Design Document Overview

Today was a lecture on how design documents are made, we looked at some other documents from large titles and other students work from previous ideas.

Potential headings and things to consider within the document

• Overview (of the game)
• Narrative (story line, other narrative quirks)
• Characters (protagonist, NPC's, enemy's, antagonists)
• Game play mechanics (play style genre)
• Controls/platform (specific controls, platforms and technology available through platform)
• Levels (How they are laid out, level design, other quirks)
• Art style (Specific color scheme or art style within game)
• Music and audio (Ambiance, music and sound effects)

Other aspects to look into

• Game World (maps, levels, culture)
• Game progression
• Character progression
• mini games
• Weapons, items, abilities, vehicles
• Community in game
• Currency
• Other similar games

Ways to show our work 

• Storyboards
• Mood boards
• Diagrams
• Anamatics
• Concept art
• Progression

Notes

• When mood boarding make different mood boards on characters, environments. ets.
• When level designing start work at block out stage to help gather a sense of depth to the level
• Use as much artwork as possible. (picture speaks 1000 words)
• Mock up images of 3D level layouts with artwork over it
• Story board of cut scene or branching narrative
• Condensed images to compile information further

Useful websites

• http://media.steampowered.com/apps/dota2/workshop/Dota2CharacterArtGuide.pdf  (specifically on art)
• http://www.gamepitches.com/ (a range of different game design documentations)