LogInPathea Games' producer Lanka has told us about the organization of working processes at the company, spoke about the team's approach to hiring new specialists, and shared how the team manages burnout.
Introduction
Hello all, my name is Lanka, the producer of Let's School, and we're part of the indie game team of Pathea Games. I majored in arts at university and later joined Pathea Games in 2006 as an Art Concept Designer. However, to make my games, I have learned all aspects of game development during my career, including programming.
Let's School strongly attracted some people who love simulation games after I made a demo on my own, so we managed to build a small team of 9 people with the help of Pathea Games. Some have been already involved in other game titles and have rich experience and passion for indie game development.
Pathea Games
Pathea Games studio is a paradise for people passionate about games and game development. As I mentioned before, I joined Pathea Games as an Art Concept Designer, but now, I am a producer working on my own game. Pathea Games holds a game idea competition once a year, and the winner gets to set up their own indie game team.
Any employee who has problems or questions can consult colleagues from other teams at any time since we all sit next to each other. We can also ask for help on our internal forums, but for the most part, our teams have a high level of autonomy and are able to work independently.
Hiring a New Specialist
Creativity and learning ability are skills that we are currently looking out for. Our team is small, we need a specialist to master many cross-disciplinary skills, and we need to be good at learning new knowledge as the tools and workflows of making games constantly update. Meanwhile, each member has the right to come up with new ideas for our game, similar to many other indie game studios.
Working with Beginners
To join Pathea Games, individuals should have some basic skills, programming or design for example. Experienced developers may also offer guidance to those new or inexperienced in the company. Pathea Games organizes learning sessions every one or two weeks that are open to all employees.
Each team within the company has its own consensus. Our team, comprised of passionate players who love simulation games, has decided to work together to create a simulation management game. New team members can gain more experience and become more in line with the team's consensus through practice.
Managing Burnout
As for our Let's School team, overtime work is rare. If we need employees to work overtime, we will pay overtime wages and provide dinner for them.
Of course, our team will face emergencies together, so the most important thing is that we all understand what we are facing, why we need to work overtime, and the consequences.
Creative Freedom
As mentioned earlier, I used to work as an Art Concept Designer. Now, I am a producer and our team's motto is that "everyone can make whatever game they want." However, this is only possible if the person responsible for creating the concept art has completed their job and the majority of the team accepts the proposal.
Pathea Games' Approach to Education
Although we are a company, we also function like a school in that we offer regular training sessions to our employees. These sessions allow our employees to make the games they want, whether they prefer to stay in their comfort zone or try something new.
Everyone has the right to promote themselves or not, as long as they can complete their work on time. Instead of trying to educate someone, we provide everyone with the means and opportunities to learn new skills or improve upon their current skills.
Tips for Artists
It is important to clearly understand the overall goal or purpose of the project in order to create it effectively. The design of anything needs a unified and clear direction to succeed. As you can see, Let's School's art style is low poly, so we need to focus on this style. If artists can learn more about animation, comics, and game (ACG) culture, it will be easier for them to understand what they should create for Let's School.