Posted in r/godot by u/All_Mighto4 • 25 points and 2 comments
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The original was posted on /r/godot by /u/All_Mighto4 on 2024-09-25 12:44:36+00:00.

Hey guys. This a systematic approach I created for the process of game design/planning.

Intro

I don’t know If I am the only one who have this feeling or nor but let me clue you in. Have you ever feeled that whenever you say that you are going to start learning game develpoment using any engine (here I am specifically talking about godot). And you follow multiple begineer tutorials and so on but at the end you feel like there is something messing. Something he knows other than the script, nodes, scenes, signals….etc. So I followed the tutorials and did just like they did, take notes, reviewed, understanding each code segments and functions. But then I tried to recreate the game again without looking at the tutorials. And Each time I started I get stuck on some part of the code. It is not that I don’t know the code or the functions I should use. But I DON’T KNOW what do I write next? Its like a brain fog that you just can’t continue typing. A mysterious part is missing. After failing multiple times and going back and forth to the hype of learning game dev again. It was like an endless loop of suffering and time passes while you are still repeating level 0.

Then I came up with a plan. I said no more studying the code or the engine and spending much more hours repeating and reviewing, rather I wanted a natural law. A law that works no matter what game I am working on Godot. A thinking pattern like a plan or a recipe that If I followed. It shall do any game with much less pain and stress.

It is not knowing the overall game logic. Like for example this sprite moves and collects coins during a limited time. But no, It is about asking much more questions and thinking in a more abstract way. But also, the order of questions is important.

Game design process mind map.

Implementation

So the first thing you have to do is to take a deep breath and clear your mind then on an empty piece of paper start writing your game overall logic and idea.

And don’t stress this. Just like you are relaxing and writing your diaries.

Then at the end of the paper or another paper if you filled the first one.

Make bullet points about the really important core intended output or behavior of your game.

This is the most important step as it shall determine the entire game planning process.

Then from that bullet points you should build a table of words. These are going to be your game elements or scenes (example > Player.tscn, Coin.tscn, HUD.tscn and so on). You should extract only one word from the bullet points you just did.

Repeat the same step and write a more detailed behavior of your game element from here you could extract the functions you need to define, the signals, node types, the variables, the changing parameters if your node requires constant update of its inner working (like changing speed or animation based on the statues of the player)

  • Is Scene_1 (Player.tscn) a 2D or 3D? (Area2D)
    • Does it collide with something?
    • Does it have a shape and animated?
    • Does the player move (changing parameters)
      • means that you should use the _process(delta) function.
      • what godot functions could help me?
    • How does he move?
      • Any settings or nodes that can help me?
      • Any pred-defined Godot functions that could help me.
  • Is there any important behavior here that requires me to get notified?
    • This is where you define custom signals if you didn’t find pre-defined ones that could help you.
  • Does the node (Area2D for example have a predefined signal or function that can handle animations if the player collides with something and dies?)
    • If no and you didn’t find in the signal tap, then create a custom function.

You do this type of thinking and systematic approach to the rest of game elements all while keeping the (notifications and custom functions after you typed them on the Godot editor) in a separate piece of paper. Because these I call them the Callables. They are called by the main game logic. Which is the main scene.

This method of building the game is what I see more important than just reviewing and repeating the game code and then moving on to other tutorials and so the same again and again without actually knowing what the F** is going on? Why do I stop typing code and get stuck If I am not looking at the code back and forth in the tutorial video??

Now, how do you build this habit?

I recommend you using the freemind software it is free, and you should start practicing this habit. by converting the game, you want to make to a mind map while taking the image I created as a template. start with very basic game and move on to much more complex projects.

If you succeed in developing this happed and have the patience to go through it. This is not when you learn the subject, but you OWN it. You possess it. It is yours and you are in control, there is no panic or stress you are calm and calculated.

If you know some node or functions, then that’s good and if you don’t just google them or ask ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot AI. Ask them like “I want to make the node x do a behavior y what nodes, signals, functions do I need to do this”.

From this you will build your knowledge and advance much faster in making the games you like.

It is also highly recommended that anything you google it or ask AI about is that you take note of it you could even create ANKI flash cards for it. The point is that you don’t get stuck saying

“What do I type next? Where am I?”.

Trust me this is the hard part. Learning the game and coding in gdscript is much easier. I know I am no expert I am a beginner as well. But unlike any beginner I have been a beginner for a lot of time and stuck at level 0 constantly crushing my head against the wall about this feeling of over thinking that something really important is missing.

While this post is towards the beginners, I think other advanced Godot users could benefit from this as well.

If you got confused from what you just read just look at the image and follow the lines from left to right and remember to ask questions and prepare the indented behavior of your game.

Here you should find the freemind file, a pdf and the image.

I wish thee the best of luck.