Game Design Document Template
-
Upload
mikepro0206 -
Category
Documents
-
view
117 -
download
4
description
Transcript of Game Design Document Template
Uncharted Worlds© MN Studios
v1.0, Mike Carrasco, 01/23/1313
Table of Contents1. Design History.......................................................................................................................................62. Section I – Game Overview...................................................................................................................7
2.1 Game Concept...............................................................................................................................7 2.2 Feature Set.....................................................................................................................................7 2.3 Genre.............................................................................................................................................7 2.4 Target Audience.............................................................................................................................7 2.5 Game Flow Summary....................................................................................................................7 2.6 Look and Feel................................................................................................................................7 2.7 Project Scope.................................................................................................................................7
2.7.1 Number of locations..............................................................................................................7 2.7.2 Number of levels....................................................................................................................7 2.7.3 Number of NPC's...................................................................................................................7 2.7.4 Number of weapons...............................................................................................................7 2.7.5 Etc..........................................................................................................................................7
3. Section II – Gameplay and Mechanics...................................................................................................7 3.1 Gameplay.......................................................................................................................................7
3.1.1 Game Progression..................................................................................................................7 3.1.2 Mission/challenge Structure..................................................................................................7 3.1.3 Puzzle Structure.....................................................................................................................7 3.1.4 Objectives..............................................................................................................................8 3.1.5 Play Flow...............................................................................................................................8
3.2 Mechanics......................................................................................................................................8 3.2.1 Physics...................................................................................................................................8 3.2.2 Movement..............................................................................................................................8
3.2.2.1 General Movement.........................................................................................................8 3.2.2.2 Other Movement............................................................................................................8
3.2.3 Objects...................................................................................................................................8 3.2.3.1 Picking Up Objects........................................................................................................8 3.2.3.2 Moving Objects..............................................................................................................8
3.2.4 Actions...................................................................................................................................8 3.2.4.1 Switches and Buttons.....................................................................................................8 3.2.4.2 Picking Up, Carrying and Dropping..............................................................................8 3.2.4.3 Talking...........................................................................................................................8 3.2.4.4 Reading..........................................................................................................................8
3.2.5 Combat...................................................................................................................................8 3.2.6 Economy................................................................................................................................8
3.3 Screen Flow...................................................................................................................................8 3.3.1 Screen Flow Chart.................................................................................................................8 3.3.2 Screen Descriptions...............................................................................................................9
3.3.2.1 Main Menu Screen.........................................................................................................9 3.3.2.2 Options Screen...............................................................................................................9 3.3.2.3 Etc..................................................................................................................................9
3.4 Game Options................................................................................................................................9 3.5 Replaying and Saving....................................................................................................................9 3.6 Cheats and Easter Eggs.................................................................................................................9
4. Section III – Story, Setting and Character............................................................................................10
4.1 Story and Narrative.....................................................................................................................10 4.1.1 Back story............................................................................................................................10 4.1.2 Plot Elements.......................................................................................................................10 4.1.3 Game Progression................................................................................................................10 4.1.4 License Considerations........................................................................................................10 4.1.5 Cut Scenes...........................................................................................................................10
4.1.5.1 Cut scene #1.................................................................................................................10 4.1.5.1.1 Actors...................................................................................................................10 4.1.5.1.2 Description...........................................................................................................10 4.1.5.1.3 Storyboard............................................................................................................10 4.1.5.1.4 Script....................................................................................................................10
4.1.5.2 Cut scene #2.................................................................................................................10 4.1.5.3 etc.................................................................................................................................10
4.2 Game World.................................................................................................................................10 4.2.1 General look and feel of world............................................................................................10 4.2.2 Area #1.................................................................................................................................10
4.2.2.1 General Description.....................................................................................................10 4.2.2.2 Physical Characteristics...............................................................................................10 4.2.2.3 Levels that use area......................................................................................................10 4.2.2.4 Connections to other ares.............................................................................................11
4.2.3 Area #2.................................................................................................................................11 4.2.3.1 Etc................................................................................................................................11
4.3 Characters....................................................................................................................................11 4.3.1 Character #1.........................................................................................................................11
4.3.1.1 Back story....................................................................................................................11 4.3.1.2 Personality....................................................................................................................11 4.3.1.3 Look.............................................................................................................................11
4.3.1.3.1 Physical characteristics.........................................................................................11 4.3.1.3.2 Animations............................................................................................................11 4.3.1.3.3 Special Abilities....................................................................................................11 4.3.1.3.4 Relevance to game story.......................................................................................11 4.3.1.3.5 Relationship to other characters...........................................................................11 4.3.1.3.6 Statistics................................................................................................................11
4.3.2 Character #2.........................................................................................................................11 4.3.3 Etc........................................................................................................................................11
5. Section IV – Levels..............................................................................................................................12 5.1 Level #1.......................................................................................................................................12
