Team: jACE Interactive | Duration: 3-Month Project (Currently in Development)
Genre: Fantasy Action RPG
My Role: Producer
My Responsibilities:
My Responsibilities:
Pitch & Scope Analysis: Analyzed the comprehensive feature list and guided the team to isolate a single, polished vertical slice—the "Earth Aether Trial"—from their ambitious full-game vision, ensuring a demonstrable product for Month 1.
Agile Process Management: Facilitate sprint planning and tracking for a medium-sized team, ensuring clear milestones for the vertical slice.
Data-Driven Monitoring: Utilize Jira reports to ensure the team's velocity is aligned with the focused goal of completing the Earth Trial demo.
Team Mentorship: Assist in workload distribution, particularly regarding the balance between complex systems like the Companion AI and core combat.
Production & Project Health
The team has begun active development with a clear sprint goal. The initial data shows a strong start but highlights the need for consistent task completion to meet their ambitious targe
Sprint Burndown:
The team started their sprint with a clear goal: "All base functionalities should be working." The burndown shows a perfect pace initially, tracking the ideal guideline. However, progress has stalled midway through the sprint, indicating they may have encountered a complex impediment or underestimated some tasks. This is a key metric for me to discuss with them to unblock progress.
The team started their sprint with a clear goal: "All base functionalities should be working." The burndown shows a perfect pace initially, tracking the ideal guideline. However, progress has stalled midway through the sprint, indicating they may have encountered a complex impediment or underestimated some tasks. This is a key metric for me to discuss with them to unblock progress.
Team Velocity:
This is the team's first sprint (v0.0.1), so they are establishing their initial velocity. This baseline will be crucial for me to help them plan more accurately in future sprints and ensure their scope is realistic.
This is the team's first sprint (v0.0.1), so they are establishing their initial velocity. This baseline will be crucial for me to help them plan more accurately in future sprints and ensure their scope is realistic.
Cumulative Flow:
The Cumulative Flow Diagram shows a healthy buildup of tasks in "To Do" at the start, with a good portion having moved to "Done." The thin bands in "In Progress" and "Testing" suggest the team is working on a few items at a time and completing them, which is an excellent practice that reduces context-switching and helps maintain a clean "Done" column.
The Cumulative Flow Diagram shows a healthy buildup of tasks in "To Do" at the start, with a good portion having moved to "Done." The thin bands in "In Progress" and "Testing" suggest the team is working on a few items at a time and completing them, which is an excellent practice that reduces context-switching and helps maintain a clean "Done" column.
Producer's Note on Scope:
The team's original A-features represented a full game. My feedback was crucial for focus:
- Defining the Vertical Slice: Directed the team to define their A-features exclusively around the "Earth Aether Trial," including one enemy, one core ability, and one puzzle.
- System Prioritization: Advised de-prioritizing secondary systems like a full inventory, complex quest logic, and the companion's advanced AI behaviors until the core combat and traversal loop is flawless.
- Sustainable Pacing: Emphasized that a polished 10-minute demo is more valuable than a buggy 30-minute prototype, encouraging them to build one thing well
Supporting Documentation & Process
Jira Board: Active management of user stories, tasks, and bugs.
Jira Board: Active management of user stories, tasks, and bugs.
