Coco & Co constructive communication & collaboration

Thursday:

1. TIGJam!
2. Redesigned scenes to support the new story.
3. Modified every level for seamless transitioning.
4. Added doors to continuously usher players along.
5. Various puzzle tweaks.

Friday:

1. Redesigned how we teach invisibility (playtesting shows a much stronger understanding)
2. Many level tweaks and edits
3. Some playtesting and developer discussion

Saturday:

1. Made it so characters automatically exit each level together (helps with seamless transition)
2. Various level/puzzle adjustments
3. Modified some environments to tell a better story.
4. Embedded more signifiers to keep consistent rules.
5. Playtests! (held many playtests, all which proved really positive!)

Sunday:

1. IGF preparation.
2. Added game menus.
3. Held live demo of our game to TIGJam attendees.
4. Dinner with developers.
5. Round 2 pitch preparation.

Monday:

1. IGF prep - game description
2. IGF prep - tweaked Paulwei's submission video
3. Various puzzle tweaks
4. World tweaks to enhance story
5. Added credits to end level.

Daily Update

Friday:

1. Added new puzzles.
2. Simplified some platforming sequences.
3. Hunted down sounds.
4. Made first draft of IGF game description for submission.
5. Ran playtest and planned next steps in what we need to teach.

Saturday

1. Added dense foliage transitions to each level.
2. Recorded sounds for a character, as well as his/her monster version.
3. Gathered imagery for end-game.
4. Made credits text (ready to be made into individual sprites)
5. Discussed how to make the ending the best it can be.
6. Figured out what sounds will be linked to what gestures, and why.

Sunday:

1. Fixed some minor bugs.
2. Edited and did special effects work on all character sounds (both human and monster versions). Over 80 sounds created for potential use.

What I'll do tomorrow:

1. Finalize piston sequence for Sand character.
2. Figure out and list needs to change in order to teach players the mechanics better, and implement these changes.
3. Hand character sounds over to programmers/sound designer for implementation.
4. If I get to it, design the last couple puzzles. (linked box, and finale)

Daily Update, 10/20/2010

• Held a few playtests
• Added changes to puzzles after Jiyoung struggled to make a few jumps.
• Designed and prepared half presentations.
• Made title screen for the game...now called, "Way".

What I'll do tomorrow:

• Half presentations.
• Next week sprint project planning.
• New puzzles.
• Speak to art to figure out the different styles for each zone, as well as the big key moments of the story.

Daily Update 10/5

What I did today:

1. Cleaned up the prefabs folder
2. Added puzzles for Pistons, Projectiles, and Platforms
3. Did some minor playtesting

What I'll do tomorrow:

1. More puzzles!
2. Work with Paulwei and Katherine to clear up anything that may be confusing while I'm gone.

Daily Update 9/30

What I did today:

1. Internship Presentation
2. Puzzle Meeting with Team
3. Worked with Hugo to develop a plan for modular terrain

What I'll do tomorrow:

1. Design a working -- game-ready level
2. Work with Hugo to get the modular terrain pieces made and implemented

Daily Update 9/29

What I did today:

1. Create Adobe Illustrator puzzle asset bank (to quickly mock up modular puzzle designs)
2. Designed multiple new puzzles
3. Planned Puzzle Meeting for tomorrow
4. Internship Presentation

What I'll do tomorrow:

1. Meet with team to discuss puzzles and next steps of implementation
2. Design and implement piston/platform-based puzzles using Cynthia's tech.
3. Make new puzzles

Daily Update 9/28

What I did today:

Flushed out THE EPIC COCO&CO SPREADSHEET with plenty of comments to help with clarity and team understanding. Click to view the epicness.

Worked with Cynthia to get the next set of puzzle assets built.

Built an asset priority list for the programmers that should help me to create puzzles over time with increasing complexity.

What I'll do tomorrow:

Make a one-page design that compiles every puzzle idea and shows how it works. As well as a design key that allows modular building of puzzle concepts using all assets in the game. (may require storyboarding)

Daily Update 9-27-10

What I did today:

1. Designed new Puzzles
2. Met with Programmers to discuss Puzzle Creation System
3. Established a master spreadsheet with comments and color-rules to keep everyone understanding of what has (and hasn't) been completed, and what still needs more brainstorming.

What I'll do tomorrow:

1. Create digital versions of the puzzles, making iteration passes on a select set.

Weekly Update of Dailies

Things I did this past week:

1. Designed many new paper prototypes for puzzle designs
2. Edited the slideshow for the quarters presentation
3. Worked to compile design documents so that we have a single valuable, readable resource listing design priorities and what needs to be built
4. Met with the team to address ways to become more Agile
5. Met with the team to resolve numerous design issues and plan others.

Things I did today:

1. Designed more puzzles
2. Upgraded to Unity 3.0
3. Met with programmers to discuss puzzle designs, to plan what puzzle assets need to be made, and to decide asset priority.

Daily Update 9/20/2010

What I did today:

• Prepared and combined snow and sand puzzles for playtest
• Added a number of puzzle elements (death zones, motion platforms, invisibility)
• Practiced for quarter presentations
• Hosted playtest and compiled questions and feedback

What I'll do tomorrow:

• Test other (mouse-heavy) control schemes
• Design stronger communication mechanics
• Discuss music with Doug Fischer
• Design what each player will see to communicate the odd properties of the world.
• Create a story for how the players learn the properties of the world.