Writing in a Team - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 75

For an example of consensus, see The Mustard Corporation and Writers Cabal's
case studies in Section 8.9. Instances when the consensus model works best include
the following.

• When you have few ego problems in your team.

•

When you have a small number of people involved in the decision-making
process.

•

When the issue is integral to your project and/or will affect everyone.

•

When a project is just beginning.

•

When you have time and are willing to get to the root of each others' concerns.

•

When team members prefer to work collaboratively.

Drawbacks. Consensus often works best with fewer people involved in the decision-
making process, and a true consensus system may not give the recognition some
writers need to manage their ego.

Compromise
Compromise has both negative and positive connotations. You can compromise your
values, but being willing to compromise suggests you're flexible, open-minded, and
a good team player. Compromise plays an important role in game development and
canbeaneffectivetoolinawritingteam.
According to Merriam-Webster, compromise results in “a settlement of differ-
ences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.� Like consensus,
compromise leads to a decision that takes into account at least some of everyone's
concerns. Unlike consensus, compromise often allows the group to make a decision
quickly and move on.
The process for reaching compromise resembles consensus. However, compro-
mise often means taking less time delving into the reasons why a team member ob-
jects to a problem. If concerns continue to arise, instead of working to achieve ev-
eryone's best-case scenario, a compromise allows everyone to agree to a scenario that
works. Avoid time-delayed compromise, such as, “We'll do it my way this time; next
time we'll do it your way.� When next time comes, this compromise may be long
forgotten.
An example of compromise. Joe and Sally are arguing over a character's dress color,
which both agree should represent her personality. Unfortunately, Joe and Sally can't
agree on the character's personality. Joe wants red to emphasize her seductiveness,
but Sally wants to avoid depicting her that way. Sally wants black to emphasize her
air of mystery, but Joe doesn't find the character is all that mysterious. While they do
need to discuss the character more fully, they are pressed for time, and they would
not be able to change much of the story if they revamp the character at this point.