Some features of Game Design and Development: How do masters of Art and Coding get on together

The process of game creation is not that easy as it may seem at first sight. Many people just mix the terms when they speak about people, who are involved in the game creation, and processes that are performed during it. But in reality, everything is much more complicated, and many different professionals have to cooperate with each other to create a worthy game. Let us look who are these people and what challenges they meet on their way to the final result.

Difference between game design & game development

To call things by their names, it is important to know: what is game design and development? These terms are different as the process of development has a wider meaning.

A developer is a person, who takes part in game development and it means that no matter if you are a programmer or game producer, animator or musician, each of these people, can be called a developer.

A designer is a person, who makes the design of the game and its main features. The designer is an indispensable member of the development team as he is responsible for the entire image of the game, its structure, documentation, etc. Sometimes his role is underestimated, but they are key personalities in game development.

The essential elements of game art and design

Each designer has some functions that must be performed by him to design a good gameplay. Nowadays, modern employees of large companies use the latest game design programs or Unity development, for example. This software helps to ease the process and define the overall game context at a shorter period of time. The basic elements of the design are:

–    Tools used for playing a game;

–    Development of the detailed list of rules that might be subject to changes and variations including rights and responsibilities of all players as well as their goals;

–    Determination of the conditions that bring the player to the victory;

–    Number of players (single or multiple players);

–    A well-structured storyline or plot of the game with the list of the main characters;

–    Combination of luck and strategy;

–    The presence of educational tool apart from fun and entertainment.

What does it mean to be a game designer?

Though the term “designer” can be rather ambiguous, a game designer has little in common with the initial meaning of this word. This person is far from being a man of an idea, the list of his duties can be very long. Usually, the process of game designing starts with the development of the concept document that can later be transformed into a “game design bible”. The next step is to try out the basic mechanics of the game building prototypes and making necessary iterations. When it is time to put the game together, game designers deal with scripting and tuning. This may include working on plot development, character behaviors, maps, scenarios, a creation of the user interface, etc. This job involves a wide range of knowledge and requires a constant development from the individual, so a young game designer must be ready for challenges.

Challenges encountered by game designers

The job of the game designer is rather challenging and painstaking, as the number of difficulties and problems he faces can be enormous. It requires an abundance of ideas and in-depth knowledge of the matter, but even with all that many problems characterize this kind of job:

–    Dealing with crucial details of UW game development such as deadlines, target audience, budgets, requirements etc.;

–    Ability to improvise and experiment to achieve a desirable result

–    A variety of different platforms that require adaptation of graphics and other elements

–    Creation of the main concept both of gameplay and layout;

–    Dealing with various aspects of gameplay (leading, testing, working with game mechanics, environment, etc.)

–    The objective of the designer is to put a game together (starting with the prototype and finishing with the release);

–    Learning the basics of programming and coding;

–    Be skillful enough for at least sketching or visualizing ideas;

–    Be a professional in the video game graphic design suitable for different platforms;

–    Deal with a variety of different software and tools and be ready to learn new ones etc.

Possible pitfalls of game designers

The analysis of the incredible success and failures of some games helped to find out what mistakes and pitfalls of designers can make a game a complete collapse:

1. Paying more attention to the documentation than the game itself: the imagined process of the game can not always be implemented in life taking into account all other interacting elements.
2. Peer reviews take place right before the release of the game: but it could be more productive if designers could play games of each other earlier to be able to improve the quality of their products.
3. Story controls the design of a game: games differ from films in the way that they not only provide the attractive environment for players but also provide them with the unforgettable experience.
4. Saving on tools: use of the same tools and programs may result in similar or familiar game environments.
5. Avoidance of outside playsets: the work of a designer always requires reviewing and feedbacks of other professionals and gamers, who can help fix minor bugs and increase the quality of the final product, playsets can be a good choice!

Masters of art in Unity game development or any other kind of game creation have to cooperate with a variety of people, who are also in the team of game developers. All this will contribute to the absence bugs and possible problems as well as make the creative process more productive and exciting. This strive for success will undoubtedly result in the another exciting and spectacular game.