Game Architecture and Design A New Edition

by Rollings, Andrew; Morris, David

• ISBN13: 9780735713635
• ISBN10: 0735713634
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-24
• Publisher: New Riders

Summary

Game Architecture and Design: A New Editionis a revision of the classic that you have been waiting for! This is a detailed guide to game design and planning from first concept to the start of development, including case studies of well known games. Originally published in 1999,Game Architecture and Design, has been updated by the original authors Andrew Rollings and Dave Morris. They tap back into what they teach so well and update this classic with skills and techniques found in the industry today. With more than just re-usable code, it's a comprehensive study that deals specifically with the issues of game design, team building and management, and game architecture. Through the use of real-world experiences and case studies, Andrew and Dave share it all. They show you what's worked and why as well as what to avoid and how to fix any errors. This intelligent and well-argued book is a glimpse into the often-disordered world of game development. Readers will gain solid advice and know-how that can bring some order to the often-chaotic world found in game development.

Author Biography

Andrew Rollings (co-author of the highly acclaimed book Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design) has a B.S. in Physics from Imperial College, London, and Bristol University, and has worked as a technical consultant spanning the games industry and the financial industry since 1995 Dave Morris has worked as a designer and creative consultant on PC and console games for several major publishers, most notably Eidos. He has done creative development and scriptwriting on television shows for Endemol, Pearson, TV2 Norway, and the BBC

