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Design
Document Fundamentals: Part 2
by William Anderson
Cont'd from Part
1
Game
Play Overview
Here
is where you explain all of the elements that make up the core
game play for this product. Or, more
simply, this is where you walk the player through
the product's play experience.
For
example, here you would list out Level 1-2-3 and so on, making sure to
explain where the level is in the game, and what elements make up the game
play for that world. Also, don't forget to add notes on
what
the level might look like, this will give the art team a starting point.
After the
design document is done, you would use these notes as your starting point
for designing out each level in the game, but that’s another
article.
The
Player Character
Here is
where you explain all of the things that make up your player
character, including looks, abilities
and limitations.
Description
Ideally, in
this section, you find the conceptual art for the player character
along with a description of moves.
These
moves can range from a simple walk to a back flip as long as they are
part of the basic movement
command set of the player.
Special
Acquired Abilities
A player character can pickup special
abilities from any number of sources during the game, however if
they are not placed and tuned properly, they could badly offset the
balance of the game.
Combat and
Defense Abilities
If this is
a combat style game concept then you will need to outline the
player character's
If the
player has combat abilities that don't require a pickup item then what
might they be? You might
want to list type, range, and damage potential.
What types
of defensive abilities does the player have?
Does the player have a shield or special move that can help him avoid damage
and, if so, how much
protection does it give to the player. Include notes on any limitations and
examples
of how they might be used.
What types
of weapons can the player use in the game?
Here you show what the weapons might look like, including detailed
information
Are there
any pickup items in the game that will increase the player's current
weapon attack range,
damage or effect? If so, do they time out or effect the game in other special ways? Obviously, there are many different questions that spawn
from this, so just chart
it out to
track the best balance of items in the game. You don't want
overlapping weapons
Is there
any special reaction to such an event (aka Spat!)?
Will the
player take damage from fire, sharp object or other items in the game?
If so, what would the damage be and does the player character have any An example
might be if the player character falls into fire, he burns up! This type
of information is really necessary for building your final character
animation
list and schedule.
What might
the player character reaction be from being hit by monster?
Does he or
she get knocked back or stand and take it like a super hero?
Game Controls
In this
section you might provide a drawing of the game controller or keyboard
and show
Also note
if the controls might be changed by the player prior to or during game
play.
Game
Characters
This is
where it gets really fun, where you get to create all of the great
monsters and other characters for cause
your A.I. design to fail, so the more you play it out the better.
Think in terms of the real level fighting with the player and all of the
unknowns that might be called
into play.
Clearly,
there is much more on this subject. Perhaps, another article.
Game Pickup Items
Game pickup items are any items in the game that
the player might encounter and can collect.
gives the
player -1 health each time used.
The Game
World Design
Here in
the next two sections is where all of the prior information feeds down
into what will make up
the heart
of the game.
It's a
great idea at this stage to sit down with some of the programmers and
work out what they need to
know about
all of the elements that will make up the game. A successful design document must
be usable by Designers,
Programmers, and Artists alike.
Below,
listed in level by level style, are all of the topics that make up
each stage of the game.
Level # -
Name or Title
- Description
of any lead-in CG cinematic to the level section.
- General
description of the level section.
- Art
description of the level section.
- Description
of ground-based game play.
- Notes on
any land-based or sky-based level animations required.
- Description
of platform or special mechanic game play.
- Art notes
on the sky-box or backdrop to the level?
- What story
characters are located in each level?
- What
pickup items are in each section, treasures/ power-ups and weapons?
- Are there
any background danger items and how do they work?
- What
monster, sub-boss, or boss characters are in this section?
- And
anything else you can think of…
Now, just
repeat this section for all of the levels in your design.
Game World
Mechanics
In this
section, you outline all of the mechanics needed for all of your
game levels.
Game Play
Placement Guide
This is
something I started adding to design documents years ago, calling it simply
the Game Play
It is a
great tool for weeding out thin spots in the game play experience.
Splash
Screen Art Requirements
Splash
screen and opening interfaces are normally one of the last things anyone
starts to focus on in
a product
that’s why it is near the end of the design document.
In this
section you would provide drawings and outlines for how each interface
screen would work, including a list of what art and animations might be required.
Environment
Art Requirements
Here you
would place a break down of all of the art needed for the game in a
point by point format.
Because this is just for scheduling out the entire art
task, descriptions
are not needed .
As before,
you would list in production order depending on what needs to
be up and running first,
such as the player characters animations and level #1 art.
Cinematic
Storyboards
To control
cost, companies will often farm-out the CG story sequences to Hollywood-type production
hstoryboards if possible.
Music and
Sound Effects List
A music and
sound effects list has a number of important uses, starting from costing
the work out to
Also, it is
important to list in order of need so the music and sound
contractors know what to deliver
first.
Engine
Overview
In this
section is information from your programming staff on what the game
system and engine
can and
cant do. Please don't use System Manufacture projections for your guide,
99.9% of the
time they
are wrong! Go by what you know not what you hear!
If needed,
prototype to learn the limits, and set realistic guidelines
for your project. Some of
the information might be:
- Number of
character you can have on the screen at once?
- How many
animations per character?
- Camera and
game view restrictions?
- How many
polygons per level and character?
- Number of
colors per texture map?
- And more…
All of
this information will guide the Designers and Artist in the direction of
the final design so its
critical
to know as much as possible. Once this
document is in hand you can move on to producing the real production
schedule for the game.
There are
2 types of schedules, a Projection Schedule that is based on your
experience of what it will take to get a game done like this, and a
Projection Schedule that is based on the outline in the design
document.
Without a
design document that outlines all of the items in this article, a
production schedule will not hold and, in the end, the game and/or the budget
will suffer.
Bio
William Anderson is currently President
of Eagle Claw, Inc. a Game Development and Consulting Company. He has
been designing Interactive Entertainment products for over 20
years. Just a few of his notable accomplishments include Senior
Designer on Maximo for the Sony Playstation 2, Senior Designer on
the multiple award winning game Aladdin for the Sega Genesis,
Designer of Cool Spot and Global Gladiators. He was also
responsible for the original gameplay design for Abe's Oddysee for the
Sony Playstation. You can contact Mr. Anderson at
MagicByDzn@Hotmail.com. <<<Back
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