There have been no posts for a while, as I have retreated to my cave of solitude to contemplate game design.
I’ve found game design to be more mentally exhausting than software development. When building software, my mental process is all about separation and isolation of responsibility and functionality. The computer science terminology is high cohesion with the pieces loosely coupled.
Since my mind is wired this way, I naturally apply the same process to game design. That is, I try to break down the overall gameplay into small, independent components. However, I’m starting to wonder if this is not entirely appropriate.
A game can be divided into sub-systems (characters, items, combat, etc.). Certainly they all play off one another, but I’m finding that I cannot design these systems with any degree of isolation. For example, weapons cannot be designed without considering the direct impact on both characters and combat.
Consequently, delving into game design requires a great deal of focus. The entire game system must be continually reviewed from top-to-bottom, while refining each sub-system. This explains why game design is so mentally exhausting.
From my software design background, I’ve become adept at breaking down large problems (this project, for example). With more experience, I expect to discover more mentally efficient game design techniques.
For now, I am left with these questions to ponder:
- Is game design a fully artistic process; something that cannot be engineered?
- What type of process do other game designers follow?
- In larger game studios, how is game design managed as part of the overall development process?
- When will my game actually be fun to play?
