Project Planning
From AUFlashWiki
Contents |
Topic Summary
- Learn what a Design Document is and how to create one.
- Study a project timeline and identify types of resources needed for your project.
Topic Assignments
Design Document
1. Create a Design Document(Project Plan) that explains how your game will be built. The purpose of the Spec is to make sure that everyone on the team shares the same vision of what you are building. It also helps you create a list of specific items for each team member to work on.
What is needed for final project design document
- Game Proposal (update and expand based on instructor's comments)
- Description
- Audience
- Competitive Analysis
- User Experience
- How to accomplish(software, art style, etc)
- Who's involved
- List of screens(include game and interface screens, i.e. menus, help, etc.)
- For each screen give a short description of each interactive element and what user does with them(keystrokes, buttons)
- For each screen give a short description of media elements and when they're used and/or what they represent(backgrounds, characters, animations, tokens, interfaces, buttons)
- Include screenshots, finished samples of above and any sketches
- Resources(should match above)
- Timeline
Project Timeline and Resourses
Final Project Timeline and Resources
* Create a project timeline and list of resources to be included in the Design Document.
* Include items outlined in class. All graphics, sounds and animations should be included as resources.
Wiki Update
- Upload all the assets you create to the final project wiki page.
Reflection Questions
Review your community’s blogs and wiki posts. What ideas and techniques can you apply in your own work?
Related Links and Tutorials
- Read the Project Development Process Getting Started tutorial on MyGLife.org for more tips.
- Download and review MyGlifeFunctionalSpec.doc to see the Functional spec for the MyGLife.org website. Use this as a model to help you start making your own spec. We used Photoshop for the drawings (MS Paint is OK too) and MS Word to create this spec.
- Also consider a Proof of Concept during some part of the development process to convince any potential clients, managers or funders of the feasibility of the project.
About
Examples
Design Document: Play With Fire - Chris Bateman
Timeline
- How long will it take to perform specific tasks/activities
- Estimate in days
- Skills/people
- Leave room lots of testing, play testing, play balancing
- Example Tasks
- Pre Production
- Game Overview/type
- Character Design
- Timeline
- Resource List
- Design Document
- Storyboards
- Styles sketches
- Item/background/tokens sketches
- Engine Aquisition
- Production
- Coding
- Interface
- Audio
- Programmic Animation
- Interaction between game elements(Collision Det., Pathfinding, etc.)
- AI
- Controller, Feedback
- Error Processing
- File I/O
- Server programming(top 10 lists, multiplayer)
- Art Creation
- Sprite
- Background
- Items
- Interface
- Animations
- Cinematics
- Level Design
- Play testing
- Refinement
- Game Play Balancing
- Audio
- Background Music
- Sound FX
- Coding
- Post Production
- Quality Assurance
- Testing
- System Testing
- Pre Production
Resources
| Resources/Assets(file level assets) | |||||
| Activity | Person Responsible |
Estimate Time(hours) | Percent |
Completed | Notes |
Desert Matte Painting |
Sam | 8 | 50% |
X |
|
| Mystic Walk Anim | |||||
| Mystic Run Anim | |||||
| Mystic Jump Anim | |||||
| Audio for Mystic Jump | |||||
| Mystic Walk Code | |||||
| Ogre Path Finding Code | |||||
| Button Code | |||||
| Interface Art | |||||
| Interface Audio | |||||
Data Flow Diagram
- Graphically describe symbols and processes in the game and what data is exchanged
- About Data Flow Diagram
- Tutorial
- Examples
What is needed for final project design document
- Game Proposal (update and expand based on instructor's comments)
- List of screens(include game and interface screens, i.e. menus, help, etc.)
- For each screen give a short description of each interactive element and what user does with them(keystrokes, buttons)
- For each screen give a short description of media elements and when they're used and/or what they represent(backgrounds, characters, animations, tokens, interfaces, buttons)
- Include screenshots, finished samples of above and any sketches
- Resources(should match above)
- Timeline
