[project1dev] Re: state of the union
- From: Chris Riccobono <crysalim@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: project1dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:46:16 -0800
The plan for now is to focus on the little things that might get
larger things rolling again - I am trying to pull some of that out in
the latest email I sent to the list.. but it's going to take some
effort because we have to figure out what ppl will do, and what will
get them excited :)
If we can get everyone to feel that kind of relief that you just
talked about, we are going to see a lot more potential realized, heh
On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 12:41 PM, Alan Wolfe <alan.wolfe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> cool deal (:
>
> Do you have a plan of attack for anything yet or still thinkin it through?
>
> Just curious cause im like "ahhh this is gonna be so much better!" i am
> excited to have someone focused on this stuff :P
>
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 12:23 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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