Strike Teams:
Cross Discipline Saviors
by
Starr Long
Producer, NCsoft
Definition
What are Strike Teams?
• Small teams
• Cross Discipline
• Collocated
• Focused on Single Area/System
• Goal Oriented
• Temporary
Cross & Collocate
Thou shall Cross & Collocate!
• Cross discipline:
– Inter Dept.: Artist, Programmer, Designer
– Intra Dept.: Modeler, Texturer, Animator
• Collocation:
– Same office / cube area
– Or at least nearby / adjacent areas
Cross & Collocate
Thou shall Cross & Collocate!
Why?
• Better communication
– Communication hard across disciplines
• Attention from all disciplines
simultaneously vs. sequentially
• Proximity speeds up communication
• Morale increases
• Promotes accountability
– Usually equals results
Cross & Collocate (or not)
Thou shall Cross & Collocate?
Why not?
• Moving people around hard
• Progs don’t like sharing space
• Disciplines speak different languages
• Confusion of Authority Lines
– Who’s in charge? Strike lead or dept. lead?
– If Strike lead what does dept. lead do?
– If dept. lead which one since cross disc.?
Focus!
Thou shall focus on single area and iterate!
• Focus on single game system/area only
– UI, Combat, Mission 1, Mission 2, etc.
• Focus on results not processes
• Entirely goal & iteration oriented
– Regular demonstrable goals (weekly?)
– One large goal for end of the milestone
Focus!
Thou shall focus on single area and iterate!
Why?
• Results orientation
• Focus on game goals vs. dept. goals
• Constant iteration to “get it right”
• Avoid slogging through process
– Nimble and dynamic
Focus! (or blinded?)
Thou shall focus on single area and iterate?
Why not?
• Blind to big vision
– Macro vision can be lost when focus on micro
• Very hard to schedule
– Non-sequential tasks, iteration, etc.
• Usually more need than resources
– More systems than staff
Temporary
Thou shall make them temporary entities!
• Reorganize continually based on needs
– Form new ones, dissolve old ones, etc.
• Why? Resource bound
• Why not? Multi-tasking confusing
Organization: How To
Organize via traditional dept. model
• Art, Design, Programming departments
• Dept. leads (Lead Prog., Art Dir., etc.)
– Resource allocation, reviews, scheduling
– Retained long term
Build foundations of game first
• Then go to strike teams
• Doing it too early will defeat purpose
Organization (cont.)
• Keep numbers small
– As few strike teams as possible at any time
– No one on more than 1 active strike team
– Each strike should have a lead
• Formal vs. Informal
– Depends on need
– Formal = mailing lists, regular reports, etc.
– Informal = ownership, iteration, etc.
Why Strike Teams?
Payoffs:
• Nimble and dynamic
• Promote accountability
• Results oriented
• Focus on game goals vs. dept. goals
• Elusive “Getting it right”
• Improve cross discipline communication
• Tend to improve morale for troops
Why not Strike Teams?
Challenges:
• Very hard to schedule
• “Big Picture” can be lost
• Confusion of Authority Lines
• Usually more need than resources
• Can hurt morale
Examples
Products using similar methods:
• Lord of the Rings (EA, Neil Young)
• Guild Wars (Arena.net / NCsoft)
• Other definitions / similar structures:
–
–
–
–
Mini Teams
Pods
Matrix Management
Resource Pool Management
Strike Teams right for you?
• Payoffs large but challenges just as big
• Good:
– Focus on the game and results
– Communication sped up, barriers removed
– Morale improved
• Bad:
– Confusion of authority
– Hard to manage / schedule
– Usually resource bound