Concept Design : How To ?

[Jamaludin]

Well I dont actually know how to formulate this so it makes sense but... Well im generally learning myself skinning, modelling, and a tad bit of programming on the way, been drawing since I could pick up a pencil, im not that bad but not that good either. This doesnt make sense yet but I want to ask some people already experienced with this. Here follows an explanation of what I am aiming at, excuse my vagueness :

I have many ideas in my head for a game that goes the direction of a RPG/RTS/SIMULATION and even maybe want to take the concept online for a MMOG, I am at the beginning of the process because I have 100000000ends of ideas inside my head and now I want to work them out. How do I begin at this best what do I design first and where do I begin, what would be a good way to make this a steady process. Do I make environmentals first, or characters, maybe I first start with flora or fauna. I hope its a bit clearer and how do I do this do I first write it down, of draw it or do it both. This was my idea in clean words. I just want to make up a world and everything that goes with it in my concept, so the world itself, its inhabitants, its history, its them (cyperpunk, postacolyptic etc), just everything. So to put it simple how do I start this of in a decent manner ?

Sorry for the long and difficult read, and I would love to hear anybodys ideas and suggestions on how to tackle this problem, thanks allot and I am hoping for alot of input, I would love to hear what everybody thinks.. THANKS !

[Big-Dave]

Well, I dont do this seriously or anything, but I think you could do the character design and the scenery in either order. If you've got an idea for a character jot it down, if you've got an idea for a scene jot it down. Just try and let it flow rather than forcing it too meet restrictions (well, apart from time restrictions that is)

A good way of getting ideas down in writing I've found is mind maps/spider diagrams. It tends to be pretty spontanious and flows quite nicely. You could work from there.

Take what I said with a pinch of salt. Like I said, I'm no professional. In fact I'm pretty much in the same position you are, so good luck to you:D

[rick_hershey]

I don't know how much I can help either, but I wrote and designed a role-playing game a while ago by myself. . .and although it won't be published till later this year, I can atleast tell you the process minus the how well it actually worked.

I had to design the world from scratch, so here's a run down on how i did it - then an explanation.

I started like this.

Characters- I designed several new races and took a look at how i wanted to handle the humans. worked out clothing and features and kept in mind the type of enviroment they would be living in. I even sketched out some creatures.

Classes- Maybe it's just me, but I didn't want my fighters or wizards or whatever to look like the typical stereotype. For this process I follow a little process that helps me in concept design. First I write down the type of character I'm working on
(Ex: Wizard) I then list all the typical things people associate with the character:
-robes
-beards
-pipes
-staff
-old
-wise
-bird
After I have a good size list I then start by trying to alter those things without losing the "feel" of the character.
robes- skirt/dress, vest, layered shirts
beard- goatee, no beard?
staff- other weapon?
old- young?
bird- monkey bird?

I know it's a poor example, but you get what i mean I hope.

After I designed the characters I went to work on sketching out a general map of the land. I use lots of referance for this and call in some of my cartographer friends to make sure everything works. I then went ahead and started plotting out major cities and landmarks. For all the major cities I tried to make them unique and different, but kept in mind reasons they would be the way they are. If I have a city built entirely underground- I need a good reason why. . . this also gives a feel on how some of the people in those areas would dress and interact. I also try to pinpoint important things like major trade, types of livestock, etc. - also helps define the types of characters.

After all this I have a pretty good idea of important story elements based on the plotting and design and can work on the rest. I start with creation and work out some rough history and make my way to the world now.
I plot some current events, and major conflicts. . .just fleshing the finals out.

I hope that helps, that's what I did.

[Jamaludin]

Hey Dave and Rick thanks for your quick response !
Well Dave thats a good thing indeed I also think it wouldnt matter allot where I start if I have an idea just jot it down and put it in order later or something, I did wanted some line I could follow so everything wouldnt be so messy but clean, thanks for the help dude.

Rick - Very cool to hear you already did this sort of stuff, I think im gonna do it like you in a way, but I first want to start with the world so I can adapt the characters to that world, and like you said im gonna stay MILES away from al those stereotypes blergh :D And if I do it like you make subcategories that would help allot as well thanks for that suggestion :D And ofcrouse make sure that everything fits in order to get going, it must be a world that is one world and everything in it has it right place and history to make it suitable for that world. Thanks allot

Well thanks allot for both your advice and tips, and more advice from other peoples views are still more then welcome, thanks Rick and Dave !

[Jamaludin]

The setting is already a bit thought of, I will be going for a world on the brink of creation, a world thats just beginning after being totally wiped of most life, I want surivial to be a big element, and I want to see the world progress as well as the player, so it wil be kind of post acolyptic setting but really diffrent in ways I cant yet explain have to write them down in a decent maner to show them here, and I would love to hear everyones ideas on it as I go on, if anyone would be interested, as wel as from posters like you , I would love hearing more of you as well. Thanks allot for pushing me in a direction already, and thanks for reading this long post and let me hear your viewpoints, my brain is so full of ideas its not normal really. Hope to hear more keep it coming please and meanwhile Ill begin work on this concept. Tnx

[corky13]

Well im a Modder so maybe i can help you with the discription how i start to make my plans for a mod=

First....MainTheme....maybe WAR
Than the next step...War ? aghainst what ? A big Madness...? A Enemy ?....I choose ALIEN RACE AGAINST HUMAN RACE...than i want to work out first aspects which make the two sides being...so we have

ALIEN RACE=
Bad
No Weapons= Spiritual Powers= Telekinetik Powers
Vehicels= organic= Alien Elephants
Dont want to be on earth but no other choice= UFO Crash

same goes for the other Race...this is a so called mind map and its maybe the best way ever to start, to develope a design and a plan for games and mods...

hope i was able to help you