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Game Design DocumentsGame Design Documents

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Design Documentation StagesDesign Documentation Stages

Design treatment or concept paperDesign treatment or concept paper Game feasibilityGame feasibility

Design summary/design documentsDesign summary/design documents Pitch document or proposalPitch document or proposal

Design specification/product Design specification/product specification/production documentspecification/production document Functional product specificationFunctional product specification

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Game TreatmentGame Treatment

Game storyGame story Abstract or “Reader’s Digest” type overviewAbstract or “Reader’s Digest” type overview

Game play and lookGame play and look Focus on appearanceFocus on appearance Player roles and actionsPlayer roles and actions Strategies and motivationsStrategies and motivations

Development SpecificationDevelopment Specification HardwareHardware SoftwareSoftware Algorithm styleAlgorithm style

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Sample Development SpecificationSample Development Specification

This game uses a new 3D engineThis game uses a new 3D engine Backgrounds are animatedBackgrounds are animated Roughly 50 scenes will be rendered using 3D StudioRoughly 50 scenes will be rendered using 3D Studio Will be developed for WindowsWill be developed for Windows Programmed using C++, DirectX, and our in-house Programmed using C++, DirectX, and our in-house

physics APIphysics API Estimated development time 10-16 months Estimated development time 10-16 months

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Design DocumentDesign Document

More formal and complete than game treatmentMore formal and complete than game treatment What does the player do?What does the player do? What is the interface?What is the interface? What is the plot?What is the plot?

Level DetailsLevel Details What are the levels?What are the levels? Who are the characters?Who are the characters? How do characters interact?How do characters interact?

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Design Document ContentDesign Document Content

Game OverviewGame Overview More detailed revision of game treatmentMore detailed revision of game treatment

Plotline detailPlotline detail List player goals and achievements and work List player goals and achievements and work

backwardsbackwards Story outlines for each game sectionStory outlines for each game section

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Outlining Your GameOutlining Your Game

Describe universal elements- common features to Describe universal elements- common features to every part of the gameevery part of the game scoring rulesscoring rules namesnames special powersspecial powers anything else?anything else?

Details of every scene or game levelDetails of every scene or game level Name for sceneName for scene Resource detailsResource details Physical and audio appearancePhysical and audio appearance

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Outlining Your GameOutlining Your Game

Details of every scene (continued).Details of every scene (continued). Background or playfieldBackground or playfield Foreground objects and charactersForeground objects and characters Animations present for the scenesAnimations present for the scenes Music and sound effectsMusic and sound effects Script for charactersScript for characters Scenes and transitionsScenes and transitions Flow charts for story branchesFlow charts for story branches Miscellaneous elements (credits, saving games, setup, etc.Miscellaneous elements (credits, saving games, setup, etc.

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Game Design Document SectionsGame Design Document Sections

Table of ContentsTable of Contents Introduction/OverviewIntroduction/Overview Game MechanismsGame Mechanisms Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence Game ElementsGame Elements Story OverviewStory Overview Game ProgressionGame Progression BibliographyBibliography

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Product SpecificationProduct Specification

Who is the production team?Who is the production team? Target audienceTarget audience GameplayGameplay Shelf-life?Shelf-life? Production toolsProduction tools Schedule with milestones and deliverablesSchedule with milestones and deliverables

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Game SpecificationGame Specification

What is it like to play the game?What is it like to play the game? Interface mock-upInterface mock-up Story-line summaryStory-line summary

Major: final accomplishmentsMajor: final accomplishments Minor: intermediate tasksMinor: intermediate tasks

StoryboardsStoryboards Prototype artwork and screen sequencesPrototype artwork and screen sequences

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Game SpecificationGame Specification

Character biblesCharacter bibles Profiles and biographies for each characterProfiles and biographies for each character

FlowchartingFlowcharting What are the decision points and scene transitions?What are the decision points and scene transitions?

ScriptsScripts What happens in each scene and during each level?What happens in each scene and during each level?

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StoryboardingStoryboarding

Story outlineStory outline Draw 6-12 scenes from game and assemble Draw 6-12 scenes from game and assemble

them like a comic stripthem like a comic strip Add some notes to each sketch describing the Add some notes to each sketch describing the

action, artwork, soundsaction, artwork, sounds

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Detail QuestionsDetail Questions

What can characters do (fly,jump,invisible)?What can characters do (fly,jump,invisible)? How many enemies does hero fight?How many enemies does hero fight? What weapons are available?What weapons are available? How does the player get rejuvenated?How does the player get rejuvenated? Multi-player stuff?Multi-player stuff? Game perspective (side, tops, 3D, first person)?Game perspective (side, tops, 3D, first person)? What kind of sound track?What kind of sound track? What about main character’s personality?What about main character’s personality?

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Level OutlineLevel Outline

Name of section, level, or sceneName of section, level, or scene Physical or audio appearancePhysical or audio appearance Foreground objects and charactersForeground objects and characters

Actions?Actions? Animation?Animation? Sound effects?Sound effects?

