ADVICE NO ONE ASKED FOR: A Tip from CPI / Industrial Process Improvement

[Ekemeister]

First, I admire the effort that went into producing an event despite a goddamn Global Pandemic. Bravo Zulu. I mean that. How does a studio get fragmented yet keep swinging when everyone else is possibly shut down? I admire you guys and will probably do a personal case study later.

Now for the content...

Please. Please. Please. Do a Block Diagram, Process Flow Chart of your game modes (also known as a Value Stream Map); then, go over it a seemingly absurd number of iterations. Let's say 42 times.

If it has defect loops, do NOT ship it. 

If it lacks gameplay branches, do NOT ship it. (The game modes present now are bordering on exhaustive. Progress. What's the next step?)

If it lacks player player decisions / problem solving paths (such as do I start a 'fire in the Med-bay' or 'vent the Galleon Hangar into Space' for my distraction? Assault? Infiltrate? Disguise? Hack? Use game systems?), do NOT ship.

If it the game mode only has "pass / fail Absolutes" or no "Partial success / Partial failure outcomes", "Ninja Test" / alpha test / have meetings / deliberate: Give considerable consideration before shipping. 

I'd talk about level design, but I want to keep this thread focused, at least for the beginning. ("Spaghetti Map" your levels. "Spaghetti Map" your level remakes. Biased Opinion: I am fond of From Software's Spiral Level Design)

Lead the 'Meta- "Data/Game/Feel"' / takeaway for your players. Yes players will still do their own thing. Yes that is a good thing. But you will appear with form. Intent. The impression of a desperate, sub-standard, hail mary is demoralizing; Never allow such an appearance. To define the term 'lead' used above: Leading includes embodying (1.) leadership traits (such as integrity / commitment / expertise / sense of humor / direction / et merde), (2.) motivating / influencing, and (3.) project management. The players play through a project ( a mission). How the players are led in game matters too.

It's okay to not know and ask questions. It's okay to not know the questions you should be asking (at the start, or when beginning a new direction). It's okay to talk about problems (sometimes).

The better the product; the better your 'WIFM' ('what's in it for me?'). Hell, you have the BEST 'Voice of Customer'(VOC) systems that I've seen period. Please use your VOC; it is an indicator, one of many.

 No one is too big to fail. 

Pick a direction. Build it. Make it Excellent. We'll show up. 

 

Edit / Post-Script: Genba. Genba. Genba. It's a japanese term for investigstor but also means "Walk the Process". Take some time. Make a smurf account. Learn what your customers see, think, or feel. Learn, or re-learn, what motivates your customers. 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Ekemeister
Final addition

[Drachnyn]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Ekemeister:

If it lacks gameplay branches, do NOT ship it. (The game modes present now are bordering on exhaustive. Progress. What's the next step?)

If it lacks player player decisions / problem solving paths (such as do I start a 'fire in the Med-bay' or 'vent the Galleon Hangar into Space' for my distraction? Assault? Infiltrate? Disguise? Hack? Use game systems?), do NOT ship.

I think there is the difference between the ground mission and the space mission. Ground missions has swapping objectives: Kill 4 or 5 sentients, hit the health gate of the condrix, protect the OpLinks. With proper setup you can swap between them very fast and it's very rewarding to do so (except the protect the oplinks objectives, although in that time you can already travel to the next dropsite). In the space mission all you have to do is travel to the murex and protect the Oplink. The only way to speed it up is with less travel time, not a whole lot to do and not a whole lot to speed it up.

For me key part of a good mission design is that good play should make the mission faster beyond just "finishing the mission". That's why survival is so boring to me and disruption so much fun.

[Morthal]

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