Dev Deep Dive: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
[h3]In our last Dev Deep Dive, we looked at the tricky balance between player freedom and technical performance in Modulus. If you missed it, go check that out first, it’s full of behind-the-scenes stories about how we keep factories running smoothly, even when players push the game to extremes.[/h3][h3]This time, we’re exploring another challenge: how a small team blends art, audio, and design into one seamless experience.[/h3][h3]Jarvs (Head of Comms): Let’s kick this off:
How do you make sure art, audio, and gameplay all work together? [/h3][p]That’s a lot of moving pieces.[/p][p]Oliver (Senior Engineer): Lots of back and forth.[/p][p]David (Game Director): Exactly. Being a small team helps. Communication between disciplines is fast. For one feature I’m working on, I’ve got a chat with Antoine on art, another with Oliver on programming, and I’m handling design. That iteration loop is super quick.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director): Our task management system is a big help too. Everyone knows what needs doing each sprint \[sprints are two-week timed action plans], and when assets will be ready. That way programming can be timed with art deliveries.[/p][p]Jarvs: And none of the meetings feel like filler. Everyone shares progress in Slack too; animations, bug clips, sound tests, everything. [/p][p][/p][p]![]()
[/p][p]It's so cool to get a window into what everybody else is doing. Not only is it interesting from a learning point of view, but it makes you really proud of the people you're working with, because you’re always seeing how cool what they're doing is. Plus it makes you excited for when it's all implemented. We learn a lot from each other because of that as well. It's something really special about Happy Volcano, our Slack is a goldmine.[/p][p]Right, moving on:[/p][h3]Has one team’s idea ever forced a major change in another’s work?[/h3][p]Mick: All the time. Sometimes it’s as simple as, “No, that’s not possible,” which already shapes design. But the best is when a system proves flexible enough to use elsewhere. Our event-based onboarding system, for example, can also power Creative Mode. That’s the kind of enabling back-and-forth that makes things better.[/p][p]Oliver: Audio is a good example too. Our sound designer \[Almut Schwacke] didn’t know every technical detail, so we brainstormed together. Operators, for instance, don’t run on their own timers but are synced under the hood. That made audio cues tricky, so we worked out new solutions together.[/p][p]Jarvs: And what about the really big reworks; the kind where one change ripples through the whole pipeline?[/p][p][/p][p]![]()
[/p][p]Oliver: The islands. Originally we didn’t even have them, just set levels. Switching to editable islands meant a lot of redesign between art and programming, plus making sure saves didn’t break. It was a huge back-and-forth.[/p][p]Antoine: Buildings too. Each building goes through a long pipeline: modules, numbers, polish, props, export, import. At one point David realised the ratios weren’t right and asked for a redo. Painful, but necessary.\[Check out the Art of Modulus Deep Dive series for more on how the buildings are designed][/p][p]David: And it wasn’t just tweaking. If Antoine has 100 modules instead of 150, that’s rebuilding from scratch. Over time we refined the pipeline to test ratios in-game first, so we don’t lose weeks of work.[/p][p]Mick: If I remember correctly, in the early version, like really early, post prototype, it was the player's job to assemble the building. You would feed them modules and then there was a diorama or something that you had to click on to put them in place. I remember this, but never saw it in full action. I think it was just small buildings. [/p][p]So maybe Antoine, at some point we can outsource this to the player and you can stop having to redesign, and then players can just make one long string of shapes that goes into the sky. You know, that'd be awesome \[laughs].[/p][p]Antoine: I love the idea, but I’m also terrified by it.[/p][p]Jarvs: That idea of releasing control of the designs?[/p][p]Antoine: Yeah, exactly.[/p][p]Oliver: Still, Creative Mode really is the perfect place for players to design their own buildings from scratch. That freedom feels right.[/p][p]David: Who knows, maybe one day Creative Mode brings that back.[/p][p][/p][p]![]()
[/p][p]Every feature in Modulus is the result of cross-discipline compromise, a negotiation between what’s fun, what looks great, and what works under the hood. The team’s ability to iterate quickly is what keeps the game evolving without losing its vision.[/p][p]In the next part of our Dev Deep Dive, we’ll look at the impact of playtesting, the moments when player feedback changed everything. [/p][p]Don’t forget to wishlist the game, and give it a follow whilst you're there. Every follow the game gets, helps Steam recognise that people are excited for Modulus! It also means that you will be notified when we drop the next part of this series.[/p][p][/p][p]Catch you soon Module Makers.[/p]
How do you make sure art, audio, and gameplay all work together? [/h3][p]That’s a lot of moving pieces.[/p][p]Oliver (Senior Engineer): Lots of back and forth.[/p][p]David (Game Director): Exactly. Being a small team helps. Communication between disciplines is fast. For one feature I’m working on, I’ve got a chat with Antoine on art, another with Oliver on programming, and I’m handling design. That iteration loop is super quick.[/p][p]Antoine (Art Director): Our task management system is a big help too. Everyone knows what needs doing each sprint \[sprints are two-week timed action plans], and when assets will be ready. That way programming can be timed with art deliveries.[/p][p]Jarvs: And none of the meetings feel like filler. Everyone shares progress in Slack too; animations, bug clips, sound tests, everything. [/p][p][/p][p]
- [p]Team Happy Volcano. [/p]