what agile teams can learn from world of warcraft · alexandraschladebeck,)bredexgmbh @alex_schl)...
TRANSCRIPT
Alexandra Schladebeck, BREDEX GmbH @alex_schl
What agile teams can learn from World of Warcraft
www.eurostarconferences.com
@esconfs #esconfs
WHAT AGILE TEAMS CAN LEARN FROM WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Alexandra Schladebeck, BREDEX GmbH Eurostar 2012
Agenda
• IntroducGons and mandatory geek check • World of WarcraJ – a beginner’s guide • Parallels with agile • Differences to agile • What can we learn?
IntroducGons
• BREDEX GmbH – SoJware development and consulGng – Focus on quality – Focus on communicaGon – Increasing use of agile pracGces
and you?
Brief introducGon to WoW
• Create a character – Race – Class – Equipment – Talents – Profession – Skills
Character
Race
Skills (innate abiliGes)
Class
Equipment
Enchantments
Improvements
Talents
Skills (talent based)
Skills (class-‐based)
Profession
Skills
Pictures: ba[le.net
Alex’s Character: Blood
Elf Priest
Blood Elf
Disrupt magic, resist magic
Priest
Magic cloak
+5 intellect
Shadow form
Mind flay
Levitate, Shadow Word:
Pain
Herbalism
Lifeblood (heal)
Example character
Picture: ba[le.net
Alex
Trained linguist
A[enGon to detail
“Translator”
Training
+5 knowledge
User interacGon
ConsulGng
OrganizaGonal skills
Teaching experience
Talking to groups
Example character
Picture: ba[le.net
Go on quests • Quests – Find things – Kill things – Save things – Collect things
• Dungeons – Killing and quesGng in a group (5) – Big “bosses” to kill
• Raids – Killing and quesGng in a very large group (25)
Agile vs. WoW
SimilariAes • Roles
– Assignment & Flexibility • Team
– CreaGon – CommunicaGon – CollaboraGon – Improvement
• Task management – Granularity – EsGmaGon – Pace – Tools
Differences • Team
– Reliance on members – Dragons and portals
• “Easier”
• Task management – Dungeon guides?
Roles: Assignment Roles in WoW -‐ Healer -‐ Tank -‐ Damage Dealer
Assigned based on various factors -‐ Skills -‐ Experience -‐ Equipment
Picture: ba[le.net
Roles: Flexibility May need to help others with their role (short term) -‐ Healer disconnect? -‐ Unexpected health hit? -‐ Stunned tank?
Dual specializaGons are possible (long term) -‐ Require pracGce
Picture: ba[le.net
Teams: CreaAon Role-‐based -‐ Need specific roles -‐ Not all one role Diversity brings benefits -‐ Herbalist Hunter can heal
himself
Groups à raids -‐ Self-‐organized -‐ Smaller teams combine to
large group -‐ Each team structured same
Picture: techjunkie.co.za
Picture: pcweenie.com
Teams : CommunicaAon Quick Unambiguous Teamspeak for speed Symbols everyone understands -‐ PrioriGes for fighGng order -‐ Who should fight whom
-‐ Skull = main focus -‐ Star = Sheep (mage) -‐ Triangle = trap (hunter)
Picture: joysGq.com
Teams : CollaboraAon Can only succeed as a team Know team: -‐ Skills -‐ Members -‐ Experience Pairing, e.g. healer and tank Self-‐organizing -‐ List of tasks -‐ What order -‐ Who -‐ How
Teams : Improvement What is hard now may be easy later -‐ Experience -‐ Skills -‐ Armour -‐ New group members
Play more, win more RetrospecGves -‐ What went wrong? -‐ Ba[le log -‐ Don’t step in the green goo
Picture: joysGq.com
Picture: pcweenie.com
Tasks: Granularity Quests -‐ Back-‐story, reason -‐ InformaGon -‐ Requirements to complete
Quest sequences -‐ Overarching story -‐ Each quest separate and
individual -‐ Reward aJer each quest
Dungeon = set of separate tasks with one aim ( =sprint)
Picture: joysGq.com
Tasks : EsAmaAon Drop rate Ease Risk Amount of players needed Phases in fight are Gmeboxed How much mana is enough
Picture: wowpedia.org
Tasks : Sustainability and Pace Refresh aJer fight -‐ Eat / drink -‐ Repair equipment -‐ Recast spells Too many fights without refresh can lead to death / wipe -‐ Ideal situaGon is not
having to recover from fight
Picture: pcweenie.com
Tasks : Tools Macros -‐ AutomaGon for sequences
and combinaGons -‐ Can’t automate everything -‐ Intelligence and skill sGll
required Tools -‐ Are oJen necessary
(healbot) -‐ Must be used correctly -‐ Can’t lose focus on fight
Picture: joysGq.com
Differences… No automaGc level-‐up No automaGc new skills No dragons, portals or dungeon finders -‐ Make life (and helping) easier No reliance on specific role -‐ Damage dealers are less important
than tanks and healers -‐ Without the tank or healer à die Can’t give up completely on tasks No dungeon guides Picture: wow-‐nimbert.de
Picture: joysGq.com
Who are the WoW testers? • Healers?
– “Heal over Gme” à stop problems before they start? – “Your fault” if we have a wipe?
• Damage dealers? – Is tesGng a destrucGve acGvity? – Do we cause problems from afar?
• Tanks? – Standing at the forefront, taking the hits?
• Rogues? – Because we’re sneaky?
• Mages? – Because we do magic?
Why does the game work so well?
• Tangible, a[ainable goals • Easy to help and be helped • Instant graGficaGon – it’s fun • Because it’s not the real world – Experience points – Magic armour – AutomaGc levelling – It’s just a game
Conclusions: What can we learn for our teams? Aim WoW Agile
Make helping easier Dungeon finders Easy port in and out
Open door policy Same office Extra seats Not punished Build on bu[on press Provide test environment
Rewards for helping and iniGaGve
$ for random dungeon Booty
Thank people (also publicly) Social / team incenGves? Short feedback loops e.g. CI Biscuits
Nurture a common goal PresGge, XP, Items Pride in soJware: demos
Foster mutual trust Playing regularly as a team RetrospecGves Team problem solving ConGnual tester presence
Create shared mental models World rules Common symbols
Transparent decisions Shared language PrioriGes, order and risk easy to see
Reduce frustraGon AutomaGc improvement OpGon to abandon quest
A[ainable goals RealisGc esGmates Repair & rejuvenate Gme if necessary
Conclusions: What can my “character” learn? • Keep learning – PracGse “dual specializaGon” – Aim for improvement – Keep up with “extra-‐curricular” interests
• Gain pleasure from social incenGves and rewards
• Rely on your team – You can’t kill the boss on your own ;)
Picture: ba[le.net
