Writing in a Team - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 77

don't want to be making the big presentation when the company head points
out the fundamental flaws in your story or character. That said, as you ask for
feedback, give the caveat that you are simply trying to get people's impressions.
If you don't take people's feedback, they may feel cheated or ignored unless you
warn them in advance. These people may then be less inclined to help or give
you feedback in the future. If someone felt particularly strongly about an issue,
explain to the best of your ability why you have chosen the route you are on
without discounting their ideas.

3. Give as much as you receive. While you may own a project, a team member
may own another section. You will probably want help from them to complete
your project, so make sure to offer help on other team members' projects. You
want to avoid a situation where everyone is slammed with work because no
one took the time to help each other in earlier stages. Worse still, you don't
want to be the only teammember who can't finish your project because no one
will help you.

4. Don't forget consensus and compromise. Just because you have ownership of
your project doesn't mean you can't use these other tools. Bolstering your
position to the higher-ups with the comment, “We all agreed,� can smooth
the rough patches.

For an example of ownership, see Section 8.9, especially the case study from
BioWare. Instances when the ownership model works best include the following.

•

When time is short.

•

When a lot of work needs to be done, and working on it concurrently makes
sense.

•

When most of the key issues have already been decided.

• When you need clear accountability.

•

When you have high ego concerns on your team.

•

When team members prefer to work alone.

Drawbacks. The biggest drawback of ownership comes from the term itself. “Own-
ership� is misleading, because it implies that you have final say, when that is often far
from the case. When word comes down from on high or from another department
that a change needs to be made, the “owner� may feel marginalized, frustrated, and
stifled. On top of that, these required changes may occur more frequently, because a
writer with ownership may not be soliciting, receiving, or accepting the peer feedback
he or she needs.
An ownership system may also foster a tragedy of the commons. Teamwork best
done as a group may fall by the wayside or may be done with less care while team