Team Structure
I'm not sure whether I've posted something on Team Structure yet, but it's really quite important. I've also been taking my time to try and understand the entirety of what is important before I started writing. Please bear in mind that what I'm talking about may only apply to teams larger than ten and smaller than... thirty. I'm not sure.
Whatever you think might work "well" for a team, however egalitarian you may believe it to be, the truth of it is that someone needs to be thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of individuals. This person then needs to make executive decisions about the structure of the team.
The team should be divided into "task forces," not anything else. Yes, you have crossovers. That is completely understandable and allowed, especially for a small team.
I am going to refer back to the way theatre works so that people can understand this (maybe) better. Let's pretend that you are in a similar production to the one I was in earlier this year. It was a play of short skits based on the work of a particular playwright. We had a director, who also devised some skits entirely himself. We had actors. Some of these actors also directed skits. Other actors also did tech work- props, sound, backstage etc. We had one purely technical role- and he sat at the back with the director during the show, making sure that everything was correctly timed. The director would often get involved in one of the scenes. I also created an animation. In short, we had a large mass of people (I think about 15?) working together as a team to make this whole thing happen. However, it was all orchestrated by the director, who had final say as to what worked and what didn't- what went in and what was left out. He wanted free expression, but it was his show and his vision, and everyone followed his instruction.
Likewise, things work best when people know what they're working on, and who they should report to for what. Programmers should stay in one division. All artists should stay in one division- regardless of the type of art they do (usually they are capable of doing both concept and in-game art). Both should report back to the Design Division, along with any peripheral people or teams (music, writing, etc).
It is a lovely idealism that the Design team involves everyone, that the ideas will belong to everyone and everyone will share the same ideas and motivation. To quote Lisa Simpson (I assume it was Lisa- she's the only one likely to say something like this), "In theory, Communism works."
A Lead Designer is SO important. Between him (ahhh patriarchal society of game dev) and the Project Lead, they should make all the final decisions on how the game should be. They should decide who is helpful and who hinders the game design process.
So, in short:
Project Lead
----->Lead Designer -----> Design Team
-----> Lead Programmer ------> Programmers
-----> Lead Artist ----------> Concept Artists
----------> In-Game Artists (3D etc)
-----> Peripherals (Music writing, etc)
I hope that ends up looking the way I hope it does. Eventually I'll draw up a proper flowchart so it's easier to see what I mean.
Please always remember that just because you have one title or role, doesn't mean that is the only title you'll have forever (or even within one project!)
Whatever you think might work "well" for a team, however egalitarian you may believe it to be, the truth of it is that someone needs to be thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of individuals. This person then needs to make executive decisions about the structure of the team.
The team should be divided into "task forces," not anything else. Yes, you have crossovers. That is completely understandable and allowed, especially for a small team.
I am going to refer back to the way theatre works so that people can understand this (maybe) better. Let's pretend that you are in a similar production to the one I was in earlier this year. It was a play of short skits based on the work of a particular playwright. We had a director, who also devised some skits entirely himself. We had actors. Some of these actors also directed skits. Other actors also did tech work- props, sound, backstage etc. We had one purely technical role- and he sat at the back with the director during the show, making sure that everything was correctly timed. The director would often get involved in one of the scenes. I also created an animation. In short, we had a large mass of people (I think about 15?) working together as a team to make this whole thing happen. However, it was all orchestrated by the director, who had final say as to what worked and what didn't- what went in and what was left out. He wanted free expression, but it was his show and his vision, and everyone followed his instruction.
Likewise, things work best when people know what they're working on, and who they should report to for what. Programmers should stay in one division. All artists should stay in one division- regardless of the type of art they do (usually they are capable of doing both concept and in-game art). Both should report back to the Design Division, along with any peripheral people or teams (music, writing, etc).
It is a lovely idealism that the Design team involves everyone, that the ideas will belong to everyone and everyone will share the same ideas and motivation. To quote Lisa Simpson (I assume it was Lisa- she's the only one likely to say something like this), "In theory, Communism works."
A Lead Designer is SO important. Between him (ahhh patriarchal society of game dev) and the Project Lead, they should make all the final decisions on how the game should be. They should decide who is helpful and who hinders the game design process.
So, in short:
Project Lead
----->Lead Designer -----> Design Team
-----> Lead Programmer ------> Programmers
-----> Lead Artist ----------> Concept Artists
----------> In-Game Artists (3D etc)
-----> Peripherals (Music writing, etc)
I hope that ends up looking the way I hope it does. Eventually I'll draw up a proper flowchart so it's easier to see what I mean.
Please always remember that just because you have one title or role, doesn't mean that is the only title you'll have forever (or even within one project!)