5.1.1 Synopsis...............................................................................................................................12 5.1.2 Introductory Material...........................................................................................................12 5.1.3 Objectives............................................................................................................................12 5.1.4 Physical Description............................................................................................................12 5.1.5 Map......................................................................................................................................12 5.1.6 Critical Path.........................................................................................................................12 5.1.7 Encounters...........................................................................................................................12 5.1.8 Level Walkthrough..............................................................................................................12 5.1.9 Closing Material..................................................................................................................12
5.2 Level #2.......................................................................................................................................12 5.3 etc................................................................................................................................................12 5.4 Training Level.............................................................................................................................12
6. Section V – Interface............................................................................................................................13 6.1 Visual System..............................................................................................................................13
6.1.1 HUD.....................................................................................................................................13 6.1.2 Menus..................................................................................................................................13 6.1.3 Rendering System................................................................................................................13 6.1.4 Camera.................................................................................................................................13 6.1.5 Lighting Models..................................................................................................................13
6.2 Control System............................................................................................................................13 6.3 Audio...........................................................................................................................................13 6.4 Music...........................................................................................................................................13 6.5 Sound Effects...............................................................................................................................13 6.6 Help System................................................................................................................................13
7. Section VI – Artificial Interface...........................................................................................................14 7.1 Opponent AI................................................................................................................................14 7.2 Enemy AI.....................................................................................................................................14 7.3 Non-combat Character................................................................................................................14 7.4 Friendly Characters.....................................................................................................................14 7.5 Support AI...................................................................................................................................14
7.5.1 Player and Collision Detection............................................................................................14 7.5.2 Pathfinding...........................................................................................................................14
8. Section VII – Technical........................................................................................................................15 8.1 Target Hardware..........................................................................................................................15 8.2 Development hardware and software..........................................................................................15 8.3 Development procedures and standards......................................................................................15 8.4 Game Engine...............................................................................................................................15 8.5 Network.......................................................................................................................................15 8.6 Scripting Language......................................................................................................................15 8.7 etc................................................................................................................................................15
9. Section VIII – Game Art......................................................................................................................16 9.1 Concept Art..................................................................................................................................16 9.2 Style Guides................................................................................................................................16 9.3 Characters....................................................................................................................................16 9.4 Environments...............................................................................................................................16 9.5 Equipment...................................................................................................................................16 9.6 Cut scenes....................................................................................................................................16 9.7 Miscellaneous..............................................................................................................................16
10. Section IX – Secondary Software......................................................................................................17 10.1 Editor.........................................................................................................................................17 10.2 Installer......................................................................................................................................17 10.3 Update software.........................................................................................................................17
11. Section X – Management...................................................................................................................18 11.1 Detailed Schedule......................................................................................................................18 11.2 Budget........................................................................................................................................18 11.3 Risk Analysis.............................................................................................................................18 11.4 Localization Plan.......................................................................................................................18 11.5 Test Plan....................................................................................................................................18
12. Appendices.........................................................................................................................................19 12.1 Asset List...................................................................................................................................19
12.1.1 Art......................................................................................................................................19
12.1.1.1 Model and Texture List..............................................................................................19 12.1.1.2 Animation List...........................................................................................................19 12.1.1.3 Effects List.................................................................................................................19 12.1.1.4 Interface Art List........................................................................................................19 12.1.1.5 Cut scene List.............................................................................................................19
12.1.2 Sound.................................................................................................................................19 12.1.2.1 Environmental Sounds...............................................................................................19 12.1.2.2 Weapon Sounds..........................................................................................................19 12.1.2.3 Interface Sounds.........................................................................................................19
12.1.3 Music.................................................................................................................................19 12.1.3.1 Ambient......................................................................................................................19 12.1.3.2 Action.........................................................................................................................19 12.1.3.3 Victory........................................................................................................................19 12.1.3.4 Defeat.........................................................................................................................19
12.1.4 Voice..................................................................................................................................19 12.1.4.1 Actor #1 lines.............................................................................................................19 12.1.4.2 Actor #2 lines.............................................................................................................19 12.1.4.3 Etc..............................................................................................................................19
1. Design HistoryThis is the first version of the document.doc design document.
2. Section I – Game Overview
2.1 Game Concept
2.2 Feature Set
2.3 Genre
2.4 Target Audience
2.5 Game Flow Summary
How does the player move through the game? Both through framing interface and the game itself.
2.6 Look and Feel
What is the basic look and feel of the game? What is the visual style?
