Data Handler Design Documentation

[IchI]

Hey, I have recently been developing a design document for my portfollio and development. I am in the very early stages of documentation. But I want feed back from everyone. In the long run I think it will help me balance my idea out and develope it. There where comments before about what the next HalfLife2.net community project would be. I was may be thinking about trying out for this.

Lets see what you think anyway. I have made 2 different formats for the documentation and I will keep you posted on each beta and it developes.

Microsoft Word
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ichi3d/Data_Handler_Beta_v01.doc

WordPad (Standard Windows Application)
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ichi3d/Data_Handler_Beta_v01.rtf

P.S. Remember to give me feedback

Thanks!

 

[Stingey]

Just read it, and i must say this is one of the most original projects i've ever read. If you work this out it's gonna be great
Shutdown sounds great btw shutting yourself down to shut someone else down. Dont really understand the virus part though but you shoudl really invest on this and its gonna be great

 

[IchI]

Just read it, and i must say this is one of the most original projects i've ever read. If you work this out it's gonna be great
Shutdown sounds great btw shutting yourself down to shut someone else down. Dont really understand the virus part though but you shoudl really invest on this and its gonna be great

Thanks soooo much. I have many different ideas for abilitys. Most of them are influenced by Warcraft3 and anime series such as Naruto and other special power genres.

The most original idea I have come up with for a first person shooter would be clones. You split your body up into replications and these run on AI running in different directions for up to 2/3 seconds just to get your away from battles.

In a way my whole aim for this modification is for you to become powerful and have the ability to do things you see super hero's with influences from anime such as Naruto and Hunter X Hunter.

 

[desty]

Your idea is quite interesting, makes me think of Ghost In the Shell, or the movie "Avalon". The concepts are good, but what really lacks is a good description of how the game will play. There is a brief description in the Combat section, but as this design is so different to other designs like CS more explanation would be needed, like:

-how does the player move, in which directions?
-What will the levels/maps look like?

I know it's unfinished, but therefore, I can for the time being only comment on the idea and concept, not on the actual game, and I'll say it has a lot of potential.

desty

 

[Kon]

So far I like it, and if it ever is made and works well, i'd definatly play it..

Are we allowed to give you suggestions and ideas? I think I have some..

 

[MadMechwarrior]

The game concept is good, but I'm assuming you're writing it in your portfolio to show a good design doc example. For the document itself, it serves as a good, simple overview, but it's nowhere near what a real design doc should be. I have a full design doc for my mod and it's 35 pages, and I consider that a minimum, since I don't even touch technical stuff in it.

First of all, you should split your design doc into the basic sections that make up a game, these are Gameplay, Graphics, Audio (Music), AI, Story. In the gameplay section you would detail how the game would actually work, flowcharts are a good idea here, this is probably going to be your longest section. Explain everything and anything someone needs to know to understand the game. The Graphics section should detail what things should look like, this means things like menu screen (a flow chart of all the menus would be good too) the HUD, possibly concept art of the different weapons and designs if you have any. The Audio section should contain anything pertaining to audio, that could be how your game will handle music (ie. mood driven, MP3 player) or how the different ambient sounds would affect the gameplay. The AI section should detail where in the game you need AI and how it should work, is it complex or simple, etc.. The story section is optional and could contain some backstory.

If you look at your document, it's nothing more than an overview, because it leaves a lot to the imagination when a true design doc should have everything crystal clear. Though you might not want to go that far unless you actually plan on developping this title.

 

[armanguy]

it sounded like tron when ifirst read it but second time around it dident thats a good i dea nice jobbut i must say that you should have not posted it because some people might try to steal your idea.

 

[theGreenBunny]

I don't really like the setting, reminds me of those shitty 'hacker' movies where some kids go "INSIDE TEH COMPUTAR OH MY GAWD".
Other than that, it sounds pretty good.

 

[IchI]

I don't really like the setting, reminds me of those shitty 'hacker' movies where some kids go "INSIDE TEH COMPUTAR OH MY GAWD".
Other than that, it sounds pretty good.

I understand what you mean, but I am not planning a kiddy like colourful mod. The whole background storyline is a little dark and I plan on influencing the enviroment with this. I have a lot to add to the document and so far I'm happy my early documentation is getting such good feedback.

