Game Maker Progress 35: Approach to Design

Hello everyone,

The past week has been rather busy - I didn't have too much of a chance to work on implementing the resource tracking systems I had in mind at the end of last week's post. Whilst I was tending to other tasks - I did have time to reflect about the approach I was taking with designing the systems and experience for Foundation of Civilisation. 

Whilst I am keeping an open mind as I iterate new prototypes and ideas - having a type of philosophy or set of guidelines to use to concentrate my focus and attention seems to be necessary. Whilst working on the concept build - i.e. Dawn of Civilisation:  I had a lot of ideas, a lot of excitement of how these can tie together. This is great - but when it comes to implementing the ideas - some work together, some don't - some turn out to be good ideas, others leave a lot of room for improvement. 

That being said - after I switched to working on this new project - I knew that I needed to focus my approach better to keep things both in perspective and tied together in a comprehensive yet in-depth manner. A few weeks ago I showed you a mind-map - at the centre of this map of ideas and systems I thought of - is the core components I've chosen that will guide this project. 

These 3 components allow for a huge amount of depth - if worked on correctly. As I expand on each, I can more allow the player for more and more freedom to experience the game in a meaningful manner. Take the component of Population for instance.

In a game where the player is controlling a small nation/group of settlers - the population is definitely a key component. Population systems can include education, clothing, entertainment, health, housing, and food just to name a few ideas. These sub-components can be broken down even further to bring forward their functionality. This allows for depth - however the core components remain at the centre of the game experience. 

As the project move forward - I hope to continue working on this approach to design; see what works and what doesn't - and if it turns out to work well - keep using it. To this point - it is helping me concentrate my focus, ideas and priorities - without complicating the game with too much elements that seem redundant or unnecessary. 

Until next time,

Dylan