DayZ: Sur vi v i ng SuccessChr i s Tor chi aAssoci at e Ar t Di r ect or Bohemi a I nt er act i ve St udi os

Out l i ne The backgr ound The success The ar t goal s The chal l enges The sol ut i ons The concl usi on Q&A

DayZ Background

Modi f i cat i on of Ar ma2 by Dean Hal l Mul t i pl ayer onl y, open- wor l d sur vi val ant i - game

per madeat h no dr i v i ng nar r at i ve no i nt er f er ence wi t h pl ayer ’ s chosen pl ayst yl e

I ni t i al l y concei ved as a way of t r ai ni ng sol di er s on an emot i onal l evel

Lat er added ‘ zombi es’

DayZ History According to Me

DayZ History According to Me

Fr om Ar ma2 t o VBS2 t o Ar ma3 t o DayZ ( 2nd hal f 2012) … Oh gr eat . . . anot her zombi e mod

Until I was Infected

DayZ mod’ s Recept i on DayZ had one or t wo ser ver s at ear l y st ages CHKi l r oy “ The Days Ahead” on Apr i l 10t h, 2012 Apr i l 2012 - back on t he char t s Twi t ch/ Yout ube/ Reddi t / 4Chan/ NeoGAF Lot s of medi a at t ent i on Li f el i ne f or BI S

Ar ma3 devel opment mor e compl i cat ed t han expect ed 4 year s bet ween A2 and A3, moder at e success f r om ot her t i t l es Key per sonnel ar r est ed 9/ 2012 Tot al r eor g of t he pr oj ect mgt and cr eat i ve di r ect i on

A2 was 3 yr s ol d300k A2 copi es sol d/ 330k

uni que user s af t er 2 mont hs

1 mi l l i on+ uni que pl ayer s af t er 4 mont hs

Br i an Hi cks/ Sur vi vor GameZ I - 6mo l at er

Obvi ous commer ci al pot ent i al

Por t f ol i o di ver si f i cat i on

Apr i l 29t h 2012

Keys t o Success

Moddabi l i t y of Ar maGi ve pl ayer s t ool s, not i nst r uct i onsCont ent cr eat or s

DayZ Mod ver y buggy scr i pt - hacked

t oget her ver y vul ner abl e t o

cheat er s dat ed/ unopt i mi zed

ar t / non- ent er abl e bui l di ngs

opt i mi ze code move f unct i ons t o engi ne ant i - cheat f eat ur es massi ve ar t over haul t o

sui t t he new i nt ended pur pose

DayZ St and- al one

What wer e t he def i ned ar t goal s? Cher nar us was bi g ( 180km2)

~800k obj ect s Cher nar us + was t o be bi gger ( 220km2)

1. 6m and gr owi ng Cat er i ng t o a new set t i ng

“ post - apoc” ent er abl e bui l di ngs f i l l ed wi t h l oot ( c l ot hes, weapons, f ood, wat er , equi pment )

Exceed qual i t y ar t wor k pr oduced i n t he st udi o pr evi ousl y vast amount s of ar t t o be r epl aced gener al r ul e AGAI NST r eusi ng ar t f r om pr evi ous pr oj ect s

Man year s wor t h of wor k

Avai l abl e Resour ces 1 i nt er nal , 1 ext er nal envi r onment desi gner s I nt er nal Team of ~5 ar t i st s

3 envi r onment 1 char act er ar t i st s ( base char act er s, zombi es) 1 gener al i st

Out sour ced t o Vi gi l ant e Desi gn Pl ayabl e cont ent desi gn ( char act er c l ot hi ng, l oot , weapons) Coor di nat ed 5 f r eel ance ar t i st s

Ever yone r epor t ed t o Dean… E3 2013 Ar t Lead by November 2013 Cr unch! !

DayZ ( bar ebones) Dec. 2013172k copi es i n 24hr s400k sol d i n 1 week1m i n 4 weeksCur r ent l y 3. 2m+

Shot s Fi r ed!" . . . . we' r e j ust bl own away wi t h t he success of i t , " Hal l t ol d Pol ygon i n an emai l t oday. " We obvi ousl y knew t hat t her e was st r ong i nt er est i n t he concept , but wer en' t sur e whet her t hat i nt er est was j ust ‘ hype' or whet her i t woul d act ual l y t r ansl at e i nt o r eal sal es. I r emember when we f i nal l y pushed t he but t on, I had t hi s moment of pani c when I wonder ed i f many peopl e woul d r eal l y buy i t . "

Pi t cher , Jenna ( 14 Januar y 2014) . " DayZ r eaches 1M i n sal es, ' shot s f i r ed' agai nst t r adi t i onal publ i shi ng model " . Pol ygon.

