What would you do if this was the design document you were given to make a game? · 8:55am Aug 24th, 2017
Game is a combination of Action, Adventure, Board Game, Card Game, Fighting Game, Platformer, Puzzle, Racing Game, RPG, Rhythm Game, Simulation, Strategy Game, and Tactics Game.
102 training points earning in the base game. Up to 10404 training points in full game.
Each class has at least 102,000 class cards you can get somehow while playing a member of that class in the base game. With 102 of those being able to be learned in order by members of other classes if a training point is spent on learning it. Freelancer ends up with more cards than the other classes since it switches between play styles.
A total of 102,000 neutral cards everybody is giving that are not as good as what the classes their play style or even the Freelancer weaker versions are like nor are they as good as the Freelancer cards for switching between the play styles. Divided into 1,000 cards in each of the nonFreelancer play styles which are giving out just prior to when you need the card of that play style in case the player was actively avoiding those types of cards so the player doesn't get unnecessary stuck.
Maximum amount of cards and number of cards that can be started with is determined by deck equipped on that character. If a card preference is associated with the deck than it will be to the class cards of the class that can equip that deck or to neutral cards if can be equipped by all classes.
Party limit at the Player level is 103 per team.
The class trainers and class teachers only begrudgingly are tolerant of each other because of the major bad guys in the game and because the admin of the school keeps them in check.
Will only ever sell training point resets, expansions, and memberships for real money.
Classes
Spammer - Focuses on getting out a lot of troops.
Star - Focuses on having advantages by having little to no troops in play.
Accountant - Focuses on using above curve units.
Underdog - Focuses on getting benefits through below curve units.
Freelancer - Baseline to make sure the other classes are in line with their respective intended design. Has no strengths, weaknesses, or focus.
Guerrilla - Focuses on the element of surprise.
Showoff - Focuses on drawing attention to oneself and the deck user's units.
Brute - Focuses on raw power.
Guard - Focuses on resisting damage.
Ranger - Focuses on hit and run tactics.
Lobbyist - Focuses on keeping things stationary.
Technician - Focuses on giving nasty special abilities.
Enchanter - Focuses on applying boons.
Maker - Focuses on building things very quickly.
Demolisher - Focuses on destroying units on the field.
Economist - Focuses on getting bonuses.
Trader - Focuses on spending money, resources, and materials to get stuff from opposing deck users.
Scientist - Focuses on research.
Cultist - Focuses on achieving ignorance.
Diplomat - Focuses on getting others to do your work.
Assistant - Focuses on providing help to teammates.
Saboteur - Focuses on crippling others.
Enchanter - Focuses on improving others.
Empath - Focuses on caring about others.
Politician - Focuses on putting yourself first.
Corrupter - Focuses on making a mockery of cards and units.
Restorer - Focuses on reversion.
Kineticist - Focuses on doing stuff at a distance.
Gladiator - Focuses on doing stuff up close.
Pacifist - Focuses on achieving new noncombat means of victory.
Fighter - Focuses on prolonging the battle.
Wizard - Focuses on synergy.
Chosen - Focuses on units and cards that work better solo.
Hunter - Focuses on setting traps and ambushes.
Janitor - Focuses on cleaning up the environment.
Necromancer - Focuses on bringing back lost troops.
Assassin - Focuses on killing troops and finishing off opposing deck users.
Sniper - Focuses on keeping opposing units from flying.
Marshal - Focuses on having friendly units flying.
Archer - Focuses on keeping opposing units unmounted.
Rider - Focuses on having friendly units mounted.
Wrecker - Focuses on keeping opposing deck users from using vehicles.
Mechanic - Focuses on keeping vehicles running for friendly deck users.
Mage - Focuses on effects on areas.
Antibody - Focuses on specific target effects.
Cartographer - Focuses on revealing the map(s) to friendly deck users.
Security - Focuses on hiding the map(s) from opposing deck users.