Table of Contents

Introduction	xxiii
Part 1 Game Design
Chapter 1 First Concept	3	(32)
The Shock of the New	3	(1)
The Creative Road Map	4	(2)
Having the Idea	6	(5)
Inspiration	7	(1)
Synthesis	8	(1)
Resonance	9	(1)
Convergence	10	(1)
Shaping the Idea	11	(4)
Dramatic Effect	11	(4)
The Treatment	15	(1)
Taking Stock	16	(4)
Analysis	16	(1)
Evaluation	17	(1)
Justification	17	(1)
Case Study 1.1 The One-Page Pitch	18	(2)
Feasibility	20	(1)
Commercial	20	(1)
Technological	20	(1)
Developmental	21	(1)
Getting it Down	21	(14)
Case Study 1.2 Initial Treatment for Conquerors	22	(13)
Chapter 2 Core Design	35	(24)
What Is a Game?	35	(3)
Cool Features	36	(1)
Fancy Graphics	36	(1)
Puzzles	37	(1)
Setting and Story	37	(1)
Games Aren't Everything	38	(1)
Case Study 2.1 Story Versus Gameplay	39	(1)
Games Mean Gameplay	39	(3)
Case Study 2.2 A Missed Opportunity?	40	(2)
Creating the Game Spec	42	(17)
Case Study 2.3 Integrating Game Objectives	43	(1)
Features	43	(2)
Case Study 2.4 An Instance of Emergence	45	(1)
Gameplay	45	(2)
Interface	47	(1)
Case Study 2.5 An Elegant Interface	48	(1)
Rules	48	(1)
Case Study 2.6 The Rules Must Serve the Features	49	(1)
Level Design	50	(1)
Case Study 2.7 Interesting Level Design	51	(2)
Example Game Spec	53	(1)
Case Study 2.8 Game Spec	53	(4)
The Value of Prototypes...	57	(1)
...And the Necessity of Documents	58	(1)
Chapter 3 Gameplay	59	(28)
What Is Gameplay?	60	(20)
Implementing Gameplay	61	(1)
The Dominant Strategy Problem	62	(1)
Near Dominance	63	(4)
Case Study 3.1 Environment Plus Rules Equals Gameplay	67	(3)
Supporting Investments	70	(1)
Versatility	71	(1)
Case Study 3.2 Unexpected Versatility	72	(2)
Compensating Factors	74	(1)
Case Study 3.3 Balancing Compensating Factors	75	(1)
Impermanence	76	(1)
Shadow Costs	77	(1)
Case Study 3.4 Shadow Costs in Age of Empires	77	(1)
Synergies	78
A Final Word About Gameplay	19	(61)
Interactivity	80	(7)
Kinds of Interactivity	81	(1)
Case Study 3.5 A Different Kind of Interactivity	82	(2)
"Why?" Versus "What?"	84	(3)
Chapter 4 Detailed Design	87	(18)
The Designer's Role	87	(5)
Case Study 4.1 A Development Timeline	88	(4)
Design Documentation	92	(3)
The Gameplay Spec	92	(1)
The Designer's Notes	93	(1)
Case Study 4.2 The Need for Documenting the Spec	94	(1)
Using The Design Documents	95	(2)
Fitting Design to Development	97	(5)
Tiers and Testbeds	98	(2)
Case Study 4.3 Planning the Mini-Specs to Fit the Architecture	100	(2)
Why Use Documents at All?	102	(3)
Chapter 5 Game Balance	105	(36)
Player/Player Balance	106	(5)
Symmetry	107	(4)
Player/Gameplay Balance	111	(5)
Case Study 5.1 Is This Supposed to Be Fun?	111	(2)
Reward the Player	113	(1)
Let the Machine do the Work	113	(1)
Make a Game You Play With, Not Against	114	(1)
Case Study 5.2 The Save Game Problem	114	(2)
Gameplay/Gameplay Balance	116	(23)
Component and Attribute Balance	117	(2)
Case Study 5.3 Component and Attribute Balance in Dungeon Keeper	119	(1)
Intransitive Game Mechanics Guarantees Balance	120	(6)
Case Study 5.4 Attribute Balance Using SPS	126	(6)
Case Study 5.5 Using Game Theory Analysis to Achieve Balance	132	(7)
A Game Balance Checklist	139	(2)
Chapter 6 Look and Feel	141	(30)
Ambience	142	(6)
Sound	143	(1)
Case Study 6.1 Sound Effects at Their Best	143	(1)
Vision	144	(2)
Case Study 6.2 A Discordant Note	146	(1)
Touch	147	(1)
Interface	148	(4)
Case Study 6.3 Meshing the Interface With Look and Feel	148	(2)
Case Study 6.4 Sometimes Less Is Less	150	(2)
Storytelling	152	(17)
A Toolbox of Storytelling Techniques	153	(4)
Case Study 6.5 An Example of a Look-and-Feel Document	157	(5)
Case Study 6.6 An Unexpected Development	162	(5)