Keys t o Success

A smal l , ver y exper i enced, hi ghl y mot i vat ed t eam.Capabl e of wor ki ng wi t hout much management and wi t hout

document at i on.Abl e t o easi l y adapt t o changes.

Just Get t i ng St ar t ed The success br ought i t s own pr obl ems Dr eams got bi gger Request ed cont ent expanded massi vel y

Mor e base char act er s t o choose f r om l oads of new zombi es dozens of f ul l y- cust omi zabl e guns ( at t achment s, accessor i es, col or s) ever y bui l di ng ent er abl e advanced vehi cl es ani mal s t o hunt et c…

St ar t ed hi r i ng t o meet demand

The Ar t Team Ear l y 2014

Management was pr et t y smar t about t hi s.Vi gi l ant e Desi gn ( 2013) = me + al l of my exper i enced

ar t i st s hi r ed one of t hem i nt er nal l y pr ovi ded t he capaci t y t o of f l oad wor k on backl og i t ems

Mar ch 2014 - Cal dr on - Br at i s l ava, Sl ovaki a ~25 devel oper s j oi ned DayZ ~10 ar t i st s

June 2014 - Bl ack El ement Sof t war e - Pat t aya, Thai l and 12 ar t i st s ( spl i t t i me bet ween A3, DayZ)

Buy or Bui l d a Busi ness? Bot h! ?

The Ar t Team Ear l y 2014 Par t i c i pat ed qui t e a

l ot i n desi gn Had publ i c- f aci ng

dut i es Was r esponsi bl e f or

bot h pr oduct i on and ar t i st i c di r ect i on

The Ar t Team Lat e 2014 Conf usi on about

dut i es ( many hat s wer e wor n)

desi gn PR pr oduct i on

No document ed pr ocess

Had i nadequat e t ool s

Per sonal l y Ar t Di r ect i ng al l wor k

Gener al l y, t oo much r esponsi bi l i t y .

Mi st akes wer e made. . .

Absol ut el y not pr epar ed t o i nt egr at e t hat much manpowerNeed t o be f l exi bl e t o adapt t o changes, not f i ght t hemVi r t ual l y no r el evant document at i on f or desi gn, pr ocesses,

t ool s or pi pel i nesDi f f i cul t i es wi t h maki ng peopl e f eel par t of t he t eam when

you r ar el y i nt er act

A t al e of t wo Pr obl emsHow do you si mul t aneousl y: 1. ~2x t he si ze of your t eam AND2. Out sour ci ng t o a br and- new t eam of ar t i st s wi t hout

f unct i oni ng t ool s or document at i on?

The Odd Coupl e Dean was t r ansi t i oni ng away as pr oj ect l ead Davi d Dur čák began t o r eor g Sept ember 2014

I nt r oduced me t o Lubos Lednar Lubos was named Ar t Di r ect or ( Ar t Pr oducer ) I was pr omot ed t o Associ at e Ar t Di r ect or ( Ar t

Di r ect or ) Davi d al so st ar t ed r unni ng mont hl y l eads

meet i ngs bet ween Br at i s l ava and Pr ague Had a gr eat wor ki ng r el at i onshi p ear l y on

Qui ckl y began di v i di ng dut i es Wor ki ng on document at i on

The Ar t Team Lat e 2014 Conf usi on about

dut i es ( many hat s wer e wor n)

desi gn PR pr oduct i on

No document ed pr ocess

Had i nadequat e t ool s

Per sonal l y Ar t Di r ect i ng al l wor k

Gener al l y, t oo much r esponsi bi l i t y .

