CISC 105: Intro to Game ModdingLecture 2: Pre-Planning and Documentation

Charles Palmer – Fall 2013

Unit: Pre-Planning• Why we mod• Development documents

Why we ModModding brings the process of game creation to the general public. Creating mods is a great way of exercising your creativity and getting started in the game development industry.

Why we Mod• Although Spacewar! started the industry, most modern games

can trace their roots to Wolfenstein 3D.• A community grew out of id’s software when the company

separated the programming code from the assets and levels

Wolfenstein 3D Mods Collection Screenshots

What game should I mod?• What have you played – check your current game collection • Community activities – look for an active community avenue

for sharing your creation• What else is out there – how are people currently modding

the game, and what directions have not been undertaken• Compatibility of toolset – check the requirements of the

toolset, not just those of the game

It all begins with a dreamand some paper…

why is DOCUMENTATION the key to success?

Documentation

• Officialo describe the relationships between publishers and game developers, and lay

out the responsibilities of a game development company

• Deliverableo are those required by a publisher to be turned in during game production

• Functionalo communicate the elements of a game

• Administrativeo documents related to running the company, including executive summaries

Skyrim: Questing• Quests are tasks the player can perform in Skyrim.

Various NPCs can initiate quests, allowing for rewards to be gained by completing them. Rewards are monetary, items, increased skill levels or open opportunities for followers or marriage proposals.

• The "main quest" denotes tasks the Dragonborn is compelled to complete as part of the game's main story. Other quests can be performed for a guild or faction, while others are considered side quests, which skirt on the periphery of the game's plotlines.

Assignment 2: Concept IdeasOne of the first steps of the development process is documenting your ideas. This process is used to solidify the key concept and outlining relevant information. To begin your design process please create 5 side quest ideas for Skyrim. Your ideas should include the primary mission objective, a brief description of key locations, types of challenges the player must overcome and any important NPCs (non-player characters) the player will in their journey.

See the Moodle assignment for the complete instructions and a submissiontemplate