Not that kind of a Virus

We are living in some crazy times right now. Things are in flux and we have no idea when things will get back to normal. But amidst this COVID-19 pandemic, some things have remained the same, like gaming. Actually gaming is on the rise. Steam recorded it's the highest number of concurrent users, Nintendo Switches are of stock and streamers have more viewers than ever.

So what does this mean for a game developer who is working remotely as things have become more hectic? Well, things have not changed that much. I do not work remotely so this was definitely a change of pace. The first couple of the days took a little bit to get used to, but I have made a nice routine, which I think helps me boost my productivity and kick off my day.

This situation has significantly changed my interaction with the team. We have added new channels to our Discord server (the app we use to communicate) to enable faster communication and to keep team members in the loop. So whenever a new release or bug comes up, we make a new channel, pull in the right people, and hack away at the issue. This has become immensely helpful and made communication easier.

Since I have started working remotely, I have established a new routine for communication too. After I'm settled in I talk to our tech lead about the tasks to accomplish today and what needs to be prioritized. If we have to prepare for a new release, I discuss those things with other team members too. After having the tasks for the day, I start working! Keeping any relevant team members involved and informed. Also posting updates to our lead. At the end of the day, I talk our lead again to foresee the potential tasks for the next day and I also summarize the day.

I also try to take small initiatives to smoothen communication, like setting my status AFK (away from keyboard), letting any team member know if they are waiting for me.

I also realised that the thing that has helped me the most in this situation is to know a little about each system. Even if I have not dealt with a system or part of the pipeline, I do know the overview of system. This allows me to understand the bugs and issues better and also inform the right team member for it. Sometimes if the problem seems on the surface I can immediately fix it and inform the team about the fix. This has given immense maneuverability.

Most importantly the team has pulled together to continue developing the game.

Communication holds tremendous value in any team. A little extra effort there has always yielded impressive results for me.