The Catastrophe Crew Post Mortem
Developing this game as our very first major project was as rewarding as it was challenging. Throughout the year we’ve tackled unexpected twists, pushed through setbacks, and adapted to entire shifts in the game’s direction. This is doubtless very accurate to how working on games out in the industry would feel as well, and so despite the stress, we were able to learn a lot about the games development process. But we certainly didn’t do this alone. Only with the aid and support of our mentors, peers, and each other were we able to come out of this with the product we did, and we couldn’t be more thankful.
That being said there were certainly a lot of things that we could have improved upon, and so here we have a reflection of all the highs and lows of the year by compiling the thoughts of all our group members.
What went well?
Our ability to work as a team in a civil and organised manner was fantastic. Beside the unmentionable before the semester started, we never fought, always communicated and were willing to take on our fair share of work. After the feedback we gave each other in semester one, we were able to have a much better grasp on what each member of the group was doing at any given time which allowed us to pitch in when needed a lot faster. Dividing up workloads was especially fluid. There was only a single instance where two people made the same model, and everyone always had something they could be doing or were at least in a position where they could jump in at any moment.
To expand upon this, our friendliness and trust in one another allowed us to seek advice when needed without taking any unnecessary time. We were able to learn from each other’ strengths and expand our knowledge outside of just our specialist fields. An example was Cameron teaching Kae how to use Probuilder in Unity, which saved us a lot of time by having more than one person being able to edit the scene.
However, I think the main thing that we should be proud of is our ability to adapt on the fly. The sudden timetable shift for PGF threw a spanner in the works for everyone, but within an hour we completely changed the nature of our game so that it could be seen as a complete product in the now drastically limited time frame we were given. We rose to the challenge, adapted what we had and wasted no time in getting the game to conform to this new direction. Everyone was very understanding and open to new ideas, while also understanding why certain ideas just weren’t feasible, even when they might have had their heart set on them.
What didn’t go so well?
One of the most obvious flaws we had were the amount of bugs still prevalent in our game. Things like quests being made un-completable, objects you shouldn’t be able to climb on, and of course the ever-problematic grabbing system. This wasn’t necessarily due to a lack of testing or negligence on our part, we were very much aware of their existence. It was more that be prioritised other things which were much more pressing, and saw these as pretty insignificant compared to other issues. However it’s still not great to serve up a product that could be seen as incomplete. Our level design and controller also could have used some work, with players getting stuck on how to get to places pretty frequently.
Another issue was having features in the works that absolutely would have enhanced the experience, but ended up avoiding given the complications they might have caused. We played this semester very safe, opting to focus on things we knew we could complete as opposed to really pushing our limits. Not to say we didn’t learn and stretch ourselves! It was more just giant additions that had the potential to break everything, or create even more problems working around it. Needless to say though, we regret we couldn’t implement the stealth mechanics, or cat model that showed off the paws as you swiped at the screen. Having the prioritise your time and energy in games development is certainly much more challenging than we might have realised.
What we would do differently next time?
Everyone had differing thoughts on what they as an individual could have done better or differently if they had the chance. Harry had a lot of regrets at the start of the year in keeping people productive and organised, and wishes they had been more assertive and more daring in what he asked people to do. Kae wanted to get more involved in other parts of the project aside from just the art. Cameron wished we could have incorporated the animations he had made for Gerald by starting on them earlier, as well as taking extra time to put in better textures on everything. Despite the simple style we were aiming for it, there certainly is a distinction between “simple” and “unpolished”. Curtis overall wasn’t actually happy with the very nature of the project itself. Next time he wishes that he had attempted to make a game that actually held interest for him as a player, and that he’d be more motivated to sit down and work on like a tile-based strategy game.
What everyone enjoyed the most about working on this project?
Harrison: “I think my favourite part was coming into class and seeing what everyone else was working on. Watching as the map came together from Cam, all of the amazing features that actually worked from Curtis and the spectacular art coming from Keely. It was just so thrilling to be surrounded by such talented people, and watching them grow as we pieced together Catastrophe.
Ultimately my favourite parts of the project were when I felt useful to the group, and when it felt like my guidance was helping make a positive contribution to everyone. I loved that we were all open with one another regarding our workloads, and that no one every wanted to feel like they were simply freeloading. It was genuinely a pleasure to work with everyone.”
Cameron: “I loved the team dynamic we had by the end of the year, everyone was working well together and were very encouraging. We had adapted and overcome some obstacles and I think came out the other side much better for it. Myself and I’m sure the others have learnt valuable lessons that will serve us well in future development situations.
The development process as a whole has been a rewarding one, albeit with some complications. That’s just how development is though, it’s made me consider what roles I could have in game development or other media facets. And certainly, made me reflect on what I’d learnt throughout my studies at university.”
Keely: “I never really liked doing group projects myself, with a lot of the times people weren’t pulling their weight. However, this one was a lot more fun, where the group members were competent and honestly really nice! It was a nice change of pace to be in a group where we could rely on each other to get things done and have it be a proper collaborative experience.
I learnt a lot through working with this group, as well as exercising my current skills. Getting out of my comfort zone to make things for the game or complete tasks I didn’t have any idea how to do otherwise was the best way to learn. Having people counting on you to get things done, it makes you more determined to do it. (eg. Skybox, UI making, ProBuilder).
Being able to experience a mini version of what we might be experiencing in the industry, with the standing up meetings and working out problems together. Each of us having tasks and keeping them updated, working on a project and seeing it come together, ironing out problems we had and trying to adapt to things that pop up unexpectedly. I think it will help us greatly in future when we are put into these work environments later down the line.”
Curtis: "I enjoyed most the process of thinking of the game concept with the group and the brainstorming of the ideal perfect game that we never got to create. I think that the most fun part of a project is the fluid creative process of creating the ideal shopping list of your game and imagining what it would look and play like."
What part of the final product were you most proud of?
Harrison: “I think I loved the way we presented the product at the two events throughout the year the most. Not necessarily the game itself, but the way we set up our stand and interacted with people who came to see it. Kae’s poster and stickers were a huge contribution to this, enticing younger children especially. It was just very special to be able to see player’s reactions and how keen most seemed to be to stay there and find everything there was to be found.”
Cameron: I’m very proud of our team overall and hope everyone goes onto do amazing things, and honestly am very proud of what we achieved over the year. It’s certainly not easy making a game, but I think we rose to the challenge and have come out with a very enjoyable experience and lifelong lessons. The style of game I feel matches what we were going for in the beginning, the gameplay feels quite good considering some of the hiccups we had. And overall, I think it represents well, what we originally had in mind at the beginning of the year. Sure, it’s missing a few mechanics and animations but I think the game does fine without them. And judging by the enthusiasm I’ve seen from audiences and players during the events, I think the game would do quite well if it were released.”
Keely: “The quest experience added a lot of fun, quirky flavor to the game that a lot of the player appreciated at the showcases, and the sounds of things breaking really added a nice satisfying punch to destroying everything. I was so proud of the game as an experience, and seeing younger kids being inspired to peruse game design themselves through something as simple as a cat game, it really put things into perspective. I really hope that later down the line I can do more things like this and maybe it could inspire others to follow this path.”
Curtis: “I enjoyed most the process of thinking of the game concept with the group and the brainstorming of the ideal perfect game that we never got to create. I think that the most fun part of a project is the fluid creative process of creating the ideal shopping list of your game and imagining what it would look and play like.”