NUS Games Development Group

From your friendly neighbourhood staff advisor…

In every organisation, there are certain qualities required from its’ leaders if the organisation is to grow and thrive. At the core of the leadership team, there are three roles that need to be filled. The titles of these positions may change, but the functions that they serve are vital to the continued existence and growth of the organisation. To put it in MMO gaming terms, these three roles can be described as the Tank, the Wizard, and the Healer.

The Tank’s function is to handle the small problems and threats to the group’s existence that may crop up from time to time and distract them from pursuing their main target. He or she has to make the necessary sacrifice to put himself/herself in the path of these problems, and take care of them so that the rest of the group members can pursue the main goal of the group. Tanks are often unappreciated, and very likely to get weary of the incessant demands of the hundred little sharks biting at them, but without the Tanks, the group as a whole would either not survive or not be able to fulfill its’ mission. Tanks are vital to the existence of the group. In corporate terms, Tanks fulfil the function of Administration – taking care of all the paperwork, the little things that crop up when dealing with external parties, all the things behind-the-scenes that nobody else cares about or appreciates… because they feel the responsibility to do so. They’re usually the most responsible and reliable of the leadership team. When nobody else is willing or able to do the dirty work, that’s when the Tank has to step up to the plate.

The Wizard’s function is to organise all available resources and channel them into fulfilling the mission of the team. Just as wizards are usually the strongest damage-dealers and most effective crowd-controllers in an MMO, the purpose of the Wizard in the organisation is to figure out How to Get The Job Done, and Then Do It. In the specific case of the GDG, the leader who is playing the role of the wizard is the one who organises the members to work on and finish the game development projects that they undertake. He/she is the lead producer of the entire organisation. What the Wizard most contributes to the group is planning and drive. He or she has the skills to organise complex flows of resources, and the motivation to lead/drive others to complete the projects. Without a Wizard, the group may exist, but it won’t be very successful and will usually fail at its’ primary purpose for existence. In corporate terms, the Wizard would be in charge of Operations.

The Healer’s function is to maintain the health and energy of the group, and to make sure there are sufficient people left in the group to finish the job. In other words, the Healer takes care of the Human Resources of the group. Just like HR, the purpose of the Healer is to watch over the individual members of the organisation – to make sure that their welfare and morale needs are met, so that they stay on with the group and can finish the job without getting run down by the Wizard’s demands. Oftentimes, this may also include recruitment of new members into the group and expansion of the labour pool. Above all, the purpose of the Healer is to keep things fun, exciting, and enjoyable so that members remain interested and keep coming back for more, while bringing their friends. Without someone fulfilling the role of a Healer, members may become discouraged, drifting away due to lack of support, encouragement or motivation. The Healer brings the personal touch and the fun to the group, so that they can continue to retain old members and include new ones.

The Tank, the Wizard, the Healer. Without these three roles, as any MMO player would attest, a party would be sadly out of balance and very likely to not succeed. Without Administration, Operations and Human Resources, an organisation would be hard-pressed to survive. In order to a group like the GDG to exist and grow, every year, we must find people who have the right personality and skill set to take up leadership in one of these three roles. The actual titles are irrelevant. Without all these three functions being exercised fully, GDG would likely remain stagnant (or worse). But if the right personalities step up to join the leaders and learn how to perform their roles well, GDG has one of the keys to success and growth.

Which one are you? Will you hear the call?