Features

Structuring Key Design Elements

Some Straight Questions to Ask Yourself

The case studies I presented introduced use cases from the Unified Modeling Language and illustrated what I mean by determining the key design elements of your game.
I ask you to pause just a moment before you wield your scalpel and slice off the most extraneous bits of your game design. I would like you to first get a bit more material down on a second sheet of paper to consider while you review your key design elements.

What Genre or Genres Does Your Game Feature?
First, what is your game's genre, such as adventure, role-playing game (RPG), real-time strategy (RTS), real-time tactical (RTT), action, first-person shooter (FPS), puzzle, sports, or some other genre? Or is it a blend of genres? Write down your game's genre or genre blend, and why.

Will the Game Be Single-Player, Multiplayer, or Both?
Does your game play well as a single-player game but perhaps not make much sense as a multiplayer game? Or is it the other way around where it takes real humans to play against to make it fun? Or is it reasonably fun either way? Write down single-player, multiplayer, or both, and why.

What Is the Platform?
Which platform are you targeting: PC, handheld, Xbox, PlayStation 2, or GameCube? Write down the platform or platforms you are targeting, and why.

What Is Your Target Market?
Is this a game anyone could enjoy? Or is it targeted for the core game market of males 18 to 45 years of age? Are you targeting women as well as men? Children? What is the violence level in your game? The language? Sexual content? Write down your target market, and why.

What Major Technologies Are You Using?
Is your game to be 2D or 3D in its fundamental presentation? Will it use a commercial engine? Is there something special about the physics? Perhaps you envision cell-shaded rendering of characters or the scene. Write down the major bits of technology you will employ in your game, and why.

Now What?

Notice I did not give any opinions or suggestions on how to answer those questions or which answers I thought you might choose. It is not my place to tell you that a cell-shaded 3D RPG would be the next big thing on the Game Boy Advance. No, the answer to the questions above need to come from your heart, that place of inner vision where you can see and play your game in your mind's eye. That gameplay in your mind-I want you to write that down. This is your game. If you told me your game concept, I could offer suggestions and opinions, but they would be just that-opinions and suggestions. For this game of yours to be a success you must be able to have a strong vision for how your game will play.

Now find a table someplace comfortable and put in front of you the notes you have taken on game concept, business context, and the feature questions asked above. Then I want you to put this book aside and just keep visualizing your game. Get up and take a walk, get something to eat, and come back to your table of notes. Now, start slicing out the parts of your game feature brainstorm that are not actually central to your game design. Before you invest in creating a hundred-page game design document and develop a total technical design, you should figure out what you are making. The game design and technical design stages are a lot of work; be courageous and kill the features that are superfluous before you spend any more effort on them.

All of the great games have a small feature set that is well polished. Make your game great.

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