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HELP ME (AND YOU) DRAFT UP A DESIGN OUTLINE (FO' YO GAMEZ)
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Feldschlacht IV
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CloseCraze put it best;
He's right, design documents are the way to go if you want to make a good game. I do it too, but I've always kinda sucked at it, and I bet the same is for a lot of us, and I bet even more of us don't do it at all. This I think is a real disservice not to be a commonality in the game making community; writing your ideas down in a good documentation is the first step towards them being tangible for real.
So outline experts, and game makers, let's talk about drafting up design documents. How do you do it? Break it down like middle school, ya'll.
lockez has pretty much said what i would say ("everything should work together as a cohesive whole"), so i'm just going to add the suggestion that you write up a design doc before working on a game. not like a fifty+ page outline necessarily (although you COULD), but jot down what your goals are, how you want the gameplay to unfold, and where complexity should be.
having a specific vision helps you decide whether to keep or remove certain gameplay elements, and design parts of those elements (i.e. which skills the tank gets in your rpg, or how many guns your hero has in an fps, etc.) to better suit the goal of the game. this helps you... wait for it... create a game where everything works together as a cohesive whole! wow.
i mean, if you just want to fuck around with RM* and make a short story to get out some idea and not really take the design part seriously, go ahead and just throw some shit in. make your boat float! but if you're looking to actually finish a project of decent quality in a respectable amount of time, outlines and design docs are tremendous aids.
He's right, design documents are the way to go if you want to make a good game. I do it too, but I've always kinda sucked at it, and I bet the same is for a lot of us, and I bet even more of us don't do it at all. This I think is a real disservice not to be a commonality in the game making community; writing your ideas down in a good documentation is the first step towards them being tangible for real.
So outline experts, and game makers, let's talk about drafting up design documents. How do you do it? Break it down like middle school, ya'll.
Okay!
When I finish a new project, I usually start by just prototyping whatever ideas pop into my head, until I feel like I've got something that has potential and will be both fun to play and work on. Then, I sit down and try and figure out the "core" of the game - what Craze calls a "specific vision". Usually I try and sum up the core of a game in a sentence or two, so I can reference it easily (this helps explain it to others, too). Sometimes examples of "cores" I've used are "fighting off paranoia in a haunted house" and "a game about learning how and when to take risks, and how risks and skill interact".
These are kind of vague but they serve as a good jumping-off point, and like Craze said, you can use the core later to ask yourself, "Does this idea make sense in my game?" At this point I'll crack open a Google Doc and write my summed-up core at the top, followed by paragraph(s) tying my ideas for the game to the core: "Lily's combat and exploration revolve around handling risk because you don't know what's in a chest and you have to account for any possible scenario... etc." You can also figure out here how your story will tie to the core (if it does).
Then I figure out all the pieces of the game I'm going to need to make it work as I currently envision it - what will I need for art, what mechanics will I have to program, how many stages will there be, etc. I write all of these down, and figure out what's important and what isn't. I label them all green, yellow and red:
Having a checklist of what needs to be done is really nice, because slashing items off a list gives me a boost of motivation, something I don't always get on long projects with less obvious "ta-da" moments. Plus, this helps organize what needs to be done first, what can be cut to meet deadlines, etc. At this point I'll try and set a deadline for myself (a week) and try and get X items done by that deadline. Then I set another deadline for the next week, and repeat until it's done!
The thing with design docs is they frequently fall apart as i develop - I'll come up with ideas I didn't have before, or I'll realize a mechanic wasn't as fun as I'd hoped and I have to experiment or scrap it. But getting organized at the start is a good way to keep motivation high and switch from "experiment mode" to "official project mode". I recommend at least writing up a summary of what your game will contain and using it as a checklist at the beginning.
When I finish a new project, I usually start by just prototyping whatever ideas pop into my head, until I feel like I've got something that has potential and will be both fun to play and work on. Then, I sit down and try and figure out the "core" of the game - what Craze calls a "specific vision". Usually I try and sum up the core of a game in a sentence or two, so I can reference it easily (this helps explain it to others, too). Sometimes examples of "cores" I've used are "fighting off paranoia in a haunted house" and "a game about learning how and when to take risks, and how risks and skill interact".
