Wow this Game Jam was completely crazy. So many things happened and I
learned a lot. Here's what I learned. (btw check out my game here! http://globalgamejam.org/2014/games/anti-hero)
Even
if a jam might not feel fun in the moment, it is still super important
to participate in order to experience what it's like to make games so
you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. Even seasoned veterans
should be doing it to hone their skills and to come up with new and
creative ideas.
Size up - It is important to
understand your team's capabilities from the get go, to focus on a
project or on tasks more suited to your team's abilities. This jam
session was full of programmers, to the point where almost everyone was a
programmer. This isn't a good thing for an art heavy game like my game
was. It was too demanding to ask for as much 2D sprite work and
animation as my game needed from a team whose skills fall under logic
and programming. Even I was struggling making the art. In the end we
didn't get all the animations we needed. I learned that it's more
important to focus the resources where they are best suited.
Back it up -
Another important lesson I learned is to back up project files. If
something goes wrong and your only project file gets corrupted, you're
pretty much screwed. This is what happened to me when our team's unity
file became corrupted, which left me with six hours to make a game in
Game Maker. As you can see from the results of that short production
period, it wasn't enough time.
Stay on top - Be
aware of what everyone is doing at all times, and where you are on your
production schedule. This is important to get your game into completion,
into debugging, and into polish if you have the time for it. Proper
planning will ensure a successful development as long as everyone stays
on track.
Building Blocks - It is a good idea
to make your game modular so that work can be divided up amongst the
team, especially in teams full of programmers. This way everyone is
applying their skills where they are needed, and work gets done faster
overall. This is where team synchronization and asset standardization
protocols become extremely important in staying organized.
Be healthy -
Make sure you get enough rest, eat properly, take care of your hygiene,
and get some light exercise to get your blood moving. This is important
because it affects your mental capacity and your abilities to work. A
healthy body makes for a healthy and more productive game developer. Oh
yeah, and don't forget to smile and laugh! It will go a loooong way!
Fight on -
No matter what happens in a jam, don't give up. Don't abandon your team
in the last moments, especially if you are crucial to the completion of
a project. Even if you want to quit, don't. In the end you'll finish
with a new game in your portfolio, stories to tell, moments to share,
and friends that have been made.
Respect each other -
No one likes a condescending jerk who brags about himself without
taking interest into what others are doing and making. Be considerate,
show support, give constructive criticism and not just offensive
blabble. Give suggestions for improvement, or anything useful that can
make a game better. An opinion on its own is useless. While working on a
team, make sure that you don't pounce on people for doing work, or bad
blood will ensue and can jeopardize your project and experience. Be
peaceful and be a team!
N00bz need you - If
there are people who have never been in a jam session, or have never
made a game in their entire lives, lend a helping hand! Be the teacher
and teach them the process of making a game. Give them a rundown of what
it's like so that they can be on the same page as you when you work on a
game together. Make sure that they understand what they can do with the
skills they already know, in order to contribute to the project. They
will appreciate it and you will come out of it with more understanding
as well!
Have fun - A game jam is not a
competition. It is a collaboration. I learned this lesson first hand
today when I presented my crappy game to everyone else in the room. No
one laughed or made fun of me because of my terrible game. They
understood that things went wrong and I could only do so much in such a
short amount of time. At least I explained my vision for what I wanted
to game to be, and they were all positive. The game jam isn't about
making the best game ever. It's about meeting new people, fostering a
community, and creating new ideas. Especially for a city like mine,
Chicago, it is more important now than ever to have that. I want to put
Chicago on the map as one of the more significant game dev cities in the
United States, and impact the industry in some way, shape, or form.
Participating in this jam made me realize how important it is for
Chicago devs to get together and to form some solidarity amongst each
other to show the world how amazing and important this city is to the
industry. All that can be achieved when people have fun, form a
community, and enjoy what they do.
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