DM3108 - Negotiated Game Placement:

Project Brief & Role

'Slackers is a chaotic multiplayer game where the players assume the role of undercover aliens infiltrating various human workplaces via a fake temp agency. Their objective? To destabilize the workforce sector through ridiculous inefficient sabotage.’

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As 3rd Years, we were tasked with securing an industry-relevant placement to fulfil the work experience component of the course. This placement required a minimum of 80 hours logged on InPlace to be recognised by the university. Initially I had successfully arranged a placement as an Art Intern with the independent game studio AppleBomb Games. This opportunity aligned closely with career goals as it provided direct exposure to professional production pipelines and proper version control and a credit on a game by the time of graduation. However, they did not possess the proper insurance required by the university to log the experience on InPlace. As a result a placement could not be formally approved. 

 

While this was a setback, not all hope was lost. The alternate opportunity of a client project was presented, equivalent to a placement in terms of University credits. This client project was Slackers, provided by RaRa Games. Despite being primarily structured as a group project for second–year students, the option was to participate independently with a specific area of development. This provided a unique level of autonomy compared to a typical internship, allowing for a self determined scope and independent creative decisions. Despite not resulting in a game credit, this still provides a valuable experience and opportunity to advance the skillset into unfamiliar areas.

 

For this project, it was decided that the production of a modular set of 3D props would be developed that could be used to construct an office-based environment. This decision was informed by a desire to develop skills regarding 3D modelling inanimate objects as well as improve texturing and optimisation. This desire originated from a previous focus on a character based skillset (modelling, rigging and skinning), this caused prop-focused design ability to atrophy slightly. From a production standpoint, the props are highly reusable and applicable to many modern environments and different game genres.

 

Additionally, a multitude of props contributes to the level of chaos possible for the player to create. In a physics based multiplayer experience, the ability to grab, move and throw objects allows chaos to emerge naturally, rather than being in scripted events. The greater the variety of props, the more opportunities for the player to experiment with their surroundings, leading to more unpredictable and humorous outcomes. Reinforcing the game’s identity as a system-driven experience rather than a linear one. Additionally, certain props can have specific use cases, resulting in unique interactions depending on the object. The more chaotic the interaction the more points – or whatever constitutes player progression – are rewarded. 

 

Client communication was conducted through a combination of both in-person meetings and online via Discord and email. The majority of communication regarding the project was during the preproduction stage. This included discussions surrounding deliverables, stylistic direction, and overall scope. Due to the independent nature of the project, software dedicated to version control such as Git or P4 were unnecessary as assets were not required to be shared until the final package of deliverables. Previous versions of the project were stored and backed-up locally, this was paired with incremental saves that would prevent losses from permanent changes as an older backup would be available

 

This report will provide an overview of the different stages of development. Beginning with preproduction in which the creative vision, art-style, time management methodology, and deliverables were decided. Then production where assets were created, reasoning behind creative decisions, information on polycount and LODs, and the construction of an example scene. 

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Sustainable Development

An increasingly important point of interest within the current game development industry is the use of generative AI. Whilst it can be a useful tool in streamlining development through rapid prototyping and content generation, it has an incredibly adverse effect on the planet (Zewe, 2025). Training and running AI models requires a significant amount of energy, contributing to carbon emissions and consuming resources far beyond what our planet can provide. 

 

This issue closely aligns closely to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production (The Global Goals, 2012), which advocates for the efficient use of resources and the reduction of waste. Although SDG 12 is mainly in relation to physical manufacturing, its principles are also applicable to digital production. In the context of game development, excessive computation, redundant geometry and inefficient workflows contribute to unnecessary energy use. 

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In response to these concerns, a deliberate decision was made to prohibit the use of AI tools at any stage of this project. This policy also ensures that all assets were created manually, prioritising intentional design and making all products the sole work of the designer. Additionally a strong emphasis on optimised and effective topology and proper utilization of LODs was prioritised to combat computational concerns and improve the player experience by ensuring smoother performance across a range of potential platforms.

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01 Preproduction

Creative Vision

The first stage of preproduction was focused on establishing a clear and flexible creative vision for the project. This involved identifying a workspace environment that would be immediately recognisable to the players while offering a broad range of interactive and comedic possibilities. Potential settings ranged from zoos, to funeral homes, to theaters. These were ultimately discarded in favour of an office environment. Offices are one of the most universally understood workplaces, making it ideal to be an initial level of the game and holds great potential for environmental storytelling and various alien-based hijinks.

