I think I talk about how we use quick intuitive ideas like that at work in talk with @NerdAppropriate awhile back: http://www.nerdappropriate.com/2012/09/24/rated-na-75-question-of-the-weekes/ …
Dombrow did first pass of ME3's Grissom Academy, which I finished. His concept was "X-Men 2's attack on the mansion, Jack is Wolverine."
user
@PatrickWeekes So the Jack/Joker banter was your doing?
@user Can't remember if it was me or Dombrow or another writer making a suggestion. Even stuff that "was me" was all a team effort.
user
@PatrickWeekes I can totally see Jack as Wolverine. Minus the soldiering they are much the same archetype.
.@user Yep -- which is what made it such a great concept. When the angry loner starts caring for people, he or she protects them HARD.
That wasn't all it was, of course. It's always more once you're done. But his concept helped everyone on the team make a focused level.
We always hit those concepts hard internally, to make it fit (or all agree that it's awesome despite changing from its early concept). 