The Design Process Designing a Game What is

The Design Process Designing a Game

What is Your game Design When you are designing a game, you are designing a complex system, so you will want a series of steps called a process to help you build up and improve upon ideas as you create and improve the product.

Design Process 1. 2. 3. 4. Define the Problem clearly Collect Data (Identify criteria and constraints. ) Brainstorm (What’s already out there? ) Develop a design proposal (Includes sketches, materials, time frame, cost estimation, etc. ) 5. Make a prototype or implement solution 6. Test /Evaluate (Problem solved? ) 7. Modify/Refine

Game Design Process CAPTURE Define the problem Collect data Research a wide variety of fields: art, rhetoric, marketing, mythology, music, psychology, sociology, technology and anything else that will help create an innovative game. It’s important to identify the mechanics and how they balance with each other and connect to theme and how it motivates the player. Creating a game isn’t just playing games; it’s studying them.

Having a designer’s Journal It’s important to have a journal to write down all the research and information you find. Drawings and other sketches can be put in your journal. This is how designers and developers communicate with each other.

Brainstorm What is already out there? This is the stage where you take all the research information and use them in new creative ways. During this stage start introducing limits and constraints because games do have limits. Space, time, money, technology or culture It isn’t about letting your mind run free.

Design proposal Develop a proposal about your ideas. Includes: MLA Style Sketches Materials, Technology Time frame Money Other resources

Prototype Make a sample of the game; or solution Good ideas come from brainstorming Make a rough type of game to see how and if it will work. Won’t be the best version of the game. If you’re making a video game and you can’t code, you can still make a game. Make a paper prototype by using dice or cards. Make a “rapid” prototype.

Evaluate and Test stage Playtest You’ve made the prototype of your game, now it must be tested. Play it yourself. Invite friends to play it. Watch them play the game. The prototype is tested Did it work What was good? What was bad?

Modify/Refine In gaming is know as iterate Use feedback, data and testing to make the product better. What can be changed? How can it be changed? Refine the work, modify it by making needed changes. Playtest again. And then iterate again. And then back to the prototype state where you will make changes.

And…. The process continues And, eventually you will focus on one prototype And you will keep iterating on it And eventually make a wireframe. Visual guide. A blueprint. First playable demo Has gameplay and assets. The first playable gameplay with elements. And do an “alpha build” And a beta build

Building a game Alpha build Phase of the release to begin software testing Developers test the software using “whitebox techniques” Ends with a feature freeze (no more added) Beta build Follows alpha Also called betaware Game is completed but will contain some bugs.

Implement stage After going through the iterative cycle enough times, a game is ready. Take the game and release it to a wider audience to experience. Think target market.

Words of the Day o o o Target Consumer – A group, in which a product is designed for. Design Process – A systematic problem-solving strategy. Developers Journal– A notebook used to record the evolution of a product. o It is sometimes used to prove who developed the idea with patent law suits.

Rules for Brainstorming • o o No criticism allowed!! Work for idea quantity, develop as many as possible. Everyone contributes.

What are some team-working skills? - Dependable (Will you do your portion and correctly? ) - Collaboration (Work well with others? Control freak? ) - Task allocation (Do you evenly distribute the work? ) - Conflict resolution (Will you talk/listen to work it out? ) - Communication (Do you listen/speak effectively? )

Design Criteria Designing normally requires consideration for: o Function (what’s its purpose, what does the design require) o Cost (should I reconsider the materials to reduce cost) o Aesthetics (appearance, does it look nice) o Material (what will it be made of, what’s appropriate) o Shape (does it have to be a certain height or size)