Case Study 6.7 An Unsatisfying Conclusion	167	(2)
The Sum of the Parts	169	(2)
Chapter 7 Wrapping Up	171	(26)
The Professionals	172	(25)
The Game Concept	173	(1)
Planning for Change	174	(6)
The Technology	180	(2)
Development	182	(4)
The Team	186	(1)
Costs and Timelines	187	(2)
Gameplay	189	(3)
The Future	192	(5)
Chapter 8 The Future of Game Design	197	(30)
The Necessity of Design	197	(6)
Don't Be Afraid to Plan	198	(1)
Case Study 8.1 Design Saves Time	198	(2)
Why Design Is Fine	200	(2)
Case Study 8.2 Keep the Design up to Date	202	(1)
Essentials of Game Design	203	(4)
Is it Original?	204	(1)
Is it Coherent?	204	(1)
Is it Interactive?	205	(1)
Is it Interesting?	206	(1)
Is it Fun?	206	(1)
The Future of Design	207	(5)
Making Designs More Generic	208	(1)
Nonsymbolic Design	209	(2)
Case Study 8.3 Comparing Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Design	211	(1)
The Future of Games	212	(10)
The Next Decade	213	(1)
The Strengths of Software	214	(1)
The Crossroads of Creativity	215	(4)
Case Study 8.4 An Example of Mise En Scene	219	(3)
Games as Entertainment	222	(2)
The Way Forward	224	(3)
Part II Team Building and Management
Chapter 9 Current Methods of Team Management	227	(18)
The Current Development Model	228	(17)
The Origins of the Industry	228	(3)
The Trouble with Game Developers	231	(3)
The Problem Developer	234	(7)
Excessive Long Hours Mean an Unsuccessful Project	241	(1)
Exceptions to the Rule	242	(1)
Case Study 9.1 Quake, StarCraft, and XCOM: Interceptor	243	(2)
Chapter 10 Roles and Divisions	245	(18)
Assigning Personnel	245	(10)
Management and Design Division	247	(2)
Programming Division	249	(1)
Art Division	250	(1)
Music and Miscellaneous Division	251	(2)
Support and Quality Assurance Division	253	(2)
Improving Morale and the Working Environment	255	(7)
Morale Boosters	255	(6)
Morale Booster Caveats and Warnings	261	(1)
Spreading the Risk	262	(1)
Chapter 11 The Software Factory	263	(30)
What Is a Software Factory?	263	(2)
Why Use a Software Factory?	265	(6)
Solving Game Development Issues	266	(2)
Case Study 11.1 The Effects of Losing Key Personnel	268	(1)
Case Study 11.2 Code Reuse	269	(2)
Organizing a Software Factory	271	(14)
A Structural Overview	271	(2)
Group Responsibilities and Interactions	273	(1)
Case Study 11.3 Ineffective Problem Handling in Action	274	(2)
Case Study 11.4 Effective Problem Handling in Action	276	(5)
Case Study 11.5 The Benefits Of Tool Reuse	281	(4)
Applying the Software Factory Structure and Methodology	285	(5)
Getting off the Ground	286	(1)
Knowing When to Use Each Team-a Parallel Development Timeline	287	(2)
Rotating and Reassigning Team Members	289	(1)
Case Study 11.6 The Indispensables	289	(1)
The Suitability of a Software Factory	290	(1)
Smaller Teams	290	(1)
The Final Word	291	(2)
Chapter 12 Milestones and Deadlines	293	(34)
How Milestones Currently Work	294	(5)
Case Study 12.1 What Fuzzy Milestones Can Do to a Project	297	(2)
Fuzzy Milestones	299	(1)
Milestones and Mini-Milestones	299	(2)
When to Use Milestones	301	(1)
Making Your Milestones Accurate	301	(13)
Case Study 12.2 The Costs of Canceling Projects	304	(1)
Checkpoint 1.0 General Requirements Gathering	305	(2)
Checkpoint 1.1 Technological Requirements Gathering	307	(1)
Checkpoint 1.2 Resource Requirements Gathering	308	(1)
Checkpoint 2.0 General Feasibility Study	309	(2)
Checkpoint 2.1 Technological Feasibility Study	311	(1)
Checkpoint 2.2 Resource Availability Study	312	(1)
Checkpoint 3.0 Draft Architecture Specification	312	(1)
Checkpoint 3.1 Project Initialization	313	(1)
The Next Steps	314	(1)
