Godot Dora Metrics: Improving Lead and Cycle Times

Any literary person would be thrilled to know that Godot Engine got its name inspired by the famous play “Waiting for Godot” written by the famous Irish writer, Samuel Beckett. However, the similarities end just there.

While the play "Waiting for Godot" centers around inaction and waiting, the Godot Engine is all about empowering developers to take action, create, and iterate on their games without being stuck waiting on complex tools or expensive licenses.

It’s only obvious that we take a peek into this young, vibrant repo as part of our 100 days 100 open-source case studies initiative. Using Middleware OSS, we tracked their Dora Metrics.

What are Dora Metrics?

DORA metrics are key performance indicators used to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of software delivery and DevOps practices, focusing on four main areas: Deployment Frequency, Lead Time for Changes, Mean Time to Restore (MTTR), and Change Failure Rate.

Learn more about Dora Metrics here.

Now, let’s see how their software delivery process looks:

Cycle Time and Lead Time: Like Waiting for Godot?

My eyes practically stung when I saw their cycle and lead times. It felt like there was no real strategy in place, no best practices being followed, which is why their software delivery pipeline is dragging on for days before they can finally get a feature live.

Don't just take my word for it—let's look at the numbers.

Their cycle and lead times both took 18.2 days in July which slightly reduced to 17.6 days and 17.1 days in August and September respectively.

These extended cycle and lead times are a direct result of their prolonged and inefficient merge and first response times.

Month	First Response Time	Merge Time
July	12.83 days	3.6 days
August	5.83 days	7.9 days
September	10.417 days	6.6 days

Merge and First Response Delays: The Challenge of Time Zones and Contributors in Godot

Time Zone Challenges

The Godot repository is primarily affected by challenges such as coordinating efforts across various time zones and the diverse expertise of contributors. With developers scattered around the globe, synchronizing contributions can be a complex task, leading to extended wait times for first response and merging pull requests.

Inconsistent Review Processes

Moreover, fluctuations in the review process—often dictated by the varying availability and responsiveness of reviewers—can create inconsistencies in engagement levels between authors and reviewers.

Feedback Delays

When feedback mechanisms aren't streamlined or when there are delays in receiving constructive feedback, it can hinder the momentum of the development process. This inconsistency not only affects the speed of first response and merging new features or fixes but can also lead to frustration among contributors who may feel their efforts are stalled.

Addressing these bottlenecks through better coordination and more efficient review processes could greatly enhance the productivity and responsiveness of the Godot community.

Also read: AutoGPT Dora Metrics: Killing It on Cycle Time, But Those Merged PR Dips Deserve a Closer Look!

Strengths of the Godot Repository

With around 2.7k contributors, the community-driven nature of Godot is one of its greatest assets. They should use this strength wisely to their advantage.

Deployment Frequency Excellence

Godot stands out with an average deployment frequency of 129 times in September and 202 times in August, indicating a strong CI/CD process. This high frequency of deployments not only allows for rapid iteration but also ensures that any issues or bugs introduced by new features can be identified and addressed almost instantly, reducing the time spent in the merge process.

Diverse Work Nature

The repository exhibits a rich blend of activities, including 40% feature development, 30% bug fixes, and 15% each for documentation and optimization. This variety showcases the community's ability to tackle multiple aspects of game development, ensuring that the engine is not only robust but also user-friendly and well-documented. Recent contributions, such as enhancements in 3D visibility masks (91750) and platform-specific bug fixes (93764), highlight the practical impact of this diverse expertise.

Also read: Is FreeCAD Nailing PRs or Just Blazing Through Merges?

Leveraging Strengths to Improve Merge and Response Times

To capitalize on their strengths and improve merge times and first response times, the Godot community can implement several strategies:

Enhanced Collaboration: With such a large pool of contributors, fostering a more collaborative environment can streamline the review process. Encouraging team-based reviews can help bridge knowledge gaps and accelerate the approval of pull requests (PRs).
Time Zone Coordination: Given the global nature of the contributor base, implementing better strategies for time zone coordination can reduce delays in communication and feedback. Setting clear timelines for reviews and establishing overlapping work hours can facilitate smoother collaboration. For more insights on optimizing collaboration among distributed software engineering teams, check out this Practical Productivity Guide for Engineering Managers.
Efficient Feedback Mechanisms: Streamlining feedback processes will help maintain momentum in the development workflow. Implementing clear guidelines for constructive feedback and using automated tools to track progress can significantly improve response times. For a closer look at tools that can enhance engineering productivity, check out this list of the Top 13 Project Management Softwares and Tools.
Mentorship and Onboarding: Leveraging the expertise of established contributors for mentorship can help new contributors integrate more quickly into the workflow. Creating a supportive onboarding process will encourage more active participation, enhancing the overall responsiveness of the community.

Godot Dora Metrics: Plays Smooth with Deployments, Lead and Cycle Times Need Makeover

With an impressive roster of around 2.7k contributors, the potential for collaboration is immense. By capitalizing on this strength, Godot can enhance its workflow and efficiency significantly. Imagine if the community focused on better coordination, streamlined feedback, and efficient review processes—suddenly, those prolonged cycles and lead times would become a thing of the past.

If you are also facing such engineering hiccups, then write to us at productivity@middlewarehq.com and we would be happy to help you provide actionable insights into your workflow or you can also try tracking your Dora metrics yourself using Middleware Open Source that too for free! Sign up now!

Did you know?

Source: Godot Repo

Unlike some commercial game engines, Godot does not charge royalties or licensing fees, making it an attractive option for independent developers and small studios.