KIT207 Game Design and Production
Assignment 3: Game Design Documentation
Due: 11:55pm, Friday 6th October, 2017
This is a group assignment; you will work in teams of 3–4 students (from the same tutorial group). Your task is to produce detailed design documentation for an original game. You will (typically) work in the same teams as for the concept pitch and on the same game idea (unless instructed otherwise).
Design Documentation
You will document key aspects of your game design. Those key aspects will vary from game to game. There is precise format required for the documentation; instead choose a format that suits your project. Regardless of the format, the documentation should be:
· Brief and to the point: it should not contain more information than necessary, or more detail than necessary. Developers should be able to read the document quickly and understand the concepts. It should allow developers to understand the intention of the designers, but not stifle their own imagination (and hence miss an alternative or better implementation). On the other hand, developers should rarely have to return to the designer for clarification. There is no page limit, but it is expected that 10-20 pages of text and 10-20 pages of diagrams will be sufficient.
· Well organized: all stakeholders should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and be able to easily direct other readers to sections of interest. Sections should have titles and be outline numbered; page numbers (or copious hyperlinks) should be included. You should include an overview similar to parts of your concept document as an introduction.
· Consistent and correct: the document should not contradict itself. It should be kept up-to-date at all times and should therefore be up-to-date at the time of submission.
· Readable: the document should be easy to read and should not contain spelling or grammatical errors that make the meaning ambiguous or difficult to understand. Diagrams (preferably black and white) should be used appropriately to help explain concepts, and should be accompanied by a caption and explanatory text. Any format (pdf, docx, html, wiki) is OK, but it must be easily printed (by the marker) and readable in printed form.
Documentation should also include:
· Credits and/or references: for art, models, sounds, music, animations, textures, scripts, tools, templates, testers, etc. etc. This should include sources such as websites (e.g. Unity website, 3DSMax website, wikis and tutorials, Gamasutra, model and texture archives, sound repositories, etc.), class mates and other individuals, anything or anyone who helped in any way. Please provide links or contact details if possible. The more the better, this is a sign that you have utilized all resources available to you.
· An appendix detailing any clarification that you think will assist the marker. For example, the components of your submission that should be assessed.
· An appendix containing the testing plan.
· A clear indication of who wrote each section. It is expected that everyone will contribute to the documentation, but there should be one person nominated to collate, format and maintain the documentation. The primary author or authors for each section should be clearly indicated.
No template is provided because the best template would be different for every game. Some teams will choose to structure their document by game levels, other teams will structure their document by game entities, other teams will choose a combination of both – or some other scheme. It is suggested that you write a document that suites your team first and foremost; with all of the information that you think is important, structured in a way that you think is appropriate. Then check the marking scheme below to see if you have missed anything – adding it to the correct section or creating a new section as appropriate. Do NOT just have a section for each item in the marking scheme!
Submission
All design documentation will be submitted as a single file via a MyLO group dropbox. In addition, submit a readme file explaining what items you want assessed (see below). You will also submit individual peer assessment forms (see below).
Assessment
Your documentation will be assessed under simulated real world conditions. A design document is not something that is ever likely to be read from cover to cover, it is a reference document for your team.
The marker will use the following process:
1. Read the introduction to familiarize themselves with the game concept
2. For each section:
a. Imagine a few questions that a member of the development team (programmer, artist or designer) might ask before or during work on this aspect of the game
b. For each question:
i. Search for the information in the document
ii. Judge whether the information provided is sufficient without being overly prescriptive
For example, when assessing game mechanics, a question might be: “How do I implement the jumping mechanic?” The mark will be an indication of how difficult it was to find that information and the quality of the information itself.
This means that it is unlikely that your entire document will be read, although parts of every section will be.
There will be a number of assessed components and teams will choose which components are most suitable for their game and team. Each component is worth a certain number of points. Teams of size 3 should attempt around 80 points of work, teams of size 4 should attempt 100 points, and teams of size 5 should attempt 120 points. If you attempt more than required, only the best components will contribute to your mark. If you attempt less than required, you overall mark will be scaled down accordingly.
You should plan individual workloads and check the plan with your tutor as soon as possible.
KIT207 Game Design and Production
Assignment 3: Game Design Documentation
Synopsis of the task and its context
This is a group assignment making up 15% of the overall unit assessment. The assessment criteria for this task are:
