One thing I've learned from the industry is that creative staff should not ask "Is X possible?" because the answer is almost always "Yes".
They need to ask "How long will it take to implement X (assuming Y use-case) and what effects will this have on other features?" and then take that answer, consult with the producer and see if the a time schedule is possible.

Well, said. So for an individual or small team, how do you figure out how long it takes to implement a feature? The question becomes more of what's possible on your own time scale or budget, rather than what's possible in general.

Of course there's the joke site, http://yourgameideaistoobig.com/ , but it doesn't have much practical use. I've heard anecdotes about estimating how long a game will take you, then doubling it, or adding a few months. But when you don't have a producer or technical director on your team to consult, what would you look for to get a better estimate?

As far as I can tell, it seems to be something that comes with experience, so you may be better off starting small and working your way towards larger games.

So for an individual or small team, how do you figure out how long it takes to implement a feature?

Same as in a large team - you ask the person who will be implementing the feature to give you an estimate.

One programmer might be able to do a task in a day, another programmer might say they need a week to research the problem, and then decide they need a week to implement it.
In the latter case, it's irrelevant that someone out there can do it in a day; your guy needs two weeks, so that's how long it will take.
i.e. estimates/budgets are specific to your team. You can't create them in a vacuum.

Inexperienced staff generally suck at making estimates, because it's a skill they've never practiced before. Just start writing down estimates on tasks before you begin them, and use task-tracking software to measure the actual time taken. Most people get pretty good at guessing their own pace after a while. Most people also don't account for the extra time required for when things go wrong (e.g. debugging), which is why you multiply your initial guess by 2 :D
In larger organisations, often team leaders know each of their staff well enough that they can also make rough estimates on your behalf, which is especially useful for the Junior staff who aren't sure of their guesses.

Tom Sloper, on 06 Sept 2015 - 4:32 PM, said:

Sure - practical firsthand playing of a number of games on that platform, and a realistic acceptance of the probabilities of limitations to what's already been done on that platform.

I don't think this is practical for everyone.

Those for whom that level of analysis are not practical are probably not qualified to be game designers.

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the untamed savagery that is Tom Sloper?

i.e. assuming you've got a talented team, then 'possibility' is dictated by budget available to the producer

What exactly is the job of the producer?

What exactly is the job of the producer?

To facilitate and coordinate. To make sure everyone has everything they need so the project can move along smoothly.

To facilitate and coordinate. To make sure everyone has everything they need so the project can move along smoothly.

Thank you. Mind if I inquire what is the job of the director? Also are there any other relevant job titles I should be aware of?

When used, that title implies or entails creative overseeing.

In non-american companies, directors are like executives: CEO=Managing Director, CTO=Technology Director, VP=Director, etc...

Confusingly, non-"executive" staff might share the title.
Creative director -> Boss of art/design.
Art director -> Boss of art / internal critic.
Technical director -> Boss of coding.
Development director -> Boss of production.

Sometimes you just have "Director", in which case they're probably the boss of the above directors. I've mostly seen this on Japanese credits so I'm guessing.

Even more confusingly, "technical director" has a different meaning in the Film/VFX world - there it means something similar to what games companies call a "technical artist"; someone who can use Maya but also write python scripts and ray-tracers.