Production Pipeline

[Duhast]

Hi Agust�n, could you tell us "wannabe developers" about the production pipeline at Nucleosys.

Thanks.

[Agustin]

Well, being basically just two people, we can't talk that much about a "production pipeline". At first we weren't very organized... there was the Scratches idea, we divided some tasks (even though much of the game was done between the two of us in equal parts), we made sure the project was viable by doing a rough market study, and we started working. This was truly a "garage" made game, as we worked separately from our homes and kept in touch online. We had some meetings every now and then - this method of work was improved as we got deeper into development (ie: more meetings).

One of the many problems we faced at first was the lack of a proper design document - the Scratches idea was well developed, and the major puzzles were decided, but the cohesive structure of the game wasn't 100% ready yet. So here's my first advice: do not start doing important production stuff until you have such document! Doing concept art while someone else is writing is fine, but at the very least knowing the whole game from A to Z before starting for real is a must. We had to redo some parts of the game because of this. Roughly speaking, I think we could have saved a couple of months with better organization (which accounts for a lot).

So anyway, we were rather naive at first... the decision of making the SCream engine for instance was rather hasty (and perhaps even a whim of mine) but in the end it paid well. However, the project could have been probably shortened some 6 months by not making the engine. As you may see, the trend was going from a serious hobby to a serious job.

What I'd suggest is taking things calmly but steady. Know your goals and don't try to pull an epic 50+ hour title if you're just two people. A small, well made title can be just as satisfying. Regardless of the size of your team, periodical meetings are a must to keep an eye on the project. And perhaps the biggest advice of them all: someone always has to have the last word, which is the role of the project leader. Good dialogue between the team members is extremely helpful and every single opinion is valuable (this can be one of the biggest benefits of independent development, as this kind of dialogue doesn't happen very often in larger companies), but someone must take the responsibility of making design decisions.

Hope that was of help and good luck with what you're planning

[HIddenSanctum]

This was truly a "garage" made game, as we worked separately from our homes and kept in touch online. We had some meetings every now and then - this method of work was improved as we got deeper into development (ie: more meetings).

That's interesting. I always thought you guys hung out and worked closely together at the same spot (either you by him, or him by you). Are you two located far from each other?

Also, who did what or did you both work on coding and rendering?

[Agustin]

That's interesting. I always thought you guys hung out and worked closely together at the same spot (either you by him, or him by you). Are you two located far from each other?

Yes, that's correct, since my girlfriend is the sister of Alejandro - which means we live nearby and saw each other a lot ;D
But what I meant is that, at first, those "meetings" were very informal. Only when the project was very positively received, and we were convinced of its potential (I ended quitting a well-paid job), the whole thing became more serious and meetings more regular. That was in early 2004. It was only after signing our first contract and finalizing the design document that things became really serious (by 2005). As you can see, the organization and attitude towards the project, even though it was always heartfelt and semi-professional, matured along with the development. Which makes a lot of sense since our experience was limited and this was our first game!

Also, who did what or did you both work on coding and rendering?

The coding was strictly my responsibility. But design and rendering tasks were shared. Alejandro was fully in charge of modeling though - I mostly helped with textures, some lightning and cameras.

[Duhast]

Thank you very much, Agust�n

[Quill]

Hi Agust�n, I wanted to ask what keeps you motivated to follow through on a project? You often hear of games falling by the wayside and never reach the end goal. This is especially true of small independent game developers - it seems that there are many more failures to launch than success stories, which makes your success with Scratches all the more amazing!

There is a kind of pattern that seems to emerge (from various stories I've read and personal experience). There's the initial buzz surrounding a new project and everyone's really excited. Spurious work occurs and time passes. I think there is then the dawning realisation that the project is going to take time and effort - a lot of time and effort. I don't think it's necessarily a conscious decision but I think at this stage people start to feel the pangs of despair and the project slowly grinds to a halt. Various mile stones rear their heads as criteria that need to be met and all of a sudden there's enough of them to build a sizable stone wall! A key ingredient gets lost and I don't think people realise how important motivation is.

Projects always going to have good days and bad days so it would be great to hear your tips for making the bad days seem few and far between!

[Agustin]

I think that a quick answer would be that people keeps you motivated. Positive comments and general interest were what kept us going during hard times, and the initial reception towards Scratches is precisely what convinced us to take the project seriously (such as quitting my job, which wasn't an easy decision).

Of course, you can't always count on people rooting for you - and while the initial impressions were good, it took a long while until the game became widely known. As a matter of fact, the release of the second teaser was incredibly lackluster (even though we had made the switch to panoramic view, surround music, and more!). That was quite a cold shower, but the idea of seeing the game finished was like a dream for us. With that goal in mind, we just kept going. So another conclusion we can make is that you really must like the game you're doing and, figuratively speaking, you should work as if you'd be making it for yourself. Sometimes doing a strictly commercial game, in the case of indies, can get you nowhere - without getting too corny, you should have some kind of personal bond with the game.

Some of what I said above can be a double-edged sword though - on one hand, you need the motivation to keep you going, but sometimes announcing a project without anything tangible to show to the public can give the wrong impression. There have been dozens of projects with a lavish website, detailed descriptions, but their progress remains stuck at 0%. When we announced Scratches, we tried to made sure we had what it takes to finish the game. It solely depended on the both of us, and our time, and therefore we didn't have the risk of running out of budget or not counting with a team. This of course depends on each project, but the important thing is to assume a responsibility when you make that announcement.

Obviously, with motivation comes the pressure, because then people is looking forward to playing your game - you suddenly have an audience with expectations! This pressure is good though, because an often case with indies (and a common problem) can be the lack of a boss. You need some pressure to keep you going too, that's the way all jobs are supposed to work.

