Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 1

Design Teams

Team StructureInterdisciplinary Teams

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 2

Game Design

1. The game design vision drives everything

2. Every team member contributes something vital

Respect their expertise

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 3

Team Structure

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 4

The Game Vision

A game derives from a vision The Visual, Audio, Graphics, AI, Networks derives from this vision

It’s a collaboration! It’s probably not a dictatorship– No one person can do all the work

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 5

Team Components/Members

Game Play/Storyboard

Level Design Graphics Graphic Design Animators MoCap Actors Networks Multi-player Design

AI Audio Audio Design Dialog Voice Talent Playtesting Marketing Technical Writers

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 6

Software Engineering

The Waterfall Model:– Design -> Spec -> Coding -> Testing

Better:– Programmers discover what the customer wants

– Programmers implement prototype– Users test prototype– Tests feed back to design

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 7

Game Software Engineering

Many team members are not programmers

Eg. Graphic artists are picture people

Marketing people have limited programming or design experience

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 8

Specifications

Game specifications will cover many bases

It’s not all about software per se

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 9

The Bottom Line

The team members are there for a reason:

Each team member is an expert

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 10

Design

Like any design job, there must be a logic to the game design

The logic drives – Choice of materials– Arrangement of elements

•Colors, textures, shapes of items, musical instruments, etc

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 11

Logic Source

The detailed design logic arises from game logic– Eg. Audio design derives from game design

The driving vision comes from the game– It’s not about creating a hit record, for example

Team members…

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 12

Game Play

Expertise: Games, Storytelling Provide a compelling experience Set up goals for player(s)

– Script– Storyboard

Programmers– Control game logic– Formal Language Scripts, etc for game play

– Formal Language Script interpreter

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 13

Level Design

Expertise: Games, Storytelling, Creative writing Provide compelling experience this level– Adjust difficulty appropriate to level

– Subsidiary to game design Design

– Spatial layout– Composition of forces– Pacing

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 14

Level Design

Expertise: Games, Storytelling Programmers

– Creating behavior of enemy agents in geographic space

– Special-purpose features this level

– Design tools

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 15

Graphics

Expertise: CS -- Computer Graphics 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 16

Graphic Design

Expertise: Visual Arts/Graphic Design Providing the visual content

– Design the look– Implement the look

Graphic design will generate a visual system– Main task is to make the system visually consistent, coherent

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 17

Animators

Expertise: Visual Arts/Animation

Create the animated characters– Keyframes– MoCap – Capture, Blending, Adjustment

– Programming simulation controllers to create good animations

Programmers– Animation control & playback system

– Scripting setup– Simulation system

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 18

MoCap Actors

Expertise: Dance, Acting Act out motion scripts

– Create consistent character for each captured motion

– Seamlessly join together motion segments

Programmers– Motion capture – Data management

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 19

Networks

Expertise: CS Networks, Multiplayer Programmers

– Implement network components– Client-server system– Server creation– Create multi-player control for game•Prediction, Etc

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 20

Multi-player Design

Expertise: Multiplayer, CS Networks Design multi-player scheme

– Resolve conflicts– Deal with lag

Programmers– Game-specific strategies

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 21

AI

Expertise: AI Algorithms, AI Game Practice 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 22

Audio

Expertise: CS -- Digital Sound Filters/Effects

Programmers– Create System-level audio software

– Environmental effects filters– Resource management

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 23

Audio Design

Expertise: Music Designers

– Create audio space – Interact with other system elements•Player health, location•Time of day, environment

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 24

Dialog

Expertise: Creative Writing, Play Writing 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 25

Voice Talent

Expertise: Acting, Radio Create a compelling animated voice character– Voice fits the body– Delivers the lines appropriately

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 26

Playtesting

Expertise: Games, Dealing with people Test the game with real users

– Get feedback– Adjust game difficulty– Adjust explanations, back story, etc

– Get organized!

Sep 14, Fall 2006 IAT 410 27

Marketing

Expertise: Game market, distribution 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 28

Technical Writers

Expertise: Technical communications Create documentation

– Game manuals– API manuals

•In house•External