Defining Milestones	314	(13)
Bad Milestones	316	(5)
Good Milestones	321	(1)
Case Study 12.3 A Real-Life Milestone	322	(1)
Research Versus Deadlines	323	(1)
Evaluation of Milestones	324	(3)
Chapter 13 Procedures and "Process"	327	(40)
Procedures	328	(13)
Reviews	329	(4)
Testing in General	333	(8)
"Process"	341	(7)
Case Study 13.1 Process Gone Mad	345	(3)
Procedures: Where to Use Them?	348	(7)
The Design Phase	349	(3)
The Development Phase	352	(2)
The Testing Phase	354	(1)
Source Control and Code Reviews: A Synergy	355	(3)
Case Study 13.2 Source Control? We Don't Need No Steenkin' Source Control!	355	(3)
What Should Source Control Be Used For?	358	(1)
The Importance of Information Transmission	358	(9)
Proactive and Reactive Information Transmission	362	(5)
Chapter 14 Troubleshooting	367	(42)
Risks	372	(37)
Design and Architecture Problems	376	(3)
Case Study 14.1 The Case of the Deaf Manager	379	(9)
Schedule Threats	388	(6)
Case Study 14.2 Applied Schedule Readjustment	394	(2)
Organizational Problems	396	(2)
Contractor Problems	398	(1)
Personnel Problems	399	(2)
Development Problems	401	(5)
Process Problems	406	(3)
Chapter 15 The Future of the Industry	409	(24)
The State of the Industry	409	(12)
The First Era	410	(1)
The Second Era	411	(1)
The Third Era	411	(4)
Violence in Games	415	(6)
The New Model Developers	421	(6)
Case Study 15.1 It's Hard for Developers	423	(4)
The Online Revolution	427	(6)
Delivering Games Online	427	(1)
Playing Games Online	428	(5)
Part III Game Architecture
Chapter 16 Current Development Methods	433	(24)
The History of Development Techniques	436	(16)
The Rise and Fall of the Original Game Idea?	437	(4)
The Development Environment	441	(11)
The Present Day	452	(5)
Reusability	453	(4)
Chapter 17 Initial Design	457	(54)
The Beginning	459	(3)
Case Study 17.1 Abstraction in Quake II	461	(1)
Hardware Abstraction	462	(17)
Graphics Hardware Abstraction	463	(5)
Sound Hardware Abstraction	468	(2)
Other Hardware Considerations	470	(6)
"Not Built Here" Can Be Better	476	(2)
The Twilight Zone	478	(1)
The Problem Domain	479	(3)
What Is a Game? (Revisited)	480	(2)
Thinking in Tokens	482	(29)
Tokenization of Pong	483	(10)
Tokenization of Pac-Man	493	(7)
State Transitions and Properties	500	(2)
Case Study 17.2 The Inflexibility Trap	502	(9)
Chapter 18 Use of Technology	511	(42)
The State of the Art	515	(13)
The Rise and Fall of the 3D Engine	516	(6)
The Perception of Technology	522	(1)
Case Study 18.1 A First Impression	523	(5)
Blue-Sky Research	528	(14)
Research Types	531	(2)
Case Study 18.2 Losing Sight of the Ball	533	(5)
Case Study 18.3 Tetris: A Caveat	538	(1)
Case Study 18.4 Outcast: Good Use of Technology	539	(2)
Keeping a Journal	541	(1)
Reinventing the Wheel	542	(1)
Use of Object Technology	543	(10)
The Pros and Cons of Abstraction	549	(4)
Chapter 19 Building Blocks	553	(54)
Reusability in Software	555	(52)
Code Reuse	555	(1)
Case Study 19.1 Reuse of Engines	556	(2)
Design Reuse: Patterns	558	(48)
Game-Specific Patterns	606	(1)
Chapter 20 Initial Architecture Design	607	(30)
The Birth of an Architecture	608	(9)
Architectural Concepts	610	(7)
The Tier System	617	(11)
Tier Zero: The Prototype	617	(6)
Case Study 20.1 A Database-Driven Approach	623	(1)
Tier One and Beyond	623	(5)
Architecture Design	628	(9)
Applying the Tier-Based Approach to Architecture Design	631	(2)
Case Study 20.2 Discussing the Architecture of Warbots	633	(2)
Architecture Orthogonality	635	(2)
Chapter 21 Development	637	(50)
The Development Process	638	(3)
Code Quality	641	(27)
Coding Standards	642	(26)
Coding Priorities	668	(4)
Speed	669	(1)
Size	670	(1)
