What are we doing today? Agile Game Development Tutorial • Defining “agile” • Describe two agile methodologies • Scrum (this morning) • XP (this afternoon) Introduction • Agile for non-programmers • Scrum evolved for programmers • XP coevolved to support engineering in an agile environment • What will we need for other disciplines? • Discuss how agile alters roles for Clinton Keith • Producers, artists and designers CTO, • Engine/Middleware providers (Epic) • How agile planning works High Moon Studios What are we doing today? Assumptions • It’s just methodology • 30 minute presentations • It’s about identifying and removing the • 10 minutes of Q&A impediments for talented teams making great games • All levels of agile experience • We don’t compete based on process • Side-discussions encouraged • Poor process is hurting our industry • But well off to the side, so we don’t interrupt • It’s not easy. This will take a lot of effort and speakers sharing to get the full benefit Schedule Topic Start End What it means to be agile Introduction 10:00 AM 10:15 AM What is Agile? 10:15 AM 10:45 AM Break 11:00 AM 11:15 AM Mike Cohn Scrum 11:15 AM 11:45 AM Agile Game Design 11:55 AM 12:25 PM Lunch 12:35 PM 2:00 PM Agile Art Creation 2:00 PM 2:30 PM Agile Production 2:40 PM 3:10 PM Break 3:30 PM 3:45 PM Agile Planning 3:45 PM 4:15 PM XP/TDD 4:25 PM 4:55 PM Scrum & Middleware 5:05 PM 5:35 PM Closing comments 5:45 PM 6:00 PM Handouts available 1 Is game development a A defined process defined process? • Is every task completely understood? A defined • Are we even getting closer? process • Given the exact same inputs (including people) • Will we get the same results every time? • Can we even have the exact same inputs? • Every task must be completely understood. • When given a well-defined set of inputs, the same outputs are generated every time. Project noise level Empirical process control Project noise level Far from Agreement • Useful when Anarchy • Process cannot be sufficiently described to Complex ensure repeatability Complicated • There is so much complexity or noise that the process leads to different outcomes Source: Strategic Management and Organizational Dynamics by Ralph • Expects the unexpected Requirements Stacey in Agile Software Development with Scrum by Ken Schwaber and Mike • Exercises control through frequent Close to Simple Beedle. Agreement inspection and adaptation Technology Close to Far from Far Certainty Certainty Empirical model Three key words Controls Inputs Output Inspect and Adapt •Requirements • Potentially •Technology Process shippable •Team product increment 2 Agile is about shifting the The Agile Manifesto balance Individuals and Process and over Anticipation Interactions Tools Working Comprehensive over software documentation Contract Customer over Adaptation collaboration negotiation Responding to Agile over Following a plan change What is Scrum? People and Scrum for game communication development Working game Customer collaboration Clinton Keith CTO, Responding to High Moon Studios change What is Scrum? How is it different? Product The Scrum Cast Owner Iterative Scrum Results oriented Not plan based Master Anyone. Not a Director lead role Collaborative Artist Artist The Animator Team Self disciplined Not management Marketing Commitment based QA oriented Programmer About making things visible so you can apply common sense Designer Publisher Producer Customers 3 Product Backlog Sprints (Iteration) Change Sprint Sprint Backlog (Fixed broken out by Duration) team Sprint Goals Ga me Jump Product Backlog as prioritized by Product Owner Jump New Game Crouch Crouch (Vertical Slice Added) Defined as User Stories with conditions of satisfaction Run Run Estimated with relative User Story Points that help track progress Review and Planning Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Jump Ga me Jump Ga me CrouchFly Fly Run Review and Planning Crouch Run Jump User Story The War Room Task Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Jump Input Control 8 3 0 0 Jump Tuning 16 16 10 4 Jump Animation 8 16 16 4 New task 8 8 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 Mon Tues Weds Thurs User Stories Tasks Completed Tasks (Sprint Backlog) Burndown Chart 4 Sprint Backlog Burndown Chart Scaling Scrum - The Scrum of Scrums 800 Functional Drag works against velocity Leadership 700 Support Slope = Velocity services 600 500 Hours 400 Backlogged 300 Story 200 100 0 Days Teams Must hit zero hours by end Crunch Starting agile – some advice Overtime Velocity Normal Velocity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Agile Game Design • Rory McGuire • Senior Game Designer Questions? • High Moon Studios 5 Design Department What are we talking about? At High Moon • Agile Game Design At High Moon Studios • Define specific gameplay vision and participate