Lecture
During this week’s asynchronous lecture, we explored topics around communicating game design. As a designer, communication is arguably the most important skill to have, even more so than creativity. Whether we are writing up a design document or conversing with members of the team, we need to be able to convey the overall vision effectively.
Many key points of effective design documents were discussed. In particular, I resonated with the principle of brevity. A GDD should, at least initially, cover all elements of the game’s design in a brief, bullet-point format. This is because you do not want to overload the reader with too much information early on – they should be able to get a good idea of the desired product at a glance. Of course, detailed writing is important, but that should be reserved for later on in the document when covering individual disciplines and breaking down mechanics. The last thing you want is for your team to be bored while reading about the game they are making!
This directly extends into my team development module for GAM220, for which we are currently undergoing prototyping. There has already been some confusion over what is required of each prototype. To remedy this, the other designers and I wrote up two ‘one-page design documents’, for the team to refer to at any point during this development phase.
GDD work
For much of this week I have been brainstorming ideas for my game design document to be submitted in assignment one. I had a few promising ideas which I couldn’t choose between, so I decided to make mind maps for each.
Eventually I came to the conclusion that the roller-skating game was my favourite. I feel that it has a lot of potential for engaging mechanics. It was also the idea that I felt most excited about. In short, it was a game I would buy and play.
In order to get a better sense of what form the game might take, I did some research into similar games.
Case Study #1 – Jet Set Radio:
The most obvious parallel I could think of to my game idea was Jet Set Radio (2000). The game has a lot of similarities to mine, being based around roller-blading and having an anarchic tone. After watching some gameplay, I made some notes:
- The environment is set up to be as fun and easy to move through as possible. Ramps and grind rails are everywhere.
- Great soundtrack that contributes to getting you into a state of flow during skating.
- I like the incorporation of graffitiing. It lets you make your mark on the city, while also adding to the anti-establishment ideals. Could possibly let players create their own tags?
Case Study #2 – Sunset Overdrive
Next I looked at Sunset Overdrive (2014). While being a post-apocalyptic sandbox game with lots of combat, there is a big emphasis on fun, fluid movement by grinding through the map on rails.
- Grinding on rails is largely encouraged. Not only does it help you get from A to B much faster, it also is essential during combat when large amounts of enemies are on screen. I need to similarly encourage players to move, even if there is no ‘conventional’ combat.
- The game has a good sense of humour. I would like this to be prevalent in my game too, incorporating the humour of 90s Saturday-morning cartoons.
- The HUD is reflective of the game’s punk and comic-book stylisation. My UI should feed into the narrative and style by being reflective of the 90’s cartoon aesthetic.
Individual challenge
For this week’s challenge we were tasked with describing two vastly different games and then reflecting on how we analysed each game. It seemed that I tended to focus in on how mechanics elicit particular emotions, which is unsurprising as emotional response is what drives most of my design decisions within my own projects.
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Sable (2021)
Sable is a lo-fi exploration game about a young woman setting out to find her purpose on an otherworldly planet. Taking cues from games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and Journey (2012), the developers at Shedworks have taken care to give a large amount of freedom to the player; once you leave the starting area, you are free to tackle the game in whatever order you choose. There is an upgradeable climbing mechanic, allowing you to scale almost any surface, if you have the stamina for it.
Much of the game is spent soaring through the desert on Sable’s hover bike, taking in the sights and enjoying the effortless movement it allows you. This, along with Sable’s attire, is widely customisable, with the player being able to express themselves with aesthetic items they have found on their travels. There is also an economy system that allows you to sell items you have found for currency that can be used to buy new customisation options.
It Takes Two (2021)
A non-stop-fun co-operative adventure game all about working together with a friend in bizarre and colourful scenarios. Primarily a 3D platform, the movement and jumping feel tight and responsive, with the characters having dashes that help them cross spaces. Every level introduces new mechanics for the players to experiment and play with. For example, in one of the opening levels, May (player one) is able to use a hammer, and Cody (player two) has a nail gun. By Cody shooting nails in particular places, May is able to swing across areas on her hammer and allow both to progress. This is just one example of many, many unique mechanics, all of which are designed to compliment cooperation and fun.
Collectibles take the form of hidden challenges that task the two players with working against each other in games such as, shooting ranges, ice hockey, bob sledding, and many more. This addition means that players are able to express their competitive sides, and serves as a break from the core gameplay loop.
Conclusion
I feel that when I analyse a game in terms of its mechanics, I primarily seem to focus on how they make the player feel. I also look at how mechanics work together to see how they help or hinder the creation of the holistic experience of a game.
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Iron designer challenge
The iron designer challenge involved working in teams to attempt to convert a popular video game into a board-game. My team chose Sea of Thieves (2018). It was a fun task, and forced us to compartmentalise the game, breaking it down into it’s core mechanics and considering how each fits within the game as a whole. This is good practice for a designer, who needs to be aware of how gameplay mechanics will fit into their overall vision for a game, and my GDD submission will be greatly benefitted from this way of thinking.
Further reading
My extended reading for this week has largely involved looking through the example GDD’s that Nick has provided us with to accompany this week’s lecture. It is interesting to see how different developers choose to organise and present their design documents, with the presentation being largely informed by the game itself. I particularly like the GDD for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock (2012), as it feels clear and highly readable. I think that I will use it as a key inspiration for the structure of my own design document, with clearly segmented chapters and subheadings.
References
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock. 2012. Supermassive Games, BBC Worldwide and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
It Takes Two. 2021. Hazelight, Electronic Arts.
Jet Set Radio. 2000. Smilebit, Sega.
Journey. 2012. Thatgamecompany, Sony Computer Entertainment.
Sable. 2021. Shedworks, Raw Fury.
Sea of Thieves. 2018. Rare, Xbox Game Studios.
Sunset Overdrive. 2014. Insomniac Games, Xbox Game Studios.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 2017. Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development, Nintendo.