game design with wilson · design document - 1st draft due 10/27 ๏ 1 page! ๏ general sections...
TRANSCRIPT
EGD 100
Game Design with Wilson
EGaDS! News
๏ Tuesday (10/14) EGD 200 3D Studio Max with Nathan 7-8pm WMB 1.114 EGD 210 Unity3d with Darwin 8-9pm GDC 6.202*!
๏ Friday (10/17)Game Night @ 7pm in GDC 6.302!
๏ Next Thursday (10/23) with Multimedia GamesGeneral Meeting in GDC 6.302!
Last Time
๏ Understanding design helps you communicate.!
๏ Players have a range of backgrounds which change their interests and how they interact with games.!
๏ Games motivate players because they fulfill a set of primary pleasures/joys.!
๏ Hierarchical needs impact what players care about.!
๏ Can find full lecture @ egd100.wordpress.com
When are we going to do stuff?
Game Design Document
The Myth of the Game Design Document
๏There is no magic template.
The Myth of the Game Design Document
๏ Game documents have 2 purposes:!
๏ Memory!
๏ Record your design decisions!
๏ Communication!
๏ You need to communicate your idea to others
Types of Game Documents
๏ What do we need to remember while making the game?!
๏ What needs to be communicated while making this game?
Types of Game Documents
๏ Game Design Overview!
๏ Detailed Design Document!
๏ Story Overview
Types of Game Documents
๏ Game Design Overview!
๏ Detailed Design Document!
๏ Story Overview
Types of Game Documents
๏ Game Design Overview!
๏ Detailed Design Document!
๏ Story Overview
Types of Game Documents
๏ Game Design Overview!
๏ Detailed Design Document!
๏ Story Overview
The Dirty Truth About Design Documents
๏ They make a lot of assumptions.!
๏ They are always out of date.!
๏ No one reads them.!
๏ They are rigid.!
๏ They don’t allow for failure.
But, we’re going to write one anyway
๏ Your task: create a light game design document.!
๏ Keep it agile - Be willing to change ideas/aspects!
๏ Collaborate - Teams of 2-3
Prototypes
What is a prototype?
๏ It’s an early version of a game.!
๏ Usually lacking in terms of aesthetic polish.!
๏ Used primarily to test a concept or gameplay idea.
The Rule of the Loop
๏ The more times you test and improve your design, the better your game will be.
Short History of Software Engineering
๏ 1960’s - There was no formal process!
๏ 1970’s - “Waterfall Model”!
๏ 1986 - “Spiral Model”!
๏ 2000’s - Agile Development
Waterfall Model
Waterfall Model
๏ Software is too complex for such a linear process to work.!
๏ Managers loved it, developers hated it.!
๏ No way to “go up the waterfall”.
Spiral Model
๏ Risk assessment, prototypes, and looping.!
๏ 1. Come up with basic design.!
๏ 2. Figure out biggest risks in design.!
๏ 3. Build prototypes that mitigate those risks.!
๏ 4. Detail design based on findings from prototypes.!
๏ 5. Repeat.
Agile Development
๏ Extension of Spiral Model!
๏ Less focused on big planning of a design.!
๏ Works in “sprints”!
๏ Project undergoes sprints of design/development
What is a prototype?
๏ It’s an early version of a game.!
๏ Usually lacking in terms of aesthetic polish.!
๏ Used primarily to test a concept or gameplay idea.
The Assignments
๏ Design Document!
๏ 1 Page!
๏ Prototype!
๏ Paper or Digital!
๏ Pitches (A presentation version of your DD)!
๏ 3 Minutes
Design Document - 1st Draft Due 10/27๏ 1 page!
๏ General Sections (You are encouraged to modify this outline to fit your game’s needs):!
๏ Intro - 1 paragraph description of the game. Describe your game in as few words as possible, as if you had only 10 seconds to pitch it to someone important.!
๏ Similar Games and Inspiration!
๏ General Narrative Description (if any)!
๏ Gameplay Description!
๏ Aesthetics Description!
๏ Include audio (if applicable) and visual style!
๏ Game Flow!
๏ Describe what the player experiences during a playthrough in one paragraph.
Prototype - Demos in Class 11/10
๏ Keep it simple.!
๏ It doesn’t need to be a full game - focus on a mechanic or simple game idea.!
๏ Don’t get too lost in the details, go for completion, no matter how small.
Prototyping Technologies
๏ Paper, Board, and Card Games!
๏ Unity!
๏ GameMaker!
๏ Twine!
๏ Ren’Py
Prototyping Tips
๏ Answer a question.!
๏ Sometimes you answer more than one with a prototype.!
๏ Is the core gameplay of making hot dogs fun?!
๏ How small can levels be in a platformer?!
๏ Can we make a game that doesn't rely on visuals?
Prototyping Tips
๏Forget quality.
Prototyping Tips๏ It doesn’t have to be digital.!
๏ Paper Prototype Tetris!
๏ Cut out cardboard pieces and put them in a pile.!
๏ Get someone else to draw them at random and start sliding them down the “board”.!
๏ Other player tries to rotate them into place as they go down.!
๏ To complete a line, cut the pieces or use your imagination.!
๏ Not perfect - but useful.
Prototyping Tips
๏ Don’t get attached. !
๏ Whether you like it or not, the first version is likely not going to be the finished product.!
๏ In many cases, a prototype is something you discard or heavily retool to work nicely.
Presentations - 11/24
๏ 3 minutes per game!
๏ You and your partner(s)!
๏ Pitch your design document and/or show us your prototype.!
๏ More details next time.
Next Time - Writing and Game Design