Xenocop

   Detective John Kimball tells me I lack discipline, so I'm going to need an organized system to see this project through from start to finish. Since I have more than a passing interest in game development, I think it best that I follow a professional production pipeline. As a first time game developer, I have little knowledge on what is needed to create entertainment software. So I'll need to come up with a process. This will be my recipe for success.

   My steps will be as follows:
• Current Step                • Completed Step

01. Pre-Pre-Planning- Everything on this page.
02. Initial Concept- This includes alternatives and variations.
03. Treatment, or One Pager-This is the information found in the summary section.
04. High Concept- Since I don't have investors to answer to, I can skip this step.
05. Design Document- EVERYTHING about the proposed game will go in here, although revisions and cuts will be necessary.

   At this point, I will focus on pre-production.
06. Screenplay- Without this, there's no story, but I also won't know what I need in order to turn this idea into a working game.
07. Materials List- From the screenplay, I'll put together a list of assets that will be needed. These lists will include the following:
     • The actors, roles, sets (maps), and props (both visual and informational).
     • Music & sound effects that will be needed.
     • 3D models, animations, textures, and other graphics.
     • Scripts and database information.

   Once all my needs are figured out, I can set about filling those needs. Production time!
08. Graphic Bible- This will define the look of the game. Style sheets, color schemes, map designs, menu design, background art, and storyboards for any Full Motion Videos (FMVs).
09. 3D Modeling- The sets, FMV elements, even the in-game animations and visual effects.
10. Spriting- The characters, props and lighting effects. At this time the menu elements will also be created.
11. Coding- Putting it all together in the game engine.
     • Database
     • Mapping
     • Events
     • Scripting
12. System Testing- This will be done as often as possible, in tandem with the coding stage. While testing, I'll keep a list of issues and later, prioritize them. After each fix, I'll test it again!
13. Audio Mixing- Once the storyline, game mechanics and pacing are defined, I'll edit, then plug in the various music and sound effects. After that, more system tests!
14. FMV- At this point, the Full Motion Videos (if any) will be modeled, rendered, and plugged into the engine. Can you say, "system tests?"
15. Quality Assurance Testing- This will be for aesthetics, not coding issues. All the system tests should have caught any programming errors.
16. Play Testing- The total gaming experience is checked at this point. Time to find some Guinea Pigs. The big question here is, "Does the end result follow the plan laid out in the design document?"
17. Release- The completed game, ready to upload. Time to sit back and bask in the accolades, or be buried under a mountain of scorn.

   One of my biggest resources is going to be time. There’s no payroll or licensing involved, so money’s not going to be an issue. Due to school and other tasks, I plan to limit myself to about one hour on research and one hour on development, per day. I have no idea how long this will take; this is my first serious project, so I’ll set my deadline to two years from now. I’ll assess my progress every couple of weeks and change it if I need to.


Note: The following documents were used for research.
1. Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition
    Andrew Rollings and Dave Morris
2. Game Production Breakdown
    Designed for The Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s Game Production Team course: GAD421
    http://www.gabesabourin.com/teaching/resources/readings/