Advantages Of Project Management:
Project management is the process of planning and organising the overall execution of a project from the start to the end (National University, 2023). It makes the project run more efficiently as it ensures that each section of the project is completed on time (Teamwork, 2023).
In previous projects, not using a method of project management has caused me to panic and lose track of how much time is left to complete a project. This often leads to worse results as everything is rushed towards the end. A project plan aims to fix this issue by separating each task with its own due date.
Project management is also useful for keeping your team productive throughout the duration of the project, however as I am the only developer on this project that does not apply here (National University, 2023). Nevertheless, it kept me productive as there was a different task to complete each week.
Types Of Project Management:
Agile Project Management:
This is an iterative project management method with an emphasis on adaptability. The process involves breaking down a project into more manageable chunks and continuously adjusting the project as needed (National University, 2023).
Agile project management could be useful for video game development as both involve the iterative process of constantly changing and adapting ideas. Furthermore, breaking down the project into smaller manageable goals such as blocking out the level or creating the teleportation mechanic may be useful.
Waterfall Project Management:
This is a linear process where each project phase must be completed before moving on to the next (National University, 2023). Whilst this style of project management would keep the game on schedule if everything went smoothly, the process of creating a game is very fluid and ever-changing. Ideas are constantly dropped or adapted and so this style of project management may not be suited to video game development.
Conclusion:
There are many more methods of project management, however the style that fits my project the best is agile. Video game development is all about adapting and iterating which fits perfectly into the core advantages of this method. The waterfall style has its advantages, such as instilling discipline during the project, but for this project I will be using the agile project management style.
Managing My Project:
Initial Plan:
My initial plan for this project was scrapped due to a change of approach. I realised that for this project one level would be enough to showcase all of the mechanics and principles. Therefore, as this project plan was centred around creating three levels, I decided to start again.
Before Christmas:
I initially split the project into two halves – before and after Christmas.
Before Christmas I wanted to have Unity recognise voice commands, movement, the blockout and notes fully completed. I managed to get as far as blocking the level out before the 24th December. This wasn’t a disaster as the agile project management method was all about adaptation.
Up to this point, the project was going smoothly and although I had some bugs to fix with walls and the reticle, it did not slow me down much or impact my progress.
After Christmas:
The plan for after Christmas was to make the riddles, doors, keys and improve the user experience. There was also a plan to add sound to the game, however as the project went on, more important features were prioritised such as tutorial messages.
Even though the note mechanic had to be completed after Christmas, I managed to stay on track with everything else. Thankfully there were no major sticking points that halted production, but if there were then this method of project planning would allow me to adapt and overcome such issues.
With the waterfall method, if I got stuck on the key mechanic for example, I would not be able to move on to any other section until it was completed. This could be disastrous and cause important features not to be completed on time or scrapped entirely.
Gantt Chart:
One advantage of using Monday.com for project management is the ease of which it allows switching between different views. In just a click of a button I am able to transform my table into a Gantt chart.
The main advantage of a Gantt chart is its ability to display the status of each task at a quick glance (Ramos, 2021). The time each task takes is easily read from the chart and it can be seen if any tasks overlap with each other, which can then be adjusted if you cannot handle such a workload.
Whilst it doesn’t give as much information as the table view, it doesn’t really need to. Using both the table view and the Gantt chart together made for a smooth project management process. The table provides more information such as the status and any notes added to a section, whilst the Gantt chart provides a view that is easier to read and informs the user if any tasks are overlapping.
Future Changes:
There are many more views available on Monday.com which I did not experiment with. In future projects I will use more views and see which ones fit the agile project management style. Too many views may get overwhelming however, so I will need to find a balance.
I also wish I had included writing all of the portfolio writeups as part of the project plan. Whilst I had planned for making the game, I forgot to include a timeline for completing the portfolio and production piece video. For my next project, I will make sure to include any writeups as part of the plan as they are just as important as the production piece itself.
Conclusion:
Overall, the project management for this project was a success. The agile method allows for iteration and changes to be made, which coincided with the development of this game as iteration is a huge part of game development. Whilst I would change some things in the future, such as experimenting with more views on Monday.com, the table and Gantt chart allowed me to keep on track as each of them have their separate advantages. Furthermore, splitting the project into two halves, before and after Christmas, helped the project feel more achievable as two smaller blocks of tasks with a little break in-between is less daunting than one huge block.
References:
- National University (2023) Why Is Project Management Important? [Blog post]. 10 July. Available online: https://www.nu.edu/blog/why-is-project-management-important/#:~:text=Project%20management%20is%20important%20because,and%20involved%20throughout%20the%20project [Accessed 02/01/2024].
- Ramos, D. (2021) The Advantages and Limitations of Gantt Charts in Project Management. Smartsheet, Internet edition. 3 May. Available online: https://www.smartsheet.com/content/gantt-chart-pros-cons [Accessed 03/01/2024].
- Teamwork (2023) Why is project management important? Available online: https://www.teamwork.com/project-management-guide/why-is-project-management-important/ [Accessed 02/01/2024].