So, a friend and I decided to make a new game together. No punchline, that part is true. We discussed the idea of working together on a project, before bouncing ideas around. We eventually came up with a game concept that we were both excited about.

Generally at this stage, most people would dive right in (myself included) but something changed there. Instead, we devoted a few weeks to design document writing. We had regular brainstorm sessions, then after a short break we came back to what we had written and culled the chaff (it is important to distance yourself from ideas for a little while). The remaining ideas went into a document, where they were fleshed out. Only after all this was complete, and we had before us a 50 page document, did we allow ourselves to move on to concept art and prototyping the art style and gameplay features.

The reason I am writing all of this is that if we were to have dived right in, several things would have happened:

Firstly, we would have missed out on a lot of great ideas. And I don't mean cool stuff that would make great additions, but huge, game-changing concepts that truly add a layer of depth to an otherwise fun but short-lived game. Simply by writing an idea down, you can see where some problems may lie, and where solutions or alternatives might be found.

Secondly, although we thought we had it all figured out, we would have had no real idea what we were doing. You see, coming up with a game concept is really just coming up with key features. You might have a fantastic character, or gameplay feature or whatever, it means nothing if everything else isn't there ready to go too.

Thirdly, we had no idea how to work together. While we've been friends for years, and we are both professionals in related fields, beginning a project is a difficult process, and you need somewhere to start. The design document (or even just a brief) allows all people in a team to see exactly what the vision is for the project. You might think everyone is on your wavelength, but chances are what they're picturing is radically different to what you are.

I used to tell my students that they wouldn't pass any assignment without an accompanying design document. First-year students always gave me the same speil on document writing: "It's all in my head, I don't need a document". By the end of their final year, when asked what they found most useful in my class, their answers were more often than not "learning how to plan, how to analyse what I'm doing, and how to write a design document".

These things aren't hollow pieces of paper that do nothing but reiterate what you already know in your head. A document is a tool to use to flesh out that concept, to make it stronger, to sift the good ideas from the bad, and to expand on the seed in your mind.

If you write a document, and you wonder what the point was ("it was all in my head already", "this doesn't say anything new") then you're doing it wrong.

See you next time for more self-absorbed ranting!