“The best way to learn games is to play games. The best way to make games is to work.” – Alan Emrich
Your Graded Course Project Game:
1. Continue to work on your Course Project Game according to your Project Plan. You should have a rough but feature-complete Alpha version to show the instructor in class next week.
2. You must bring in your updated Project Plan to class next week, when you and I will again discuss your project game and plan and I will again grade it (for up to 2 points).
Sample Final Game Project Plans
3. Create and bring to class next week a draft version of your Game Design Document (GDD) for your Course Project Game (approximately 6 to 10 pages, including the Cover Page). You and I will also be discussing your game’s Design Doc and I will grade it (for up to 8 points).
The Law of Documentation Temporality: Game Design Docs are written to be used on two different occasions - when first read/learned, when contacted again later/referenced. Therefore, rules must be: 1) written to be easily read / learned the first time through and then 2) easily referenced during the heat of battle.
Begin with a 'Cover Page’ (as described in your Advanced Game Prototyping Week 8 Review Sheet)
Then write the Introduction section:
An Executive Summary page (i.e., an alternate version of the game’s Inception Document that is explained in your Game Prototyping Week 9 Review Sheet)
A Version History, Table of Contents, and (if necessary) Glossary page
The game’s Concept Overview and (optionally) a bit of the game’s Story to set the mood.
Then write the Rules section (3+ pages):
A high-level look at the game: it’s Sequence of Events (Game Design and Gameplay Week 4), game control interface diagram, flowchart of screen and level navigation, screen shot of the main play view
Actual game rules in Sequence of Play / Events order using the Case System (Gameplay and Game Design Week 5)
Explain the game rules from its Core Gameplay outward (i.e., the player’s interactions with the game’s environments) by describing the Player Experience (i.e., the game’s functionality) as well as how that rule will be Implemented (the 1945 Tutorial document does this in a nice, succinct way)
Show sample avatars, items, vehicles, and terrain (using illustrations and brief descriptions)
Cover the Setup, Victory Conditions, and Intermediate Goals
Lay out the game’s structure describing the progression of challenges (from Tutorial to Final Boss Monster)
Next is the elaboration of the Story and Plot section (this will probably run about 1 page)
Finally, you may need a Support Page with tables, diagrams and flowcharts that are so big they would disrupt the flow of the document; appendices and credits. This is where you might also add Designer’s Notes (explaining how and why you made things the way they are in the game), Playtesters Notes (how to play the game better), and suggestions for additional modifications, expansions, or sequels to this game.
Judgment questions: What is the page length of the design doc (less is more)? How clear is it? How complete is it? Is it readable and well organized?
Samples: Student Project Game Design Documents by various authors
This .zip file contains some excellent sample Game Design Documents created by students for their final projects. You would do well to emulate them.
Exam #4 is next week:
Next week features the fourth exam. It is worth up to 15 points and covers all of the material in this course to date, from Weeks 5 through 8 (including the required reading sections for those weeks on this web site) and Chapter 9 plus the CD-ROM in the Game Development Essentials textbook.
Course Textbook, Game Development Essentials: An Introduction
CD-ROM: Design Documentation / Sub Hunter Design. Look at this Game Design Document and bring a printed copy of it to class next week (it’s only 7 pages long). If you keep your Review Sheets in a three-ring binder, add this GDD to it.