These are kind of vague but they serve as a good jumping-off point, and like Craze said, you can use the core later to ask yourself, "Does this idea make sense in my game?" At this point I'll crack open a Google Doc and write my summed-up core at the top, followed by paragraph(s) tying my ideas for the game to the core: "Lily's combat and exploration revolve around handling risk because you don't know what's in a chest and you have to account for any possible scenario... etc." You can also figure out here how your story will tie to the core (if it does).
Then I figure out all the pieces of the game I'm going to need to make it work as I currently envision it - what will I need for art, what mechanics will I have to program, how many stages will there be, etc. I write all of these down, and figure out what's important and what isn't. I label them all green, yellow and red:
- Green: Absolutely has to be in the game.
- Yellow: I would like this in the game, and won't be too much extra work.
- Red:I would like this in the game, but it's gonna be hard/time-consuming.
Having a checklist of what needs to be done is really nice, because slashing items off a list gives me a boost of motivation, something I don't always get on long projects with less obvious "ta-da" moments. Plus, this helps organize what needs to be done first, what can be cut to meet deadlines, etc. At this point I'll try and set a deadline for myself (a week) and try and get X items done by that deadline. Then I set another deadline for the next week, and repeat until it's done!
The thing with design docs is they frequently fall apart as i develop - I'll come up with ideas I didn't have before, or I'll realize a mechanic wasn't as fun as I'd hoped and I have to experiment or scrap it. But getting organized at the start is a good way to keep motivation high and switch from "experiment mode" to "official project mode". I recommend at least writing up a summary of what your game will contain and using it as a checklist at the beginning.
It'd probably just be easier to dump my "ideas" folder here.
Anywho, I have a MASTER text file that I keep on my thumbdrive that contains EVERYTHING I might be conceivably working on at the moment. (This goes from REAL ACTUAL WORK that I get paid for, and for my hobby games and for RMN (events, improvements, etc)) .
In this text file I have high level game idea outlines, jot down some quick ideas or quotes that I liked, links to some URLs, game title ideas, and a big TODO list. It is in here that my game ideas take their first form. I almost always have my thumbdrive on me so I can almost always jot down ideas or refinements as they come. This is important. Write ideas down as you think of them or you will forget them and be like 'man, I had the ballest idea ever I swear but now I forget what it was exactly. But it was ballin'...'
Once I get sufficiently into or motivated to work on a project, I split of that content into it's own text file. In this document I start brainstorming class ideas (because all my games have classes), skills, stats and relative stat growth, and general things about progression. I also have a high level plot outline and usually an overview of the story. Character outlines are also there, and equipment ideas, notes on aesthetics, quests - the whole shebang.
Once those get fleshed out, I usually start 'prototyping' project to test out the feasibility of my ideas and rework them so that they are either easier to implement or drop them.
As I develop the project further I start gathering (or making) resources.
Once I have enough to make examples of the aesthetic I am after, I start making a gameprofile on RMN. I find that rewriting and refocusing what I have for PRESENTATION to an outside audience helps put a different perspective on the project that improves it overall, and the motivation is nice, too.
As I develop my ideas further I often split out certain sections into their own text files to help organize things (for example, both quests and equipment get their own text files usually), and I also start keeping tabular data in an Excel spreadsheet, and a TODO list is kept in that first text document. Also also, in my MASTER text file I usually have a TODO item like "rework Guitaromancer class" that tracks what I should work on next and to remind me to work on it.
Sooner or later though, my actual PROJECT becomes my source of truth and my text documents start to become out of date - but that's okay because by that point the project is far enough along that release is imminent.
Anywho, that's how things play out for me.
Anywho, I have a MASTER text file that I keep on my thumbdrive that contains EVERYTHING I might be conceivably working on at the moment. (This goes from REAL ACTUAL WORK that I get paid for, and for my hobby games and for RMN (events, improvements, etc)) .
In this text file I have high level game idea outlines, jot down some quick ideas or quotes that I liked, links to some URLs, game title ideas, and a big TODO list. It is in here that my game ideas take their first form. I almost always have my thumbdrive on me so I can almost always jot down ideas or refinements as they come. This is important. Write ideas down as you think of them or you will forget them and be like 'man, I had the ballest idea ever I swear but now I forget what it was exactly. But it was ballin'...'
