Level Planning & Mechanics:

 

For my first planning experimentation I wanted to experiment with different techniques of Level and Mechanics Planning, this is because I feel that to be able to effectively design and develop this extremely large and complex project I must plan out all of the different levels and mechanics that I intend to use in my horror themed survival puzzle game. If I am able to carry out this level and mechanics planning effectively it will set me in a better position to combat all of the levels that I must design and develop to create a polished horror, survival puzzle game. My research said that level planning and mechanic planning are the two simple elements of game planning so I hope that these techniques will be easy to understand and effective at allowing me to plan my concept.

 

Method 1 -

The first method that I carried out research into was Bottomley’s (2011) methodology of compiling a list of the gameplay mechanics and labelling them based on the hierarchy and use of the mechanic. This allows me to plan out my mechanics effectively and will allow me to visualise the length of each puzzle that I intend to create in Streets of Shadows, my horror themed puzzle game. This is extremely important because it will help me to stay on track and manage my levels and the many layers of mechanics that I intend to include.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is one method of establishing the basic idea, mechanics, pace and features that make up my horror themed game and this pacing document will be extremely useful as it has allowed me to outlay the initial layout and gameplay movement through three of the many puzzles that I intend to develop. In addition, this method has allowed me to plan the mechanics in the simplest form possible whilst also creating a detailed view at the flow of the levels and what events are triggered as the player progresses through the puzzles. Bottomley’s method gives a very simplistic roadmap of the flow of the levels and has significantly helped me to plan the basics of Streets of Shadows, however I feel that this is extremely basic and I feel that I need to complete more planning.

 

Method 2 -

The second method that I researched in my Contextual Research Report and Process Research Report was a Game Design Document. A GDD is a very common planning resource in the games industry and Ultraw (2024: 1 March) said, “create a game design document before you start working on the feature [...] so you can ensure you don’t stray away from the main concept”. Also, in my Contextual Research Report Acad Or and Game Developer (2010) said “A video game roadmap, known as a ‘game design document’, gives a good idea of how the game's production should go. It answers questions like, ‘Who wants to play this game?’ ”. I found that a Game Design Document would be a good planning document to use when planning this project but I felt that it would only benefit a large project, however I have decided to experiment with this method and compare it to the previous method that I experimented and researched with above. I think that a Game Design Document will be beneficial but I think that it will be hard to fill out considering that it is the first time that I have worked with this document but with the help of my research this may aid the process of creating this document.

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In conclusion, overall I feel that the most beneficial document in terms of level planning and mechanic planning would have to be the first method that I experimented with, this is because I feel that it gives a greater visual representation of the levels and how the mechanics are used and implemented into each level. In addition to this, the Game Design Document felt as if it was harder to fill out and complete as most of the elements of the document did not relate to my project and I feel that the GDD would only be beneficial if I was to create a larger multi-platform game that required a larger amount of work power and optimisation. Furthermore, the first method is extremely easy to adjust and fit around any game concept as it follows a simple design that can be easily followed by anyone, and so that is why I feel that the first method will be greatly beneficial compared to the GDD for this project.

 

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Scheduling & Time Management:

For my second planning experimentation I wanted to experiment with different techniques of Scheduling and Time Management, this is because I feel that to be able to effectively plan and use my time throughout this large project I must plan out all of the different stages and create a rough time scale for how long to spend on each element and mechanic, so I can use my time effectively. If I am able to carry out this scheduling and time management effectively it will set me in a better position to use my time efficiently throughout the various stages of the project. My research said that scheduling and time management made up a large amount of the planning documents when it comes to effective game design, so this experimentation will allow me to look at two methods of this and will help me decide which method I would like to adopt for this project.

Method 1 - PERT Chart

The first method of time management that I carried out research into was Moore’s (2023) method of creating a PERT Chart; this chart consists of all the stages of development and can be used to identify a critical path that the project is dependent on. For example, this critical path includes all of the larger milestones such as mechanics and other larger elements of the project that are absolutely necessary and must be completed to carry out smaller tasks such as bug squashing and extra atmospheric elements that may not be required and only added if the developer has time. This PERT Chart will allow me to plan out all of the stages to the development of my game and will allow me to identify the critical path so I can use my time efficiently in order to complete the main game and then circle back to the smaller elements if time allows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one method of establishing a basic time management and scheduling planner that I can use to visualise and manage my progress throughout the development process of my horror puzzle game. I feel this method was simple to understand and gives me a basic overview of the stages to the project, however I feel that it lacks in detail and an overall time frame and scale so I will have to look at my second method of time scheduling before I make up my mind on the best method of time management. Overall, this is a great method that gives a simple overview of the whole process, however I feel that this is extremely basic and I feel that I need to complete more experimentation and planning.

 

 

Method 2 - Gantt Chart

 

The second method of time management that I carried out research into was Indiana University's (1980) planning method of creating a heavily detailed Gantt Chart; this Gantt Chart consists of all the stages of development, just like the PERT Chart, but instead of detailing the single process, such as “Build Beta Build”, it breaks the stage down into several processes each with its own time frame. An example of this may be “design walk animation: timeframe 1 hour”, “implement walk animation: 30 minutes” and finally “Test walk animation: 30 minutes”. In addition, a Gantt Chart has been described as being a useful tool to track time and the time left in the project, because if the chart is constructed correctly in Sheets or Excel then it will be able to add up all of the time left to complete from the stages in the project and also display the whole time scale of the project. Overall, a Gantt Chart will allow me to plan out all of the stages for the development of my game and will allow me to identify the time frame that I have, so I can use my time efficiently in order to complete the project on time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After experimenting with the Gantt Chart method of time management, I have been able to identify that this method is extremely effective and useful at fully planning out the stages to the development of my project and I found that this will be extremely useful for me to use throughout the rest of the project. I really like the clear and detailed segments to the chart when compared to the PERT chart that felt extremely hard to decipher and keep track of what stage I was currently working on or had completed, whereas this method makes it easy to track what I have completed, what I am currently working on and what still needs to be completed whilst also being able to view the time frame that I have for the project.

 

In conclusion, after completing experimentation into these two methods of time management and scheduling I feel that the Gantt Chart will be more beneficial to the success of my project as I will be able to effectively track my projects progress, whilst also being able to view the areas of development that still need to be worked upon. Although the PERT chart allowed me to identify the critical path to the project, I do not feel that this is more important than being able to effectively plan my time throughout the development process and so by going from that I have decided that I will stick with the Gantt chart and will be continually reviewing it and updating it based on the progress of the development.