2. Large-Scale Design Process
Chapter 9
Large-Scale Design Process

3. Objectives Create a development plan for a video game design.
Describe the development process for a video game.
Explain the importance of budget and scheduling on video game design.
Explain how iterations are used in the design process for video games.
Create design plans.
Create character sketches.

4. Objectives (Continued)
Create storyboards
Discuss various game-development tools currently used by the video game industry.
Describe common video game engines.
Explain the uses for various tools used for video game development.

5. Formal Design Structure
Before you start to program a game’s functions, you need to understand the design process
Most new games are designed by teams with specialists in several areas to keep the project moving forward
At the outset of the game’s design, the team is given a budget and a time schedule

6. Formal Design Structure (Continued)
A delay in production occurs when the project is not following the projected time schedule
If the team spends more in development cost than allotted, it is over budget
As a result, the project may be terminated or scaled back
To assure timeliness and quality, game design follows a three-stage production process

7. Formal Design Structure (Continued)
The three stages of the production cycle are concept, construction, and tuning
The concept stage begins with an idea about a game and ends with a refined idea about how the game will play
The construction stage is where the rough idea of the game from the concept stage is refined into something workable

8. Initial Idea to Final Character
Clipart.com, Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

9. Formal Design Structure (Continued)
Eight areas of design construction include
Gameplay modes
Protagonist and character development
Game world
Core mechanics
Mode elaboration
Story elaboration
Level design
Testing and debugging

10. Formal Design Structure (Continued)
The first playable level is the prototype version of the game that allows someone to play and test all the game interactions
Professional game testers will play the latest iteration of the game and note every glitch and imperfection
The tuning stage is where the game is tested for functionality and playability

11. Formal Design Structure (Continued)
The most important aspects of the game must be in place before the tuning can begin
When testing functionality, the focus is on whether the game functions or plays as intended
Playability testing seeks to find out if
The story is completely told
The game holds true to the concept
The objectives are obtainable

12. Design Documents
As a game designer, you will need to create several different types of documents
The governing game design document (GGDD) is a collection of the documents used to display information needed for the team
The pitch documents are for presenting the idea to the decision makers
High-concept document
Game-treatment document

13. Design Documents (Continued)
The market-analysis document details the concept of the game and target market
The world-design document lists the items that are needed to create the game world
A character-design document details the look of a character and the abilities of that character
Concept art is a sketch that gives basic shapes and style, but not overwhelming detail

14. Design Documents (Continued)
Flowcharts and storyboards are combined to create a map for the programmers to follow
The designers write a flowchart with a few basic instructions
The storyboard shows a brief sketch of what everything is supposed to look like
The game-script document is where the rules and core mechanics are structured

15. Design Documents (Continued)
Once the game script is written, a game mock-up can be created
The purpose of this is to test the rules and the core mechanics to see if the elements work
The technical design document details the computer codes, event codes, and technical interactions for the game
Most game designers use a game engine and other game development tools

16. Flowchart for a Linear Game
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

17. Game-Development Tools
As a game designer, it is unlikely you will ever use computer-code level of programming
Companies use game-development tools to streamline and simplify the design process
A compiler program takes the instructions from a user and restates these commands as computer codes
Video game production companies often create custom software

18. Game-Development Tools (Continued)
Custom software includes applications or tools created for a specific purpose that are not available in existing software
In the technological superiority area, the custom software will improve a technical aspect of the game
In the speed of development area, the custom software reduces the time required to create the game

19. Game-Development Tools (Continued)
Most smaller companies do not have the time or resources to spend on custom software
They use consumer off-the-shelf (COTS) software
Many COTS software tools are used in the game industry to develop assets
Common to most COTS software programs is a graphical user interface (GUI)

20. Game-Development Tools (Continued)
Visual programming languages, such as Visual Basic, take clicks of the mouse and turn them into computer codes through compiling
Some programs can compile using only one computer language
Other game development tools, such as Java, help to create the game in a playable format
DirectX is an all-inclusive game engine from Microsoft

21. COTS Software
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

22. 3D Software
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

23. Which stage of the three-stage game production process do you think is most important? Why?
Describe the primary gameplay mode for a video game that you like to play. Describe the secondary gameplay mode for the same game.