Game Design Team Structure and Expertise

1. Design Teams Team Structure Interdisciplinary Teams ITCS4010/5010

2. Game Design • The game design vision drives everything • Every team member contributes something vital Respect their expertise ITCS4010/5010

3. Team Structure • Director/Producer • The person who’s driving • Has the creative vision for entire project • Possibly an expert in some area ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

5. 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 Team Components/Members ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

7. Game Software Engineering • Many team members are non-programmers • Eg. Graphic artists are sometimes semi-literate • Their mastery is pictures! • Audio people have some CS experience • Marketing people have limited CS experience ITCS4010/5010

8. Specifications • Game specifications will cover many bases • It’s not all about software per se ITCS4010/5010

9. The Bottom Line • The team members are there for a reason: • Each team member is an expert ITCS4010/5010

10. Eg. Audio Design • Like any design job, there must be a logic to the audio design • The logic drives • Instrumentation • Musical style • Selection of phrases ITCS4010/5010

11. Logic Source • The audio design logic arises from game logic • The driving vision comes from the game • It’s not about creating a hit record, for example • Team members… ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

14. Level Design • Expertise: Games, Storytelling • Programmers • Creating behavior of enemy agents in geographic space • Special-purpose features this level • Design tools ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

17. 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 Animators ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

19. Networks • Expertise: CS Networks, Multiplayer • Programmers • Implement network components • Client-server system • Server creation • Create multi-player control for game • Prediction, Etc ITCS4010/5010

20. Multi-player Design • Expertise: Multiplayer, CS Networks • Design multi-player scheme • Resolve conflicts • Deal with lag • Programmers • Game-specific strategies ITCS4010/5010

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! ITCS4010/5010

22. Audio • Expertise: CS -- Digital Sound Filters/Effects • Programmers • Create System-level audio software • Environmental effects filters • Resource management ITCS4010/5010

23. Audio Design • Expertise: Music • Designers • Create audio space • Interact with other system elements • Player health, location • Time of day, environment ITCS4010/5010

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!) ITCS4010/5010

25. Voice Talent • Expertise: Acting, Radio • Create a compelling animated voice character • Voice fits the body • Delivers the lines appropriately ITCS4010/5010

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! ITCS4010/5010

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 ITCS4010/5010

28. Technical Writers • Expertise: Technical communications • Create documentation • Game manuals • API manuals • In house • External ITCS4010/5010