What is a standard day like for Himalaya Team?

[Disco]

I'd really like to know, although I admit I'm mostly trying to take advantage of this time .

How do each of you work best? do you work via forums, if not how? What kind of creative exercises do you do whilst working or designing?

[GameDevBrit]

Good question, Disco!

Most members of the development team work over development forums, email, and via IM. We usually have a pretty good idea of what our individual tasks are, and I personally work well with a to do list that is somewhat challenging. I make an effort to get things checked off my to do list each day--seeing it get smaller is very motivating. Once I am done with an art related task, I submit the work on the forums, and it is picked up by the next person in the assembly line (usually the scripter).

I also work with some members of the team in person. The marketing director lives in my town, and we often meet to discuss matters and work together. Also, we worked in person with the voice actors. Many members of the international development team also moved to the USA for a period of time. We had the opportunity to work together in the recording studio, getting all the Voice Over work recorded for the game. We also worked alongside one another on the actual game.

I personally work best if there is some sort of balance to my life, although many members of the dev team put in amazingly long hours behind the computer--probably 18 a day. I try to break up my day, working on answering game related emails, creating artwork, communicating with dev team members, and also making time for friends, company mascott Hank Dog, and physical activity. I do best, am most motivated, and come up with the best ideas if I receive input from outside sources, stay connected with nature, and allow myself to also work on other projects and dreams at the same time. Road trips also inspire me as well, and if I ever hit a mental block, I like to get out and drive. Better yet, get out and drive to a place I can hike. Or bike

[Disco]

Sounds like you have the development pipeline down to a science

I think if I were to have a team for my project, I would need everyone to live in my hometown (best start putting ads in the city newspaper :P). A team that well-organised would be a bit hard to set up, I imagine.

Is it possible that Himalaya may go from online developing to a premises, assuming Al and supplemental projects achieve monumental success *knocks on a HUGE sequoia*?. If an online team can achieve that sort of output, imagine what can be accomplished having a proper Himalaya lair!

[GameDevBrit]

Hey Disco,

I think our team has somehow attracted like minded individuals, so working over the internet has worked pretty well. I also know a development team near where I live, where everyone works in the same proximity. I think in a way, it's helpful for them, and at the same time, they've also had issues. They tend to become one another's life, and create their own little world. There have been a lot of conflicts due to "cabin fever"...

We have spoken about someday opening up a Himalaya Studios Bed 'n Breakfast, where the developers could work in one location, each having their own separate living quarters, and we could also be hospitable and offer rooms for guests Could be fun.

A lot of us from the team though are very close friends, and it would be fun all working in the same city. I could definitely see us sometime creating a central location where we can work. Some people may opt to move there, others may work from their own locations. Working online has been pretty efficient for us in the past, because it's almost as if we run a 24 hour company. Everyone takes a different shift, and we can send each other our completed work at bedtime, just in time for others to wake up and utilize said work.

Britney