This week and yet tomorrow I’ll be engaged in the extreme enterprise of being a substitute teacher. I’d be at fault claiming it has been as awful as my worst nightmares, but on Monday I had to be up at six, find necessary places, drag a load of math from the bottom of my brain and so on. Today everything went smoother.
The waking-up-at-six -part alone has kept me from updating a certain design document.
… to make room for new ones.
Not so long ago, I was asked to deliver a level-design for an imaginary computer game as a work example to a Game designer position. Suprisingly I didn’t get the position for lack of experience, what I did get was a rather nifty idea to be used in mystery or problem-solving games or anywhere you deduction would be part of the game. I’m describing it in this entry and if anyone sees any value in it or might use it in their own games, it would be nice to be told about it or credited in somehow. (more…)
I have been updating the documentation. My intention is not to mention every little update here, instead I try and maintain that information on the documentation itself.
So far so good, I haven’t ran into what-now’s or dead ends. My intention is to underdesign the game concerning elements that can be added later e.g. different enemy ships. Of course I have to address this need in the design and subsequently in the technical realization.
Ok, I promise that this is the last post for today on this subject, I saw the need to revise my document one way still. See if you can spot the difference. Spotting the looney is much too easy around here…
0. Structure, Purpose and Scope of This Document
1. Abstract
2. a.) Free form Explanation of Nokkapokka
b.) Free form Explanation of Kärhämät
c.) Free form Explanation of Vihollisuudet
3. a.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Nokkapokka
b.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Kärhämät
c.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Vihollisuudet
4. a.) Game algorithms and game objects in Nokkapokka
b.) Game algorithms and game objects in Kärhämät
c.) Game algorithms and game objects in Vihollisuudet
5. Audiovisual Overview
a.) Suggestions for the look, sound and feel of the game
b.) User interface
6. Metastuff, some reflection on the process, open problems, other notes
Appendices
-Licences
-Analysis of the gameplay
-Feedback and history
I revised the form of my design document, taking in consideration what has been said earlier. And I notice I will have trouble swallowing. The index should look something like the following:
0. Structure, Purpose and Scope of This Document
1. Abstract
2. a.) Free form Explanation of Nokkapokka
b.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Nokkapokka
c.) Game algorithms and game objects in Nokkapokka
3. a.) Free form Explanation of Kärhämät
b.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Kärhämät
c.) Game algorithms and game objects in Kärhämät
4. a.) Free form Explanation of Vihollisuudet
b.) Description of game mechanics and elements in Vihollisuudet
c.) Game algorithms and game objects in Vihollisuudet
5. Audiovisual Overview
a.) Suggestions for the look, sound and feel of the game
b.) User interface
6. Metastuff, some reflection on the process, open problems, other notes
Appendices
-Licences
-Analysis of the gameplay
-Feedback and history
The whole idea of game design is to outsource the content of your mind so that other people can understand and follow what is it that you want to present. As with any kind of human interaction this poses a mountain of problems but I wont get to them here.
This beforementioned practical aim dictates in part the scope, shape and the content of the game design document. Not having got any look at professional design document templates I have one idea to guide me in shaping the design document for The Apprentice. My document will progress in increasing order of abstraction. The document begins with what is most apparent for the player and progresses toward the technical execution of the game. From quite a freeform explanation of the player sees, hears and interacts with to pseudo-code and descriptions and lists of the game objects. So, the index might look something like the following:
1. (Metastuff)
2. a.) Free form explanation of Nokkapokka (in the order of a thorough game review)
b.) Description of game mechanics and elements
c.) Game algorithms and game objects
3-4. (same for Kärhämät and Vihollisuudet)
5.-n.) (more metastuff, some reflection on the process, open problems, other notes)
+ possible Appendices
A good way to get things started is to slice it up in smaller pieces and making yourself more manageable (let alone understandable) workload.
As described earlier I have divided my game design project (The Apprentice) in to three parts, each being a subset of that before it. These slices are codenamed: “Nokkapokka”, “Kärhämät” and “Vihollisuudet”. Starting next Monday 13. August I will begin a two week stint to flesh out the design for Nokkapokka. Another two weeks from that will be allocated for Kärhämät. Perhaps surprisingly the next two weeks are allocated for Vihollisuudet. After this six weeks another two week period will be allowed for outside comments (none are expected). After this 8 weeks Nokkapokka goes code.
So the timetable so far will look something like this:
Success of this plan is not expected. Failure, however, will be met with resolve. Note also that the 4. stage is actually redundant, the document and the whole project are open for any comments at any time. Any comments? You know what to do!
To a slight disappointment of mine, this years Assembly was a bit of let-down. There were only a few very interesting seminars, no jaw-dropping demos, the oldskool area was space-free and noisy. Not to mention I didn’t manage to produce anything to put on stage myself. I will seriously consider attendind Assembly ‘08.
Scraping up and packing in is what is in store for the last day of Assembly. You have a few more compos, such as currently running Guitar Hero finals, but otherwise is just waiting for the 2nd prize ceremony and closing ceremony.
Sleeping high in the grand stand in the Hartwall Areena has always been an integral part of Assembly for me. This time the last night was the best, as usual. The white noise of hundreds of PC’s down below is effectively silence when you apply ear plugs. Nobody knows where you are, so even if you had a hit killer after you, you probably would be safe.
This Assembly has matured enough to cast a kind of impression on it. The oldskool area where I’m located is crowded and situated in the grand stand, leaving us VIP’s among the commoners. It is also noisy as hell, which begins to eat you slowly. I’m also beginning to feel increasingly anachronistic in here (the average age is allegedly 17) and I’m also slightly annoyed that I haven’t managed to bring anything to the party myself. I am contemplating if this would be my final Assembly.
Today I’ve so far attended two interesting seminars from Finnish Game industry veterans, and there aren’t that many of those around. Jani Penttinen had been around the globe and is currently in China. Aki Raula is working at a new Finnish Game start-up Recoil games. He stunned me with confessing that he had played NetHack only twice in his life. And he works as a Game designer! There really ought to be a lawa against dangerous omissions like that in once gaming experience.
Energia (people behind Star Wreck: The Pirkinning) was present teasing us about Iron Sky. I bought a relevant baseball cab from Torssonen with the word ‘Raumsturmführer’ which I think sounds cool.
There are the most interesting compos (64k and Demo) still coming up, so I hope to see some ‘wow’ing there. Short film compo has managed to amuse me with silliness earlier. I wonder what movies will be the subject of pastiches this year.
Oh, and I almost landed on a picture taken by the token Finnish Geek, Petteri Järvinen.