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How do you make and manage an indie development team?

Started by July 18, 2014 10:26 PM
20 comments, last by Edugamic 10 years, 4 months ago

Well since it is a club that I created I assumed that people would understand that I am going to tell them what to do.

That assumption is likely to hurt your project. There is a big difference between leading a team or meeting as opposed to telling people what to do. I've failed at leading group projects enough to know that leading is more listening, removing obstacles to the team, and supporting the members. It isn't dictating duties.


but just make a game with a group of people so all steps will be open to suggestions.

And that is a little on the "loose" side. I suggest your team participate in a jam of some sort -- anything with structured guidelines, themes, and deadlines.


I am currently working on a snake like game in Unity.

I have no idea what a "snake like" game is, but you've got me intrigued! I'd love to hear more!

As for your questions, you've received excellent advice above, so I'll just add:


5. How do you manage resources between different people?

Mr. Sloper, et al., are all over this one, but something tells me you might mean "tools" in this question. My suggestion is to go free/open-source. Blender, GIMP, Unity Free, Notepad++, and Audacity are all things your entire team can download and use free of charge, allowing easy sharing of created assets.

May I also suggest that this "club" try to actually physically meet as frequently as possible? I know INTERNET and SKYPE and WIKI and things all seem useful (and they are), but nothing beats a face-to-face scrum meeting and hashing things out in person.

Also, look up "scrum" and bankan boards for some useful starting points to getting tasks in order.

http://www.scrumalliance.org/why-scrum

Best of luck! I wish something like what you are describing existed when I was in high-school.

Indie games are what indie movies were in the early 90s -- half-baked, poorly executed wastes of time that will quickly fall out of fashion. Now go make Minecraft with wizards and watch the dozen or so remakes of Reservior Dogs.

Fairly generic advice: in management, never assume anything. Assumptions make you fail whether you assumed everyone had the same definition of done or assumed you were the boss (while some thought it was a democract).
Just like a game of poker, you need to clear up all of thr rules upfront and leave nothing to your assumptions.
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After reading all of the posts the major problem that I'm going to face is motivating the people to work under me. So what I've decided to do is outline my plan and what the first meeting is going to be like to hopefully give a better idea of what I am trying to achieve.

My main goal is to create a team of kids from my high school to make games. If things go smoothly, this team would eventually be transferred outside of school or at least make new friends along the way that share my passion of making games.

What I plan to do is make at least one game before the school year ends. This game can be as big or small as it wants as it is ultimately going to be designed as a group. Now depending on the size of the club it can just be one group making one game or multiple groups making multiple games. In between meetings I would like to have periods of time where we could play games and try to analyze certain aspects of the game and also invite other people to test out our game. I would also really enjoy having at least two meeting days were we would have a game jam to kinda take a break from the main game.

In the first meeting I will introduce myself and my co-president and give my background in game designs. Next I would discuss the main goal of our club and try to get an idea of the experience level in the room with either coding, game development, or art. I will also tell them what I outlined above as the whole year. For the people that decide to stay I'll try to get name, contact info, and dates available.

From that point on what I plan to do next is decided on who stays and what experience they have. For example, if people are not familiar with coding then the club will center around teaching them. If people are experienced then on the next meeting we will discuss and brainstorm ideas for our game.

For motivation I was hoping that because we are basically creating a game that we all want as a group, they will want to work on it.

So that's basically my whole plan for this club. Does this seem like it will work or am I setting myself up for the impossible/highly unlikely?


Does this seem like it will work or am I setting myself up for the impossible/highly unlikely?

I vote impossible because of this mindset:


After reading all of the posts the major problem that I'm going to face is motivating the people to work under me.

This need to be at the apex of a hierarchy will be your biggest hurdle. Arbitrating who is "allowed" to work under you seems fairly exclusionary, particularly since no one will have any real experience at all (including you).

I really want to encourage you, but I sense sadness and woe. There are better people here who can maybe provide realistic motivation and support.

Good luck!

Indie games are what indie movies were in the early 90s -- half-baked, poorly executed wastes of time that will quickly fall out of fashion. Now go make Minecraft with wizards and watch the dozen or so remakes of Reservior Dogs.

Okay so maybe my hope is that in the first meeting they will decide themselves if they want to stay or not, but I really want this thing to work so I will be willing to accept anyone that joins. I could split up the group into people who know how to program and those that don't and meet on separate days. It really depends on who shows up.

the major problem that I'm going to face is motivating the people to work under me. ...
For motivation I was hoping that because we are basically creating a game that we all want as a group, they will want to work on it.


No. Each person has a different motivation. You, as leader / producer, need to find out what motivates each person, and reinforce that motivation as feasible. Some might be motivated by a desire to learn. Some might be motivated by the desire to see the game working. Some might think that when the game is done, it'll be released and they will be famous. Some might think that the game can be sold, and they will get money. Some might see the project as useful in enhancing a grade. Not all of these motives are the right ones (and someone with inappropriate motives should not be on your team).

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

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Why don't you just try to find like-minded individuals, each work on your own project, and help each other wherever applicable? (whoever has done A* can help the others implement it appropriately, and whoever has some understanding of online/multiplayer can benefit the group).

If you guys work out well as a team, maybe you'll transition into a team-oriented project before the end of the year, or else, at least you'll have progressed with your own respective projects?

That's a pretty interesting idea, but I'm not really sure how to structure a club around that idea. What I feel like will most likely happen is that I will teach something I'm a little more familiar with which is either java, gamemaker, or maybe even unity (because you know what they say the best way to learn is to teach someone else!).

1. That's a pretty interesting idea, but I'm not really sure how to structure a club around that idea.
2. What I feel like will most likely happen is that I will teach something I'm a little more familiar with which is either java, gamemaker, or maybe even unity (because you know what they say the best way to learn is to teach someone else!).


1. Yeah, but you started this thread because you weren't sure how to structure it around your idea, either.
2. You need to foster an environment in which others besides you can teach and lead. Don't dismiss orymus' suggestion - it's a good one.

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

Why don't you give out a questionnaire asking skills, types of games they like, goals etc.

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