I believe we have finally gained momentum and reached something I like to call the "Well-Oiled machine" stage of Nurveil. Getting to this point was difficult and choatic. But it is true they say every creative process starts with an uphill walk, and as soon as you reach the peak, you can slide down the rest of the way smoothly (Just make sure you have some brakes on you!) 

Disclaimer I'm going to say the word machine atleast 8 times in this blog, so you can have a drinking game to it! 🍻🍻

Here is ....

Building a Well-Oiled Machine That Doesn’t Spontaneously Combust

Welcome to Another Sunnymoon’s blog! We all have heard the mentors and speakers at THU push us the artists and developers and enthusiasts to create our own thing! And tell our own original stories. My sisters and I were curious about this, so we are here to share with you how we built our well-oiled game making machine from scratch. Hopefully you'll feel encouraged to follow through as well! 
 

Let’s be real. Everyone talks about game development like it’s some magical process where ideas float from someone’s brain straight onto a screen and BAM!! players are crying over emotional cutscenes, rage quitting your boss fights, and then you get a big bag of cash.

The truth? It’s more like assembling IKEA furniture with instructions written in some ancient hidden knowledge that only the most skill of mages can read. 

But with the right pipeline? You turn that chaos into a smooth, running machine. A machine that runs itself with the right ideas and caution.

 

What Even Is a Game Dev Pipeline?

Think of it like an assembly line, but instead of making a machine, we’re crafting entire worlds, characters (And bugs.. so many bugs).

A solid pipeline keeps everyone moving consistently:

• Artists create beautiful assets without burning out.
   
• Developers implement features without flipping their laptops.
   
• Animators make things move while bearing 100 messages saying, “It’s still floating weird.”
   
• Project managers (Hello, that's me!) building up the card tower chanting “Please dont fall, please dont fall” 

 

Ingredients for a Well-Oiled Game Dev Machine:

1-Make sure your project fits your budget

It is ok to be ambitious but don’t let yourself be pulled into a vast direction out of your budget. You must know that there will be hidden costs you never accounted for along the way for you should be prepared to have about an extra 20% on top of your original budget and calculations. 

This not only ensures your game survives but it also ensures having a stable pay for your team. And don't be shy to ask for "free" volunteer work sometimes! There are some people who would love to help and be part of the process for free or for a smaller sum of money.
 

2-Have a clear process

Everyone knows what comes next. No surprises, no confusion! The plan’s laid out, the tasks are clear, and we’re not gasping over “Wait, we needed sound effects?!” moments or last minute "Optimization" drills (Curse you!). Sure, there will be fires to put out along the way, there always are! but that’s your job: to make sure the road ahead has the fewest flames possible so the team can keep moving forward without tripping over chaos.

 

3-Good Communication
We love a dramatic plot twist… in games tho! So make sure all artists, devs and animators have a space to discuss their questions with one another under your monitoring (Our team for example uses discord to do so). Another thing is to have the team’s schedules for availability overlap for questions to be answered directly without much delay. Though most our team is local, the rest are spread across the world so there is a 4-5 hour overlap with everyone being on together at once.

 

4-Tools that Actually Work
Make sure that certains programs work with others. Whether they are working blender or Maya to unity or Procreate or illustrator to spine. Make sure that the export pathway is cleared out from the beginning to avoid late surprises. The size and resolution of the files have to be pre-determined for a better outcome. So test this out before handing it all to your team for "Mass production" 

 

Everyone needs to be on the same page as to how the game needs to feel and look and act. 

 

6-Room for Panic, Followed by Problem-Solving
Game development gets messy. Bugs appear. Animations float. Someone forgets their files are named final_FINAL_final2.psd. Or maybe your programs crash.
It happens. Breathe. Find a solution. Fix. Move on.

Do NOT play the blame game with your team! Do not use passive aggressiveness or silent treatments. This isn't an over the top reality show.

If you truly think someone isn't a good fit, then you can talk it out, find other tasks for them, or find someone else more fitting for the position.

 

7-Does the Machine Ever Run Itself?

Kind of. It wont be entirely a hands off process for you but watching 2d artists handover files to 3d artists and then to animators, who then hand it over to the devs, THAT is when you know your pipeline is solid, things start flowing. Assets get reviewed, bugs get squashed, deadlines are met mostly on time, and you only question your life choices twice a week instead of daily. There is something heartwarming about falling asleep and waking up to your team doing the problem solving on their own between one another. 🥹

 

But here’s the secret: Game development is a living, breathing process. Your pipeline evolves, your tools upgrade, you and your team learn new tricks and before you know it, your machine feels less like chaos and more like… organized chaos.
And that? That’s game development at its finest! 

 

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes chaos from Sunnymoon Project.
We make games, we make mistakes, and we make sure it’s all part of the process