Tools for success

Hey Guys just wanted to get some different answers from the community,

So what do you guys use as for as information tracking when thinking up an idea? like you have this game idea is there software you used to streamline the info so you can build upon it or do you used a regular note pad/MS word?

 

Everyone's brain is a bit different, so I think you'll see a wide variety of approaches. I tend to work best initially creating a Google Docs document and jotting anything and everything down in an unstructured way. After one of my current game ideas grew into a full-on game design, I came up with this folder structure to contain individual documents:

<Game name>
1) Concepts & Design
Gameplay
GUI
Locations
Overview
Story
(tons of other categories)
2) Code, Logic, & Interaction
AI
Controls
Saving
(tons of other stuff)
3) Assets
Models
Music
Textures
(and so on)
4) Freeform ideas
(all kinds of unstructured ideas specific to the game)

90% of the design content is in that first "Concepts & Design" category.

In terms of the idea phase, I know some people like the "mind map" approach, though I've never tried that myself.

 

Google docs is always a good place to start. I normally write the overview of my game down, then I try and write out the features. After that I use visio to diagram out menus and if I make it past that, I start talking about to my friends and people I work with. If they think it's a cool idea I start hashing out the idea more and more until I give up and something else sounds better lol. I have like 20 something game designs for games I am "going" to make...

 

I use an amazing app called Evernote. If I ever happen to get a sudden jolt or an idea, I quickly jot it down in Evernote.

 

ahhhh Google Docs i may mess with that structure on my coming RPG project Thanks for the input!...

 

this is kinda how i flow i want a more structured way tho i was actually thinking of building something for us to use for this purpose and wanted to see what you guys flow was

 

Evernote is pretty Dope havent even used it in like a year im sure alot has changed lol

 

http://www.xmind.net

I find this app maps out most of the systems and procedural structures I deal with. It could use an extra function or two to deal with branching and coming back together but there are other ways to indicate such.

 

If you're into highly structured organization, there's a free web site called Workflowy. Everything is strictly in a hierarchy. I started with that, but didn't care for it; thought it was too restricting. Some people love it though.

 

very nice! i could use something like this from start and branch just those beginning layers requires a structure like this (for an RPG imo) thanks alot

 

this mapping app looks cool but i didnt see it for windows :-(

 

http://www.xmind.net/download/win/http://www.xmind.net/download/win/

 

I like to use a similar app called FreeMind. Works fast and easy, and really gives your brainstorming sessions some structure

 

We used Google Docs as they also have great collaboration tools. You can literally have the whole team editing a document at the same time, critiquing, editing, anything.

 

What ya need a fancy tool fer? My solo projects evolve from lists of tasks, where I "Check" the ones I complete and "X" the ones I bump for later. "Ye 'ole Paper 'n Pencil" has gotten me 6 projects released, with a 7th in progress. I save the fancy electronic tools (email, docs, excel, ...) for team development.

Now quit stalling with irrelevant questions and go finish a game.

Gigi

 

Not everything is simple. A larger game or one with many classes interacting is better executed with a good plan upfront. This is one reason many projects never finish is that the plan to do so was never hashed out prior and given thought as to structure, organization and flow. Making a multi timeline, choice dependent narrative as one example would end up using the eraser more often than the pencil. In an autographing setup you can continue to add choices and the graph stays neat.

 

I like to make games without a story focused Concept. Instead, I like making games focusing only on gameplay and making it as fun as possible. So what I do is create a prototype for pretty much every feature in my game (rough, sloppy code). If the game is fun, I start jotting down ideas with Window's notepad. Works like a charm lol