GAME DOCUMENTSSession 2

David Mullich

Concept Workshop - Game PreProduction

The Los Angeles Film School

Core Pre-Production Team

Producer Lead Designer Lead Programmer Lead Artist

Game Documentation

The game documentation is the bible from which the producer preaches the game’s goals, through which the designers champion their ideas, and from which the artists and programmers get their instructions and express their expertise.

Game Documentation

The purpose of game documentation is to:

Express the game’s vision Describe the game’s contents Present a plan for implementation

Game Documentation

The three principal documents:

Game Design Document (GDD) Technical Design Document (TDD) Art Document

Game Documentation

In broad terms, the purpose of documentation is to communicate the vision in sufficient detail to implement it.

It removes the awkwardness of programmers, designers and artists coming to the producers and designers and asking what they should be doing.

It keeps the team from programming or animating in a box, with no knowledge of how or if their work is applicable or integrates with the work of others.

Thus it reduces wasted efforts and confusion.

Game Documentation

Documentation does not remove the need for design meetings.

Getting people into a room or similarly getting everyone's opinion on an idea or a plan before it's fully documented is often a faster way of reaching a consensus on what's right for the game.

Design documents merely express the consensus, flesh out the ideas, and eliminate the vagueness.

They themselves are discussion pieces. Though they strive to cement ideas and plans, they are not carved in stone. By commenting on them and editing them, people can exchange ideas more clearly. 

Game Design Document (GDD)

The lead designer is the principle author of all the game design document.

To a programmer and artist, it is the instructions for implementation.

However, design documentation should be a team effort, because almost everyone on the team plays games and can make great contributions to the design.

Game Design Document (GDD)

The GDD addresses: User Interface Control Scheme Game Mechanics Storyline etc.

Game Design Document (GDD)

Game features may be ranked as follows: Tier One: The core features of the game Tier Two: Adds value to the core features Tier Three: Designates what would be nice

to have inside the game

Game Design Document (GDD)

Tips for a good GDD: Describe Not Just the Body, but the Soul: Take time to

describe the feel that the game should have, the purpose behind each element, the experience each user will have, and any other aspects of the game's soul you can envision and describe.

Make it Readable: Plenty of white space, bold headers, short lines of text, direct the eye towards important material.

Prioritize: Categorize your game elements as: indispensable, important, if possible, rejected

Game Design Document (GDD)

More tips for a good GDD: Get Into The Details: A document without details is useless.

Generalities can be interpreted by anybody in any way that they like. Some Things Must Be Demonstrated: Sometimes a few rough

sketches are enough, but if the idea is truly important to your concept of the project, you may want to make a rough animation yourself. 

Not Just "What" But "How": In the real world, the "how" determines the "what." For example, suppose you've opted for claymation. Work out the process of how the images will be captured and document everything. What material and what color should the backdrop be? What camera should be used and why? What are the steps for processing the captured frames?

Game Design Document (GDD)

Even more tips for a good GDD: Provide Alternatives: There are too many things about game

development that are unknowable at the beginning.  Give the development team some options about what to do.

Give It A Life: No matter how good something looks on paper, the greatest expert still modifies things when it enters the concrete world of objective perception. 

Include a Table of Contents, Headings, Page Numbering: Nobody should be able to say, "I did it that way because I couldn't find any reference to it in the document."

Deliver It in Good Condition: Do whatever you can to facilitate everyone actually reading and using the thing. 

Technical Design Document (TDD)

The TDD describes the plan for creating the game

While the GDD provides the “what”, the TDD provides the “how”

The TDD is written by the Lead Programmer, with input from the Lead Designer and Lead Artist

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Project Overview

Project Summary: The "Elevator Pitch" Technical Summary: What engine and other software

is being used to create the game; how long it will take to make it; what platforms it will run on.

Target Minimum System Requirements: What configuration the end user will need to run the game.

Technical Risks Third Party Tools

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Hardware and Software

2D Software 3D Software Sound Software Programming Development Platforms

Engineering DevelopmentContent Development

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Evaluation Engine Platform

Gameplay Physics Collisions AI Multiplayer

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Code Overview Main Game Loop Comments Naming Conventions Coding guidelines Source Control Memory Map

Video MemorySource Memory

Technical Design Document (TDD)

File Formats 2D 3D Audio

User Interface Menus Controls

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Guidelines Don't write a Victorian novel: Use bullet points and

tables, and keep sentences short.  The object is to describe the technical design as concisely and precisely as possible.

When documenting object-oriented designs, make sure readers can quickly find and grasp each class' name, responsibility, and relationships to other classes

A picture is worth a thousand words: use diagrams.  Keep them simple (use them to give the picture picture) and make it easy on yourself.

Art Document

The Art Document is written by the Lead Artist and addresses: Style Guide Asset Lists  Tool Instructions

And Don’t Forget…

Each of the three documents should have: Game Title Author Name Version Number Date Created Date of Last Update

The Pre-Production Problem

Extra Credits: The Pre-Production Problem

Answer these questions: Who is on the core production team? What 3 documents are written during

preproduction and which team member is responsible for each?

What does it mean to “describe not just the body, but the soul” of a game?

What is The Pre-Production problem and what does Extra Credits recommend as the solution?