The user interface goes hand in hand with the menu navigation system. For convenience, you could place it under the same category because it deals with many of the same ideas. The information for this category can be text-based information about what you are planning to do, but ideally, some type of...

The creation of a list that details menu navigation is very important. It helps you to keep track of the way the game is linked to other parts and is very important to the programmers involved. You should create the main menu and a simple illustration of how the screens will be linked together. Nothing...

The next section of the design document deals with the characters that will be included in your game. Like the levels area of the document, the character section should basically fall into place if the game overview is meticulous. There are two basic types of characters in most games: a hero and enemies....

The next item you need to address is the levels that make up a game. If you do a thorough job in the preceding step, this one is very easy. You compile a list of levels, in the order in which they will be encountered in your game, adding any details you deem necessary. Some optional materials include...

In the previous chapter, we looked at the basic concept of a design document. We will expand that basic coverage in this chapter by looking at the individual components or ideas that make it up. Many teams will include information such as legalities, target audience, and market analysis for a game in...

While the design document is very important, it doesn’t take the place of meetings that a development team should go through. Getting the thoughts of team members at regular intervals is also very important. Again, these meetings don’t have to be formal and can be in person or over some electronic...

A design document is important for a number of reasons. To a potential publisher, it details the game and gives them a vision of what you are actually hoping to accomplish. The purpose of a design document to a team is rather simple: It lays out the responsibilities of everyone involved. Depending on...

A design document is often overlooked in the rush and excitement of a game idea. After all, if you have a unique idea that could conceivably be a great game, why would you want to waste your time working on something that doesn’t really get you any closer to the end product? Many times, even relatively...

Overview In Chapter 1, “Game Programming Overview,” we looked at the positions that make up a game team and their respective responsibilities. We’ll do something similar in this chapter, but this time our attention will be focused on the creation process. Instead of jumping right into the technical...

In this chapter, we looked at the basic elements of images and got some ideas of how they are created. Now that you are familiar with graphics, you are almost ready to start the creation of content for a game. Before we get ahead of ourselves, we will look at the creation of music and sound effects in...