[project1dev] Re: state of the union
- From: eric drewes <figarus@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: project1dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:27:26 -0500
i think the project will run much smoother... im excited.
On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 3:23 PM, Chris Riccobono <crysalim@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I really appreciate the signature of trust on this Eric, just wanna
> let you know. You too Alan.. I know I can't be all harry potter and
> save the world here, but just having another person to communicate
> back and forth between the people that are doing the work on art and
> areas might go a long way.
>
> At first I'm just going to focus on the little things that probably
> should be done before tackling huge tasks, but the biggest thing of
> all is finding a way to get people to feel comfortable working with
> each other again.
>
> I don't want you to be the only one people can vent at, it's just not
> fair for you (and for everyone else), so if I can be that guy too,
> then hell yeah :P
>
> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 12:45 PM, eric drewes <figarus@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > yeah, we just need to be more disciplined and structured when it comes to
> > the weekly updates, and i think timelines/estimates will really help
> people
> > stay focused - like when we were doing it before we didn't really have a
> -
> > i agree 100% that open communication and comfort are important to
> nurture
> > an environment where people feel like their input is valuable and has
> > influence.
> > ok for now I think after talking it over w/ alan we're gonna do things
> like
> > this:
> > Chris Riccobono is going to be the peer-review supervisor, basically he
> will
> > keep the tasks people are working on organized through a weekly update
> that
> > includes project reports and time estimates for deadlines - as a team we
> > will be able to look over the progress of everyone and see where things
> > aren't going smoothly and then do preventive measures to keep everything
> > running well. By me being accountable to him, it will create a balance
> of
> > power so if you feel like you haven't been given proper direction or you
> > need something that I am not providing, you can go to him and he will
> > contact me to get it worked out, and likewise we will all keep focused
> > because our progress will be measured and out in the open. Obviously
> > deadlines, etc. will be sorta self stated so please give yourself
> realistic
> > estimates and of course if things pop up just make sure you let people
> know
> > why there isn't progress. If a task goes a week past the estimate
> without
> > real progress (and without explanation) we will re-open the task for
> someone
> > else to work on so things don't end up stuck.
> > pretty much i want to leave the formatting to chris as far as how we give
> > him our current tasks but i would say an example could be
> > eric - task: create temple exterior model, time estimate: 2 weeks,
> current
> > status: its been a week, rough sketches are done but no modeling done,
> still
> > on track to finish by deadline
> > if you have any questions or if you need guidance you can still email me
> > directly of course.
> >
> > I really think this will help the game move at a faster pace... i think
> this
> > is what we are missing. if you have thoughts/opinions/questions/etc.
> feel
> > free to express them here!
> > Chris: its up to you if you want to create a standard format for us to
> give
> > you reports, and also WHEN you want reports by and when you want to
> publish
> > the weekly status report.
> > Thanks everyone,
> > Eric
> > On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 2:42 PM, Chris Riccobono <crysalim@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I just want to say Eric that i've been following the thread between
> >> you and Katie and I really appreciate you writing this. It gives me
> >> renewed faith in the project.
> >>
> >> This really helps us out a lot, because like you said, you were put in
> >> the position of producer/supervisor by default. You and Alan are the
> >> founders of the game so to speak so that's just how the chain of
> >> command has trickled down.
> >>
> >> I think I can really get excited about stuff again with the things
> >> you've suggested :) lemme talk about the peer review thing: we do sort
> >> of have that going on already, but we just need to make everyone feel
> >> like they're getting that input listened to, or make them feel
> >> comfortable enough to suggest things that are needed.
> >>
> >> About the executive producer, we should pick someone everyone would
> >> feel comfortable enough with to bash on (cuz that's gonna happen no
> >> matter what), but confident enough in to give ideas to.
> >>
> >> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 11:03 AM, eric drewes <figarus@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> >> > here's my official opinion of the situation:
> >> > we have a ton of really great creative talent, a brilliant coder and a
> >> > really awesome premise. we have a ton of people who love gaming who
> >> > want to
> >> > produce a quality classic. My dream for this game is for it to be a
> >> > masterpiece of sorts that maximizes its potential. but there are some
> >> > problems...
