Custom steps to planning your game.

Now A-Days, people tend to go right into game making with no plan but, a idea to work off of in your mind that is not well planed and wont help. Today people somtimes will just skip the planning process and try to make a game along the way. Here are some custom steps I take in planning my games.


Step1-Planning-what type of game will it be.
Step2-Story-Boarding/Storyline.
Step3-Game play and concept.
Step4-Wat kind of graphics, what kind of scripting will be used and music.
Step5-Title.Discuss Ideas,and what sounds right, and appealing.
Step6-Talk about how you will promote your game.

Examples for each step---

Step1-FPS,RPG,ORPG,ect: or differnt styled games such as Diner Dash,ect.
Step2-What are key events in the game,how does it proceed,Cause&Effect.
Step3-Where does the game take place,Will you be good or evil,players,ect.
Step4-2D,3D,Custom or made,Java,C++,GML,ect,BG Music,Sound effects.
Step5-Title names.What will sound appealing and fit the game.
Step6-Banners,Search Engines,Sites,Forums,ect

Some important notes:

Step2 and Step3 can be switched if you would like to


You should concentrate on making and perfecting your game untill Beta, and once in Beta you can promote.

very good idea people do generally rush in and try to make one with no plan. not talking about me, of course.... :P

XD thanks ^^

I actually go with a completly different stategy. I get the programming done creating the frame work until I have something compilable. Then you show that off and get your team.:D

When you have a show-off program, more member's will consider joining.

For example:

BOB posts this:

i make mmorpg now i know c++. i need people. i need programmers, artists, people, blah blah blah.


and JOHN posts this:

I'm making an MMORPG based on a medieval world. There will be several classes involved such as wizards, knights, stuff like that. MUCH more info would be at our website at website.com. I know this is a short post but here are some screenies. My MSN is john@johnsprovider.com.

[COOL SCREENSHOTS]

Then people will go, "AWESOME! I want to join!"

I didnt really consider since I dont hire teams....i do it by meself or with my friend.

I plan things out as I go along. I can't stand having pages and pages of plans and then just the building is left...

you cant just plan as you go!! thats what i thought!! ive been reading a book on game level design and in the first 4 chapers it talks about planing EVERYTHING and how to document! it talks about tons and tons of concepts thought into making a game(and levels). i HIGHLY recommend getting that book! its called beginning game level design by john feil and marc scattergood. this is like a book of gold.

Yes this is why I made this to show people the light of planning 0_0. So in other words too, its good that I made this? And Sosaitails if thats the book i think your talkin about it pwns ;) Although it was huge and alot of money for me :(

Ya right, half of this looks like a rewritten and shorten version of the simple points that you understand, taken from my original post.

Everything that I did include, along with the guide, covers the gameplay/art/sound features and ideas alone. When it comes to programming the actual engine you have to break down every part of the game into sections. When doing this, I find its good to design each source file/module and list the functions and classes you may declare before writing the rest of the design, along with each element of the game you want to code(surfaces, sound, backgrounds, collision detection, player input related programming, ECT). So you start with the basics and add in the essentials by linking files that get more complicated as you progress through each stage of development for your game engine.

That’s the real blueprints of the game, this is why if you are not coding the engine you'll need someone who has some programming experience to help design that aspect of the game. Otherwise the programmer has little to go with and has to do more work figuring out the layout of the game and how everything is going to come together.

Whether you're writing this in order to present it to a team, or for your own personal reference, all of these are important points in process of writing the design document. Saying you only need one for a team project is unrealistic and very untrue, writing everything down before you do it helps keep yourself organized in any situation, not just game development/programming.

-PB

@ cj... i dont think your thinking of the book. mine is only 230 pages and $30.

Ya right, half of this looks like a rewritten and shorten version of the simple points that you understand, taken from my original post.

Everything that I did include, along with the guide, covers the gameplay/art/sound features and ideas alone. When it comes to programming the actual engine you have to break down every part of the game into sections. When doing this, I find its good to design each source file/module and list the functions and classes you may declare before writing the rest of the design, along with each element of the game you want to code(surfaces, sound, backgrounds, collision detection, player input related programming, ECT). So you start with the basics and add in the essentials by linking files that get more complicated as you progress through each stage of development for your game engine.

That’s the real blueprints of the game, this is why if you are not coding the engine you'll need someone who has some programming experience to help design that aspect of the game. Otherwise the programmer has little to go with and has to do more work figuring out the layout of the game and how everything is going to come together.

Whether you're writing this in order to present it to a team, or for your own personal reference, all of these are important points in process of writing the design document. Saying you only need one for a team project is unrealistic and very untrue, writing everything down before you do it helps keep yourself organized in any situation, not just game development/programming.

-PB

Wow.......i have 3 things to say.
1.I WOULD NEVER STEAL SOMEONES WORK!
2.I never even knew you had a post on this and me and my friend came up with this.
3.I respect you and your work cause I know what you can do. And i respect all work.
---I DONT STEAL! And before accusing someone of stealing get your facts right---

Original Post On The Subject - By PB (http://www.onrpg.com/boards/starting-project-read-design-documentation-essentials-16044)

Okay, lets say it was just chance, but on the other hand why is that you say you have never read it when you were the last person to respond to the topic?

I'm over the whole ordeal, but if you want to make sure your claim to innocence is not questionable make sure you acknowledge what you have or haven’t seen/read/responded to with all honesty.

-PB

Oh i forgot about that post XD but i never even clicked on the link, and in the post I made I said I had my own copy i made up on the computer too. Did you read that comment? Sorry for the confusion too, and with all honesty no I did not even see what you made.

Yeah Cj Shadows i think it was a great idea for us to to do that. I think california rush cop encounter will come out great.

Hey Kev good to see you found this. Go on AIM.