The Producer Lens...

Writing this values statement was tough. For a variety of reasons, the team grappled a complex system, a very aggressive deliverable deadline, and, of course, all of this through a remote platform. It was pretty grueling, and most of the team felt burnt out by the time we had to present. We realised that we had an amazing system, but the rest of the game was bubble wrap around it; there wasn’t much depth to anything else. When we realised this design problem, though, the team came together amazingly. We had the hard discussion of admitting the issue, and working cohesively to solve it. The solution? To focus on our “kickass crafting system” and build a whimsical forest where our player can feel like a kid again and discover the world around them.

To better show this from the entire teams perspective, here are some snippets of member’s takes of the whole process:

Michelle Nie, Product Owner & Programming

"Throughout the week, the team kept a strong narrative focus, building our mechanics surrounding story and alchemy. With an abundance of ideas and an artificial push to have a presentable game loop by Wednesday, we pitched an out-scoped, feature-packed game. Near the end of the week, we took both the feedback from the studio and concerns from the team to reel back until we captured the main spirit of the game: childhood wonder and exploration. We moved forward on a simpler but stronger core: exploring the world, gathering resources, and making potions."

Jade Edwards, Narrative Design

“I think ultimately we made some drastic yet integral alterations to our game in the past few days. I think it was important to address and acknowledge scope and make cuts accordingly. On a personal note, I felt that I had to grow quickly and learn to be fluid towards narrative design. I'm very satisfied with where we settled and happy with the work we have ahead of us!”

Jack Tenda, Game Art

“One of the biggest aspects of working on a team with other artists is making sure all parties are clear on what the visual direction for the game will be, so assets become more cohesive and adaptable, fitting nicely into the environment and feel of the game. Though valuing a whimsical, simple and bright aesthetic can be open ended, it gives us something to look back to and make sure what we create fits this style. This first week of conception, both artistically and mechanically, really pushed our creative capacities to the limit, but will ultimately end up shaping the way our game will look and feel moving forward. Our art should embrace what it means to be simple and bright, while capturing a sense of playfulness that encourages players to explore the world we develop.”

Jake Seide, Game Design

"I think this week went well. The pace was pretty fast, but I think this experience will help me grow as a designer and a team member. Our initial idea was out of scope, but after the meeting we had on Thursday, I believe that we are going in a good direction."

Wesley Elmer, Game Design

"It took a lot of discussion but the design has definitely changed for the better. We spent a lot of time kicking around ideas, but after clearing our heads with a break a couple of our teammates proposed a way more simplified structure for the game that worked beautifully. We really got stuck in our own heads for a while (as Lee pointed out)."

Shefki Beha, Programming

"Going into todays meeting I was feeling pretty good about our game idea but hearing everyone's thoughts about it made me also reconsider. Having so many awesome brains giving ideas seemed to make it a bit difficult to come up with a coherent resolution to Dana's feedback. This being said the break we took to come up with our new game plan really seemed to help and I am very excited to follow this idea!"

Aidan Murphy, Programming

"I think it went well. I think we had a slow start but I think once we got going and we sort of move passed the previous idea and only that idea. We got in a nice groove and I think we did a good job focusing on the team/game values. I know Jake and Wesley both spent a lot of times afterwards working on it and I stopped bye and I think they came up with a good interesting idea that lines up with our game values really well. I think it worked out well and the process, while slow was smooth."