COLLABORATIVE GAME PROJECT METHODS

Don't really know of a program that'll make this easier. So yeah, sorry, can't help you there. The best advice I can give is to split up the tasks into things that can be easily managed separately, like someone doing the database and another doing maps. Also, make sure you separate and organize any switches, variables, common events, etc. that you guys might make, and ALWAYS label them, so someone doesn't do something silly and use a switch that says a boss is dead for their cheesecake hot springs scene. It just makes life easier later on.

Anyhow, yeah, I've been on a few team projects, though none of them have ever been finished. People often say that team projects don't work because of creativity-related "I want this, you want that" clashes, but it's probably just because people are unwilling to compromise on their creativity, or the famous "some guy said team projects don't work" line. That's a tough call to make since MOST projects don't get finished.

Personally, I think it's simply a matter of finding someone you can get along with, with working methods that synergize well. I think it works best in situations where you hate, say, doing maps, but your buddy loves doing it. Even better if they become devoted to the project.

As a side note, the worst thing you can probably do is to get loads of story/'game design' people together. There'll be lots of talk while nothing happens. This is made even worse by the fact that lots of people who think they can write a good story are actually bad at it. This isn't to say story contributions should be ignored, but it's probably a good idea to have a designated story guy.

So yeah. Good luck!

I'd go with Subversion, especially if you've got a Linux box (for instance, any webhost is probably on Linux) available to either of you. Either way, you can set up your Windows machines with TortoiseSVN and everything's easy, once you follow the instructions on how to set up a Depository.

My own experiences with group projects suggests to me that the one thing you really need in any group project is a taskmaster. Someone who will stay on people and nag them and just generally be a total chore to be around. No one ever wants to do that in the projects I end up in, and I think that's a big part of why we never make any progress. The fact that I can't do it to myself is probably why I never make any progress on my own projects. There's no central organization....just a bunch of people who get distracted by shiny objects and start working on their own side projects.

A wiki can be useful for documentation and collaboration on projects.

www.netcipia.com is a neat new online wiki engine, free to use, with unlimited space and users that I found today. I'm going to make one for Generica.

You can attach files, post blogs, edit sections, assign editing rights to specific members, make certain pages public, and post comments on any page. It looks pretty sweet.