The Ar t Team Ear l y 2015

Cl ar i f i ed r ol es and r esponsi bi l i t i esDocument at i onOf f l oaded ar t pr oduct i on t o LubosAl l owed me t o concent r at e on ar t i st i c di r ect i on, desi gni ng wi t h Pet er , PR

Sol ut i on

The Ar t Team Ear l y 2015

Out sour ci ng 101 Out sour ci ng can be gr eat i f i t s done r i ght .

al l ows mor e cont ent t o be cr eat ed mor e t i me f or key f eat ur es and pol i sh l ess cr unch i sn’ t cheap, but can hel p save money i n t he l ong t er m

Can be a ni ght mar e i f i t i s not car ef ul l y pl anned Tr ai ni ng i n- house i s har d

Embr aci ng t he Suck

Bl ack El ement 2013 oper at i onal by spr i ng 2014 - Ar ma3

Ar ma3 had good document at i on r ecei ved most l y t echni cal t r ai ni ng

Ar ma3 and DayZ have di f f er ent ar t i st i c st y l es, r equi r ement s, and pi pel i nes

wor ki ng on DayZ by summer 2014 DayZ document at i on f ol k l or e ar t i st s woul d need ar t i st i c di r ect i on AND t echni cal t r ai ni ng shi f t i ng f ocus t o Thai l and meant i gnor i ng Br at i s l ava

No Pl an Sur vi ves Cont act . . .Two weeks of hands- on ar t i st i c di r ect i on compl et eRemot e management of Thai l and was ver y t i me consumi ngOf t en much sl ower t han est i mat es

t i mezone my i t er at i ons l anguage bar r i er shar i ng wi t h Ar ma3

Li mi t ed i n what t ypes of asset s coul d be t asked new ki nds of asset s r equi r es new t r ai ni ng

Became pai nf ul l y obvi ous, i t coul dn’ t be me doi ng i t

Thai - Lor d Vespa That s act ual l y what t hey cal l hi m i n Thai l and He was i nst r ument al i n my own ar t i st i c devel opment Tr ai ned and suppor t ed t he t eam i n Br at i s l ava Wasn’ t af r ai d t o go t o Thai l and

Thai - Lor d Vespa

Thai - Lor d Vespa Hel ped wi t h document at i on Di r ect suppor t of t he t eam On- si t e t r ai ni ng Rel at i onshi p bui l di ng

Out sour ci ng 101

Fi r st st eps

Def i ne needs: do you need t o expl or e or qui ckl y pr oduce?

Assess r i sks, t hi nk of measur es t hat can pr event bad t hi ngs,

buf f er gener ousl y as mi st akes WI LL happen

St ar t wi t h somet hi ng smal l and easy t o cont r ol , unt i l you

f eel synced wi t h t he out sour cer

Out sour ci ng 101

Al l ocat e dedi cat ed st af f

Don' t r el y on on t hem gr abbi ng t he br i ef i ng and del i ver i ng

per f ect asset s. Never happens.

Out sour cer s NEED suppor t , communi cat i on and gui dance.

Pr ovi di ng t hose i s t i me- consumi ng and r equi r es dedi cat ed

st af f .Common set - up:

Good t o have one poi nt of cont act on each end

Pr oceed t hr ough t he ar t i n a st ep- wi se f ashi on wi t h checkpoi nt s f or each

t ask.

Out sour ci ng 101

Pr epar e br i ef i ng

Per haps t he most i mpor t ant st ep t o avoi d wast ed i t er at i ons

Document ever yt hi ng needed as i f t he r eader was a new

i nt er nal hi r e f or j uni or posi t i on.

Document EVERYTHI NG ( pr ocess, t ool s, expect at i ons,

sampl es, st y l e gui des…) Def i ne si gn- of f st ages and what cr i t er i a t hey wi l l be appr oved upon. I deal l y pr ovi de a sampl e per st age.

Out sour ci ng 101

Pl anni ng

Buf f er bi g ( e. g. 2x mor e t i me t han an i nt er nal devel oper

woul d need) . The f ur t her f r om your t i mezone i s t he par t ner , t he mor e t i me he wi l l need

t o compl et e t he asset .

Pr epar e br i ef i ng f or asset bat ches ahead of t i me. They al l ow seaml ess wor k f or out sour cer s wai t i ng r evi ews

The i ni t i al pl an can and shoul d be i mpr oved on. Lear n and

adapt .

Ti me t o Thai i t of f . . .

St ar t smal l and expand f r om t her eBuf f er . . . mi st akes wi l l happenHave dedi cat ed st af fPr epar e det ai l ed desi gn br i ef s ahead of t i meDO vi s i t s and on- si t e t r ai ni ng

Quest i ons?

Chris Torchia

Twitter: @ctorchia