5/11/99

"The past above, the future below and the present pouring down: the roar, the roar of the present, a speech - is, of necessity, my sole concern." -William Carlos Williams Sorry about the late update, people. There are reasons that I'm sure you'd rather not hear, unless you're deathly concerned with the state of my inner workings, in which case you probably shouldn't know this anyway... Bishop called and left me a message, telling me that it's my day for an update. So, belatedly, here it is. As promised from last week, this week I'm talking about: the Vision Document. Keep in mind that this is a quick and dirty description - this ain't the science. The vision document is probably one of the most important documents a designer can create. It is the first real breath of the newborn idea, its first steps, its first words. It is the crystalline seed that grows into the diamond - or the zircon, depending on the game. It is the basic outline of the game, its high points summarized and its selling points emphasized. It is the game idealized by the designer and presented in a format that will excite all the people who are looking at it. It is a reference point for the design of the game, but more importantly, perhaps, it is the document that allows the game to be made in the first place. See, the vision document is essentially the tool the designer uses to convince the management that this is a game that needs to be made, both for its creative genius and its huge profit-making potential. If the vision document falls short on either side - the creative or the business - the game won't be made. If necessary, one should err on the side of business, because convincing the people who hold the purse strings to loosen them for a project will get the project made that much more quickly - unless the creative side is so exciting one can't help but be blown away by its perfection. So what goes into a vision document? (about ten-twenty pages, theoretically - you want to keep a vision document sort of short, as opposed to the design document, which can range into thousands of pages) First off, we have the bullet points. These are approximately ten points that should hammer home the point that this game is unique, exciting, profitable, different, and most importantly, fun. Then we have the basic description of the storyline of the game. What's this game about? What does it do? What does it look like? What are the nuts and bolts of the story? Third is the description of the engine. HOW does the game do what it's supposed to do? What are the mechanics? How much time and effort is going to be required in making a new engine, or modifying an old one? Fourth... well, that's a trade secret. Now you all know how to start a game. I encourage you to send all your ideas to Bishop Sawyer. He loves to hear these things. Next week - perhaps we'll talk about the secrets of a design document. Oooh! Scary! -Colin

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