Once I get sufficiently into or motivated to work on a project, I split of that content into it's own text file. In this document I start brainstorming class ideas (because all my games have classes), skills, stats and relative stat growth, and general things about progression. I also have a high level plot outline and usually an overview of the story. Character outlines are also there, and equipment ideas, notes on aesthetics, quests - the whole shebang.
Once those get fleshed out, I usually start 'prototyping' project to test out the feasibility of my ideas and rework them so that they are either easier to implement or drop them.
As I develop the project further I start gathering (or making) resources.
Once I have enough to make examples of the aesthetic I am after, I start making a gameprofile on RMN. I find that rewriting and refocusing what I have for PRESENTATION to an outside audience helps put a different perspective on the project that improves it overall, and the motivation is nice, too.
As I develop my ideas further I often split out certain sections into their own text files to help organize things (for example, both quests and equipment get their own text files usually), and I also start keeping tabular data in an Excel spreadsheet, and a TODO list is kept in that first text document. Also also, in my MASTER text file I usually have a TODO item like "rework Guitaromancer class" that tracks what I should work on next and to remind me to work on it.
Sooner or later though, my actual PROJECT becomes my source of truth and my text documents start to become out of date - but that's okay because by that point the project is far enough along that release is imminent.
Anywho, that's how things play out for me.
told mog i would post this; this is originally from a comment on Pandora's Present. it's basically the first post's quote... times four
CrazeByahMikki/Leo is probably the least effective pairing, haha. Dora can hit hard and sorta-debuff (well, unbuff) enemeis while Mikki tanks, and Ralph can heal her/provide a damage boost for her awesome first attack. Leo has no way to really support Mikki, and vice-versa. thatbennyguy's review saying that the best strategy is "spam the highest-cost skill" is pretty accurate, but at least it changes a little based on the pairing and whether or not the first ability has a pump (like, again, Mikki's awesome teddy hug). Still, I used Dora/Leo for the final boss because they have the best single-target damage output, especially when together! (Drank milk a few times, though, haha....)
Thanks for the feedback, and glad you liked it!
I may have made it a bit too easy after watching a friend play it for 1 hour and 40 minutes with Mikki/Leo, obviously having quite some trouble. :X
But, eh, I'd rather this game be too easy than too hard.
I agree about an extra map before the boss, actually, but I do seem to have trouble creating more content for my games.
Need to work on that. Got any tips mr. 378973289-hour-games in 3 days? :P
Speaking of which, downloaded DEViL::ender, gonna check it out tomorrow!
ANYWAY the first rule of making lots of content in a short period of time... is to not, haha. You inevitably have to cut and/or rush some things and the game is rougher as a whole because of it. Wine & Roses and Teenage Costume Squad were both created while I was very depressed; I took out my malaise on poor old RM* Ace, which is why they're weird and interesting but inherently flawed projects. I had a lot of time and emotions on my hands! It wasn't very healthy, and most people shouldn't be expected to put out so much in so little time.
Still, planning goes a long way. I always have index cards on my desk and google drive pinned in chrome while I'm working a game, because taking notes and jotting down ideas and making outlines is never bad. I have pages and pages of notes for games I haven't made that I pilfer from and look back on when I'm doing contest gam mak, and then I can use those ideas to form better, more usable ones for the current project. EVOLUTION, BABY
Speaking of evolution... cutting, changing, revising, etc. are not bad things. If you're going to make something in a reasonable amount of time, you're going to need to be willing to make some sacrifices and changes. More importantly (arguably), you need to learn to not feel bad about those changes! If you made a cool system for learning abilities, and then a few days later into the contest you realize that the rest of your gameplay contradicts that system, something's gotta give. Otherwise, you end up with a muddled, incoherent mess like Obelisk: Devilkillers (don't play it, it's horrible). I refused to throw any ideas out for that project, and it suffered terribly for it. Seriously. If I didn't believe in being open about my work I'd delete the game profile. (Same goes for Saga Mara Talon.)
