The Design Document

Ok first things first, do you actually need a design document? To answer this you first need to understand what is meant by the term "design document". When asked to imagine a design document most people will envisage a large and complex document containing detailed descriptions of levels, puzzles, characters, actions, tables of information, background story, level progression etc etc etc.

At this point in the game all of that information is irrelevant, a design document can (and probably should) be something as simple as a couple of notes scribbled on the back of a beermat (or fag packet for the more politically incorrect *grin*). When you first come up with an idea you should try and express it in thirty words or less, if you can't express the game in terms of it's core mechanic or gameplay issue simply and effectively in a single paragraph or less then how do you think you will be able to express it well enough to get other people excited?

Don't get me wrong, a design is important - at this stage the design IS your idea, putting that idea down on paper (or typing it on the computer) forms the basis of the design document, a document which will (and should) grow in detail as the game is developed, unless you are the most talented video games designer in the world (the kind of person that Shigeryu Miyamoto aspires to sit at the feet of) then there is no way you will be able to accurately predict the effects countless tables of attributes or minute data about powerup effects will have on the finsished game, likewise you can't know until you start to have something playable what effect movement characterisics, level of detail, advanced puzzle layouts will have either - so why bother?

At this stage in the process the design document is there simply to capture your thoughts, help with brainstorming process, describe generic elements , convey the overall concept of the game and help you "find the fun", if you can't see the one appealing element of your game in a thirty word description then it's doubtful anyone else can either (probably because it doesn't exist!).

Setting aside a folder (either paper or electronic) to hold information about the game as it develops is a good idea, collect and and all reference material that will help you flesh out your creation later, just don't think that all progress has to stop until the design document is complete because it probably never will (at least not until the game is on the shelves, and even then you might have a sequal planned!).

Too many ideas fail at the design stage because the creators try and describe every last detail and then get swamped under the masses and masses of data they've generated and eventually loose sight of their target goal (the WHY and the WHAT).

Before we continue a note about "the fun!". The following is the Wikipedia definition of a game

A game is a structured or semi-structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes also used as an educational tool. Games are generally distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas. However, the distinction is not clear-cut, and many games may also be considered work or art.

Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interactivity. Games generally involve mental or physical stimulation, and often both. Many games help develop practical skills, serve as a form of exercise, or otherwise perform an educational, simulational or psychological role.

From this we can see the main purpose of our game is enjoyment (or fun!), simply put if it's not fun people won't play it. Right from the off you should always have an idea as to what makes your game fun to play - in fact this should ideally be forefront in your mind during the entire development process.

This leads us nicely on to the next section (stay tuned)...