The game concept is good, but I'm assuming you're writing it in your portfolio to show a good design doc example. For the document itself, it serves as a good, simple overview, but it's nowhere near what a real design doc should be. I have a full design doc for my mod and it's 35 pages, and I consider that a minimum, since I don't even touch technical stuff in it.

First of all, you should split your design doc into the basic sections that make up a game, these are Gameplay, Graphics, Audio (Music), AI, Story. In the gameplay section you would detail how the game would actually work, flowcharts are a good idea here, this is probably going to be your longest section. Explain everything and anything someone needs to know to understand the game. The Graphics section should detail what things should look like, this means things like menu screen (a flow chart of all the menus would be good too) the HUD, possibly concept art of the different weapons and designs if you have any. The Audio section should contain anything pertaining to audio, that could be how your game will handle music (ie. mood driven, MP3 player) or how the different ambient sounds would affect the gameplay. The AI section should detail where in the game you need AI and how it should work, is it complex or simple, etc.. The story section is optional and could contain some backstory.

If you look at your document, it's nothing more than an overview, because it leaves a lot to the imagination when a true design doc should have everything crystal clear. Though you might not want to go that far unless you actually plan on developping this title.

I understand what you mean completely. You need to remember I am missing LOADS! of sections. At the moment I have only just started to flesh out the basic idea. I plan on writing a very long document.

Thanks to everyone so far. I will continue to write the document as I go along. I have a lot of home work to do at the moment so it may go a little slow. But I am not in a rush anyway.

Remember Ideas are welcome. It will be nice to see what other people think.

 

[Sprafa]

Pretty original concept, but there's a thin line between original and just weird.

I hope you don't pass it

 

[Kon]

Remember Ideas are welcome.

---Some sort of trap you can set up which occupies and disturbs the location it is in. Maybe like a virus which maybe scrambles your connection when you walk close to it, or you get effected in some odd way like having your vision become blurry or scrambled or something.. or maybe another effect you would get sucked into it and then spit out in some random direction. Maybe allow the area to spread slowly?

---Some sort of data/electrical currents to "teleport" in a sense. You enter one somehow and you go cruising down it and pop out somewhere else.

I had some others but I forgot them..

 

[Glo]

sounds interesting
might as well add walking through walls , like a ghost. or high-jump

these things sure will need to be balanced somehow in the maps.

 

[IchI]

Hey, I have updated the whole document pritty much. Its still in the early stages. But I have started to mvoe into more specific areas etc... This time its only in .doc format. Sorry, but I have started to add other things rather than text and WordPad doesn't suport them. If you have any problems and you really want to see it I will .rmf (abode reader thingy) it for you.

Microsoft Word
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ichi3d/Data_Handler_Beta_v02.doc​

 

[IchI]

are there any comments on the new version of the design document?

Knock Knock.....

 

[theGreenBunny]

If you're that hungry for comments: I read it through, and well, it's developing nicely. Didn't really notice anything to criticise, except the character names, but those are not exactly important.

So uh, keep going

 

[IchI]

Oh, thanks. I will try and get some more done over my couple of days break.

 

[IchI]

Yet another update, thanks for all your suport so far. As I have been going through the document development to me has become a bigger and bigger task, my inital use for this document was to use it in my portfollio. I am still debating what to do. I will finish it no matter what though, mainly because the task is to use it for my portfollio.

Microsoft Word
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ichi3d/Data_Handler_Beta_v03.doc​

Remember C&C even if its spelling or just the way its writen, if nothings making sense please tell me. I don't want to look like a fool

 

[Cunbelin]

Hmm, sounds like Battlefield with more outlandish classes, at least at it's core. Perhaps I'm too cynical, and it certainly can create a completely different feel by changing things on a small scale, but your document doesn't yet have a good small scale design. Just a suggestion but when working with a multiplayer design I would write out "play cases" kind of walk through what a combat encounter is like, what uploading a virus is like, and any other pertinent aspects of the game.

Off hand in your current design I'd look out for slippery slope issues, you don't want a losing team to feel like they've lost the game until the last possible point as much as possible so you have to watch giving too many advantages to the winning side. It should be harder to win than to lose. Also I'd worry about the virus writing mode being too jarring for players, a genre overload effect if you will.

Anyway interesting setting hope you get to flesh it out!