Project that have more then two people should  have a system to handle all the files, milestone and responsibility to easy and early get an overview how to project are  progressing. Content management system isn’t it always an advantage because it can cost more time to handle everything without one.

Due to our group are bigger then two, we decide early go get one. There by the past two week I have gone true probably 20 different management software both free and commercially and I haven’t found any to satisfy me.

In the end and two weeks of waste time  it turn out that we use what we started with. Wiki, FTP,  Google doc and old school “post it”.  Actual I have decided to write  an application named SAMSFSTDR (scrum and content management system for small team done right) this summer because there arn’t any one out there.

Two weeks ago I told you that we would start using the “project process management system tool” Scrum, and that I would keep you updated about it.

So this is how we use Scrum:
First we write down all the things that we want and need in the game (models, levels, AI, triggers and so on) in a document, called the “product backlog”. We then estimate how much time each task/thing will take and then categories and place them in the order they have to be done. After that we divide the PB into several smaller periods called sprints. Each sprint ends at a predefined date (milestone) where all the tasks in that sprint have to be done.

We start each day with a short (5-10 min) meeting where everyone tell each other what they did yesterday and what they will do today. This gives everyone insight of what everyone is doing and a chance to ask questions.
This way of working gives us a tool to keep track of all the features in the game and how much time we have left until the game’s complete.

Now it’s a new year and with new year comes new routines. Before Christmas has been more of a research face where everyone has been in preproduction. The programmers have been coding the engine, narrative has been written and the artists have been sketching.
So now when all the preproduction have been done we’ll be starting to use the project management tool/system Scrum to get everyone working tight together. With Scrum we’ll have daily meetings and work towards common milestones.

We’ll keep you updated how things work out with Scrum : )