So what strategies do you all know of or use that gets a really rough idea (probably something no more than a realyl cool feature, or character, or plot idea) from that stage into a more realized game that is then "fat enough" to be put into paper as a design doc. I have done design docs before but that was for games that were a lot more congealed in my mind...so what method works to get a really rough idea more fleshed out... brainstorming on paper? anything else? id like to get more of a team together for this one, but no one close to me is ineterested in game programming. what i have thus far: A game similar to pikmin, though not as puzzle orientated, abit moreadventure action. it is also has a dark, more mature theme. I also have a target system for the game: www.tapwave.com So humor me, im bored -Shane

I find doing the work helps.

ld

Yeah, work is good. If you need organization in order to do the work, just start writing it down on paper. I prefer to use a three-ring binder rather than a normal notebook, since your idea won''t come out in any real order. So scribble on looseleaf paper, and then stare at your scribbles, and then puch holes in it and stick it into a little binder in order, and then read it, and add pages where you think pages should be added. Before you know it, you''ll be able to say, "I need to define a decent set of physics equations for governing that series of actions" and produce four or five good, solid, organized pages of decent data. That''s what will become your design document. Or in my case, that''s what will become my senior thesis. I hope.

Use a ring binder to store all of your working notes for when you are actually solving some of the sub problems.

For the actual design dock itself use a text editor on your computer. Don''t worry about layout or presentation or anything, just put down a heading and type out a fiew applicable sentences, as your refine your ideas your can reorganise the document by using the handy delete key.

The reason for this is that you can think a sentence faster than you can hand write it, and the last thing you want is to slow down your flow of ideas when you are in the swing of things.

Also designs and "look and feel" type ideas need refining, and the last thing you want to do is leaf through several hundred pages of lined refill with eraser in hand, just to change the name of your main bad guy.

Actually, I don''t think making games around a single cool feature, character or whatever is a good idea. Usually when I get one of these I think in which type of game it would fit. If it isn''t something that won''t add anything or disruptes the feel, purpose or logic of any game I would like to make I usually discard it.

But I never throw ideas to garbage. An idea that sucks at the beginning with a little modification could be a real plus, but you never know which ideas are going to be like that. That''s why you should take whatever paper or notebook you use to write your ideas everywhere you go, you never know when your mind will spawn a good idea.

Also you should define better your idea because saying that it''s not puzzle oriented but action oriented could mean many different changes in the game and about the dark theme too.

The current game I''m working on, I begun by having many ideas about characters, gameplay, story, and game mood not just single ideas. When I had those ideas I didn''t tought that they would be the ones I would use but I just tought that those ideas were really ''compatible'' with each other and a game with them would be one I would like to make, in my game I try to have more of the initial ideas than new ones.

Everyone''s mind works differently, but here''s something that works for me: Start categorizing your ideas into separate lists of rules, characters, items, plot, layout, etc - whatever applies to your game. then after you''ve got a bunch of ideas on paper, start adding details to each one. as you realize which ideas lead to new ones and which ones are dead ends, your game will start to take shape.