^ Task: Game Design Document

Definition

Each team will assemble a web page or pages on the course wiki to address the requirements listed below.

Design documents should be detailed but remain focused on the what, saving the how for the prototyping phase.

The document should elaborate on the questions answered in the Game Proposal, and supplement with concept art, scene illustrations, sample level diagrams, music charts and any other visuals appropriate to the design of the game.

Every person on the team is responsible for the requirements in their area of expertise (art, music, code), and must work collaboratively on the general requirements and overall readability with the entire team.

Keep the site simple and as portable as possible (feel free to link to images in your ACCAD account space, just be sure to turn them in at the end of the quarter).

Requirements

General

• Game Concept
  • What is the essence of the game?
  • Who / what are the characters? What do they do?
  • Where does the game take place? Why?

• Game Mechanics
  • How does the user interact with the game? With other players?
  • Are there non-player characters? What is their behavior?
  • What other game entities exist? What is their purpose?
  • How would a typical game progress from beginning to end? Show a flow diagram.

• Game Purpose
  • What will the user experience during the game?
  • Why will a user want to play the game? Why keep playing?
  • What does the user take away form the game?

Art

• User Interface
  • Create a wireframe flowchart of all the screens the user may encounter
  • What are the UI widgets that will be needed in the game, and what do they look like?
  • Create rough mock ups of each of the screens, indicating UI widgets where needed
  • Create sketch profiles of each of the game entities
• Characters / Game Entities
  • Create sketch profiles of each of the game entities and the important poses and costumes they can assume
• Environment
  • Provide style references for overall mood, technique, palettes
  • Provide background and environment references—illustrations or found imagery

Music

• User Interface
  • What are the UI cues that will be needed in the game, and what do they sound like?
  • Provide background music treatments for all the screens the user may encounter
• Characters / Game Entities
  • What sounds do the game entities and their accessories make?
• Environment
  • Provide cinematic background and environment samples
  • Provide situational treatments (discovery, danger, combat, etc.)

Grading Criteria