TLDR;
Adam's GDC talk, "Building Big Impact, One Brick at a Time: Marginal Gains in LEGO Horizon Adventures," explores the concept of marginal gains and their significant impact on game development. The presentation uses the transformation of British cycling as an example, illustrating how small, incremental improvements can lead to massive success. Adam explains how to identify and implement these gains in game development, using examples from his work on LEGO Horizon Adventures, and emphasises the importance of team empowerment and continuous improvement.
- Marginal gains are small, incremental improvements that compound over time to create significant impact.
- Identifying and implementing marginal gains can improve processes, development, and the final product.
- Empowering the team and fostering a culture of continuous improvement are crucial for successfully integrating marginal gains into the development process.
Introduction [0:10]
Adam introduces himself as a game designer with experience at Splash Damage and Studio GoBo, where he was the lead designer on LEGO Horizon Adventures. He outlines the talk's objectives, which include understanding marginal gains, seeing their results, examining examples from LEGO Horizon Adventures, and learning how to apply these learnings to future projects. The core idea is that fixing small inefficiencies can unlock massive impact over time.
British Cycling: A History of Marginal Gains [2:14]
Adam presents a history of British cycling, contrasting its poor performance from 1908 to 2003 with its subsequent success from 2003 to 2018. Before 2003, British cycling was unsuccessful, with only two Olympic gold medals and no Tour de France wins. After the appointment of Dave Brailsford as performance director in 2003, British cycling experienced a remarkable turnaround, winning multiple Olympic gold medals and Tour de France titles. This transformation was attributed to the implementation of marginal gains.
The Philosophy of Marginal Gains [4:18]
Marginal gains is defined as a philosophy where numerous small improvements accumulate to produce substantial gains. Dave Brailsford's quote highlights the concept: improving every aspect of cycling by 1% results in a significant overall increase. Examples from British cycling include obvious improvements like lighter tires and wind tunnel tests, as well as less obvious changes like bringing their own mattresses and pillows to hotels and teaching the team how to properly wash their hands to reduce infections. Painting the inside of team trucks white to show dirt more clearly was another marginal gain.
The Power of Incremental Improvement [6:12]
The impact of marginal gains is often unnoticeable on its own, but consistent, small improvements compound over time. Improving by 1% each day leads to being 37 times better after a year. Incremental improvements are easier to achieve than large goals, and breaking down end goals into smaller chunks is more effective. A graph illustrates how regular improvements compound, while deterioration occurs with even small declines. Investing $100 with a 1% daily interest rate would result in $3,778.34 after one year, demonstrating the power of compounding.
Applying Marginal Gains to Game Development [7:39]
Marginal gains should be a supporting mindset that operates in the background, not replacing normal tasks and goals. Identifying areas for improvement is crucial, and those closest to the features are best placed to find these improvements. Small changes can mitigate discomfort and friction, and being proactive in communicating concerns is essential. Even after an improvement, it's worth asking if further enhancements are possible.
Process Improvements in LEGO Horizon Adventures [9:33]
Several process improvements were implemented during the development of LEGO Horizon Adventures. Switch consoles were placed near developers for easy testing. Lead to play tests became a forum for raising marginal gains, with every department represented to foster collaborative improvements. Feedback trackers on Confluence allowed people to submit suggestions for minor improvements. The small size of the boss team and their regular meetings led to faster iteration speeds on bosses.
Development Improvements in LEGO Horizon Adventures [11:07]
Development improvements included moving challenge system rewards to a single data table, which reduced errors and made rebalancing easier. A custom enemy spawn icon was added to make identifying spawn locations easier. An arrow was added to chests to indicate the front, preventing incorrect placement. Ingredient summaries were set up to show what each recipe was asking for at a glance. Additional pivots were added to machines, allowing animators to move entire sections at once, saving time and improving toy-like movement.
Debug Tools and Validation Checks [13:23]
A robust debug menu allowed developers to jump to specific chapters, view cinematics, and populate inventories, saving time for all disciplines, especially QA. Validation checks were created to explain why an encounter setup was invalid, reducing investigation time. A ledge grab visualisation showed viable jump distances in the editor, allowing for more organic setups without needing to load the room.
Product Improvements for Players [14:49]
Product improvements included allowing players to skip cinematics and conversations, adding value for replayability and speed running. Waypoint markers helped players orient themselves after combat. Silver studs guided players towards hidden secrets and treasure, encouraging exploration. A range of accessibility features, such as multiple aiming modes, ensured more players could enjoy the game comfortably. The extensive customisation system included options for skin and hair colour, as well as sprinter and dog groomer minifigures with prosthetic legs and cochlear implants, increasing representation for disabled players.
Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Control [17:24]
To reduce concern, it's important to grow the circle of control. In the context of marginal gains, if something can be improved, find something to increase control and reduce concern. This might involve making a fix, raising it in sprint planning, or posting about it in Teams or Slack. This approach led to the inclusion of the sprinter and dog groomer minifigures in the game.
Busting Myths About Marginal Gains [18:21]
There is a finite number of times something can be improved, and that's acceptable. Don't stress about finding marginal gains in everything all the time. As development continues, the perceived impact of changes may decrease, but any change contributes to the overall quality. Marginal gains are hard to measure, but it's important to trust the process. Some ideas may be beyond the available scope, but communicating them may benefit future projects. Be aware of the potential impact of changes on others and communicate before making changes. Some days, no improvements will be made, and that's fine.
Building Marginal Gains into a Development Mantra [19:50]
To build marginal gains into a development mantra, introduce the topic and share presentations with the team. It's important to trust and empower the team to make improvements themselves. Celebrate marginal gains in action so the team sees the value of these changes. Repeat the message and update presentations for new staff and partners. Over time, more people will champion marginal gains, creating a group of evangelists. Gains should be found and actioned by a broad range of people across all disciplines and levels.
Key Takeaways [21:20]
The key takeaways are that individuals are best placed to find improvements, thinking both inside and outside the box. Small improvements increase the baseline and compound over time to create massive gains. This approach benefits from commitment from as many people as possible. The nature of marginal gains is that they are small and hard to quantify, but examples from other areas, like British cycling, demonstrate that this approach works.
