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0. Yet another small thread about #gamedesign. But this time I'll write about the most usual mistakes, which beginner game designers tend to make. Moreover, many experienced game designers have made such mistakes in at the very beginning of their careers. #gamedev
1. "My idea is priceless". It' s a tricky moment, because you can't say that your idea is superb and priceless until you make it come true. Ideas cost nothing until you prove that they work well. Good game designers have plenty of different ideas and they don't afraid of sharing.
2. "I must create a unique game". Everything was in Simpsons. However, for a game designer is more important to make a good game which is fun to play. Many modern games reuse plenty of game mechanics, but they're fun to play. Additionally, a unique game can be unfun for players.
3. "I must make a big game". Developing a big game is a hard task, even for experienced developers. And the problem is that not all beginners are able to understand how to design and develop different game systems together. Better to start from small games.
4. "All games must have a deep story". Games must be fun, and fun can be based on different things. It can be a story, it can be gameplay or even both. But it doesn't mean that all game should have a deep story with sophisticated characters.
5. "A Big and very detailed concept is necessary". It's a very usual problem at the start, as you think that every detail of your game needs a detailed explanation. The truth is that all these details will definitely be changed during the pre-production and production stages.
6. "One enormous game design document is cool". Frankly, I did such a document once. The bigger your game is, the harder to keep such a document in a good state to read by other people. It's better to write small documents dedicated to a particular mechanic/system.
7. "Systems in the sake of systems". Sometimes, beginners like to add different game systems because it was in their favourite game or just because it'll be "fun". Often it leads to the pile of game mechanics which doesn't work together, if they can work properly.
8. "Formatting documents? I don't have time for this". One of the first thing I teach my students, that they write their documentation for other people. And it's important to make their documents clear and neat for readers. Game design documentation is mostly read, like code.
9. "My idea is perfect, I won't change my mind". I think that a game designer should be resourceful and divergent-thinking. Being fiercely loyal to your game is good, but it can turn everything sour if you can't change your mind and observe your game form a different angle.
10. Frankly, I faced such problems back to the days of the beginning of my career. Not all beginners face these problems, as we're different people. However, it's the most usual among my students.
