How to Start a Team Project?

Experimentation

• In the 1st stages create separately.
• Everyone Propose 2 Ideas per category.
• Compare the Characters/Settings/Endings.
• Look for Synergy & paradoxes.
• Match converging Ideas, to keep as many of them as possible.

• Keep each stage short to maintain Focus.
• 15-20′ should be enough.
• Invite all team mates to integrate their interest in the Game/Story.

• Nothing is Permanent, Everything has to be Clear.
• Highlight the Definitive Idea, keep the other ideas on the side.
  • For following Chapters/Scenes
  • For following Stories/Games

• Uninterrupted speech
• How to speak & listen?
  • 2′ of speech per person
  • 5″ of pause between each person
• Uninterrupted speech accomplishes 3 purposes:
  • Managing Excitement
  • Managing Reluctance
  • Managing Apprehensions

Accountability

• Feedback.
• Free expression requires power balance.
• It requires Focus & Honesty.
• The project is a collective responsibility.
• Information retention will inhibit the Project development.

• Are open-ended questions effective?
• Open-ended questions force you to be more creative.
• Which could be a source of fear.
• Restricting choices to 2-3 options creates more fluid dialogues.
• Every choice/problem is biased by a topic.
• Using this bias to catalyze Progression enhances Collaboration.
• Effectiveness entices every team member to participate more in the early stages.
• As the Project grows, after 10 days, more flexibility will allow it to properly bloom.

• Lead.
• If you are a team of 4 each of you should be in charge of 1 of the key aspects of the project : Story, Graphics, Audio, Gameplay.
• Switch Roles after every project.
• If you were in charge of Graphics for this project go for Audio.
• Establish a cycle of rotation, Story, then Graphics, then Audio, then Gameplay.
• This way everyone has the lead in everything
• This allows you to develop both Polyvalence & Empathy.

• Main Goal.
• Each team member establishes a Goal at the beginning of the project.
• Inviduation – Create a Character/Environment/Story/Archetype which will be used as an avatar.
• Sustainability – Create a template for future Stories/Games.
• Productivity – Produce twice the number of songs.
• Persistence – Re-draw the same character/environment up to 27 times.
• Skill – Learn a skill that’s not required on the actual project.

Characters

• Everyone creates 2 Characters.
• The remaining Characters are elaborated collectively.
• Draw the Characters.
• Give them 1-liners.
• Whistle/Sing them a theme.

• What is the Character’s name?
• What are her Goals?
• What are her core Behaviors traits?
• Does she have any Habits or Quirks?
• Why do you want to impersonate this Character?
• Why do you want someone else to play this Character?

• Test Dialogues will make you grow faster.
• What are the Character’s Reactions?
  • Crisis
  • Comfort
• How does the Impersonation goes?
  • Speak in Character’s words
  • Imitate the Character’s manerism

• Interactions & Relationships
• How are Characters related to each other?
• Ask for character’s stories.
• Contrast creates Consistency.
• Consistency creates Cohesion.
• Characters complete each others.
• Team members work in synergy.
• Let people interact.
• Let them commit to a smaller project inside the Story.
• Interaction with 2ndary characters
• Interaction with characters from other stories

Setting

• Everyone creates 2 Settings.
• The remaining Settings are elaborated collectively.
• Draw the Environment/Setting.
• Associate them a saying or a quote.
• Whistle/Sing them a theme.

• Designing the Setting
• Why are we here?
• Why do we stay here?
• Why will we quit this place?
• How would you decorate this place?
• What would you take off this place as a souvenir?

• Draw a Map of the setting.
• Make a Board out of it.
• Define the different subspaces the Characters can access.
• Create Cards for Actions & Interactions.
• Do you need Dices & Coins?
• Do you need other accessories?

• Imagine 3 Situations to test your Project.
• 1 Offensive/Competitive Interaction
• 1 Peaceful/Collaborative Interaction
• 1 Ambiguous Game

Story & Gameplay

• Everyone creates 2 Endings.
• Everyone creates 2 Introductions.
• The other Chapters are elaborated collectively.
• Everyone creates up to 2 Core Rules.
• The other Rules are elaborated collectively.
• Summarize the Story in 1 Phrase.
• Draw the Story.
• Whistle/Sing her a theme.

• Exaggeration & Surprises
• Try the Unusual situation.
• Try the Reverse situation.
• Try the Regular situation, but remove a Critical component.

• Look for 3 different Alternatives in every situation.
• What are the Choices available?
• What are the Outcomes?

Timeline & Execution

• What is your Timeline?
  • In weeks?
  • Months?
  • Years?
• If it is your 1st project 2 to 4 weeks is an adapted period to organize your timeline.
• Lesser would be too short for your team to designing & executing the project.
• More than a month would leave too much time to design the 1st version, hindering the execution process.

• Daily Habits
• If you are going for 4 weeks, You’ll need 30’/day.
• If you are going for 3 weeks, You’ll need 45’/day.
• If you are going for 2 weeks, You’ll need 60’/day.
• You could spread this amount of time equally between the 3 types of daily activities.
• However, you’ll probably spend more time on Story & Core Rules during the 1st few days.
• This way you’ll have more time for Graphics & Audio on the go.

• A more flexible timeline would be more adapted, as the following.

• Story & Gameplay
• Core Rules, 10′, 1/4 time
  • Accessories, 15′, 1/4 time
  • Test, 10′, 1/2 time
• Story Map, 20′, 1-2 days
  • Chapters 1-6, 15′, 1/2 of remaining time
  • Chapters 7-10, 10′, 1/2 of remaining time

• Graphics & Models
• Protagonists/Antagonists, 10′, 1/3 time
  • 2ndary Characters, 15′, 1/3 time
  • Scenes, 10′, 1/3 time

• Music & Audio
• Character, 5′, 1/2 time
• Setting/Scene Theme, 10′, 1/2 time

• Give yourself some Extra Time.
• If you even are Busy at a critical juncture of the Project, delay your presence to another moment.
• If you need to work on the Project off of scheduled time, pick a referent member who will coordinate this extra time.
• Change the referent member for every new Project.
• If you require off-time, limit it to less than a 1/8 of the Project timeline.