SCRUM Group Work

Evaluation of the project:

How well did your group find, access, and pull together relevant research on the mythology you selected and general game design? 

One valuable source we used was google images. Initially, we struggled to find sources about room and props design. We pulled all our research together by using a miro board so that we could track our research into the room layout and what was in the rooms.

What sources did you use and how helpful were they? 

The most helpful source was Assassin’s Creed Origins because it provided an accurate representation of the props/ weapons and style that we wanted to recreate. One source was too basic to help us because it didn't provide enough information to the small details that I needed to know. It was also time wasting trying to find what I wanted through a YouTube video.

How clearly did you define the purpose, goals, and target audience for your game? 

We aimed our game at all ages to allow anyone to access this game as our main pointers was that it was museum/ historical game. One clear goal we set was to have puzzles that would unlock historical facts to keep the player intrigued. Overall the aim of our game was to have a functional and exciting game.

How effectively did you incorporate knowledge of the museum's needs and objectives? 

We made sure to include information about Egyptian mythology because the museum required us to produce a game set around non-European mythology. One way it achieves the museum's goals is by letting users collect valuable historical facts about an object such as the Ankh, Crook and Flail and the Sekhem Sceptor.

How well did your group communicate and collaborate?

Our group communicated well by sharing information to each other via discord, teams and the days we were in college. we also used software such as GitHub where we could all download the project and regularly check the progress of our game.

Were roles and responsibilities clearly defined and balanced between each group member?

My responsibilities included making the props and the general environment look and be based on Egyptian mythology. I accomplished my roles by making low poly 3D models that are based on historical relics. Our group was effective at assigning roles and responsibilities because all of us had an equal amount of work and nobody felt that they were dropping behind loads.

How would you rate your individual contribution to the project? 

I contributed positively by helping Kyle Williams draw out the map layout which gave us a base to start working on. One area I could improve is giving myself more work. I feel at times that I could have produced more objects considering how far we got or texturing the current made objects.

What working practices helped or hindered your personal progress?

A working habit that helped me was using trello and miro. This was the most effective way for me because I could effectively plan out what I had to do whilst tracking our changes. It was very helpful for me and Kyle Williams as we was both working on this area.

How successfully did your group organise work and meet deadlines? Were any deadlines missed or changed? why?

We stayed on schedule by tracking each weeks progress on our production page as well as keeping a backlog of stuff that needed to be done in the next week. I did not miss any deadlines however I overestimated how long some of these tasks would take meaning I could have allocated my time better.

What aspects of your game design and mechanics worked especially well? Why? 

One game level choice that worked especially well with the added mechanics was the pyramid puzzle because it allowed the player to interact with the environment to then receive a quest item and historical information on what that item was used for.

What problems or issues happened in the development process? 

An issue we ran into was communications in some parts as the button puzzle was meant to have a different hint that would use my wall torches but when I came to implement them into the right place it had already been changed to a different idea. I would not of minded this change if I was informed beforehand. this similar issue bled into other areas such as people getting confused with what code was theirs due to it being changed and the owner of the code not being told.

How did you / your group deal with them? 

unfortunately it was too late to deal with these issues and had to move past this problem and work on other places.

What would you do differently next time?

next time we will make sure that all team members talk and say what they have changed via Teams or Discord. This will ensure that nobody gets confused.

How engaging, educational, and user-friendly is your final game? 

our game is very user friendly as the simplicity makes sure that all ages can play our game. we also made sure there was no violence because then our Pegi rating would go from a 3+ to a 16+. our game is also educational on a topic not a lot of people know much about meaning that all ages can have a chance of learning something new and intriguing.

How could it be improved? 

One way we could improve the game is by adding on the controls as hints so the player knows what buttons to press which would add on to the user friendly side. another idea would be to inspect the items that you can collect so that you can get a better in depth view of what we have made.

Does it achieve the museum's goals? 

Personally I think that as a team we did very well to achieve the goals that were set for us. We have made an interactable game where players can learn Egyptian mythology whilst keeping it user friendly for all ages that might go to a museum. 

What skills did you lack going into this project that you struggled with? How would you improve on those for next time?

The main skill issue I had with this project was my ability to make VFX. this is something that I want to learn in the future as it would finish off my models that I have created whereas this time a team member has had to pick up the work that I could not do.

If you redid the project again, which role(s) would you want to take on or try next time to continue developing new skills? Why? 

if i was to redo this project I would like to take on VFX as it would help my 3d models become more alive and push them further in success compared to what they are at now.

What part of the game development process (graphic design, narrative writing, worldbuilding, 3D modelling, concept art, level design etc) did you most enjoy? Would you want to specialise in it someday? Why? 

The part I most enjoyed on this two month project was the 3D modelling which is what I want to specialise in the future for a career. I really enjoy seeing my models come to life in an environment that I have helped make. I was drawn to this because its very visually pleasing and is something that I find gratification in a small time once i learnt the basics of 3d modelling.