Transformer - Focuses on changing up units.
Warrior - Focuses on locking down troops.
Mender - Focuses on healing and repairing.
Vampire - Focuses on taking health and endurance from opposing deck users and opposing troops.
Harvester - Focuses on gathering resources.
Consumer - Focuses on removing resources from opposing deck users.
Conqueror - Focuses on taking over territory.
God - Focuses on removing territory from opposing deck users control.
Geomancer - Focuses on taking advantage of the unique effects of the environment.
Polluter - Focuses on making the environment useless.
Seer - Focuses on letting friendly units do stuff when they enter play.
Rogue - Focuses on disabling opposing units.
Achiever - Focuses on working towards objectives.
Protester - Focuses on keeping opposing deck users from completing objectives.
Cheerleader - Focuses on improving friendly morale.
Insulter - Focuses on lowering opposing morale.
Bomber - Focuses on effects that splash from target.
Preserver - Focuses on effects that avoid targets.
Binder - Focuses on getting additional options by allowing units to possess oneself.
Possessor - Focuses on controlling units and bypassing command refusals.
Mime - Focuses on creating new cards to use by studying units.
Eraser - Focuses on causing opposing cards to cease to exist.
Thief - Focuses on taking items from opposing units.
Suppler - Focuses on giving items to friendly units.
Gambler - Focuses on chance.
Engineer - Focuses on consistency.
Bard - Focuses on music.
Librarian - Focuses on silence.
Actor - Focuses on getting better command responds.
Blackmailer - Focuses on making it harder for opposing deck users to respond to commands.
Sentinel - Focuses on units that are more effective at low health and low endurance.
Promoter - Focuses on units that are more effective at full health and full endurance.
Designer - Focuses on making the friendly side look good.
Desolater - Focuses on making the opposing side look terrible.
Hacker - Focuses on breaking into systems.
Programmer - Focuses on protecting systems.
Slut - Focuses on getting units to have sex.
Koek - Focuses on stopping units from having sex and preventing units from having sex.
Racer - Focuses on speeding up processes.
Tormentor - Focuses on doing stuff over time.
Scorer - Focuses on attaining points.
Dumper - Focuses on causing opposing deck users to lose points.
Lich - Focuses on making sacrificial decisions.
Warlord - Focuses on punishing opposing deck users when they refuse to make sacrificial decisions.
Duplicator - Focuses on copying.
Advertiser - Focuses on uniqueness.
Judge - Focuses on taking advantage of having an empty hand.
Collector - Focuses on taking advantage of having a full+ hand.
Coach - Focuses on sets.
Protester - Focuses on redirecting effects and bonuses.
Drunk - Focuses on taking advantage of being under the different status conditions.
Ghost - Focuses on avoiding status conditions.
Survivalist - Focuses on taking advantage of the late game.
Barbarian - Focuses on taking advantage of the early game.
Master - Focuses on waiting for stuff to happen.
Dictator - Focuses on micromanagement.
Card receive for completing tutorial
Spammer - Draft Board - basic action - cost 0 - Conjure 5 Fresh Recruits.
Star - Biological Backlash - quick action - cost 2 - Everybody takes 1 point of damage per troop that respective character controls.
Accountant - Minor Cost Reduction - quick action - cost 0 - Next card you play costs 1 less.
Underdog - Emergency Magic Shield - quick permanent spell - cost 0 - You have 1 armor per cost that a unit you control costs over what curve says it should.
Freelancer - Mix Up - basic action - cost 0 - Shuffle deck of target deck user.
Guerrilla - Instant Stealth - quick spell - cost 1 - Target friendly unit becomes the colors of the surrounding environment as seen from the opposite direction.
Showoff - Dangerous Taunt - basic action - cost 0 - Until your next turn: each opposing deck user and opposing unit that doesn't target you when they can takes 1 damage.
Brute - Adrenaline Rush - instant - cost 1 - All damage you and your units do is increased by 1.
