Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
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We revisited the concept of gameplay and how everything you do related to designing
a game should support that. Characters can indeed be stars of the game; however, all
that you do when it comes to designing and creating them needs to support gameplay.
The same approach should be kept in mind when you're creating backgrounds or other
elements that support the game, such as cutscenes and trailers.
Studying articles about design and development is an excellent thing to do as you continue
to learn about designing and producing games, whether you're interested in character
creation, world building, or the game itself.
of game design and development, from the pitch to production to post-mortems. They
show in depth how existing games were created—including the pros and cons. You should
study games that are well received and have good design. You should also study games
that have poor design, to learn what to avoid. This is very important!
When you do research about how games are made, pitched, marketed, and so on, you can
get ideas about how to apply the same principles to your own projects, or where you might
like to work in the industry based on some of the jobs and challenges you discover.
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Coming up with a unique look for a character can be a wonderful challenge, and fun as
well. Pick one of the following scenarios:
You're a timid little animal living underground on a distant planet. The colony, which
contains thousands of other timid animals, is running out of water. Your grandfather
told you tales of a secret well, deep in a dangerous mountain range, far from the safety
of your colony. You decide to travel on your own to find the precious liquid that can
save everyone. What do you look like?
You exist in the dreams of a little girl living in a poor part of a big city. While she
sleeps, you whisper to her, telling her how special and wonderful she is, and that she
will grow up to be an important person. She does: she becomes president of the United
States. Now she faces an unusual crisis: the first alien visitors have reached our planet,
and they're hostile. You resurface in her dreams to help give her strength and support
during these hard times. What do you look like?
While you work on your design, list the special attributes your character should have, and
use those to help you sketch what your character will look like.
(Continues)
