Exo
About
After creating Rise of the Valkyrie, the same team decided to get together again and work on a project for another gamejam, where we would have more time to create something a little bit better and more fleshed-out (as well as with more features). The original pitch that got deleted from Twitter was: A "Megaman-inspired endless runner", so we got together and planned out how we could create the game the pitch asked, while adding a few of our own flavor to it. What was born from this was a game that featured both a Story Mode and an Endless Runner Mode.
What I learned
Sometimes when working with more time, it doesn't mean the job will be easier. The biggest challenges I had to overcome in this projet was juggling my time between the game, real-life obligations and my Master's Thesis. The pressure was constantly high and I had to manage my time as best as possible so as to not fall behind in any of the things I was involved in. This time since we all worked apart from each other, we had to learn to better communicate and share our progress in a way that would allow the development of the game to progress smoothly. Sometimes it was also needed to motivate each other and keep the team spirit high.
My main lesson from this project is a rather clichéd one but nonetheless valid: "When there's a will, there's a way".
- Design: Small but Effective Design Doc
- This being a bigger project, we were asked to produce a design document to show the organizers what the game we had planned was and how we wanted to execture it.
- Planning: The Power of a Wiki
- When working on the above mentioned Design Document, it was important to be able to iterate and make changes quickly and in a way that everyone could quickly consult. For that purpose I set-up a wiki online where we could all work and consult changes that I made to the game design as it went along.
- Pressure: Juggling Various Obligations
- As I mentioned before, one of my biggest challenges in this project was juggling real-life obligations along with the obligations I had with my team in creating this game. It wasn't easy, but I didn't expect it to be. I do believe I passed with flying colours though.
- Teamwork: Working via Internet
- Unlike the first gamejam where we had the advantage of having some of the team together, this game was entirely developed with the team separated. It forced us to talk and share more of our ideas in a group chat but we still successfully managed to create a game that we are proud of.
