04-THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ??????

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04-THE DEVELOPMENTPROCESS??????

• ???,panml_at_mail.sysu.edu.cn
• ????????

Ref cornell
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SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

• Design process
• Decide what game you want to make
• Create a specification of your design
• Development process
• Implement your specification
• Verify results to make sure it works
• Release (yeah!)

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THE TRADITIONAL MODEL

• Document extensively design to specification
• Design and documents done before coding starts
• Development follows a specified project timeline
• A general software engineering model
• Often called the waterfall model

Pre-production
Release
Design
Implement
Test
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WATERFALL MODEL
Cannot start stage until previous step
finished! Previous output, the next step inputs
Pre-production
Design
Implement
Test
Release
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PROBLEM WITH WATERFALL MODEL

• Estimating development time
• Will never accurately estimate time required
• Development dates will slip release delayed
• Specification will change many times
• What if game is not fun in testing?
• Have to start all over again
• Waterfall developers lie about progress

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THE ITERATIVE MODEL

• Should be playing 20 into development!
• This requires prototypes (may be nondigital)

Design
Implement
Pre-production
Release
Test
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SCRUM AGILE DEVELOPMENT

• Iterative model is called agile development
• Standard model in games industry
• The most popular agile method is SCRUM
• Our approach will be SCRUM-lite
• Have many features in common with SCRUM
• But will drop elements not necessary for us
• If want more, take Software Engineering

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SCRUM SPRINT(??)

• Usually a 3-4 week cycle
• Sprints in this class are two weeks
• Work towards a testable deliverable
• Sprint Backlog features to implement
• Small subset of features for final release
• Some may be left over from previous sprint
• Re-evaluate at the end of every sprint

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SCRUM SPRINT
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ELEMENTS FOR PROCESS MANAGEMENT

• Process
• Activities
• Tasks and Relationship
• Time
• Milestones(accessible)
• Artifacts(deliverable)
• Resources
• Risks(controllable )
• Costs Incomes
• Work Breakdown Structure(WBS)

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WORK WITH MICROSOFT PROJECT
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MILESTONES

• Suggestions for your sprint backlog
• Designed to keep the course moving
• But flexible enough to handle set-backs
• Can renegotiate if you get seriously behind
• Classic Milestones
• Design drafts complete
• Code (Game Engine) Complete
• Content (Game Levels) Complete
• Zero Bugs

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MAJOR MILESTONES

• Conception Model
• Nondigital Prototype
• Gameplay Prototype(10?????,????)
• Technical Prototype
• Alpha (Code Complete) (12?)
• Beta (Feature Complete) (14-15?)
• Release (Balanced and Tested)

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DOCUMENTATION

• Major part of the development process
• Why course counts for technical writing
• Ensures group is always on same page
• At every point of development
• Pre-production concept document, gameplay
• Sprints reports, architectural specification,
  wiki
• Release manual, game website

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PRE-PRODUCTION CONCEPT DOCUMENT

• Describes the basic idea behind your game
• Start with a catchy, one-sentence description
• Convince the reader that your idea is good
• Communicate the core vision of the game
• Like pitching a game to a producer for funding
• Example
• Rocket Commander Whitepaper
• Template (Cornell)

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PRE-PRODUCTIONGAMEPLAY SPECIFICATION

• Thorough overview of your gameplay
• Includes formal elements
• Can also flesh out characters, setting
• Designed so someone can join team quickly
• In the industry, a 10-20 page document(But yours
  will be closer to 5 pages)
• May change as part of your sprints!
• Gameplay can always be altered

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DEVELOPMENT REPORTS

• Bi-weekly reports to tracking group progress
• Outlines the upcoming sprint backlog
• Who is going to work on what?
• Will also reflect on the previous two weeks
• Did you meet all the goals mentioned?
• You are not graded on progress!
• Used to give you guidance if stuck(?????????)
• Responsibility of the Project Leader

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DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURAL SPECIFICATION

• Outline of your software organization
• Could just be an API of interfaces/stubs
• Advanced groups may use some UML
• To distribute tasks to individual programmers
• Right form depends on the project
• Will talk about later in class
• Responsibility of the Lead Programmer (Software
  Architect ???)

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DEVELOPMENT GAME WIKI

• Contains everything about your game
• Details on characters, objects, weapons, enemies
• Complete details on game mechanics
• Complete details on all levels, and all game
  modes
• Complete details on the interface
• Complete details on the setting and backstory.
• Update constantly, as game changes constantly
• Responsibility of everyone
• May Be Organized as Chapter 14 of Fullerton
• ????(http//www.baihui.com)

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RELEASE MARKETING MATERIAL

• Will create a game webpage
• Entice people to download your game
• Concise description of gameplay
• Supplemental media screenshots, video
• Will also create a game manual
• Instructions on how to play the game
• Story, other material to improve the setting

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Development Process Review
Design
Implement
Pre-production
Release
Test
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS REVIEW

• Pre-production to create initial game design
• Concept document to pitch idea
• Gameplay specification for complete vision
• Sprints develop the game iteratively
• Playable deliverable every two weeks
• Reports to track progress and manage backlog
• Wiki to keep track of major changes in game
  design
• Architectural specification for programming tasks
• Release game with marketing material