Comments on: Last Rites, she said…

By: O.L.D.E.R.: Alpha STALKER released for free | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

O.L.D.E.R.: Alpha STALKER released for free | Rock, Paper, Shotgun — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:57:32 +0000

[...] a game, especially one of some legend, is fascinating – for instance the design documents for Planescape Torment and Grim Fandango. This, however, is some kind of alterna-history [...]

By: Kieron Gillen

Kieron Gillen — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:55:28 +0000

I didn’t link to this in the main story, but it’s worth reading the interviews along with the design doc where Avellone and Colin McComb talks a lot about How It Was Done.

http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/articles?ref=0&id=208

It seems that Planescape managed to keep a lot of its design vision, basically, but Avellone working his arse off to write the majority of the game like a complete lunatical.

By: John O'Kane

John O'Kane — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:40:13 +0000

Hmm, sounds like a great document simply because it leaves you wanting to read it. That can only be a good thing when all too often the design document is left unconsidered by the rest of the team. It also has to be said it could only be taken as a work in progress. I mean no-one is actually going to use that as a bible. You wouldn’t schedule too strongly around it (but then you shouldn’t schedule too strong around the plastic malleable design doc). Ultimately the purpose of the design document for developer management and the publisher is something that represents the I.P. for any legal arguments. More specifically for the publisher it’s one of the pieces of flesh demanded and weighed in hand as a measurement of progress. The heavier the better. The contents matter little as long as it’s the developers flesh. Not that the design document doesn’t have great use for the developer as a record of decisions made, but maybe not much use for those decisions to come.

Finally it takes the right sort of atmosphere for a design document written in such a style to thrive. Often management at developers choke at such an approach for fear of reproach by potential buyers. Or worse, they see the humour as a sign of lack of professionalism or if the game is not intended to be “humorous” that it may confuse people somewhat. Or disastrously the design document is done by a committee of any and everyone involved. Still, a good read, good enough to encourage people that there’s fun in doing one of the damned things.

By: Darius K.

Darius K. — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:23:28 +0000

Chris Avellone is, indeed, a genius. (I’m assuming the doc was written mostly by him.)

By: Eduardo Ramirez

Eduardo Ramirez — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:11:44 +0000

Damnit. I have many many games that need playing. I have turrets that need protecting from spies. I’ve got the entire Orange Box preloaded in Steam. I just got to play Halo 3 online for the first time today. And now I need to go and reload Planecape: Torment for the fifth or six time and replay it.

By: Thelps

Thelps — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:44:32 +0000

Being the first design doc I’ve read, I’m pretty surprised at all the swearing and breast references. Pleasantly surprised. Kind of makes the management people look like a bunch of boozy, porn-addicted palm-dampeners, but hey, I guess it’s an internal document.

By: Robert Seddon

Robert Seddon — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:45:02 +0000

‘Equip stuff that scares small children’ is my quotation of the day.

It’s nice to know Annah’s accent is meant to be Irish.

By: Leth

Leth — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:44:27 +0000

Thanks for pointing out this great doc! Oh how I miss Planescape…

By: Bet

Bet — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:34:33 +0000

I…have to lie down for a while. Torment, the only non-FPS game I was obsessed with in 2000. Such fantastic beginnings! This is like a design document from some amazing alternate reality where Black Isle’s Fallout 3 wasn’t canceled.

Must replay Torment. After laying down.