This group project gave me a lot to reflect on, especially since I took on the role of the team leader, which meant I was responsible for many aspects. I’m someone who tends to procrastinate and doesn’t have a strong sense of time management, I often leave things until the last minute. However, this project effectively curbed that habit. Since I was in charge of programming, the final outcome of the game depended heavily on my work, so I started much earlier than I usually would. Even so, things still felt a bit rushed near the end.
During the course of the project, I gradually became aware of some issues in the way I collaborated with others. I tend to have a strong desire to control the outcome of my work, and at times, I insisted too much on following my own vision. This led me to unintentionally change parts of the project that were originally assigned to other team members, and I ended up taking on many responsibilities that were technically outside of my role.
For example, the item design in the game was supposed to be handled by someone else, but when I didn’t receive the necessary files from them for a long time, I decided to create my own version. At the time, it felt like the only option, given the urgency of the project and my desire to maintain quality. But in hindsight, I’ve been reflecting on whether that decision deprived others of the opportunity to contribute and showcase their work. Was I too eager to control everything, to the point where I didn’t give my teammates enough space to grow and participate?
Of course, I’ve also considered another possibility: maybe it wasn’t just about me being “overly self-motivated.” Perhaps some team members truly didn’t complete their tasks on time, and I simply made a necessary choice under the circumstances. Learning to balance a sense of responsibility with the ability to trust others is an important lesson I’m still working on.
I have to say, my experiences in gaming have significantly contributed to my role as a project leader. For example, in Final Fantasy XIV, I had built three teams to tackle high-difficulty raid content. Each team had eight members who were all strangers and faced over a month of intense challenges, with a daily two-hour gameplay. This experience was not only a test of patience and strategic thinking but also greatly improved my skills in communication, conflict resolution, and team management. This experience directly translated to my role in this project. It allowed me to coordinate our team more effectively and push things forward even when facing pressure or disagreements. The training I received in-game has, in many ways, quietly shaped my real-life leadership abilities.
Overall, working with this team was enjoyable, and everyone contributed effectively to the project!
- Some of our group chats
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