1. As a team, develop a game design document.
2. As a team, document (some of) the following aspects of your game design:
a. Game world
b. Characters
c. Story
d. User Interface
e. Gameplay
f. Game mechanics
g. Level designs
3. As a team, develop a prototype of the game. You will:
a. Choose the scope of the prototype
b. Develop art assets
c. Implement level designs
d. Communicate the style and atmosphere of the game
e. Demonstrate aspects of gameplay and game mechanics
Match between learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the task:
| Unit learning outcomes | |
| On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to: | Task criteria |
| 1. Demonstrate foundational knowledge of current trends in game design and production | 1, 2, 3 |
| 2. Apply knowledge of game design principles and technical skills by:· developing an abstract game design· using a game engine to develop a game prototype· evaluating strengths and weaknesses of game prototypes | 1, 2-3 |
| 3. Act professionally by:· presenting the game design using different modes of communication: orally, visually, and in writing· working independently and collaborating in teams considering economic, social, and ethical consequences of game design decisions | 1, 2, 31, 2, 3 |
Students:
| Criteria | HD (High Distinction) | DN (Distinction) | CR (Credit) | PP (Pass) | NN (Fail) |
| You have: | You have: | You have: | You have: | You have: | |
| 1. As a team, develop a game design document.10pts | Documented relevant information clearly and concisely, and structured the information in a manner suitable for use as a reference document for your team. Credits and references have been included where appropriate. | Documented information clearly and concisely, and structured the information in a manner suitable for use as a reference document for your team. Credits and references have been included where appropriate. | Documented information clearly and concisely. Credits and references have been included where appropriate. | Produced a basic design document. | |
| This is basically an assessment of how well you have followed the guidelines in the Design Documentation section above – this will be assessed for all teams | |||||
| 2. As a team, document (some of) the following aspects of your game design: | |||||
| a. Game world 10pts | Thoroughly documented all relevant aspects of the game world and justified the choices made. | Documented all relevant aspects of the game world and justified the choices made. | Documented all relevant aspects of the game world. | Documented some aspects of the game world. | Provided a superficial description of the game world |
| All teams should document the game world. This may include descriptions of the natural, cultural and political environment; physics; history; etc. The precise contents of this documentation will depend on the game. | |||||
| b. Characters 0 / 10pts | For all main characters: Thoroughly documented and developed believable characters that complement the game world and story. | For all main characters: Documented characters that complement the game world and story. | Documented some characters that complement the game world and story. | Documented some characters | Provided a superficial description of some characters |
| Should be more than one main character to get 10pts – see lecturer if unsureSome teams will not need to document characters, and may skip this section. Documentation for characters should include a physical and emotional description, and possibly a backstory for the character. | |||||
| c. Story (plan only) 0 / 10pts | Thoroughly documented the story component of the game design including a plan of the plot progression and mechanisms for advancing the plot – and justified the choices made. | Documented the story component of the game design including a plan of the plot progression and mechanisms for advancing the plot – and justified the choices made. | Documented the story component of the game design including a plan of the plot progression and mechanisms for advancing the plot | Documented some aspects of the story. | Provided a superficial description of the game story (or written the back-story without documentation) |
| 0: if zero or minimal documentation10: if story is significant and documentedMay see lecturer if you think you’re somewhere in betweenSome teams will not need to document story, and may skip this section. This section does not need to include scripts or dialogue trees. It should detail the major plot events and the relationships between them. This will probably be discussed in relation to level progression. May also describe mechanisms for advancing the plot. |
| Criteria | HD (High Distinction) | DN (Distinction) | CR (Credit) | PP (Pass) | NN (Fail) |
| You have: | You have: | You have: | You have: | You have: | |
| d. User interface 5pts | Thoroughly documented the user interface of the game including visual and audio feedback elements as well as player input and how this maps to game actions – and used appropriate UI design principles. | Documented most aspects of the UI, and generally used appropriate design principles. | Documented the user interface, but not followed good UI design principles. | Provided a superficial description of the user interface (e.g. diagram with little or no explanation) | |
| All teams should document the UI. This may have its own section but more commonly will be a part of other sections. It should discuss control and feedback elements of your design. | |||||
| e. Gameplay 10pts | Thoroughly documented the gameplay including key challenges and a description of actions that may be used – and justified the choices made. | Documented the gameplay including key challenges and a description of actions that may be used – and justified the choices made | Documented some of the gameplay including challenges and actions. | Documented some aspects of gameplay | Provided a superficial description of the gameplay |
| All teams should document the gameplay. This will include a section discussing typical challenges and actions. Level specific gameplay may be discussed as part of the level designs. | |||||
| f. Game Mechanics15pts | Thoroughly documented the major mechanics of the game, including the game economy. Level of detail is suitable for this type of documentation. | Documented the major mechanics of the game, including the game economy. | Documented some aspects of the game mechanics. | Provided a superficial description of the game mechanics | |
| All teams should document the game mechanics. In some cases it may be appropriate to discuss these at the same time as gameplay. It may include detailed descriptions of game rules, spreadsheets showing unit attributes, machinations diagrams, etc. | |||||
| g. Level Design 15pts per level | Overview of level progression for the whole game. For each level: detailed asset list, detailed blueprint, discussion of pacing and atmosphere, etc. The level design makes good use of level design principles. | Overview of level progression for the whole game. For each level: asset list, blueprint, discussion of pacing and atmosphere, etc. The level design makes use of level design principles. | Overview of level progression for the whole game. For each level: asset list, blueprint, discussion of pacing and atmosphere, etc. | Provided a superficial description of a game level (e.g. diagram with little or no explanation) | |
| See lecturer if you think your levels are smaller or larger than typicalDetailed documentation for each level plus documented level progression for all game levels. This will typically include: level progression diagram with some discussion (e.g. how it relates to story), level blueprints for each level, asset lists for each level, descriptions of level specific gameplay and game mechanics, brief textual summary of each level. | |||||
| 3. Develop a testing plan.10pts | Developed a rational and detailedtesting plan that is appropriate for the time available. | Developed a detailed testing plan | Developed a basic testing plan | ||
| This relates to the testing session conducted in tutorials – this will be assessed for all teams |
Final Grade:
Peer Assessment for Assignment 3: Game Design Document
| Task: How much (%) did each team member contribute to… | You_____________ | Team Member 2_____________ | Team Member 3_____________ | Team Member 4_____________ |
| 1. As a team, develop a game design document10pts Who managed the production and overall quality of the document itself? | ||||
| 2a. Game world10pts Conceptualisation and documentation | ||||
| 2b. Characters0 / 10pts | ||||
| 2c. Story (plan only)0 / 10pts | ||||
| 2d. User interface5pts | ||||
| 2e. Gameplay10pts | ||||
| 2f. Game Mechanics15pts | ||||
| 2g. Level Design 1 (level name: ______________)15pts per level | ||||
| 2g. Level Design 2 (level name: ______________)15pts per level | ||||
| 3. Develop a testing plan.10pts |
