Hi all, hope this is the right forum.. I have to do a project plan in microsoft project 2002 with at least 35 tasks. i was thinking there are alot of tasks in game progaming but i only know the basic tasks, such as "design phase", create game engine and "beta test". could anyone please enlighten me to what other sorts of tasks are involved. thank you.

- acceptance and/or unit tests
- hour-estimated breakdown of code into functions, data types, classes
- recruiting testers, reading feedback
- time for finding/creating art assets
- breakdown of art needs by type, game area, basic descriptions
- ditto sound
- management (if applicable - once you get more than 1-2 people, this can become the largest part of what you do)

Usually, i''ll take one specific and relatively small area of the system I''m building (I don''t write games right now, just so you know) and plan the above.

ld

For a simple shareware action scroll game with five levels that is 2D. (note you can break down each level if you want)

Not in applicable order of couse..

Game Concept - Milesstone
Game Concept Design Document
Identify Project Team
Identify Development Tools
Level Design (1/2/3/4/5)
2D Artwork - Summary
Identify and number unique art assets required.
Concept Art
Level Background Artwork
Inanimate Object Artwork
MOB Artwork
Toon Artwork
User Interface(UI)Code
Identify, classify & number sounds (Fire/Hit/Background Music)
Create Sounds
Code - Summary
Movement Code
Interaction Code
Graphics Code
Sound Code
UI Code
Determine Code Language to be used
Debugging
Testing - Private
Testing - Public
Develop User Help Document
Design Website Concept
Develop Website
Identify Shareware sites
Market Game to Shareware sites
Setup payment options
Launch Game - Milestone

Should get you started..

Toss your schedule my way once you are done and I will provide review.





GAMEDOGMA.COM
Project Management Consultant

quote:

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Original post by Vermillion
Hi all, hope this is the right forum..
I have to do a project plan in microsoft project 2002 with at least 35 tasks. i was thinking there are alot of tasks in game progaming but i only know the basic tasks, such as "design phase", create game engine and "beta test". could anyone please enlighten me to what other sorts of tasks are involved. thank you.

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These are headings not tasks. Tasks are single jobs that can be done in a few days (week tops). If a task requires longer than that then it probably hasn''t been broken down enough.

The above examples are mostly headings too. They aren''t broken down enough and don''t actually provide anything like enough detail. For example:

Inanimate Object Artwork
- What does this tell us about the job that needs to be done or how long it will take. To have any meaning from a scheduling point of view it needs to be broken down to list every inanimate object that the design requires and the assets needed to make them up.

The following would be the tasks needed to create a table that can be broken and burned. You might also want additional states for the table where only small parts are broken off

Art (heading)
1. Table (heading)
1.1 Table model
1.2 Table texture
1.3 Table (broken) model
1.4 Table (broken) texture
1.5 Table (slightly burnt) texture
1.6 Pile of ashes/smoldering wood (animated)

Audio (heading)
2. Table (heading)
2.1 Table breaking sound effect
2.2 Burning table sound effect (may use generic burning sound effect bumber 3.7)
2.3 Burning table extinguished sound (player uses the water bucket on table before it is destroyed)

Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions (www.obscure.co.uk)
Game Development & Design consultant

Dan is absolutely correct, if you wanted a full blown schedule you would need to hit the level of detail he refers to. Even in a shareware game, you would easily be in the hundreds of tasks. For your the 35 tasks requested by your instructor, you should be ok with my list as long as you get the logic right.

In scheduling (eg. Primavera/Microsoft Project) all line items are "tasks". Those items that have other items rolled within them are refered to "summary tasks". A task could be one day or 6 months. You could easily have layered summary tasks within each other and normally do. Proper scheduling methodology dictates that you make the duration as long as necessary to fit your style of management to get the project done.





GAMEDOGMA.COM
Project Management Consultant