Guard - Group Shield - artifact - cost 1 - Target friendly deck user and that deck user's units have 1 armor.
Ranger - Rush Attack - quick action - cost 2 - Target friendly unit moves up to its move speed to target opposing unit. The former hits the latter than retreats up to move speed - distanced moved by this action so far away from that spot.
Lobbyist - Friendly Petrifaction - quick action - cost 0 - Target friendly unit becomes an invincible, indestructible, unchangeable statue until end of turn.
Technician - Random Curse - quick spell - cost 0 - Put a random bane into target opposing deck user's deck.
Enchanter - Power Ups - constant - cost 0 - When a friendly unit enters play than that units gets a random boon.
Maker - Building Factory - building - cost 0 - At the start of your turn, conjure a random building up to the cost of your current available resources.
Demolisher - Random Removal - basic action - cost 1 - Destroy a random opposing unit.
Economist - Bonus Check - material - cost 0 - If this is in your hand when you win a match than you get 50% more money during the reward phase.
Trader - Buy Up - basic action - cost 0 - Spend 100 diamonds per cost of target opposing unit to that unit's controller so you can take control of that unit.
Scientist - Sneak Peek - quick action - cost 0 - Look at the top card of every deck.
Cultist - Blind Trust - quick constant - cost 0 - Deploy: Shuffle your hand into your deck.
The first card you draw each turn is played automatically without paying any of its requirements.
Diplomat - Distracting Offer - quick action - cost 0 - Target opposing deck user chooses a card to take from your hand than must do something for you other than give that card back.
Assistant - Loan Card - basic action - cost 0 - Hand over card of your choice in your hand to target friendly deck user.
Saboteur - Weaken - spell - cost 1 - Target opposing unit loses 1 in each stat.
Enchanter - Buff - spell - cost 1 - Target friendly unit gains 1 in each stat.
Empath - Receive Pain - quick action - cost 0 - Target a friendly deck user or friendly unit that is being negatively affected by an opposing deck user or opposing unit to also take on that effect.
Politician - All Mine - interrupt - cost 2 - Target positive effect on the chain is applied to you instead of its intended target.
Corrupter - Reverse Flow - quick spell - cost 0 - Effects on target card become the mirror version.
Restorer - Base Form - spell - cost 1 - Revert target unit.
Kineticist - Extended Claim - psychic power - cost 1 - Target friendly troop searches and takes stuff from container that is from 1 + search distance to move speed + search distance away without moving.
Gladiator - Eternal Battle - curse - cost 0 - Target friendly unit and target opposing unit attack each other until 1 is destroyed with neither able to move, be removed, be moved, or do anything else.
Pacifist - Peaceful Resistance - goal - cost 0 - Play this for free when you draw it. If you or a friendly deck user is attacked by 10 or more opposing units at once and nobody defends against them than your team wins.
Fighter - Surviving Instinct - aura - cost 2 - Target friendly unit is healed by the damage it does and the damage it takes.
Wizard - Speed Promoter - quick troop - cost 0 - Has 0 in every stat expect for 1 health. Other wizard class troops you control have +1 in each speed stat.
Chosen - Laser Grid - trap - cost 0 - Deal 2 damage to every other unit in play at the start of your start.
If this is the only friendly unit in play than it has invincible, indestructible, and unchangeable expect by friendly units and friendly deck users.
Hunter - Stasis Field - trap - cost 2 - Other units that enter this unit's location are unable to do anything.
Janitor - Send Back - quick spell - cost 1 - All units on target location are return to the respective controller's hand.
Necromancer - Exist Again - spell - cost 2 - Target friendly troop in a void is return to the field.
Assassin - Opportune Blow - basis action - cost 2 - Destroy target opposing deck user with vulnerable tokens equal to at least 1/4 that user's remaining health.
Sniper - Specialized Gravity - curse - cost 2 - Opposing units can't get the slightest bit off the ground while at target coordinates.
