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Some advice that has been positive for me when working on large game teams. Decision making awareness: HIGH Decision making involvement: LOW 🧵

Some advice that has been positive for me when working on large game teams. Decision making awareness: HIGH Decision making involvement: LOW 🧵

  • Iksar
    Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
    Some advice that has been positive for me when working on large game teams. Decision making awareness: HIGH Decision making involvement: LOW 🧵

    • Iksar
      Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
      Awareness: Anyone who is pouring their heart into the project (everyone) shouldn't be blindsided by a major feature. Often times, seeing in-progress work and ideas across the team can be a huge morale boost and source of inspiration.

      • Iksar
        Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
        High-awareness also helps you get a wider range of feedback. A group of highly engaged designers shouldn't be the only ones exposed to in-development work on a regular basis. Get varied player types in to play and make it happen often. Every week! At all stages! At least!

        • Iksar
          Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
          You might think you already have high-awareness on your very big team, but it can always be better. Have some cool new card mechanic ideas you are trying out? Have a new hero design you are excited about pursuing? Let your engineers know, let your producers know!

          • Iksar
            Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
            Feedback is useful at all stages, not just when something is done. Even if someone doesn't grasp the whole picture of what you are making, initial impressions are still important. Something everyone on the team has in common is you all make games. Talk about what you are making.

            • Iksar
              Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
              High awareness leads to relationship building. Not just with the people in your small group but the people all around your team. Give yourself a chance to learn from each other and you won't regret it.

              • Iksar
                Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                Involvement: The group ultimately responsible for making a decision on a given feature should be small. Really small. Like 1 person, maybe 2. Not a voting system, not a design leadership group, not even a a director group. One or two people who are actively working on the thing.

                • Iksar
                  Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                  Decision making red tape is the death of quick iteration. It stops teams from trying out new things because they are afraid of all the time they'll lose getting approval to even start a potential pivot.

                  • Iksar
                    Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                    A difficulty with small decision making groups is sometimes it leads to an artist making a design decision, a designer making a UI decision, an engineer making a business decision. I think this is still the right path.

                    • Iksar
                      Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                      The right leaders will know when to lean on discipline experts and when not to. I find that when someone is accountable for an entire project and its goals, they will make the right decisions a greater % of the time than a committee of discipline experts.

                      • Iksar
                        Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                        In my experience, frustration with decision making rarely comes from not being involved in the final call. It comes from not being given a chance to be heard or lack of clarity on where the final decision making comes from.

                        • Iksar
                          Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                          Finding these decision making individuals is hard. They need to be great listeners and high-talent enough in their discipline to identify high-quality decisions wherever they come from. Once you find these people, set them free. Be there to guide and to set goals, not to dictate.

                          • Iksar
                            Posted 3 years, 10 months ago (Source)
                            A lot of this boils down to clarity. What are we making? Why are we making it? Who is responsible and accountable for moving us forward? If you can be clear on all those things I think you'll find yourself with a happy team.
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