Well, at least that's the way it was with us ;D

[Quill]

Great and thorough reply Agust�n! Very insightful.

There is a lot of talk about removing pressure from work environments, etc. but, as you say, there can also be a 'good' pressure that keeps your motivation going and not just the shouty angry type! Lethargy can set in when having no one to answer to - I read an interview with Jonathan Boakes some time ago and he said imagine you have a really demanding boss expecting lots of work off you. I'd be afraid my imagination would get carried away and I'd end up taking sick days! He had a good point, though - I think motivation works more on a subconscious level (where the imagination is known to lurk) and you have to do what it takes to keep the fire stoked. By telling people about your project and having a feeling of expectation from them would seem also to do the trick.

I mentioned something similar over on Steven Ince's Juniper Crescent section. His advice was to break your work into lots of small achievable goals - that way you're getting through goals regularly and that there's not just a few huge monsters of goals awaiting you to appease them. You will still get a feeling of accomplishment even if the goal was a very small one.

As I was saying there as well, choosing a workflow that works for you is just as (if not more) important as any of the computer tools that you choose to create your game with.

Hey, this is turning into a psychology lesson!

Honestly, though, it is inspiring to see indy developers such as yourselves, Steve Ince, Jonathan Boakes, Matt Clark and many more developing and getting your own work out there. It gives hope that these things are possible and viable to others considering the same route. I promise I'm not just saying that! ;D

[Agustin]

Yes, Jonathan is definitely correct and I'm very glad to know we have the same approach. Also, once you sign your first contract, this pressure is multiplied x 2. You have to find the balance between taking the advantage of having so much freedom but setting goals and timelines. And most importantly: commit to the schedule!

We didn't have a real schedule at first, so we were just doing stuff, then I suddenly decided to completely rewrite the engine, we added more locations to the game... this could have been a big mistake, which fortunately turned out well. We wouldn't do the same thing though and this time we're carefully planning everything.

Steve is also very correct as well - both in a psychological (sense of accomplishment) and practical way. As an independent, you can't put an entire team to work on, say, animation. You may have two artists that can do both art and animation though, so splitting the development into small tasks and dividing them among those that qualify can certainly be more useful. It's the same if you're just one or two people: you may tackle different tasks each day and don't feel overwhelmed.

And yes, it's certainly possible. This is precisely what I thought as I was playing Dark Fall years ago: it can be done. Even though I always wanted to make an adventure game, that was the last push I needed (thank you Jonathan!). It takes a lot of hard work, numerous headaches, sleepless nights, but I can assure you it's worth it!

[HIddenSanctum]

Yes, Jonathan is a great person for knocking down the doors and also helping other indies with advice.

I find it ironic that the ones that have achieved the greatest success are also those most willing to talk with other indies, offering advice and encouragement. You would think they might be untouchable. Kind of like an actor who goes from starring in a local play who you could talk to, to becoming a major star who you couldn't possibly reach.

You very much fit into that same mould Agustin. Despite the success, you haven't let it go to your head and you still keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Anyone can reach you and ask you questions via the Nucleosys forum. Not many developers would do that. If anything, you are probably the most personable developer out there.

[Agustin]

Well, I've been doing forums for ages, as well as Jonathan. I guess that's the reason why we can get this personal sometimes. I'm not posting nearly as much as I used to though...

And really, after all, I'm still a gamer by heart. I love the adventure genre and I want to keep playing games, so in way it's beneficial for me to help others ;D

In all seriousness, there's no room for competition here. We all should keep the entire community in mind, and not just particular cases. Every adventure that is a success, independent or not, is a plus for everyone!

[HIddenSanctum]

In all seriousness, there's no room for competition here. We all should keep the entire community in mind, and not just particular cases. Every adventure that is a success, independent or not, is a plus for everyone!

VERY true. Which is one thing I think is missing from the lists of how to create a game. You need to associate yourself with like-minded people, and not be afraid to seek advice when needed. You also need to return the favor when someone else comes to you with the same questions you once asked. It's a revolving thing. We can either be a mis-match of people running around in different directions and all making the same mistakes, or we can help each other with advice and as a loose group of indie developers move the genre forward.

[Quill]

Yes, Jonathan (and now Nucleosys) may have a lot to answer for! I saw Jonathan mentioned on Just Adventure or somewhere similar a few years back and became curious - he was getting quite favourable mentions. This curiosity led me to getting the first Darkfall game and I was hooked (I think I even ordered the 2nd Darkfall before finishing the first). I couldn't believe this was the work of just one person and it was actually doable! He approached making it in a very sensible manner that cut out potentially expensive overheads yet produced a really enjoyable gaming experience that told a good story.

I'm really glad that your entrance into the field has proved similarly successful. It reinforces that the independent route isn't a totally mad thing to try and quality can only improve through a form of evolution. At the same time I'm under no illusion it's easy - as you say yourself, there's 'hard work, numerous headaches, sleepless nights'. I think that's why I'm harping on about motivation so much - you just want to be 'sure' sure!

I couldn't agree more with HIddenSanctum - it really is decent of you to provide so much dialog (although I'm sure you'll be tired of typing after these last few days answering untold amounts of questions!).

[Agustin]

Yes, this has been very tiresome actually! But it was fun and I certainly hope it was productive for you. Good luck with your project!

[Quill]

Thanks Agust�n. No wonder you're tired - I just had a quick look and Nucleosys has by far the largest number of posts! Go put your fingers in a bowl of ice cubes or something. ;D You have been more then generious and a well of infomation. All the very best and good luck with your own future plans. See you over at the Nucleosys forums.