1. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4101 Design Teams Team Structure Interdisciplinary Teams

2. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4102 Game Design 1. The game design vision drives everything 2. Every team member contributes something vital Respect their expertise

3. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4103 Team Structure  Director/Producer –The person who’s driving –Has the creative vision for entire project –Possibly an expert in some area

4. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4104 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

5. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4105 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

6. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4106 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

7. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4107 Game Software Engineering  Many team members are not programmers  Eg. Graphic artists are picture people  Marketing people have limited programming or design experience

8. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4108 Specifications  Game specifications will cover many bases  It’s not all about software per se

9. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 4109 The Bottom Line  The team members are there for a reason:  Each team member is an expert

10. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41010 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

11. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41011 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…

12. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41012 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

13. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41013 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

14. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41014 Level Design  Expertise: Games, Storytelling  Programmers –Creating behavior of enemy agents in geographic space –Special-purpose features this level –Design tools

15. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41015 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

16. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41016 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

17. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41017 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

18. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41018 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

19. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41019 Networks  Expertise: CS Networks, Multiplayer  Programmers –Implement network components –Client-server system –Server creation –Create multi-player control for game Prediction, Etc

20. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41020 Multi-player Design  Expertise: Multiplayer, CS Networks  Design multi-player scheme –Resolve conflicts –Deal with lag  Programmers –Game-specific strategies

21. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41021 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!

22. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41022 Audio  Expertise: CS -- Digital Sound Filters/Effects  Programmers –Create System-level audio software –Environmental effects filters –Resource management

23. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41023 Audio Design  Expertise: Music  Designers –Create audio space –Interact with other system elements Player health, location Time of day, environment

24. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41024 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!)

25. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41025 Voice Talent  Expertise: Acting, Radio  Create a compelling animated voice character –Voice fits the body –Delivers the lines appropriately

26. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41026 Playtesting  Expertise: Games, Dealing with people  Test the game with real users –Get feedback –Adjust game difficulty –Adjust explanations, back story, etc –Get organized!

27. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41027 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

28. Sep 14, Fall 2006IAT 41028 Technical Writers  Expertise: Technical communications  Create documentation –Game manuals –API manuals In house External