Marshal - Instant Wings - spell - cost 0 - Target friendly unit gets flying.
Archer - Stasis Lock - quick spell - cost 1 - Target opposing unit that is moving by riding a mount is locked in place so the mount moves along without it.
Rider - Stack Up - basic action - cost 0 - Place 1st target friendly unit on and not in 2nd target friendly unit.
Wrecker - Siphon Fuel - quick action - cost 2 - Take up to 5 liters of primary means of running target opposing controlled vehicle and add it to your hand in the form of a card.
Mechanic - Tow Truck - vehicle - cost 2 - This is design to pick up broken down friendly vehicles and take them to a repair shop with the stats to support the action.
Mage - Replacement Craze - blessing - cost 0 - Cards played from target hand have "Draw a card."
Antibody - Second Wind - blessing - cost 0 - Target friendly troop can do full range of actions again.
Cartographer - Scouting Report - artifact - cost 0 - Friendly deck users always know what is about 3 feet around target coordinates.
Security - Dust Attack - quick action - cost 0 - Opposing deck users randomly lose from 6 inches to 6 feet of map radius view.
Transformer - Alt Mode - quick blessing - cost 0 - Target friendly unit takes on target alternate form that it has.
Warrior - Change Malfunction - quick curse - cost 0 - Target opposing unit is struck in its current form as long as it remains in play.
Mender - Basic Restoration - spell - cost 1 - Target friendly deck user or friendly troop is healed for 10 health.
Vampire - Blood Drain - basic action - cost 1 - Deal up to 6 damage to target opposing deck user or opposing troop. Gain back 1/2 health rounded down of damage inflected this way.
Harvester - Refined Method - constant - cost 2 - All resources you obtained by all means are doubled.
Consumer - Locust Swarm - instant - cost 1 - Each opposing deck user permanently loses 1 of each type of resource.
Conqueror - Lay Claim - quick action - cost 0 - Target clearly not owned territory becomes yours.
God - Force Reset - curse - cost 2 - Target opposing base is destroyed and its controller loses control of that location.
Geomancer - Study Terrain - basic action - cost 0 - Determines what the known environment is able to do.
Polluter - Scorch Earth - basic action - cost 0 - Target coordinates lose all value for everybody.
Seer - Sweet Entry - blessing - cost 0 - Next unit that enters play from target friendly deck user's hand doesn't get summoning sickness or its equivalent.
Rogue - Harsh Wait - quick curse - cost 0 - Target opposing troop gets summoning sickness.
Achiever - Focused Creation - spell - cost 0 - Conjure a random unit that meets 1 of the current objectives.
Protester - Move Goalpost - quick action - cost 0 - Opposing deck users must add 1 to each requirement of each objective.
Cheerleader - Cheer Up - action - cost 0 - Target friendly unit gets +5 morale points.
Insulter - Bad Review - action - cost 2 - Target opposing deck user gives -3 morale points to units brought to field from hand during their next turn.
Bomber - Undead Virus - disease - cost 0 - Target unit becomes a zombie. Any unit within 3 feet of that unit that isn't a zombie becomes a zombie. And so forth.
Preserver - Clean Sweep - basic action - cost 2 - Any unit that doesn't share a trait with target friendly unit is voided.
Binder - Free Shot - basic action - cost 0 - Until your next turn: up to 1 other deck user can have you be possess by up to 1 unit from hand.
Possessor - Force Attack - basic action - cost 0 - Target opposing unit must attempt to hit nearest to it of another opposing unit within your view.
Mime - Observe - quick action - cost 0 - Can only be played during your ready phase. Skip your turn to watch target unit to see what it does in hopes of being able to make a 0 cost card.
Eraser - Destructive Nature - constant - cost 2 - Opposing cards that would go from hand to the respective discard pile instead cease to be.
Thief - Pick Pocket - quick action - cost 0 - You may get something from target opposing unit's inventory.