> >> > by default alan and I are in charge, but neither of us are experienced
> >> > as
> >> > project managers and neither of us are really good in that job. We
> >> > have
> >> > tried at various times to keep with weekly updates, etc. in order to
> >> > keep
> >> > everyone (including ourselves) on track and the game progressing...
> >> > these
> >> > attempts have failed for one reason or another, and in my opinion its
> >> > because there's nothing really to hold any of us accountable, there
> are
> >> > no
> >> > checks and balances, no consequences to blowing off
> >> > assignments/projects/etc. and lets face it, this is an unpaid gig and
> >> > we're
> >> > all busy people and often times we have to make sacrifices, the game
> >> > thus
> >> > far has been something easy to push aside... With the talent we have
> on
> >> > art
> >> > team, the three options alan presented shouldn't even need to be
> >> > exercised,
> >> > I really think we have the people to get the art done, if properly
> >> > motivated
> >> > we could get all of milestone 1 including the
> >> > temple completely finished art
> >> > wise by the end of the month, we just need a driver to keep the talent
> >> > (myself included) producing and on track. The problem is, we need
> >> > someone
> >> > with experience and knowledge to fill that executive producer role
> and I
> >> > have failed at it, I am just not good at being the person who keeps
> >> > schedules and keeps things organized, its not in my disposition to be
> >> > the
> >> > boss in that respect. I'm not a supervisor. It was sort of my job by
> >> > default and i suck at it.
> >> > things have been frustrating - frustrating for everyone, and tempers
> >> > have
> >> > occasionally boiled over because when things aren't going the way we
> >> > want
> >> > and we try to look for where the problem is, people get angry and it
> >> > erupts
> >> > into these things. If you want to say that the problem is me for not
> >> > keeping the game moving, well I am guilty, because like I said before,
> >> > by
> >> > default I am the only one to blame. We need someone besides me to
> step
> >> > up
> >> > or we need to bring someone in who can manage the game and take on
> that
> >> > authority, someone who can tell me when I am not giving people what
> they
> >> > need or producing the way I need to, someone who can prod people who
> >> > have
> >> > assignments to finish them, someone who can make sure everyone is
> doing
> >> > what
> >> > they need to be doing to keep the game alive. I can write, design,
> draw,
> >> > model, I can direct but I can't do that part, its just a role i am
> >> > competent
> >> > in. I think we could probably do this by committee instead of having
> one
> >> > head guy in charge, where we structure things like this:
> >> > we'll list everyones current assignments, if people are missing a
> task,
> >> > we
> >> > can add those as well. Every single person will give a time estimate
> >> > for
> >> > when they think their current project will be finished and we as peers
> >> > will
> >> > hold people accountable for not finishing projects by their deadlines.
> >> > Obviously things come up or things take longer to do that originally
> >> > estimated (we'll account for that as long as there is an explanation)
> >> > but
> >> > with strict weekly updates and time estimates it'll be easier for
> people
> >> > to
> >> > say "oh yeah, i need to get that done" - the deadline pressure is a
> >> > great
> >> > motivator! We could also say if something lingers without progress
> for
> >> > 2
> >> > weeks, we could offer the project up for reassignment, so that if
> >> > someone is
> >> > busy/disinterested/dead their task doesn't just not get finished. We
> >> > need
> >> > to really be strict on this otherwise things will break up into chaos
> >> > like
> >> > they are now.
> >> > Basically we're all new to this, its a huge learning experience and
> >> > we're
> >> > all in it together, we all have a common goal. When things are going
> >> > well,
> >> > we will forget this blip in the system but unless we make this change,
> >> > things will never ever ever go well. But i think WITH an executive
> >> > producer
> >> > running things and/or a peer-driven system of checks and balances, we
> >> > can
> >> > really get this done... and do something amazing.
> >> > anyways, those are my official thoughts on it. Lets open the field
> for
> >> > thoughts/concerns/questions and then tomorrow put together a list of
> >> > what
> >> > everyone is working on, what they need, their time estimates and sorta
> >> > "start over" with a winning plan.
> >> > Thanks,
> >> > eric
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
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