The Villanova development team is ready to contribute to the overall game development effort. We have some questions relating to how best to move forward.

• Question Set 1:  On the Tasks 02_10_09 page, there is a description of a database to hold multiple types of objects. We have put together an initial idea (GameParameterDatabase class) just to start the conversation about what is needed. Our questions about this task are:
  • What will this be used for?
  • Is it to store game play parameters or some other form of data?
  • Does it need to "persist" the data so the data is stored somewhere to be used later, or is it just for use while the game is being played? (The comment later on the tasks page about having a backing store for this makes it sound like the data should persist.)
  • Does it need to be a database (i.e., searchable using queries) or is it a simpler object that just needs to be able to hold, store and retrieve specific values?

• Question Set 2:  On the same tasks page, there is a description of "multi-tiered menu system that allows use of the database". We are not clear where this fits into the overall project, so questions we have are:
  • Who is the intended user of this menu system?
  • What will  the menu system be used for? Is it part of a design tool or is it used during game play in some way? Or maybe both?
  • Can you give us a typical "use case" or scenario for how this menu system would be used?

• Question Set 3: Are there non-programming tasks for which the available Villanova assets can be used to support the overall game design goals?
  • A number of Villanova students have experience designing sprites, backgrounds, sounds, music and other non-programmatic content (see Villanova Team Assets). What do you need? How can we help?
  • Do you need marketing analysis done? We have a variety of business disciplines represented on the Villanova team that could do this.
  • Do you need playability feedback or a player psychology study done? We have a student with a strong psychology background who could do this.
  • Do you need any additional story analysis or script writing done? We have students with strong writing, rewriting and story analysis skills who could do this.

• Coordination:  For setting up liasons on the Villanova side, here's what might work best for us.
  1. Help us to get more detail about what we can produce to help move the overall effort forward.
  2. We will identify the best people to serve as contacts for each task, and get their contact info to you directly or via a task page on this wiki.
  3. We can have the Villanova liasons contact their counterparts at TCNJ, or await contact if that will be better.

• Getting Things Done:  For getting tasks done once liasons are established:
  • Villanova students will form small development teams to take on the various task, with each team led by the designated liason.
  • Each team will be responsible for keeping a wiki page up to date with their activity, progress, questions, etc., so that the TCNJ team can always know where things stand and provide guidance or feedback as needed.
  • Villanova teams will work with TCNJ to identify deadlines, specify what is needed, and collaborate to produce the needed deliverables by the deadlines (or have a mutually agreed upon justification for a delay).