in setting • Structure project goals. • Benefits • Own the creation of levels and mechanics. • Contribute ideas and enhancements to the game backlog. • Challenges • Are advocates for the player, helping to assess and focus feedback from testers and publishing partners. Designers at High Moon What is a Customer? • Focus on agile implementation of the • Projects are broken up into areas of vision, not on out-of-date design activity with demonstrable goals. documentation • Every scrum team has a customer who is • Work with multi-disciplinary teams to the keeper of the vision for a particular achieve vertical slice goals, whether this goal and establishes what “done” means. is a level, a mechanic or an in-game cinematic. Product Owners and Design How are they structured? Customers Mechanics - AI Mechanics - Weapons • A Product Owner is the communicator of the vision for the entire project. • Scrum answers the “How” question, but the “What” and “Why” needs to be answered by focused direction and vision. • Design Customers carry the vision on specific scrum goals (levels, mechanics, etc) Levels – Priority 1 Levels – Priority 2 6 How are they structured? Traditional Structure The mall Producer level needs Jumping better needs a pacing Lead Lead tuning pass Tech Artist We’ll do a bit of AI We’ll do a Senior population. pass today. Senior Tech Artist Junior Junior Tech Artist Scrum Structure Scrum Structure Producer Senior Artist Junior Artist Junior Tech How do we plan? How do we plan? • Focused “stories” replace • Focused “stories” replace design documentation design documentation • Focus Test • Focus Test • Focus on Action/Reaction • Let team determine path Player Experience 7 How do we plan? Benefits: Iteration Loop • Focused “stories” replace design documentation Finding • Focus Test Not yet. the fun? • Focus on Action/Reaction • Let team determine path What • Come Prepared Woo! about • But Respond to change now? Iteration + Focus = Quality Benefits: Project Stability Project Stability Project Stability • Time spent fighting the game is time where the product value decreases 8 Additional Benefits Challenges • Project visibility to design team • Designers must cope with • Increased focus high rates of change. • Identify problems and • Short and long-term opportunities early • Responsibility increases • Members of the team • Management Conclusion Additional Reading • Product Value • Gamasutra.com: “Paper Burns” • Stability • These slides available on • Transparency AgileGameDevelopment.com • Iteration • Focused Goals • Find the fun as early as possible The Art of Using SCRUM in Introduction the Creative Process • Co-founder of Sammy Studios/ High Moon Studios • 14 years of experience in videogame industry • Manage and supervise: Emmanuel Valdez • Art department Chief Creative Officer • Audio department • Motion Capture • Cinematics department • Outsourcing 9 Agenda • SCRUM in art production • How we use SCRUM • Challenges • Benefits • Evolution of SCRUM ? Art Production is NOT Agile! Traditional Creative Goals • Creativity- how unique? • Efficiency- how fast? • Consistency- is this the same game? • Effectiveness- is it good enough? • Quality- how good? 10 Pre-production Phase • Smaller teams focus on creating and exploring new features Creativity • Iterative and exploratory This phase is usually 2 weeks • Concept art department • Identifying risks Product Backlog Short Sprints (2 weeks) • Incremental 2 Week Sprints • Focus • Velocity • Flexibility Reviews • Limiting resources Feedback Directors Publisher Efficiency This phase is usually 2 weeks 11 Coordination and Communication Tracking Visibility Accountability Transparency Productivity SCRUM Team Artists Consistency Technical Artists This phase is usually 2 weeks Game Designers Productivity Proprietary Tools Python Scripting Asset Management Tools Enhancing middleware The Agile Lead Artist Product Value • Redefined roles and responsibilities • Focusing on “the big picture” • Focus on art creation and direction • Eliminates waste • No scheduling • Regular team reviews • Delegates authority • Prioritizing goals and • Mentoring and not managing ideas • Still executes on Art Director’s vision 12 Vertical Slice Effectiveness This phase is usually 2 weeks The Agile Artist Collaboration • Takes ownership • Continuous input and feedback from Art Director and Product • Communicates and Owners coordinates with the other • Product Owner’s responsibilities: • Verifies work through leads disciplines • Aligns expectations with Art Director • References COS • Takes ownership over SCRUM teams goals and stories • Core of art production The Agile Art Director • Compliments vision of game design Quality • Not a manager This phase is usually 2 weeks • Focus on big picture • Sets the bar to achieve goals 13 Using SCRUM to Achieve SCRUM