What is done in the project development phase?

[RotGtIE]

Just like it says on the tin. I've reached the point where I've written the majority of the script for my project, and while I am not ready for recruitment and the development phase yet, I figure it would behoove me to get familiar with how the process should be executed so I can be ready when I get there.

What should I be prepared for, exactly? Is there a way to organize the development process that I should be aware of? Any common mistakes that someone might make on their first project? What is likely to be expected of me once my scriptwriting task is done and I move on to take the position of - and I really hate hearing myself say this - something like a director, I suppose?

[HiddenCreature]

You'll need a clear outline of what you want for the game. A game design document your team can reference. Then you'll need a plan of action: who needs to do what, when should they do it, and how.

Get some kind of cloud service like google drive, so your team can view documents without having to constantly email it to each other. Make sure everyone has each others' contact information, and you keep them regularly updated on the project's progress.

Since your the person with the idea, you're expected to know what's intended for the game, and to give the final say on what will be included.

When outlining your game's ideas, keep it very doable. Even if you're offering paid positions, you won't know what your team is capable of producing, until you have it and discuss things with them. So don't bite off more than you can chew.

Payment plans are a case by case basis. If you're offering money, you need to discuss those terms in private with the individuals.

Some would recommend you have contracts ready, like NDA's. However, that's not technically necessary. It's more of a precaution. If you're worried about team members, be more selective during the recruitment process. But as others have told me, if you're going to get contracts, you need to be willing to enforce them. That means going to court, and you could only guess how much time and money that will cost you. As I said, they're not necessary, so it's best you're careful who you pick beforehand.

Finally, how you plan to release the game, which should be in your plan of action. Do you need to raise funds, or find a publisher? If so, how will you go about it?

There's plenty of articles out there you can read to give you more information. This is just the gist of most of it.

[Kailoto]

^A pretty comprehensive list.

An important part to keep in mind is that you are the creative director of the project, so it is your burden to explain what is needed to each of the project members and to give them all the tools and resources they need for reference. One of the biggest problems with first-time projects that I see is that no one is willing to step up and assume command. Collaborative processes where no one knows what they are doing are the direct result of this, and having someone at the center will greatly increase organization and efficiency.

Also, a key point for when you're writing and not doing art (like myself): try to be conscious of how many art assets will be required. Obviously the number of sprites will be determined by the characters and the number of backgrounds will be determined by the locations, so try to reuse locations and omit rarely appearing characters. It'll keep production costs down and also be a boon for your artist(s). Another thing to keep in mind is whether or not you will be using CGs (cinematic stills), and if so, where and how many will be needed.

[kitsubasa]

As someone who's been in much the same position with my current project, I think the big important thing with getting project development started is -- unless your scope demands otherwise -- getting at least a first draft of the script done first. Which it sounds like you've pretty much got! I didn't finish my script up beforehand, which means I have some team members I'm still bothering asking if they can take on an extra sprite expression/menu asset/music piece, and that's a drag for everyone. Several months down the track, if you realise there's an asset you didn't initially plan for that you now need, I think it's impolite to expect people will still be free to take on new work -- maybe they are, maybe they're not, but if they don't have any time because they thought you were done with them, that's your problem, not theirs. In my case, I've been lucky that everyone has agreed to help with the missing assets, but in some cases the turnaround has been slower or the commission cost more expensive as a result of it falling outside the initial negotiation... which once again, is well within the rights of the artists/musicians/whoever, and is just a result of my blunder.

Anyway, once your draft is done, put together an asset list (as said by the people above) and start hiring/commissioning/inviting people on-board. My usual order for hiring, since I stagger for money/editing reasons, is sprites -> GUI -> CGs -> BGs, and music whenever. If you're not staggering... then obviously, just grab everyone at once. As far as communication goes, I don't actually have any discussion groups or contact information spread between my team, mostly because I'm commissioning them and they're all busy people. Everyone I've worked with so far has been communicative and professional, and purely one-on-one liaison has gone well for me. I think having discussion groups/mass emails/what have you is mostly just something for free teams, since if everyone's passionate enough to volunteer their work at no cost, they're probably passionate enough to want to discuss it among others. Once each team member's involvement in the project ends, I've got a WIP thread which I update at least once a month so they can see where it's at, if they're so inclined.

Aside from that, the main thing that I think helps for keeping everything clear and candid with whoever you're bringing on board is sharing whatever you've done on the game right up front, so they can trust that you're pulling your weight aside from being the person in charge. In my case, I provided a plot outline, the WIP script, and some character concepts to each of the people I brought on board -- if they wanted to, they could check if they were comfortable with the plot, my writing style, and the aesthetics/tone I was going for. The people who I've needed more assets from down the line, I've given an alpha copy of the game, so they can see the holes where things are missing and gain an understanding of why exactly I need [x] expression for [y] character. I think it serves the purpose of reassuring that we're all creative people here, and every hour a team member puts in, their director is putting in at least an hour of their own. That's a good thing to know.

[RotGtIE]

Given the choice between trying to learn how to direct for one's first project or instead seeking a director for the team, which would you recommend?

[Mad Harlequin]

I've never spearheaded a project before, so feel free to take my advice with a large grain of salt. What I have to say is based on what I've observed. I think for a first effort, finding a director may be better. To some extent the answer may depend on the size of the project---someone new to directing a project will probably fare better with a smaller one.

Finding a director may also be useful in that you can learn from his or her example.

[Kailoto]

I think that mostly depends on how large the project is - and not just in terms of words or assets, but how many people are doing separate jobs. If you're only working with a single artist and someone to do sound, for example, then I think even a first-timer would do alright as long as they have a head on their shoulders. But if you have five different teammates with different jobs, it can get out of hand if there's still stuff you have to work on yourself.

You have to be very careful when selecting someone else to fulfill the role of project manager, though. They need to be punctual and communicative, otherwise they'll cause more trouble than they're worth. So unless you really don't feel confident in your own capabilities, I'd recommend against it - the less people working on a relatively small project, the better.

[Katy133]

Each step in project development has different things, but you should keep these aspects in mind throughout the entire process so you're prepared:

1) Pre-Production:
- Brainstorming
- Concept art
- Planning out your budget
- Plot Outlining
- Organising the production pipeline
- Choosing the visual novel's engine

2) Production:
- Creating art/CG/sprite/background/UI assets
- Writing the script
- Writing the soundtrack
- Recording voice acting/sound effects/music
- Programming/Coding

3) Post-Production:
- Release day
- Marketing/PR
- Sending the game to reviewers
- Setting up the visual novel's website