gameplay, even if it is only a variation on a proven theme, all hope of predictability in its
development is thrown to the four winds.
Only truly talented designers have any hope of predicting what is going to be fun or
not in a game, and even the most experienced designers will tell you that they use a lot
of prototyping, experimentation, and general floundering around until they come up
with the gameplay they want. These talented veteran designers do not have crystal
balls; they only have an improved chance of anticipating what will make for compelling
gameplay. They do not truly “know” more than anyone else.
The closest thing game development has to a reliable system for developing an
original game is to get some small part of the gameplay working first, before moving
ahead to build the rest of the game. This may be called a prototype, a demo, a
proof-of-concept, a level, or simply the current build of the game. This is not merely a
demo to show off the game’s technology. Instead, it is something that shows off the
game’s gameplay, which incorporates preliminary versions of all the features described
in the game’s focus, as discussed in Chapter 5. This demo should be something any
member of the development team can pick up, play, and say, “Yes, this is fun, I want to
play this.” By concentrating on getting a small piece of the game fully functional and
enjoyable, the developer can get a much better sense of whether the final game is going
to be any fun or not. If the gameplay just does not turn out as anticipated, the prototype
provides an early enough warning that the game needs to either be redirected in a more
promising direction or, in the worst cases, aborted entirely.
The Organic Process ............................
In the games I work on, I prefer to keep the development process as organic as possible
and I try not to plan anything out beyond what is necessary at that stage in develop-
ment. This may be the opposite of the approach many development studios prefer, but I
find it to be the most effective method for developing the best game possible. Due to
the highly unpredictable nature of game design, which I discussed above, a more
organic process leaves me room and time to experiment with how the gameplay will
work. Instead of writing a mammoth document, I can first try to get some portion of the
game to be fun before I start adding detail and length to the game. Of course, keeping
the process organic needs to be balanced with concerns about budget, schedule, and
keeping a large team of developers occupied. Indeed, having too many developers too
soon on a project can be a real problem, as they will have to move forward on creating
content before you are sure what that content should be. Adding too much content to
the game too early can be very wasteful, if not actually restrictive. This excessive detail
can take the form of an elaborate design document, a script for the game’s dialog,
detailed maps of the various areas players will explore, or even fully built levels for the
game. It makes no sense whatsoever to create these elements of the game until you
have a firm grasp on what the gameplay will be, and have a working prototype that
proves the gameplay to be fun.
Too Much Too Soon ...........................
The problem with creating scripts, documents, or levels without a prototype is that
these assets will make assumptions about how the gameplay will function, assumptions
Chapter 15: Getting the Gameplay Working 283