Xenocop

   The purpose of this page is to help other designers with their projects by showcasing methods and assets that are helping me to achieve my goal. Here you will find links to programs, documents, and books that have proven very useful. Game design is hard work, but with the right tools and information, you don't have to drive yourself crazy or compromize your artistic vision.

   One of the first things I need to do is take stock of any tools at my disposal. That way, I don't end up pounding nails with a wrench!

   After some consideration, I figure this will be the breakdown of my production assets:
     • RPG Maker XP- The game engine of choice.
     • Half Kaiser Character Generator- I've decided to use this style of character.
     • Word- To document the design process.
     • Excel- Handy for tables and calculations.
     • Acrobat 9 Pro- To publish my design document.
     • PhotoShop CS4- My primary graphics program.
     • Maya 2011- Perfect for animations and environments.
     • Dramatica Pro 4.0- This is a very robust program for writing novels and screenplays.
     • Foobar2000- I'll need to cut down the music and incidental file sizes with this.
     • Manga Studio EX*- I'll probably use this for storyboarding.
     • Sketchbook Pro 2010*- With my Wacom, this will be great for the concept sketches.
*These last two could be done in Photoshop, but since I have the licenses, I might as well try them out. I may switch over to Photoshop if I feel streamlining is necessary.

Useful Links

Game Design Document - This is a very useful tool that you can use to plan out your entire project. As there is no set format, there are many to choose from online. This particular GDD was created by Chris Taylor. Chris is the creator of Total Annihilation and Dungeon Siege, so I figure he knows what he's talking about. No, he's not the same Chris Taylor that created Fallout. If you plan on building a game and have trouble finishing it, this may be what you need to staty organized and keep on track.

   Here is a list of all the reading materials I used to learn about the entire design process, even if I don't use the information. I'll try to give a short mini-review as I finish them.

Reading Materials

Beginning Game Level Design by John Feil and Marc Scattergood
ISBN 1-59200-434-2

Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition by Andrew Rollings & Dave Morris
ISBN 0-7357-1363-4

Game Design Foundations by Roger E. Pederson
ISBN 1-55622-973-9

Postmortems from GameDeveloper edited by Austin Grossman
ISBN 1-57820-214-0
   This book was very eye opening for me. It details the trials and tribulations of various game developers and their high-profile creations. I never realized that many games that were commercial successes could be considered failures from a development standpoint. You'll see what went right, what went wrong, and how things could have been better.

The Handbook of Visual Mechanics by Edward Harvey
ISBN 0-9665106-0-7
   I highly recommend this book. Written by a past animation instructor of mine, The Handbook of Visual Mechanics is very concise and easy to read. Inside you will find information on visual design and its components. Those of you who are beginning to explore the graphic side of game design will greatly benefit from this.