Chain of Command

While in some circumstances it might be desirable to have a "democratic" team where everyone has the same amount of decision-making clout, there is a reason that the traditional hierarchical structure of authority has stood the test of time. Also, it's generally acknowledged that the creative design process of games requires a single arbitrator who has the final say on all things to avoid prolonged debate. This does not mean a tyrannical dictation of how things will be, but should help to shorten the time required to come to a final decision for any given situation since time is always a critcal factor in commercial development.

This is even more important when you work virtually, because the lag involved in arguing via email will grind your project to a halt as well as undermine morale of the team. Decisions should be quick, and provide a maximum amount of time for juggling alternatives until you finally have to move on.

Another area that is important, especially in later stages when your game might actually be getting some interest from publishers, is who will make the official decisions on behalf of the team. This person is the single voice between the team and the publisher or other benevolent entity. Determine who this person will be, the chairman, and write a simple contract if you have to in order to avoid conflict later when things aren't working out as planned and the team needs somebody to blame. If you have it in writing, then the chairman can't be blamed, because everyone agreed to trust his choices beforehand.

All complex projects need a schedule if they are to be done with any kind of efficiency and quality. This applies as much to virtual projects as any other. Assuming you have set goals for your team, you should be able to easily create a schedule for meeting those goals. Use any tools at your disposal to assist in budgeting time and resources. This is an integral part of making a game, and you will be doing it with the pressure of a publisher on your back once you get a contract. Practice now, before there's a chance for substantial financial and personal loss.

Managing the Project