Staller Space Crew

This is undoubtedly the most challenging team I've ever worked with. The reason being that the team did not plan the project at the outset, and I was brought in halfway through when they had already implemented several features in the game. The biggest challenge I faced was understanding each developer's capabilities. To put it simply, every team member was in a stage I'd call "I don't know what I don't know." They lacked certain knowledge and were uncertain about what that knowledge might be. This uncertainty made it difficult to assign tasks and collaborate effectively.

Postmortem:

Despite their lack of experience, the team demonstrated remarkable strength in communication and maintained a high level of professionalism when working on the project. They frequently gathered for lengthy discussions aimed at figuring out the best approach to a given mechanic and then implementing it. The team's enthusiasm was infectious and kept everyone motivated throughout the development process.

In terms of leadership, some might argue that a coaching style would be most effective given the team's inexperience in game development. However, I believed that the team had talented programmers who could benefit from a more flexible approach. Rather than establishing rigid standards, I opted to work with the team and adapt to their development process while providing the help they needed. This approach allowed the team to leverage their strengths while improving in areas where they needed more support.

The main issue I see with this project is the lack of planning. As I mentioned earlier, the team consisted of individuals who hadn't worked on a game project before, and as a result, they didn't take into account factors such as playtesting and balancing. This oversight meant that some features couldn't be implemented, and the game balancing wasn't thoroughly tested. Moving forward, it will be important to prioritize planning to ensure that all necessary aspects of the game are accounted for and that the final product is polished and well-balanced.

In the end, I felt extremely fortunate to have been added to this project and to have helped the team see it through to completion. It was a fascinating experience from start to finish. The biggest lesson I learned from this project was that I don't need the most talented programmers on my team to enjoy the development process. Sometimes, what brings me the most joy is knowing that the team is facing a challenge and witnessing their success in overcoming it. This project was a testament to the power of collaboration and perseverance, and I'm grateful to have been a part of it.