110728 Consolidated Work Plan, Science Fair Props, Etc.

From DoctorWhen

34 Weeks to go!

Allen, David, Dwight, Erik, Melissa, Sean, & Wei-Hwa met.


STATUS REPORTS

David, Rigel, and Wei-Hwa have the new www.doctorwhen.com teaser site live!

Erik reported that he and Sarah Kling are making some progress on finding a second location. They're still focused on finding a school. However, we are also considering hosting all the high school scenes at the Highlands Rec Center, which means that the second location would be for the laboratories. If we go that route, the second location does not have to be a school.

Melissa combed through the script and made a master list of all the props we will need.

  • Allen will review/revise, and then post as a Google document for us all to have access to.


HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW REVIEW WORKING SESSION

Erik had previously recommended that a small group of us have a working session to comb through the script, work plan, etc. and make sure there are no major tasks, plot holes, etc. that we are overlooking. Allen, Erik, David, and Wei-Hwa volunteered.

  • Allen will coordinate among the four and arrange a time. (But it won't be for at least 2 weeks since some are going out of town.)


CONSOLIDATED WORK PLAN

Allen presented a consolidated work plan covering what we'll try to accomplish by when in each of the functional areas. The plan shows that as complex as our game is, if we keep up the slow and steady constant work pace specified, we *can* get it all done.

Everyone should have access to it as the Google doc, "Doctor When Combined Due Dates." Everyone is encouraged to review it so that they see the big picture of how we're going to get it all done.

One schedule item of note is that we have to get 15 additional puzzles/activities for the game. (These will mainly be non-plot critical puzzles and so have a lot of freedom.) So we're attempting to initiate one a week for the next 15 weeks. All the puzzle authors are encouraged to email our puzzle time lord, Sean, and get things going. (But be patient since he's going to Italy for three weeks and may have intermittent internet connection.)

Allen and Erik kicked off the puzzle push by signing up to create an optional puzzled based on sheet music.

  • Sean to get required info about Password 1 (Choose Your Own Adventure) to David
  • Dwight will revise Core Dump 1


SCIENCE FAIR PROPS

We still don't have any expert signed up to create the two science fair exhibits. This is a particularly keen problem since they are needed in the video shoots (this Fall).

Allen proposed re-writing the script to center around some other traumatic incident (besides sliming)...something that is in the skill set of the current team.

However, the others felt that the Diet Coke/Mentos/Science Fair theme was so integral to what we've made so far (and so fun!) that they wanted to keep it.

  • David and Wei-Hwa will both reach out to some of their contacts to see if they can recruit someone
  • If we find someone who is qualified, but doesn't want to volunteer, it was agreed that this is the one labor area that we would be willing to pay an "honorarium" for
  • If all that fails, Sean committed to overseeing the design and creation of a simpler implementation of such of a device


PLAYTESTING

We playtested two puzzles of Eric Lindstrom's: wormhole and Feynman diagram.


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As always, respond with your comments, clarifications, corrections, amplifications, etc.

Allen