Games GDD
This week I am reading about the early prototype stage of making a video game.
Here is a link to one of the articles I have read that talks about an aspect of this topic in detail. It is a very interesting guide that gives information and advice on how to create a prototype of a game on paper with little or no programming involvement.
First you need to decide on your basic game idea, including the MDA format, and looking at designs proven to work. Reducing the time it takes to make a prototype is basically the only option to save time while designing a game as everything such as playtesting cannot be rushed as it is necessary to design the core game rules and mechanics before a single tweak to the game can cost a lot of time.
The idea of prototyping on paper is suggested as it is cheap, fast, can be changed quickly and can accommodate basically every sort of game, although not without its limitations.
I also read some of this guide https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarcoMignano/20160725/277766/Use_Paper_Prototyping_to_design_your_games.php which tells you even more about paper prototyping and gives some example pictures.
The article uses the simple game Ships which is played on paper and uses a grid system and contrasts this game to prototyping a game on paper that may eventually be made onto a digital console, taking advantage of grid or hexagonal systems and using coin flips or dice rolls to represent certain variables in the game. It also compares it with classic Battleship, a more complex version of ships and describes how you can prototype this using paper by adding new rules, a "bomb" that attacks a 3x3 area instead of attacking one grid at a time like Ships and adding fewer squares for more intensity.
Here is an instruction sheet on one version of Battleship http://www.scooter.cx/~amy/Battleship/battleships.gif. It shows how much more complex it is compared to ships.
Once you figure out your prototype on paper and it works, you can begin adding new features.
The second article I read was on how to design a game in an efficient, careful manner while taking into consideration many things which may be overlooked while designing a game since there can be many components and they can inevitably get lost within all of it. It deals with mainly board games, however I think some of this information can be applied to a paper prototype which I've just discussed.
Colors for different players (tiles), different shapes for different pieces, using different components to have different roles in your game are some of the key things you need to think about when designing a (board) game.
The design of the box is also important so it can be read from several feet away and give an accurate representation of the game.
I searched some of the games that are mentioned in the article and found a review of "Tikal" which I found interesting as it goes into its design and mechanics. https://opinionatedgamers.com/2015/08/28/sdj-re-reviews-21-tikal/
Doing blind tests, giving in depth rules instead of vague ones can help afterwards to make sure the game instructions are clear.
These articles go quite in depth into their topic and it's intriguing to read about things I had never even considered about games I have played before.
Here is a link to one of the articles I have read that talks about an aspect of this topic in detail. It is a very interesting guide that gives information and advice on how to create a prototype of a game on paper with little or no programming involvement.
First you need to decide on your basic game idea, including the MDA format, and looking at designs proven to work. Reducing the time it takes to make a prototype is basically the only option to save time while designing a game as everything such as playtesting cannot be rushed as it is necessary to design the core game rules and mechanics before a single tweak to the game can cost a lot of time.
The idea of prototyping on paper is suggested as it is cheap, fast, can be changed quickly and can accommodate basically every sort of game, although not without its limitations.
I also read some of this guide https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarcoMignano/20160725/277766/Use_Paper_Prototyping_to_design_your_games.php which tells you even more about paper prototyping and gives some example pictures.
The article uses the simple game Ships which is played on paper and uses a grid system and contrasts this game to prototyping a game on paper that may eventually be made onto a digital console, taking advantage of grid or hexagonal systems and using coin flips or dice rolls to represent certain variables in the game. It also compares it with classic Battleship, a more complex version of ships and describes how you can prototype this using paper by adding new rules, a "bomb" that attacks a 3x3 area instead of attacking one grid at a time like Ships and adding fewer squares for more intensity.
Here is an instruction sheet on one version of Battleship http://www.scooter.cx/~amy/Battleship/battleships.gif. It shows how much more complex it is compared to ships.
 |
| Classic Battleship Gameplay. |
Once you figure out your prototype on paper and it works, you can begin adding new features.
The second article I read was on how to design a game in an efficient, careful manner while taking into consideration many things which may be overlooked while designing a game since there can be many components and they can inevitably get lost within all of it. It deals with mainly board games, however I think some of this information can be applied to a paper prototype which I've just discussed.
Colors for different players (tiles), different shapes for different pieces, using different components to have different roles in your game are some of the key things you need to think about when designing a (board) game.
The design of the box is also important so it can be read from several feet away and give an accurate representation of the game.
I searched some of the games that are mentioned in the article and found a review of "Tikal" which I found interesting as it goes into its design and mechanics. https://opinionatedgamers.com/2015/08/28/sdj-re-reviews-21-tikal/
Doing blind tests, giving in depth rules instead of vague ones can help afterwards to make sure the game instructions are clear.
These articles go quite in depth into their topic and it's intriguing to read about things I had never even considered about games I have played before.
Hi Anna, glad to see you find Game Design interesting and that you're learning from these articles, like the understanding of different game mechanics and design principles that are applied to different types of games. Anyways, keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete