Originally written February 6, 2022 | MS Game Production and Documentation Course
Assignment 4.1 — Weekly Journal | Reign and Rebellion
Introduction
This week, I worked on a web document for the project. As a producer, my responsibility is to document information on the website. The web document functions similarly to an art document and a design document. It consists of character art and design-related details such as gameplay descriptions, game modes, and other essential elements.
Project Doing
My role within the production team involved building art and design web documents. These documents serve as a central source of information needed to progress with the project and help streamline the team’s workflow. The documentation includes multiple aspects of art creation for the 3v3 shooter game, such as asset packs, concept art, design specifications, and detailed descriptions.
The design section covers gameplay descriptions, UI details, prototype requirements, artistic style, different game modes, and arenas. Preparing these documents is research-intensive and time-consuming, but essential for maintaining clarity and alignment across disciplines.
Project Learning
While working on the design page for the web document this week, I learned several important lessons, including the significance of team communication and understanding team dynamics. The web document provides clear, written guidance that team members can rely on when facing uncertainty or unresolved issues.
Beyond my assigned tasks, I realized how critical leadership is in ensuring that every team member understands where the project stands and how they can best contribute. When there are constant changes or gaps in communication, contributing effectively becomes difficult. Clear and consistent communication is the most effective way to reduce such challenges and move the project forward.
Book Reading
Technology creation and innovation can be risky. Competition in gameplay and visual quality remains important, but the technical aspects of video games have become increasingly significant to players. Extreme Programming (XP) introduces principles and practices such as test-driven development and pair programming, which aim to address these challenges
In the context of Reign and Rebellion, artists face numerous challenges within game development teams, including uncertain technology, unrealistic schedules, overproduced assets, and compromised quality. These issues are often compounded by communication barriers between disciplines, even though game development fundamentally relies on cross-disciplinary collaboration to create a fully interactive experience.
Book Learning
Designers must collaborate and communicate face-to-face within small, cross-disciplinary teams, and Scrum practices help facilitate this process. Designers are responsible for ensuring that the project vision is clearly conveyed and remains open to new ideas. Agile QA and production demand a deep passion for video games, strong organizational skills, and effective communication. Testers and producers face significant challenges, but these challenges also provide opportunities for growth and leadership.
Conclusion
The most important lesson I learned this week centers on communication—particularly addressing improper communication, lack of detail, and misalignment within a team. As a Producer on the Reign and Rebellion team, it is clear that I will encounter substantial challenges. Tackling these challenges will not only test my abilities but will also serve as a valuable learning experience as I continue to grow in this role.
The above content reflects learning insights from both the Reign and Rebellion project and the assigned reading.
References
Keith, C. (2021). Agile Game Development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
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Learning With Care — Documentation, Collaboration, and Reflective Game Production Practice
This post is part of my weekly journal series documenting my experience in the MS Game Production and Documentation course. Follow along as I learn what it really takes to produce a game.