Suppler - Life Vest - equipment - cost 0 - Add this to target friendly unit's inventory. Has 2 endurance all around and lets user float in water.
Gambler - Desperate Invite - risk - cost 1 - Conjure 0 - 2 Paddies.
Engineer - Power Regulator - equipment - cost 2 - All attacks of troop equipped with this will always deal 5 damage no matter the changes to damage.
Bard - Lullaby - song - cost 0 - Puts target unit and those near the unit to sleep.
Librarian - Shh - quick action - cost 0 - Sounds in from the 60 dB to the 70 dB range are shut down.
Actor - Delay Input - quick action - cost 0 - You get double the time to respond to each command.
Blackmailer - Random Demands - instant - cost 0 - Target opposing deck user has -5 seconds per card in hand to respond to commands this turn. That user can get each of the 5 seconds for the decision making back by discarding the respective card.
Sentinel - Adjust Life - basic action - cost 0 - Target troop you control gives away 3 of its health to target friendly troop you don't control.
Promoter - Future Star - troop - cost 2 - Has 1 in every stat expect for 4 health. If fully healed than all its stats are doubled.
Designer - Privacy Shades - decoration - cost 0 - Target friendly building gets curtains.
Desolater - Invert Pattern - spell - cost 0 - Colors of target opposing unit become their respective opposite.
Hacker - Vulnerability Virus - disease - cost 2 - Target unit loses a layer of security at the beginning of each of its controller's turns.
Programmer - Install Antivirus - quick action - cost 0 - Target unit becomes immune to viruses for a full turn cycle.
Slut - New Interest - curse - cost 0 - Random unit gets a random fetish.
Koek - Chasity Belt - equipment - cost 0 - Equip target troop with this. Takes at least 5 extra seconds to get off. Keeps reproduction organs from coming out.
Racer - Masturbation Relief - quick action - cost 0 - Target friendly troop gets +1 in all speed stats. An obstacle of cum is placed in front of that unit.
Tormentor - Unwarranted Stop - quick action - cost 2 - Target opposing unit is stunned than takes 6 damage spread between its controller's next 3 ready phases.
Scorer - High Value - instant - cost X - Receive from 5 to 10 points per cost spent playing this card.
Dumper - Discouragement Layer - quick spell - cost 1 - Any points that an opposing deck user would gain by attacking target friendly unit are lost instead.
Lich - Choice Draw - basic action - cost 0 - Pay 5 health. Look at top 5 cards of your deck. Put 1 in your hand than the other 4 back on top of your deck in the same order.
Warlord - Bully Early - basic action - cost 2 - Target opposing deck user has to choose between discarding each card in hand or losing 1 health to keep that respective card in hand.
Duplicator - Fear Gas - quick curse - cost 0 - A copy of a random bane in a random opposing deck user's deck is put into that deck.
Advertiser - Trolling Patent - spell - cost 1 - Target not unique unit becomes unique.
Judge - Force Play - basic action - cost 2 - Target card in target opposing deck user's hand is used as if it was yours.
Collector - Hand Refresh - basic action - cost 0 - Draw cards till your hand is full.
Coach - Svninvien Helmet - equipment - cost 1 - Equip target friendly troop with this. Gives +1 defense in all defense stats. Gives an additional +1 defense in all defense stats for each other Svninvien piece of equipment that troop is wearing. Gives bonus +10 defense in all defense stats when that troop is wearing the full Svninvien set.
Protester - Misdirect Flow - basic action - cost 2 - Bonuses from sets used by target opposing unit are applied to target friendly unit instead.
Drunk - Forgotten Travel - basic action - cost 0 - Must be under the Drunk status condition to use. End up at a random point on the map(s).
Ghost - Minimal Density - quick blessing - cost 0 - Become insubstantial but not invisible.
Survivalist - Charging Burst - basic action - cost 1 - Deals damage to target opposing unit or target opposing deck user equal to your current turn.