so, tl;dr:
-you're not van gogh, so make sure you're in a good frame of mind for gam mak
-planning and organization are key
-don't be afraid of change or removal before something becomes too malignant for the rest of the game
final tip, applicable to non-contest games too (most of this is really, but w/e): seriously jot down every idea. i've said it like two and a half times now. you can always cross out the bad shit, but maybe a better idea will come from it. if you're making a game, it should be a giant brainstorming session from the minute you start until right before the final test run. and you'll be able to pull from a lot of options for content, hopefully! just... make sure it's good content. obelisk: devilkillers and saga mara talon are dreadful. don't make games like those... please.... cut out bad ideas.........
edit: two more thoughts haha
1) there CAN be a time when the kitchen sink approach works for a game. see: visions & voices and castlevania: symphony of the night (which was a major influence on v&v). this is the extreme, though, and is a case of being "so bad it's good," much like the 80s/90s idea of the "B movie." SotN isn't really a good game if you're going by the books, but it's a fun game in spite of how utterly bizarre half+ of the shit in the game is.
2) i hope you enjoy DEViL::ender! it's one of my most experimental projects, and is almost nothing like anything i've made before -- and, in fact, is pretty openly mocking it at the same time as making a modern critique of the oldschool classics! most of my games don't have a message, but ::end is special!
Great post, Craze! :D Yeah, I pretty much have to write everything down in Google Docs or I will forget.
Yeah, I've only made one gamepage here so far but I was amazed at the amount of focus I got from "I need to make enough resources to make a good game page." It made a great checkpoint from getting a gamepage up to getting a demo made.
author=kentona
Once I have enough to make examples of the aesthetic I am after, I start making a gameprofile on RMN. I find that rewriting and refocusing what I have for PRESENTATION to an outside audience helps put a different perspective on the project that improves it overall, and the motivation is nice, too.
Yeah, I've only made one gamepage here so far but I was amazed at the amount of focus I got from "I need to make enough resources to make a good game page." It made a great checkpoint from getting a gamepage up to getting a demo made.
Milennin
2060
I'm not very organised, but I've created a world map that I use to draw the line of where the party travels across the world on and where the important events take place in the world.
I've also got a timeline that shows what stuff happens in what order, and also the background behind the events (why they happen).
But I make sure to keep enough holes between the important events to allow for freedom and changes to happen. I generally come up with stuff to fill the holes on the spot or in short-term planning stages.
I've also got a timeline that shows what stuff happens in what order, and also the background behind the events (why they happen).
But I make sure to keep enough holes between the important events to allow for freedom and changes to happen. I generally come up with stuff to fill the holes on the spot or in short-term planning stages.
author=Craze
seriously jot down every idea.
I used to be so good about this in the day; I had notebooks full of game ideas, but then again this is when I was younger and my ideas were less refined than they are now. However they would still be a lot of help now!
Leapfrog
110
I highly encourage design documents, as they're immensely useful tools. Just having something written down gives you a new perspective on it and makes sure you don't forget things. And if you're anything like me, you'll start off by jotting down a simple idea and end up with several pages of new stuff, all expanded from that one point.
Well, the rambly sort of documents I come up with don't necessarily qualify as proper design documents, but eventually they get there. I like to use Microsoft One Note to give everything (characters, locations, background, enemies, etc) its own tab. I think having a well-managed, efficient document to refer to about everything is an important first step in making a game. It makes for excellent reference material and also helps you to compartmentalize and tackle your game one step at a time.
Along the same lines, I also like to do a rough drawing of my maps in MS Paint before I begin on them, just to give me a good idea of the overall design and proportions I'm working with.
Well, the rambly sort of documents I come up with don't necessarily qualify as proper design documents, but eventually they get there. I like to use Microsoft One Note to give everything (characters, locations, background, enemies, etc) its own tab. I think having a well-managed, efficient document to refer to about everything is an important first step in making a game. It makes for excellent reference material and also helps you to compartmentalize and tackle your game one step at a time.
Along the same lines, I also like to do a rough drawing of my maps in MS Paint before I begin on them, just to give me a good idea of the overall design and proportions I'm working with.
Title > Objective of the game > Rules and limitation > Rewards and penalty > elaborate from here...
I don't know where narrative falls into though.
Game design document should works like lab reports... i think.
thatbennyguy
1612
Thanks for all the tips, guys. This is really helping me to be way more productive than I ever was. I was beginning to doubt in my ability to actually complete a worthwhile game, but now I have faith again.
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