2.7 Project Scope
2.7.1 Number of locations
2.7.2 Number of levels
2.7.3 Number of NPC's
2.7.4 Number of weapons
2.7.5 Etc.
3. Section II – Gameplay and Mechanics
3.1 Gameplay
3.1.1 Game Progression
3.1.2 Mission/challenge Structure
3.1.3 Puzzle Structure
3.1.4 Objectives
3.1.5 Play Flow
3.2 Mechanics
3.2.1 Physics
3.2.2 Movement
3.2.2.1 General Movement
3.2.2.2 Other Movement
3.2.3 Objects
3.2.3.1 Picking Up Objects
3.2.3.2 Moving Objects
3.2.4 Actions
3.2.4.1 Switches and Buttons
3.2.4.2 Picking Up, Carrying and Dropping
3.2.4.3 Talking
3.2.4.4 Reading
3.2.5 Combat
If there is combat or even conflict, how is this specifically modeled?
3.2.6 Economy
What is the economy of the game? How does it work?
3.3 Screen Flow
3.3.1 Screen Flow Chart
A graphical description of how each screen is related to every other
3.3.2 Screen Descriptions
3.3.2.1 Main Menu Screen
3.3.2.2 Options Screen
3.3.2.3 Etc.
3.4 Game Options
What are the options and how do they affect game play and mechanics?
3.5 Replaying and Saving
3.6 Cheats and Easter Eggs
4. Section III – Story, Setting and Character
4.1 Story and Narrative
4.1.1 Back story
4.1.2 Plot Elements
4.1.3 Game Progression
4.1.4 License Considerations
4.1.5 Cut Scenes
4.1.5.1 Cut scene #1
4.1.5.1.1 Actors
4.1.5.1.2 Description
4.1.5.1.3 Storyboard
4.1.5.1.4 Script
4.1.5.2 Cut scene #2
4.1.5.3 etc.
4.2 Game World
4.2.1 General look and feel of world
4.2.2 Area #1
4.2.2.1 General Description
4.2.2.2 Physical Characteristics
4.2.2.3 Levels that use area
4.2.2.4 Connections to other ares
4.2.3 Area #2
4.2.3.1 Etc.
4.3 Characters
4.3.1 Character #1
4.3.1.1 Back story
4.3.1.2 Personality
4.3.1.3 Look
4.3.1.3.1 Physical characteristics
4.3.1.3.2 Animations
4.3.1.3.3 Special Abilities
4.3.1.3.4 Relevance to game story
4.3.1.3.5 Relationship to other characters
4.3.1.3.6 Statistics
4.3.2 Character #2
4.3.3 Etc
5. Section IV – Levels
5.1 Level #1
5.1.1 Synopsis
5.1.2 Introductory Material
5.1.3 Objectives
5.1.4 Physical Description
5.1.5 Map
5.1.6 Critical Path
5.1.7 Encounters
5.1.8 Level Walkthrough
5.1.9 Closing Material
5.2 Level #2
5.3 etc.
5.4 Training Level
6. Section V – Interface
6.1 Visual System
6.1.1 HUD
6.1.2 Menus
6.1.3 Rendering System
6.1.4 Camera
6.1.5 Lighting Models
6.2 Control System
How does the game player control the game? What are the specific commands?
6.3 Audio
6.4 Music
6.5 Sound Effects
6.6 Help System
7. Section VI – Artificial Interface
7.1 Opponent AI
The active opponent that plays against the game player and therefore requires strategic decision making (example, Civilization or Chess, how is it to be designed?
7.2 Enemy AI
7.3 Non-combat Character
7.4 Friendly Characters
7.5 Support AI
7.5.1 Player and Collision Detection
7.5.2 Pathfinding
8. Section VII – Technical
8.1 Target Hardware
8.2 Development hardware and software
8.3 Development procedures and standards
8.4 Game Engine
8.5 Network
8.6 Scripting Language
8.7 etc.
9. Section VIII – Game Art
9.1 Concept Art
9.2 Style Guides
9.3 Characters
9.4 Environments
9.5 Equipment
9.6 Cut scenes
9.7 Miscellaneous
10. Section IX – Secondary Software
10.1 Editor
10.2 Installer
10.3 Update software
11. Section X – Management
11.1 Detailed Schedule
11.2 Budget
11.3 Risk Analysis
11.4 Localization Plan
11.5 Test Plan
12. Appendices
12.1 Asset List
12.1.1 Art
12.1.1.1 Model and Texture List
12.1.1.2 Animation List
12.1.1.3 Effects List
12.1.1.4 Interface Art List
12.1.1.5 Cut scene List
12.1.2 Sound
12.1.2.1 Environmental Sounds
12.1.2.2 Weapon Sounds
12.1.2.3 Interface Sounds
12.1.3 Music
12.1.3.1 Ambient
12.1.3.2 Action
12.1.3.3 Victory
12.1.3.4 Defeat
12.1.4 Voice
12.1.4.1 Actor #1 lines
12.1.4.2 Actor #2 lines
12.1.4.3 Etc.