example, "Do you want to make a blue-skinned man in the jungle fighting against the bad human army and machines?" What, The Smurfs, the Jungle vs aliens? An improper analogy, "war machine" can be seen as the 80 's low-level horror film "C.H.U.D" (Game State Note: in the film "C.h.u.d" There is a living in the city under the gene mutant, eating human life, and "War Machine" there are similar monsters).

"Border blocking"

This refers to the idea of using a border condition to be a great thing. For example, people who cite borders can negate the idea of creating a big world in the sky, fearing that players will go back to where they are and that walking is too cliché. Clear and clear modifications such as "fast travel" can easily solve this big world problem.

There are variations in boundary blocking:

"Communicator": This is a variant of the boundary block because an idea is rejected in the context of a boundary situation or a particular mode of cooperation. "How can the slow motion of a hero play a role in a cooperative model?"

"Perfectionist": similar to Border blocking. This means that developers find that in some cases a good setting may not look perfect. Fighting, for example, sometimes leads to small changes in roles.

"Never seen a good job."

I have never seen such an idea work or done well in the past. So we shouldn't do that. "This is a fairly self-explanatory assertion, and in fact, it may be the reason why an idea should be implemented." By this logic, all ideas can only be identical.

For example, in the War Machine, a locust who lives underground is set up, and there are many reasons for this, but we still have reservations about it. After all, this setting makes the game stand out from other games with regular aliens.

"The Devil's Advocate".

In order to save face, most developers often make the devil's advocate, even when they themselves believe the idea. Lawyers often use this trick.

"It's just Y."

This means that the developer degrades other successful works with sour grapes because he can easily see the principles. In fact, it is because the principle of the game is very simple and obvious that the game is so successful.

For example, "Words with Friends": "It's just an asynchronous Scrabble game." "Yes, exactly, so it succeeded."

"Say it later."

When a developer hears an idea--good or bad--say the idea is appropriate for a later version or a sequel. The real meaning of this sentence is, "I think this idea is not worth a try, so we give up, I said later is to make you not uncomfortable." ”

Tower of Babe (from Gamasutra)

The Tower of Babel.

This is when developers stack too many extra gadgets on a simple set, but these little things end up compromising the entire setting. The Tower of Babel was crushed by its own weight.

"Avalanche effect"

The idea is to use this method in a way that requires many other departments to do more work (such as animation, UI, or art). Often, interesting or worthwhile features are involved in more departments because of the knowledge involved in multiple disciplines.

"Over Analysis"

This commonly used term means to think too much of an idea so as to accomplish nothing.

"Try What?"

In other words, "How do we compare with others?" Because of the fierce competition in some way, developers ask, lest try.

"They have n developers!"

When developers talk about how big a competition team is, that's what happens when you say that. In order to work efficiently, epic companies always let the best people do the same task with the best tools.

"Conservatives"

"But we usually do that!" In the entertainment industry, especially in technology-related industries, creativity and reflection are essential in order to survive. Complacency and rut inevitably lead to failure.

Working in a conventional industry for 20 years may be an advantage, but in the tech industry, it could be a stumbling block for you. As developers, the more to keep an open mind, to live to learn old.

"But we are xxx (" xxx "refers to the studio name)

When the studio is ready to put its reputation on the success of a project, it will issue such a battle slogan, but also think very strong. When the studio people say so, you know that this studio is not far from the civil strife, because younger new employees are full of dreams, always want to replace the old staff, create new glories.

"We've tried it before."

To negate the alternative of old ideas (which may work), put forward the experience of failing to try old ideas.

"Too advanced."

Your idea is great! In fact, the idea is too avantgarde and innovative. Therefore, we should not try, because it sounds very time-consuming.

"In the words of our line ..."

This means that, in order to get the upper hand in the argument, the developer throws out only the jargon of his own professional, making the other developers of different professions unintelligible. For example, programmers discuss the principles of code with artists, and designers explain them to animators in design jargon.

"Tribal leaders."

When developers stubbornly believe in their profession (art, programming, design, etc.), they reject the opinions of other professionals in the studio.

"Not within range."

"It's a good idea, but it's not within the scope of our project." "Unfortunately, sometimes the best ideas are not within the original plan," he said.

"Test trick."

To develop a new set or new weapon, we strongly recommend "harmony", and his method is to change it during testing so that the game is designed according to his ideas. Sometimes, people for their own ideas to pay a lot of efforts, but the results were destroyed by others, in this case, the bright.

Parroting”

This refers to a class of people who hear your thoughts instead of listening to them, using their own words to say what you think, and forgetting where you heard the idea. This is fundamentally not a big deal, as long as the idea can be done.

Long”

This type of person responds to design suggestions or discussions with three pages of mail.

This is always the case, and eventually, you have to set up a special folder for this person.

E-douche (from Gamasutra)

"Message blindness"

These people seem to be downright stupid in the mail, even if they don't do it on purpose.

Glasgow”

Because subjectively identify a bad idea, this kind of people inexplicably stop all processes, put forward their own new ideas, eventually everyone will have to start again.

"Skeptics"

Such people reject an idea without any definite reason, and they say, "I don't know about it ..." but it often works.

The Prophet (from Gamasutra)

Prophet”

Such people have a momentary passion for an idea, but never consider it in terms of design or other disciplines. This kind of person simply wants everyone to believe that the idea will succeed, not to make prototypes from it. This is often the act of a young, inexperienced designer.

"Captain Ahab" (Game State Note: This is the novel "Moby Dick" in the characters, stubbornly want to find the white whale revenge.) )

This kind of person refuses to admit that a certain idea does not work, at the same time constantly try, wasting precious code and art resources, delusion that one day, this idea will succeed.

Data Control

This type of person appears: "The data in this table objectively and fairly shows that your idea will never succeed, you will make a lot of people unhappy, in this direction we can not go." ”

"Spiritual Expectations"

This means that a program teacher refuses to understand the proposed idea until it is required to be executed in a way that the program wants to do.

Ignore”

Such developers deliberately (or unintentionally) ignore ideas that might succeed.

Indifferent”

Such designers say they want to be creative, listen to other people's thoughts and silently ignore anything that he does not think of.

The gardener (from Gamasutra)

Gardener”

The gardener planted the seed of the idea early, and then raised it many times in the meeting, even chatting with others without forgetting to say a word. Finally, the idea begins to sprout in others ' minds until it becomes part of the game, and no one remembers where the idea came from at first. This is really a practical technique.

"Loophole"

When there is a setting in the process, the designer does not consider the purpose or function of the setting, but simply points out the obvious error, which is clearly the ultimate solution.

Multi Boss (from Gamaustra)

"Multiple Leaders"

When a person does not have a clear boss, and does not know who to listen to the orders, he will often listen to many personal command. Design directors, executive producers, and directors may have their own views that confuse employees who don't have a clear boss.

"Packing Tickets"

The term refers to a promise made by a spokesperson to the media that the team will have to do what he has to say.

Crowd”

The creative person sees what is in the recent game game, he accepts what, thought this can make good game, also save idea son innovation.

All in all, these are the communication "technologies" that I have seen over the years to develop people's personalities. Thank you for the materials that my peers in epic, chair and arranges Can fly have provided for me. I want visionary developers to be aware of these problems and correct them accordingly. I also hope this article will make the creative people smile.

Via: Game Bang/gamerboom.com