Flexibility	671	(1)
Portability	671	(1)
Maintainability	671	(1)
Debugging and Module Completion	672	(9)
Types of Bugs	674	(1)
Case Study 21.1 Class A Bugs or Not?	675	(6)
The Seven Golden Gambits	681	(4)
Reuse	681	(1)
Case Study 21.2 Reusable Architecture	682	(1)
Documentation	682	(1)
Design First	683	(1)
Schedule	684	(1)
Catch Mistakes as You Go Along	684	(1)
Limit R&D	684	(1)
Know When to Draw the Line	685	(1)
The Three Lead Balloons	685	(2)
Bad Management	685	(1)
Feature Creep	686	(1)
Coder Insularity	686	(1)
Chapter 22 The Run-Up to Release	687	(32)
Late Evaluation	688	(15)
Final Analysis	689	(2)
Is the Game Pp to Scratch?	691	(1)
Case Study 22.1 A Self Inflicted Disaster	692	(2)
Case Study 22.2 A Recovery Plan	694	(6)
Case Study 22.3 Licensing Hell	700	(1)
Case Study 22.4 Last-Minute Madness	701	(2)
Late Localization	703	(5)
Licenses	703	(1)
Languages	704	(2)
Demos	706	(1)
Case Study 22.5 Giving the Game Away	707	(1)
Case Study 22.6 Keep Something Back	708	(1)
Playtesting	708	(4)
Case Study 22.7 How Did They Miss These!?	710	(2)
Focus Groups	712	(1)
The Web Site	713	(1)
Getting Ready for the Gold Master	714	(1)
Patches	715	(4)
Chapter 23 Postmortem	719	(28)
Case Study 23.1 A Tale of Two Projects	722	(3)
Team Dynamics	725	(5)
Case Study 23.2 It's All Gone Horribly Wrong!	726	(4)
Concept	730	(7)
Climate	730	(1)
Case Study 23.3 Misjudging the Climate	731	(3)
Accessibility	734	(3)
Development	737	(5)
Software Planning	738	(1)
Case Study 23.4 Oubliette	739	(2)
Coding	741	(1)
Testing	742	(1)
Business Aspects	742	(3)
Case Study 23.5 Secure Your Revenue Stream	743	(2)
The Postmortem Postmortem	745	(2)
Chapter 24 The Future of Game Development	747	(38)
Development in Context	748	(4)
Future Development	752	(11)
Marketing	752	(2)
Case Study 24.1 Marketing Means Targeting	754	(2)
Content	756	(1)
Case Study 24.2 Development Without Strategy	757	(3)
Planning	760	(2)
Developers	762	(1)
Small Is Beautiful Too	763	(1)
Building the Team of the Future	764	(7)
Character	764	(3)
Motivation	767	(2)
Morale	769	(2)
New Directions in Development	771	(9)
The Holistic Approach	771	(2)
"Jurassic Park" Software	773	(2)
Immanent and Transcendent Worlds	775	(5)
The Shape of Things to Come?	780	(5)
Part IV Appendixes
A Sample Game Design Documents	785	(102)
Detailed Design Discussions	785	(32)
1. Balls! Introduction	785	(1)
2. Overview of Gameplay	786	(1)
3. Platforms	787	(1)
4. Time Scales	788	(1)
5. Why Puzzle Games Aren't as Good as They Used to Be	789	(1)
6. Puzzle Game Appeal	790	(1)
7. Why Balls! Would Be Good	791	(3)
8. Game Design: User Interface Elements	794	(5)
9. Physics of Balls!	799	(6)
10. Blocks	805	(3)
11. Special Case Block-Block Collisions	808	(2)
12. Playing the Game	810	(3)
13. Further Embellishments	813	(4)
Initial Treatments and Sample Designs	817	(1)
Racketeers: Gang Warfare in the Roaring Twenties	817	(39)
1. Overview	818	(1)
2. Game Objectives	819	(2)
3. Graphics	821	(3)
4. Playing a Game	824	(1)
5. Character Types	825	(6)
Gangsters	826	(3)
Non-Gang Members	829	(2)
6. Personality	831	(2)
7. Orders	833	(1)
8. Combat	834	(1)
9. The Game World	835	(4)
10. Joints	839	(4)
11. Messages	843	(1)
12. Tutorial Campaign	844	(2)
13. Target Platform	846	(1)
Postscript	846	(1)
Liberator	847	(1)
1. Introduction	847	(2)
2. Game Elements	849	(5)
3. How Does it Play?	854	(2)
Technical Specifications	856	(29)
Technical Specification: Fully 3D Plug-In Graphics Module for Balls!	857	(28)
Code Review Form	885	(1)
Test Scripts	886	(1)
B Bibliography and References	887	(6)
Glossary	893	(4)
Index	897

Excerpts

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