I want to begin to develop a game idea, but I dont want to start just coding out a prototype. I've heard that many teams use a design document before any lines of code are written.... is there an example of a document like that anywhere that I could take a look at to see how it's done? Do many folks here start out with a document, or is it more gratifying to simply sit down and create the game right off?

One I found on the net once and has been floating around for a while is the Design Docs for the Platformer game "Claw". Do a google for "Claw game design Document" If that doesn't work PM me and I'll try and find it.

Thanks! I think this is what I was looking for http://www.ihfsoft.com/index.htm

i also use this design doc template; it's very good but i wouldn't use it when i'm just starting out with the basic ideas for a game. i think it represents more of a "final" design doc, which would be proposed to the team when there is already a prototype of the game and serious development is about to begin.

does anyone know other links to resoures on GDDoc's?

I think probably for your more "pro" indies, they use a ddoc, however most of us basically don't do a complete doc at the start, usually start with an over view, write a few things down and sketch out a few pieces of art, then basically build it iteratively. At least that's how I work most of the time, it's not completely designless just sort of "design as you go"

I think whether you use a design doc depends on a few things. For myself the design doc is strictly in my head, but that's generally ok because I usually work on a game mostly alone. Most of the games Twilight has produced are coded primarily by 1 person with some sharing of code at the lower level amongst all projects. There is usually only one artist providing graphics as well.

A design doc becomes more important when you're dealing with a larger team of people. Suppose for instance that you have 3 programmers, 3 artists, and a couple of other people working on sound. How do you keep your vision of the project consistent? How do the artists not stray into their own styles and all keep to the proper theme and so on... A good doc to fall back on can be very useful in those cases.

For smaller games I find that the initial concept for the game often changes rapidly and the benefits of some kind of overall design documentation are dubious. It may be that in certain kinds of games, like a role playing game, you want to design a combat system on paper first for reasons of convenience. Or it might be that you want to design it on paper first because the idea isn't clear in your head and you think it will speed up development.

The point is this. If you're going to write up a design document have a reason for doing so. Don't write up a doc with no particular purpose in mind. If you're working on a doc just because you heard some people use design docs and you're not exactly sure why you're doing it... well it will probably just end up being a waste of time. Such a document has pretty iffy chances of providing any value because you aren't writing it with any particular goal in mind.

I know ivew mentioned it before, but what the heck:

read this first:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20000630/huntsman_01.htm

then you have these two:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_01.htm
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991217/ryan_01.htm

and some templates:
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article243.asp
<also see attached file taken from gamedev>

Game Design: Theory and Practice (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556227353/qid=1062157165/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-7268091-8031261?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) covers design documents quite well, including a large sample at the end.

One reason why I want to work independently is "for not to document". I claim that only sketching and a class diagram written with a pencil is better for small games, which is what I want to do. Documenting kills my creativity, makes me angry. I always want to develop games like an artist would do artwork. I can't imagine Dali documenting his paintings. This is how I approach the topic.

ergas

My book (link below) includes a long chapter on the game design document, focusing on the special needs of indies (as opposed to retail-oriented developers). I also include the game design document for "Paintball Net" (about 40-ish pages) as an appendix, to provide an example.

-David