Barbarian - Enraged Destruction - quick action - cost 2 - Target opposing deck user loses amount of each resource they have equal to the number of cards still in your deck.
Master - Meta Nerf - curse - cost 0 - All opposing units and opposing deck users permanently lose 1 maximum possible health at the beginning of their respective controller's or their respective turn as long as this card is in your hand.
Dictator - Stack Deck - basic action - cost 0 - Look at all remaining cards in target deck user's deck. Put them back in the exact order of your choice.
I basically copied this blog post over at http://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=100468.
I would pat the person on the head, ask them if they would like me to put this on the refrigerator or not. I'd then hand it back to them and suggest they go to school for a computer science degree, learn how to produce an actual design document to include all the things missing from this one, and then perhaps take it seriously and consider further brainstorming and development.
A couple of things of note that are missing:
Not a single hint of UI design/elements involved.
No mention of deployment requirements.
What you do have starts with:
This tells me nothing of value about your idea. It instead tells me that you don't actually understand how to design any game. Rather than attempt to do one thing very well, you are adopting a shotgun strategy of failing at everything. Just picking from your list:
I like card games. I like strategy games. I don't like rhythm games or puzzle games. If your game forced me to participate in a rhythm game to progress, I would dislike it and find some other game that would let me spend all my time on things I do enjoy doing. If the puzzle game elements could be ignored, they aren't really important to the game. Any development spent on polishing/improving those elements would increase the cost of the total project, without increasing the enjoyment of a user with tastes like mine.
Now repeat that consideration for every genre you list, and understand that some players like some of those, and some players dislike some of those. By adding all these genres, you're probably going to not attract more players, but drive some away. Developing all of these components well will make the game expensive, and a player isn't likely to want to pay for an expensive game that is in a genre they dislike.
You don't necessarily need to strip it down to just one genre, but you'd be better off actually understanding what kinds of players like these various genres, what things make the game more enjoyable for those people, and what things make them dislike other genres. Limiting yourself to just a few of these genres would let you combine two or three of them in an interesting way. Trying to do all of them just dooms you to failure.
So, overall, it feels like you simply don't understand the gaming market. This would make me incredibly hesitant to hire on with you. I don't think the project would make money, and therefore pay me.
You mention "base game" and "full game." You then proceed to talk about a lot of cards and classes. There is no mention how any of this applies to, again just an example, rhythm games, simulations, platformers, puzzles games, or board games. "Classes" aren't too difficult to imagine being relevant to RPGs, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Strategy, and/or Tactics games. But most of your description that follows focuses on the card game aspect of it, then you create a giant list of classes with a bit of stats for each.
The other thing I'd point out is that you're trying to be way too ambitious right at the start. If you're going to design a game, start smaller. Set this aside, but pick one aspect. Say, this "base game." Lets assume for now that it is a RPG/Adventure that makes use of cards in its mechanic somehow. That's three genres from your list. Pick maybe three classes max, but just one is probably better.
Now design the game an build it until it is actually playable. As in you have coded it out in some language, and can get it to run on your laptop or something. Use generic placeholder art assets and so on. This is your "alpha" stage. Think of it as a proof of concept or a demo. This is a much smaller investment of time and money, and you can show this proof of concept to others when seeking more people to get on board (as in, hire people to work for you, or to act as backers to loan money to you).
Once you have your game working with a single class, single basic game mode, and can see how that all actually works, you can add more cards/classes/modes to that. You might eventually reach the numbers you see on this blog, but don't start there.
I would not accept this document as is, even for free, because it would cost way more to turn it into a game than it would likely ever make. The document demonstrates to me that the writer of it doesn't know what they're doing, and way too much is missing from it to even produce an actual game from it without designing far more.
Ideas are cheap. There is far more to designing a game than simply having a rough idea. And throwing more numbers and keywords onto a document doesn't make for a better game.