As the world of game development slowly left the realm of garages and basements, and became a progressively larger and more sophisticated industry, a host of interesting new team roles have appeared. One of the most vital roles for any team is that of the technical director, who must oversee decisions made by engineering, filter ideas from design for feasibility, and interact with higher-level managers to keep them abreast of the project's situation. This year, a group of technical directors convened at a dedicated roundtable session to swap tricks and advice, and discuss the nature and challenges of the technical director role.
Highlights of the Roundtable
Tech directors are effectively mediators between various groups of people on the team
Extroversion is a de facto requirement; interacting with a diverse range of colleagues requires superb interpersonal skills
Thick skin is also crucial, since the tech director will face criticism and complaints from multiple fronts
An understanding of both the business and technical aspects of game development is mandatory
There are times when a tech director needs to make a tough decision that furthers the studio at the expense of cool technology
In a nutshell, the goal of the director's position is to synthesize a practical work plan from the technical, design, and aesthetic visions of the project
Directors must have a solid reputation for technical competency in order to be taken seriously by the engineers
Develop and maintain a high-level overview of the project's status, and re-evaluate it often. This overview is central to ensuring that the project stays on track
Engineers may "suffer in silence" with certain issues of code quality, process, etc.; draw them out and learn what problems they face, then work to fix those issues
Directors face a difficult balance: providing guidance and advice without micromanaging
An oft-overlooked job function is ensuring that senior staff has a career path to follow; this might mean creation of certain positions within the team, or even grooming a developer to take over the technical director position
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