 

In contrast, an alternative environment such as a Zoo would have lots of opportunities for large-scale shenanigans, such as leaving the door to the lion enclosure open, increasing the heat to the penguin exhibit (potentially turning the enclosure into a beach for the birds to sunbathe), releasing a Jurassic Park style dinosaur to torment the guests. These sort of interactions better suit a late stage level, compared to the simplicity of an office. 

 

From a production perspective, offices also contain a dense variety of equipment, furniture, and stationary, making them well suited to a prop-focused 3D modeling project. This abundance allows for boundless opportunities when determining what to produce. Additionally, an office environment is usually a dull boring place, this will contrast greatly with the player driven chaos. However, there is a possibility that an office would be too boring. The uneventful nature of a bland environment such as an office could negatively impact the player experience if it is not paired with fun and engaging mechanics. 

 

Due to the nature of the project and the freedom it provides, especially compared to the original internship that had a rigid art-style and direction, it was decided that production should follow a similar design philosophy to designing commercial 3D asset packs. This is due to how an artist does not know the developer’s specific technical requirements or gameplay style in advance. As a result a careful balance between creativity and generality was required. Each asset needed enough personality to contribute to the game’s chaotic tone, whilst remaining neutral and flexible enough to apply to multiple scenarios.

 

Art Style

The game’s art style would inform all of the design decisions. This is why a specific creative vision had to be determined in preproduction before modelling started. The game's premise leans towards a stylised, slightly cartoony aesthetic compared to strict realism. Stylisation also allows for lower overall polycounts without appearing unfinished, supporting goals regarding performance optimisation and responsible digital production. In terms of stylisation, two games stand out that this project drew inspiration from. 

 

First was Human Fall Flat (2016), a puzzle-platform game that has an emphasis on chaotic physics and strong interactions with environments. This game opted for simple, flat textures that are usually a single colour. Characters also move in strange, ragdoll-like movements reminiscent of an alien pretending to be human.

 

Secondly was Octodad: Dadliest Catch (2014), an adventure game about destruction and deception. In this game an octopus masquerading as a man goes around town completing tasks and causing chaos, all without raising the suspicions of his human family. This obviously shares a theme of deception with slackers, with a more detailed art direction than Human Fall Flat. 

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Deliverables

During preproduction, a comprehensive list of 34 potential props were initially compiled. This longlist allowed for broad ideation without immediate constraint, from this, a shortlist of 20 Deliverables was finished:

 

1. Cubicles

2. Computer monitor

3. Computer Tower

4. Keyboard

5. Desk

6. Chair

7. Filing Cabinet

8. Mug

9. Lamp

10. Box

11. Bin

12. Pencil Pot

13. Phone

14. Posters

15. Potted Plants

16. Cactus

17. Stapler

18. Water cooler 

19. Whiteboard

20. Paper Ball

 

The reduction from 34 to 20 assets was a deliberate decision to limit scope. In game development there is often the issue of scope creep (Sánchez, 2025), by clearly defining the project scope and setting key development milestones to prevent workload increasing beyond what was possible ensuring deadlines were met. Each selected prop met a certain criteria: recognisability within an office environment, potential for environmental storytelling and humour, and suitability for reuse. This filtering process ensured that time was only investing in making props that contributed to the final scene

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Scene

Although the project primarily focused on individual assets that could be used in production of a vertical slice of a game experience. It was important to consider and represent how these props can cohesively exist within an office scene. This helped ensure consistency between models. 

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Documentation 

The handover documentation serves as a record of the project’s key details, including objectives, deliverables and timelines. The Documentation includes a project breakdown, what was produced, information regarding poly count and file types, information about textures, and contact details for further inquiries. A good handover document prioritises clear concise language that is easy to understand. The document is paired with the FBX assets and sent over to the client on the project's completion. 

 

Time Management

Time management was approached experimentally to try and derive insights of how different development styles would impact how assets were produced. This was possible largely due to the increased level of creative control. Unlike a formal production environment with an established art director and frequent sign-offs, this project allowed for greater autonomy. As a result, modelling and texturing were separated into two distinct phases rather than completing one asset at a time.

 

All models were first blocked out and finalised before moving into a dedicated texturing phase. This method was chosen to test the hypothesis of whether batching tasks would be more efficient than a linear, asset-by-asset workflow due to preventing the cognitive impact of shifting between different tasks. In addition, a set number of clearly defined deliverables was particularly suitable for this test. 

 

This contrasts with the original placement’s workflow, where small batches of assets were requested, made, reviewed, revised, and then textured. This slowed down production due to a time zone difference. The reduction of feedback, bottlenecks and context switching should improve productivity and workflow and reduce wasted time.

Displayed below is a Gantt chart to visualise the two production phases within the confines of the 80 hour placement. 

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