Comments on: Game Design 101 Rant: Over-Reliance On Documentation http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/ Marek Bronstring's blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:15:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Sue Jolly http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2652 Sue Jolly Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:54:42 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2652 i really like this article, to me it is trying to say, keep open and be flexible, allow creativity throughout the process, however, maybe game desin can do this at this point in time becasue it isnt as evolved as an industry as film, history tell us that some films were made in the same way with very outline scripts and great teamwok, nowadays the scriptwriting process is detailed because they want their creativity to be part of the overall vision as they are sometimes not involved in the filmaking process from start to finish. maybe game design is moving in that direction already, if so it will be a shame. i really like this article, to me it is trying to say, keep open and be flexible, allow creativity throughout the process, however, maybe game desin can do this at this point in time becasue it isnt as evolved as an industry as film, history tell us that some films were made in the same way with very outline scripts and great teamwok, nowadays the scriptwriting process is detailed because they want their creativity to be part of the overall vision as they are sometimes not involved in the filmaking process from start to finish. maybe game design is moving in that direction already, if so it will be a shame.

]]> By: Skynes http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2555 Skynes Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:43:08 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2555 Thanks very much for posting this. I've been under the impression that Design Docs are the big needed thing, but the common sense part of mind goes "How on earth could that work? Games are an abstract creation subject to constant change, you can't drill out every detail at the start and expect it to work." It's good to see my thoughts weren't unfounded. Thanks very much for posting this. I’ve been under the impression that Design Docs are the big needed thing, but the common sense part of mind goes “How on earth could that work? Games are an abstract creation subject to constant change, you can’t drill out every detail at the start and expect it to work.”

It’s good to see my thoughts weren’t unfounded.

]]> By: Kroms http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2238 Kroms Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:56:58 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2238 Well...I've always thought of the Design Document as the blueprint. It's the textbook you go back to when you think your game is straying too far away from its original design, and the rules you re-define as development progresses. Would you agree? Well…I’ve always thought of the Design Document as the blueprint. It’s the textbook you go back to when you think your game is straying too far away from its original design, and the rules you re-define as development progresses. Would you agree?

]]> By: Taliesan http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2223 Taliesan Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:39:40 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2223 I've kicked out 200 page design documents in the past. We naturally evolved into a Wiki system very much like the one described in this article. I think the key point is not to focus on arbitrary limitations on the length of your documentation, but to keep it current and accessible. We lost a coder halfway through a project. By giving the new guy access to the Wiki he was able to get up to speed within 2 days of starting his job. Our UI guy created the screens /exactly/ to spec without ever really needing to talk to the designer. This kept our meetings to a minimum and saved us lots of time. A comprehensive and detailed design doc is extremely useful when its kept up-to-date with all the iterative changes that emerge as the game is built. The problem with most BADDs is essentially laziness on the part of the designers; resistance to updating them every time a change is made. We're about to launch and our game is substantially different from the first draft of our document. It is, however, exactly the product detailed in the current version. IMHO, keeping your docs up-to -date lets you realize the intended benefits of documentation and meet with less resistance in using them to guide development. I’ve kicked out 200 page design documents in the past. We naturally evolved into a Wiki system very much like the one described in this article.

I think the key point is not to focus on arbitrary limitations on the length of your documentation, but to keep it current and accessible.

We lost a coder halfway through a project. By giving the new guy access to the Wiki he was able to get up to speed within 2 days of starting his job. Our UI guy created the screens /exactly/ to spec without ever really needing to talk to the designer. This kept our meetings to a minimum and saved us lots of time. A comprehensive and detailed design doc is extremely useful when its kept up-to-date with all the iterative changes that emerge as the game is built.

The problem with most BADDs is essentially laziness on the part of the designers; resistance to updating them every time a change is made.

We’re about to launch and our game is substantially different from the first draft of our document. It is, however, exactly the product detailed in the current version.

IMHO, keeping your docs up-to -date lets you realize the intended benefits of documentation and meet with less resistance in using them to guide development.

]]> By: gameslol » Blog Archive » Huge Design Documents = BADD http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2221 gameslol » Blog Archive » Huge Design Documents = BADD Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:30:54 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2221 [...] Tunnell linked to my recent post, “Game Design 101 Rant: Over-Reliance On Documentation”, and adds a couple of his thoughts. “I have seen design documents that look like the old [...] [...] Tunnell linked to my recent post, “Game Design 101 Rant: Over-Reliance On Documentation”, and adds a couple of his thoughts. “I have seen design documents that look like the old [...]

]]> By: Marek http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2220 Marek Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:07:19 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2220 Steven: Thanks for your comment. I got your email earlier but my reply bounced back, so there might be something wrong with your email account. Thought I'd let you know. Steven: Thanks for your comment. I got your email earlier but my reply bounced back, so there might be something wrong with your email account. Thought I’d let you know.

]]> By: Steven Egan http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2216 Steven Egan Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:32:16 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2216 While I don't have the vast amount of experience others do (read that as "is working on my first real project"), I have fought that horse. It's tough. I have the hoof-prints to prove it. The paragraph about how the wiki documentation can be used is what I'd hoped to create. However, the horse won that fight. The next project I'm in I plan to take armor-piercing rounds to the horse, metaphorically speaking of course. Tell the guys in charge my experience and show that it's easy to make the documentation, as a wiki, be more than the working game doc, in one interlinkable location. While I don’t have the vast amount of experience others do (read that as “is working on my first real project”), I have fought that horse. It’s tough. I have the hoof-prints to prove it.

The paragraph about how the wiki documentation can be used is what I’d hoped to create. However, the horse won that fight.

The next project I’m in I plan to take armor-piercing rounds to the horse, metaphorically speaking of course. Tell the guys in charge my experience and show that it’s easy to make the documentation, as a wiki, be more than the working game doc, in one interlinkable location.

]]> By: Marek http://www.gameslol.com/2008/12/13/game-design-101-rant-over-reliance-on-documentation/comment-page-1/#comment-2215 Marek Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:28:15 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/?p=156#comment-2215 By the way, thanks go to David Hayward for giving me feedback on a (so far unused) presentation on which this post was partly based. :) By the way, thanks go to David Hayward for giving me feedback on a (so far unused) presentation on which this post was partly based. :)

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