Devlog 4

How will this prepare [us] for next semester?

The idea of solidifying the team's next steps in the form of a document helped us make a lot of progress both among ourselves and towards the project itself. We realized we each had a different vision of what the project looked like, which contributed to a lot of confusion and required lengthy discussions and a lot of revision in order to bring us to a cohesive, single idea. Without this cohesion, we would have been ill-prepared for the next semester and would have used up valuable development time over decisions that could alter the entire course of the project. The project plan and proof of concept have helped us tremendously, giving us a more confident approach in our faith in the project, as well as a solid foundation of our intended gameplay systems and aesthetics to build upon throughout the next semester.

Personally, speaking as myself as an individual team member, I've learned quite a bit throughout the semester as a whole. The aforementioned confusion among the team was something that persisted since the beginning of the project. I feel that this stemmed from a lack of communication, rather than miscommunication. Our earliest presentation, the creative brief, was what prompted me to realize that the project, despite having spent 2 months on it already, did not feel concrete at all. Details being left up in the air was one thing, but entire concepts being wishy-washy was concerning to me. I reflected upon myself, who had opted to simply be a passive participant in the team, and decided that I was going to change my stance and become an active voice. Only then, because I had spoken up, were these issues and more addressed, and soon I was able to rekindle a genuine passion for the project as we later designed our core gameplay loop--a HUGE step in the right direction. If there's one thing I want to take away from this semester for the next, and even beyond that, it's that nothing will get done if you don't care. No amount of programming or 3D assets will change the downfall of the project if you don't feel anything towards it. If there's nothing about the project to care about, then something is wrong and needs to change. It's very much a gut feeling, and one you should probably listen to.