Character scriptsCharacter scripts TransitionsTransitions

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Puzzle Types - 1Puzzle Types - 1

Ordinary use of objectsOrdinary use of objects Unusual use of an ordinary objectUnusual use of an ordinary object Creating new objects out of old?Creating new objects out of old? Information puzzles (e.g. find missing piece)Information puzzles (e.g. find missing piece) Codes and word puzzlesCodes and word puzzles Excluded middle Excluded middle

(relies on cause and effect type relationships)(relies on cause and effect type relationships) People puzzles (outwit the guard)People puzzles (outwit the guard) Timing puzzlesTiming puzzles

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Puzzle Types - 2Puzzle Types - 2

Sequence puzzlesSequence puzzles Logic puzzles (e.g. riddles)Logic puzzles (e.g. riddles) Trial and errorTrial and error Machinery puzzlesMachinery puzzles Alternate interfacesAlternate interfaces MazesMazes

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Bad PuzzlesBad Puzzles

Unnecessary repetitionUnnecessary repetition Restore puzzleRestore puzzle

find answer to puzzle when you diefind answer to puzzle when you die Arbitrary puzzlesArbitrary puzzles

cause should be linked to effects instead of randomcause should be linked to effects instead of random Designer puzzlesDesigner puzzles

only designer can solve the puzzleonly designer can solve the puzzle Binary puzzle (e.g. wrong answer = death)Binary puzzle (e.g. wrong answer = death) Hunt the pixelHunt the pixel Unnecessary interludesUnnecessary interludes

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Good PuzzlesGood Puzzles

SolvableSolvable Being fairBeing fair No down timeNo down time Some randomness – different each time you playedSome randomness – different each time you played Naturalness to environmentNaturalness to environment Amplify a themeAmplify a theme Principle of least astonishmentPrinciple of least astonishment

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HintsHints

Bread crumbs – at first everything works well and Bread crumbs – at first everything works well and then give less direct help, if user struggles give more then give less direct help, if user struggles give more helphelp

Proximity of puzzle to solution – a fair game gives Proximity of puzzle to solution – a fair game gives users everything they need to knowusers everything they need to know

Alternate solutionsAlternate solutions Red herrings (things that “don’t compute”)Red herrings (things that “don’t compute”) Steering a playerSteering a player

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Designing PuzzlesDesigning Puzzles

Break story into scenesBreak story into scenes Puzzles are obstacles to moving between scenesPuzzles are obstacles to moving between scenes Trick is to make the puzzles match the story and Trick is to make the puzzles match the story and

settingsetting Keep your character’s abilities in mindKeep your character’s abilities in mind Empathize with the player and what he or she will Empathize with the player and what he or she will

know when puzzle is encounteredknow when puzzle is encountered

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Character BibleCharacter Bible

Journal in which the designer writes a profile Journal in which the designer writes a profile and biography for characters used in the scriptand biography for characters used in the script

Script may not be linear, so hypertext Script may not be linear, so hypertext technology may need to be used to maintain technology may need to be used to maintain continuity continuity

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Good Design DocumentsGood Design Documents

State the goals of the game explicitlyState the goals of the game explicitly Make the document itself readableMake the document itself readable Give priorities to ideas so that team members Give priorities to ideas so that team members

know what is important and what may be know what is important and what may be rejectedrejected

List all details (e.g. behavioral model)List all details (e.g. behavioral model) Describe how you will do things Describe how you will do things

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Why Use Prototypes?Why Use Prototypes?

Minimize risk of starting over from scratchMinimize risk of starting over from scratch Involve client in development process earlyInvolve client in development process early Prototypes can function as an animated Prototypes can function as an animated

storyboardstoryboard

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Prototypes Answer QuestionsPrototypes Answer Questions

What will the finished product look like?What will the finished product look like? What do we need to do?What do we need to do? Can we produce the product at all?Can we produce the product at all? Can we attract a publisher?Can we attract a publisher?

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Typical Game SectionsTypical Game Sections

1.1. Game startupGame startup Initialize variablesInitialize variables Set up data structuresSet up data structures Allocate memoryAllocate memory Load graphics and sound filesLoad graphics and sound files

2.2. Game enters main loop or exits to OSGame enters main loop or exits to OS3.3. User is prompted for inputUser is prompted for input4.4. User input retrieveUser input retrieve

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Game Sections - 2Game Sections - 2

5.5. Game state updated based on user’s last Game state updated based on user’s last inputinput

6.6. Based on last player action AI is applied, Based on last player action AI is applied, collisions processed, objects movecollisions processed, objects move

7.7. Once player logic processing is complete, Once player logic processing is complete, background animation performed, music, background animation performed, music, sound effects,and housekeeping performedsound effects,and housekeeping performed

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Game Sections - 3Game Sections - 3

8.8. Current animation frame is rendered (drawn to Current animation frame is rendered (drawn to virtual buffer)virtual buffer)

9.9. Program displays frame by copying buffer to screenProgram displays frame by copying buffer to screen10.10. Frame display rate locked to 30 fpsFrame display rate locked to 30 fps11.11. Exit section (game over)Exit section (game over)

Release resourcesRelease resources Restore system settingsRestore system settings Exit to OSExit to OS