Single or Multiplayer

The next step focuses on the gameplay itself. If you worked hard on the game overview, you may have already covered this. If you have, this section is much easier. If not, you should begin by determining if it will be a game that implements single player, multiplayer, or both. For example, if you are planning an FPS clone like Quake, you might decide that it is single player only. If you are doing a sports game like basketball, you’ll probably want to have multiple player support. Sometimes the information in this area of the document is discussed in other areas, but you shouldn’t worry about duplication of ideas. This is especially true on a first draft, as you can always change the document after a later inspection.

If it’s a single player game, you can describe the game experience in a few sentences and perhaps break down some of the key elements of the single player game. For example, if it’s a Quake clone, you could begin by setting up the location of the game. Next, you could detail the types of enemies you’ll be facing and the route to complete the game, such as, “You have to finish 10 levels before the game is over.” You could also list how the game ends, such as when a level isn’t completed on time. Another idea that you can include is a projection on the number of hours the game is going to take before a player finishes and how he ultimately wins the game. A single player game is usually easier not only to design but also to discuss in the design document.

A multiplayer game description begins the same way as a single player. You can take a few sentences to describe the basics of the game play. The basketball game we mentioned earlier could begin by mentioning the type of game it is: a street ball type of game, college, professional, or international rules game. You can also decide what types of options you’ll have, such as franchise mode for a professional game or what types of parks you’ll include for a street ball game. Now is a good time to decide how many players will be allowed to play simultaneously and how you plan to implement the client-server or peer-to-peer system. For instance, do you plan to use something like DirectPlay or another API, and how many individuals do you plan to allow to play against one another? In our basketball example, you need to decide how many people you will allow to play on the same team or against one another on different teams. You don’t need to have complete technical details, but you should discuss the possibility of the protocol you plan to use at a minimum. It would be even better to begin looking at potential pitfalls that are common in multiplayer games.