Building Alliances: Final Overview

 Building Alliances: Final Overview

Personal Reflection

What went well?
Over the course of this project, I have been in the role of the director of my group. This role consisted of a lot of things, many of these responsibilities unexpected to me. I was in charge of steering my group in the right direction, and helping out with all the various parts of the project. One thing I didn't expect was how large and varied the workload would be, with every task I was tackling with my group being different than the last. This is great for working within the creative pipeline with a group, as it leads to a varied skillset, even if it can be very demanding at times. One of the responsibilities I took on as the director was also fulfilling our need of research, and shifting the schedule around to accommodate myself and my team to do so.

I think I handled the role very well. From the start I knew I would have to handle my work in a timely manner to not only set an example for my group, but also to complete all the work I assigned myself. I think I could've worked a lot more efficiently at the beginning of the project, but I eventually picked up the pace and began creating plans, roadmaps, and guides for my team to use. Another responsibility was scheduling group meetings, which was a big help in establishing the direction we wanted to bring our game in.

What could I have done better?
I personally feel if I were to do this project again knowing what I've learnt from the role of director, I would be able to do double the assets in half the time. A lot of this project felt like trial and error with different approaches to workflows. I know this is normally how it starts with new companies and teams in the games industry that don't have a publisher or bigger developer team to rely on, but this matched with my sometimes inconsistent approach to work led to a lot of problems for myself. I think one of the first things I would do is establish a firm roadmap that I would not change or allow myself to move from, and I think I would have held the same standards for my team, ensuring we worked to the best of our abilities. 

I also feel like as it got later into the project, and taking on a big portion of the research job, I should've stayed on top of my work better, as it would have made me better prepared for the unexpected. it is a given that in the games industry, things will not always go the way you want them to, from 3D modelling to Roadmapping, and this was a big case of that. In my opinion, the strongest quality in a director from this point on is consistency.

Overall Thoughts

Um Um Um Um Studios
Overall, I enjoyed my time with this group. Um Um Um Um Studios had stressful moments where I felt like we had to double, if not triple our normal working speed to accommodate the rest of the group, but it was never to the point it felt impossible, as it felt more like an exercise for making our individual workflows more efficient. As we got deeper into the project, I began putting tips and guides that I made for myself into the group in case anyone else could get use out of them. I do wish I had maintained closer contact with my group members throughout the duration of this project, but I feel I did a good enough job of communicating and working with them where it was needed. I also think the work I did on my own assets was some of the best I have done, at least in terms of 3D. 

Closing Thoughts
With this project finished, I feel a lot more confident working with a group, working in a leadership role, and working with a given brief. I feel as if I will be much more confident and ready for any future group work, and much more able to adapt to any creative workflow that involves multiple people in the creative art pipeline.

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