Game Design Doc's

#1

Hey all

Ilove CGTalk, and find this website an a exhaustable amount of information. I’m hoping that I can get answer to this question here. I need to create a design doc, for a game proposal, I need to know what goes into this design doc. Every game Ive been involved with had a ongoing and ever involing design doc., which is as we all know is a very bad thing, so, if anyone can give some insight on the inner workings of design docs, please help!

Arxangel

#2

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/programming/features/techdoc/

#3

Thanks BlinkOk

#4

Also, you can check this out:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19970912/design_doc.htm

#5

http://www.ihfsoft.com/
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_01.htm (need to sign up for the site, its free)
http://www.christymarx.com/gamewriter/gamesamples.htm
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/default.asp

#6

Just wondering, any of you guys/gals out there who started development without a design doc?

Cheers.

</YC>

#7

Just wondering, any of you guys/gals out there who started development without a design doc?

Cheers.

</YC>

Heheh, I did :slight_smile: Of course, the game was (and still is) a Pacman spin-off, so it doesn’t need all that much of a DD. However, with the modding team I’m on, we have a design doc and plan to finish it before pretty much anything else gets done, as it is rather all-important to know exactly what you want done.

#8

True, without a design doc, you could keep adding and changing, alot of companies get into that problem, cause funding is based on milestones. If you keep adding and adding, there is a chance to miss a milestone. I would even suggest having a design doc for mods.

Arxangel

#9

This thread here was pretty helpful too.

http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?t=73919&highlight=flowchart

#10

I am in the process of designing a Action Adventure Video Game and I do not yet have a Doc or a Bible for the game. At this time we are at 30% with most of the characters, NPc details, Story, Script, Fighting techniques, and so on. I am in the process of developing a design doc so the info on the links provided will help speed things up. I plan to have it read within a few days and then move on to the next phase which is Funding…

my website is here if anyone is intersted.

http://www.freewebs.com/tgfx/

thanx

I am wondering how many of you designed games and had them published?

#11

Tgfx

Hey man love your work on the site, very stylistic.
I will be sending my resume and website for consideration.

Arxangel

#12

We are going to go into the 3D side of things using the Quake 3 engine in a few weeks. Keep and eye out.

#13

I’ve worked on one electronic toy, 4 games - 3 of which were released - the last one I just finished up work on is slated for release this Christmas.

    I'm currently working right now on an IP of my own. Here's a couple of things to look out for.

  1. The video game industry is nervous. The market is flooded with shit games (PS2) and the price of software is threatening to come down dramatically in the next few months — yet the cost of development has not. A number of bigs are looking at the lower platforms to hold them over as the “gap years” begin again (those awkward times when the public is between platforms Xbox or Xbox2? PS2 or PS3? G5 Mac or PC?), that always threatens small and medium companies.

    2. Larger companies are not buying smaller companies like they used to.

  2. As for launching an IP – it’s tough and it’s expensive. Publishing is a mess and it does not pay well - and the ancillary revenues are almost nonexistent. Everyone wants Halo and they aint giving, and many of the other titles have not lived up to expectations - i.e. games like Res.Evil, Tomb Raider all fell short of expectations and have poisoned retail.

4.Get an agent and all non-disclosure materials applicable. Even if you sell it to a publisher or developer – let your agent do the dirty work. Besides, it’s almost like you can’t even show the property to a company these days without an agent.

    Is it worth it? Hell yes. I mean, if it hits, you can write your ticket.
#14

Oh ya i have read and heard many horror stories about the industry but i am confident that this game will be #1 for a very long time. I played game all my life and you are right. There are alot of games out there that are just that Shiaty…but people continue to buy…makes one wonder…

Anyway I have a Q for allof you…

What type of software and hard ware would you need to create worlds and animations for the X-box. I have a good idea but just wanna know what you all think.

list links and info to them…

tahnx

#15

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