Project Report 2014-02-12

This week I primarily focused on the Game Design Document for our project based on the concept document of “Suit Em Up”. Once a rough draft of the layout had been made focus shifted to defining the various aspects and components of the game while making sure the articulation remained consistent throughout the text. Many revisions were made to ensure consistency was maintained both on my own and with the help of the rest of the group. Their aid was crucial in establishing all the discussed features and mechanics of the game as it became apparent that everyone had not been on the same boat during the initial weeks, likely caused by infrequent communications regarding these subject matters which led to a consensus not being made until further on into week four. Despite these internal confusions progress was made as the group now had a more unified idea and vision on how to proceed with the project.

As for the document itself it’s only at raw information at this point with barely anything that aids the reader with understanding the document’s contents beyond walls of text. It is information well-articulated and structured I’d dare to brag but still very sterile. Beyond a boring flowchart of the various game modes there is no visual aid at this point. I requested our Lead Artist to provide some simple samples of the game’s Avatar and enemies. However he’s been too occupied with the animations to do much else.

It proved useful to have the group gather for the final stages of the design document as it was revealed that uncertainty still lingered regarding the game’s dynamics and even its mechanics. The aesthetics were at least well established by this point, as the artist department was and is still underway emulating a cartoonish look reminiscent of animated films of the early 20^th century (mainly Disney).

While the aesthetical categories of the document were solid the uncertainty of the exact behaviour of certain enemies remained for several hours into the meeting until features were explained with the help of a quick mock-up of a level design provided by me. By using it my explanations of the intended dynamics were relayed with much greater clarity, thus enabling the group to come to an agreement much more quickly.

Another area in which my group proved invaluable was in fleshing out the component lists for every part of the game. Objects, graphics, code and sound was all categorised and listed thanks to the departments’ participation.

In overall, the development of the design document has gone well and reached its final draft without incident. The group has been active and more than willing to help with the fine tuning of the document’s contents. In hindsight perhaps we became a bit too dug in into our individual tasks rather than making sure we were all working with the same perspective and goal. I can honestly say that I’ve learned the importance of creating a written document first hand.

Björn Erik Berndtsson. Lead Designer. Group 8.