Task 14 - Planning and concepting.

In my previous post I did touch on this topic. I talked about how satisfying it is to see an idea go from just a fleeting theory to a full-blown concept, and to take that expanded and explored concept to its fullest potential as an asset, a character design, or whatever it might be. "Your most powerful creative tool is an organised brain allied to a healthy work ethic." I really like that. My work ethic might not be the healthiest at the moment (I'm working on it, we'll get there in the end) but that synergy between all the various components of production is what leads to a substantial outcome.


Above we can see the workflow published by Maxis entertainment during the making of one of the Sims games.We can see the clear entry and exit points for each stage of development, and how all the various components of the production team influence one another to create something which does everything it needs to do. All the different groups are constantly reiterating their product with influence from the other departments.

"Are the members of that group in good communication with each other? Are the list of reviewers involved in regular critiques of the submissions restricted to only those with clear responsibility for the final result? Is the review group casting a wellaimed net to garner feedback from other individuals with influence on the product's future, such as marketing or the publisher?" -Charles London, Maxis Entertainment. Communication is key here, evidently, and whilst this clearly applies to larger productions spanning many different members of a team (as with Maxis and the Sims) it is also something that we as artists have to master internally. Our brains, in a sense, are little mini teams, with various components each with their own goals. Being able to generate ideas doesn't mean you'll be able to see them through if some of those components aren't working together. Letting your imagination fly off the handle and birthing something impossible to create is going to lead to problems down the line. As with the Maxis workflow, communication between components is key to a smooth production- but production is never smooth.

Unknown Worlds is a small independent studio responsible for the game Natural Selection 2. As a sequel to a community born mod, the game had a lot of passionate followers even before it hit the alpha stages. The developer open-forums were flowing with guidance from fans and Natural Selection 1 veterans, all ensuring that the sequel surpassed the original and that none of what they had come to know and love was lost. "It's...interesting! Sometimes we feel we can do no right, but other times the responses are heart-warming and wonderful. The trick is to listen to the reason behind their suggestions and not just the suggestions themselves. Often the solution the propose won't work from an integrity, technological or finance perspective, but you can address the problem behind it in a different way. Then everyone is happy." - Charles Cleveland of Unknown Worlds. The alpha was a failure, and the project was all but terminated. But then a happy accident happened. From nowhere, the community itself offered time and effort to help bring the troubled project to fruition. Sometimes meticulous planning cannot foresee the biggest issues to hit a project, and clearly help can come from unexpected places. The project did finally release as a fully-functioning game on Steam on the 31st of October 2012. I believe that reliance on chaos is foolish and unsustainable, but that occasionally disorder and confusion can lead to great discoveries. Were it not for Unknown World's lack of order, they may never have turned to their own community for help, and the game that resulted may have been very different indeed.


Sources:
http://www.shacknews.com/article/61103/natural-selection-2-interview-the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Selection_2

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/authors/915471/Charles_London.php
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131369/keeping_up_with_the_sims_managing_.php?print=1