Documentation

[Nikster]

Hiho :)

I know we've had discussions before about how to get motivation for writing/finishing games etc, which I don't have an issue with and have managed to do that myself somehow :D, however, I'm at the stage of writing documentation and I've some kind of writers block, I know what needs to be there but have some kind of mental blockage with what I know should be there and how it should be written, anyone have any advice on how to deal with this ?
any flow that I should consider before actually typing in anything ?

Any help is appreciated.

Regards,

Nik

[mahlzeit]

To avoid writer's block, do this in two stages:
1. Write
2. Edit

Just start typing and don't worry about making it good. Spelling and grammar are not important at this point. Nor is putting things in the right order. Just write down whatever you can come up with, even if your sentences are absolute crap. Put all your thoughts on the subject on paper, no matter how disorganized. Just add, add, add. Don't go back to clean up the text.

Then when you can't think of anything to add, take a little break. That was the first stage.

The second stage is where you organize the text and make it readable. You already figured out what you wanted to say in the first stage, so now you figure out how to say it. Find the best way to present these ideas to the reader.

If you try to do both at once, you'll end up with a kick-ass first paragraph that took you an hour to write and a blank page below that. First you write, then you go back and edit. C'est tout.

[Nikster]

If you try to do both at once, you'll end up with a kick-ass first paragraph that took you an hour to write and a blank page below that. First you write, then you go back and edit. C'est tout.

That's exactly what happened :D, thanks for the notes, will give this a try tonight..

Cheers.

[DanMarshall]

Something I've found quite useful is to just type, and skip out sections where necessary. It's a rough example that I've put no time into, but:

"Gibbage is a 2-player cartoon deathmatch game set across 27 maps, in which you're tasked with [KILLING THE OTHER PLAYER] using [GUNS]"

When you're done, go back and have a think about the stuff in caps. Substitute in something like "crushing your opponent" using "an array of devastating weaponary"

It's how I tend to write stuff, and tend to work after a little tinkering...[JOKE!]

Dan

[Game Producer]

Hiho :)

I know we've had discussions before about how to get motivation for writing/finishing games etc, which I don't have an issue with and have managed to do that myself somehow :D, however, I'm at the stage of writing documentation and I've some kind of writers block, I know what needs to be there but have some kind of mental blockage with what I know should be there and how it should be written, anyone have any advice on how to deal with this ?
any flow that I should consider before actually typing in anything ?

Any help is appreciated.

Regards,

Nik
1 hour solution to any problem
http://www.gameproducer.net/2005/11/29/1-hour-solution-to-any-problem/

:)

[Nikster]

1 hour solution to any problem
http://www.gameproducer.net/2005/11/29/1-hour-solution-to-any-problem/

:)

Now if I had taken that advice, I wouldn't have seen this post ;) Paradox

[Shaz]

My experience comes from writing documentation for things other than games, but may be helpful.

If your document is going to be large, try writing up an outline first - main points you want to cover, sub-points for lower level detail that will be included in each of the main sections, then start doing up your rough draft as already suggested, then go back and gradually refine it.

You might end up with something like this:

Overview
Gameplay
Goal
Movements/Actions
Level Progression
Scoring
Level Editor (if you have one)

Starting/Stopping Editor
Adding Elements
...
and anything else you need to cover that's not included in the above sectionsI find this approach helps get your thoughts somewhat organized, so you have more of a focus at each stage, and you're not going back trying to slot things in later. HTH

[Nikster]

Cheers all, all the advice has been taken in, apart from poly's don't watch TV bit as football is on atm ;) will be doing the rough jot down stuff after that, probably get it all done tonight.

Shaz, it is indeed for an application I'm releasing to the wild, and not a game, more of a tool I use for my own stuff but found it useful for the masses for a few dollars, however it has plugin features I really need to explain and stuff, the tools itself is pick up and play more or less and I guess everyone will skip the docs, but they're essential for writing custom plugins so may as well document everything..

[TimS]

This is the thread I'd point to, were I asked to display the usefulness and wisdom of the IndieGamer Forums. Mahlzeit's 1.) Write, 2.) Edit formula... brilliant. DanMarshall's leaving [BLANK]s while writing... brilliant. Polycount I'll skip since his website seems down at the moment, but Shazbot's (nice name, btw) Outlining method... brilliant!

Writer's block is a bitch -- especially during game/app doc times... If these three bits provided cannot pull you through, then there's little help for you...

Best of luck!

-Tim

[dmikesell]

Who is the audience of this document? Is this a user's guide to the game? Design doc?

[Nikster]

As I already mentioned, it's an application (read my last post) I cracked on using the advice given last night and it really helped, wasn't as daunting once you look at doing it from a different angle, thanks again guys.