Introductions

Team Specimen is made up of 4 game designers with individual roles and responsibilities, they are;

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Will: Project lead / Marketing

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My role as project leader is something that I take with great pride, I will use all my knowledge of my team mates and the skills I have acquired with project management to ensure the project is completed with a good standard of quality along with care. I have previously had the chance to lead a team to a successful project where we made a game running on mobile devices, myself and my team were able to work very well and found that the harder one of us worked the other would also work even harder. This is something I wish to establish within this team as well. I will be conducting a team register for every meeting and ensuring that every member of the team has a job after each meeting and we can meet at the next meeting to present our work to one another.

Marketing is one of my strongest points as I am a very confident presenter, this comes from years of public speaking and presenting information. I also have a part time job attending conventions and demonstrating board games so speaking to strangers is not unusual for me. Another aspect that gives me an edge in marketing to other people is that I can become very invested in my roles, previously I had decided to present an idea to my peers dressed as a character from the story, I ensured the presentation I gave was full of inspiring ideas by decorating my table with a model village and using items that fit the theme of my story. Therefore, I am certain that marketing will be in good hands when left to me.

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Richard Pilling: Technical lead

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After many discussions, I agreed to take on the role of ‘Technical Lead’ as I have a decent understanding of technical programming. Despite coming from a more creative background and generally favouring creative tasks when I work, I consider myself to be a very logical thinker, so when my experience is needed to get the game working, I can get the job done effectively when it counts the most.

I can also work with multiple programming languages including C# and Python; with the former, I managed to create a fantasy action game with collectables and multiple enemies that can track and attack the player (all of which was done using Unity), while with the latter, I developed an asset generator plugin that works directly with Autodesk Maya. From previous experience, each project came with unique challenges that feel satisfying to overcome, and I always feel after completion that I have developed and improved the problem-solving skills required to program games successfully. It is that experience that will allow me to support my teammates while they work on the scripts, and of course to ensure that all technical aspects of this project are running smoothly.

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James Dunphy: Creative lead

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I have been appointed the ‘Creative Lead’ role as per decision of the project leader W.P and the team. I am very happy and fortunate to be given this opportunity as I am extremely passionate about design - I feel my creative skillset will be able to aid this project in creating a product that visually looks stunning. The reason I think I am a good fit for this role is that I have always been a very creative person as well as a very creative thinker. I believe I hold a very strong creative library which allows me to create whole environment ideas and layouts, including visualising textures in my head. With this knowledge, it lets me express my ideas towards the team and give them a great deal of detail and clarity. In addition, I have always been a very critical when it comes to creative design as I can always find ways to improve my own work to make it stand out, this trait I am putting to use in critiquing others works and aiding them, which I feel Is a very important skill for a creative lead to possess. I also have a great deal of experience with using 3D software’s such as Maya and Zbrush, texturing programs like Substance and 3D Coat – this experience allows me to make high quality assets but also help fellow team members if they need assistance in this area.

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Gemma Able: Effects lead

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I feel very confident taking on the Effects role. I have previous experience working with audio software as well as working on lighting and special effects, both in live Television production and Game Design. I have created and worked with the fog and lighting effects we will be using in previous projects. I play various instruments, as well as create my own music, so sound design is something I am very confident with. I will also be working closely with the team, especially the Creative manager, making sure the sounds and effects still fit the overall look of the game.