Well, with all the pressure of other classes bearing down assignment after assignment the mustard seed challange would only prove to be the same. The past week had brought us the due date of our functionality and design report. For most groups, getting all the research information together and trying to come up with new refreshing ideas for games, underlying principles and theories, proved to be a more difficult task then first anticipated. All groups seemed confident in their ideas but where uncertainty lied was in the actual requirement of the report and lack of grading guide to use as a road map. The greatest fear or concern for the report was the judgemental eyes of the person marking.
All groups as far as this project manager knows of, handed in all reports on time and got right into the more pressing action of theorizing and designing a working model of our package.
Short lab on Monday March 22, consisted of each group independently work on their component of the project. Working with a theme of "adventure" definitely caused a lot of gears turning in the minds of all groups throughout the lab. Designing a "successful" video game with limited knowledge of game programming caused many groups to focus more on their overall idea rather than implementation into a prototype.
Long lab on March 23 proved to be a major transition in the tempo of Red D based on the implementation of a game idea. The majority of groups have little or no experience in programming video games (or none that any is willing to admit). This had caused many groups to doubt the idea of a successful prototype. Inability to transfer a great idea into a great functioning game was easier said than done. A project manager brought up the theme of the lab to other managers on the weekend before the functionality and design report was due. The limited time frame and the fact some groups had already completed their reports, this idea was was not explored any further. One lab member was particularly troubled with the theme of the game, he took it upon himself to approach each group within the lab independently to discuss the theme of adventure. His motive was not to sway ideas, but rather to gain input into how others were implementing the theme into their game, and to find out opinions to the current theme.
Project management was called upon to re-evaluate the theme of "adventure". Adventure created a vast range of ideas but that was the the object of its demise. A theme too vast only caused groups to wander in every direction, which could cause the theme to be unrecognizable in the end and defeat its purpose.
The project management team discussed these issues in the meeting. Some groups were well on their way, already having adventure as their theme included in their game. This posed a problem to the PM team. Does one or two groups eagerness and efficiency in designing their prototype warrant reason to keep the theme the same?
An idea was passed that within the games already being designed, changing sprites within the game, the setting and background could let those teams keep their idea in a new theme. It was agreed upon that the lab shift its theme from adventure to City Center.
City Center prompted many ideas right off the bat. wether it had to do with construction, shopping, maintenance, gambling, and even adventure. This theme also gave groups the opportunity to create more realistic and familiar components into their game which could lead to material being more easily absorbed for the user.
The Expectations for groups next week is to have their ideas imbedded in concrete and designs well underway. Because of only a short lab on march 30th it was stressed upon that groups ignore all other subjects that arent important and focus solely on their mustard seed proposal.
This Blog was submitted by Jay Wiwchar, Project Management Chairman.
with permission from Jessica Kisell
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