It starts with goals and requirements
What is the goal of what you're about to write? What do you need to achieve and what kind of requirements are there? Some of the requirements and goals of the entire game have been already specified in the game concept, but with the GDD we are stepping deeper into the game. Therefore, we need to define goals and requirements for each different module.
Let's have a look at a practical example.
Hearthstone is a famous Collectible Card Game (CCG). When it was initially released in March 2014 the game was strictly multiplayer, with only PvP matches available (and a shallow single-player mode to test out card decks). After a few months, the Adventure mode was released, offering a single-player experience to Hearthstone players.
What goals and requirement could have been set for it?
If you know the game, try to make a list before reading further, and then compare your ideas with our list.
The set goals might look like these:
- Offer a single-player experience to Hearthstone players
- Introduce new cards and game boards
- Keep non-competitive players engaged with the game
- Expand the setting with storytelling
The requirements could be:
- Keep the game accessible (avoid introducing too much new content/too many new mechanics)
- Versatile system to periodically introduce new adventures
- Keep the old cards in balance with the new
- Adhere to the Warcraft settings guidelines
Of course, these are not the official goals and requirements that Blizzard set for the development of the first Hearthstone adventure, Curse of Naxxramas, but that's how I would spec them out.
We already mentioned how important requirements and constraints are to creativity. Writing a game without knowing what can an