作者：Adam Rademacher

游戏设计就是想法的合并，通过演讲将富有创造性的想法演变成复杂的娱乐软件。在这个过程中，长时间的有效交流和记忆对设计师来说是最为重要的东西。

你需要进入文件编撰的角色。

game-design-document(from erishiroyama.wordpress.com)

开端

尝试改善编写文件是个长期且艰难的过程。不幸的是，我只知道通过实践和评论才能够掌握此类技能。

如果你有好友是编辑或作者，那么他们会给你提供有价值的反馈，但是不要盲从那些只会进行创意写作的人。

技术写作并非创意写作，尽管这两者之间的部分技能相同。所以，我要给你的建议是：如果你想要提升你的技术写作能力的话，那么就要多做实践。

抓住重点

从目标上来说，技术写作与其他形式的写作有很大的不同，而且认识到技术写作的目标也是很重要的，那就是交流。

所有的写作关注的都是交流，但是技术写作要求一开始就对所写文件的目标有清晰的理解。以下是某些例子：

游戏设计文件：这类文件的目标是完整地描述所有的功能，并且清晰地阐述游戏开发中的功能性问题。

推销：这类文件的目标是将你的想法出售给客户、投资者或发行商。

保持目标

在你编撰文件的整个过程中，时刻不忘目标。与目标不相关的信息毫无用处，而且只会使得他人对文件的理解更加困难。在你编撰文件的过程中，“这条信息是否需要出现在这里？”这个问题能够帮助你做出决定。

要牢记你的文件很容易因某些无用的信息而变得极为复杂。

同时，将文件所包含的所有内容陈述清楚。如果你写到“敌人”这个章节，那么确保这个章节包含所有与游戏中敌人相关的信息。除非迫不得已，否则不可将“敌人数据”和“敌人描述”放在两个不同的章节。

“有图有真相”

我们都是视觉动物，因而喜欢通过视觉元素进行交流。如果某些东西因为过于复杂或抽象，使用文字进行描述较为困难时，不妨画个草图，然后将这个草图放到文件中。

事先考虑信息的呈现方式不无裨益。尝试用列表的形式来展示所有的信息，图形更佳。

为问题做好准备

对你的文件提出问题是个很棒的举措。它们可以帮助你更好地理解文件中的信息。

当有人提出与文件相关的问题时，无论通过何种形式，确保随后将问题的相关信息再添加到文件中。如果不这么做，那么你可能就需要做好屡次回答相同问题的准备。

趣味性

如果你的文件枯燥无味，那么就没有人会去阅读。当然，他们会浏览一遍了解文件的主要内容，但是他们不会深入挖掘信息，以你的方式来理解这份文件。

你的游戏或许有一定的个性，因而要尝试将这种个性添加到你的文件中。但是，不要让这种个性妨碍信息交流。交流是最重要的。

语法和拼写

不要觉得这很好笑！或许在高中甚至大学时你会用拼写检查来校对自己的文章，但现在你是专业人士，你撰文的目的是为了交流。

拼写检查并非像你想象的那么好用，所以不要单纯依靠这项功能。某个使用不恰当的术语都可能对读者产生很大的影响，所以你要像专业人士那样撰文。

当你存在疑问时，请尝试将其编撰成文进行解答吧！（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Opinion: Improving Your Documentation

Adam Rademacher

Game Design is about the merging of ideas and the creative evolution of complex entertainment software from idea through delivery. Nothing in this process is more important to the designer than effective communication and memory over long periods of time.
Enter the role of documentation.

Preface

Trying to improve your documentation is a long and arduous process. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any way to build these skills without practice and critique.

If you have any friends who are editors or writers themselves, they can often give you good feedback — but be careful of those who work solely in creative writing.

Technical writing is not creative writing, though they share some parts of their skill sets. So, I have to give you this advice: if you want to improve your technical writing, write more.

What’s The Point?

Technical writing differs greatly from other forms of writing in its purpose, and it’s important to recognize that purpose: communication.

All writing is about communication, but technical writing begins with a clear understanding of the purpose of the document you are writing. Here are some examples:

Game Design Document: The purpose of this document is to describe completely all features and illustrate clearly the functionality of the game in development.

Pitch: The purpose of this document is to sell your ideal to a lead, prospective client, investor, or publisher.

Keep It On Track

Keep the goal in mind the entire time you are writing the document. Information not relevant to the goal will only create noise, making it more difficult to understand. As you write, it will help you decide, “Does this information need to be here?”

It is easy to litter your documentation with stray information that comes up while you write, but probably isn’t that useful in terms of the document.

On the same point, put things where they belong. If you have a section on Enemies, make sure it contains ALL of the relevant information on Enemies. Don’t put your Enemy Statistics in one section and your Enemy Descriptions in another unless you really have to.

Show, Don’t Tell

We are visual creatures, and like to communicate visually. If you’re having difficulty describing something in your text because of its complex or abstract nature, sketch it out. Then put that sketch into the document.

A little forethought into the presentation of your information can go a long way. Try to put any “listed” information into bullet points, or, even better, a chart.

Prepare For questions

Questions on your documentation are great. They lead to better understanding and clarity for all.

When someone asks you a question about the documentation, however, be sure to add that information to the doc again later. Either that, or prepare to answer the same question over and over again.

Make It interesting

If your documentation is dry and unfeeling, no one will read it. Sure, they’ll skim through it and get a feel for the gist of it, but they won’t digest the information and understand it the way you do.

Your game is going to have a personality, so try to inject that in your writing. But, don’t let it get in the way of communicating the information. Communication is king.

Grammar And Spelling

Don’t kid yourself. It was easy to blow this off in high school and even college using spell check on your essays, but now you’re a professional, and you’re writing to communicate.

Spell check isn’t as good as you think it is, so don’t rely on it. Even one misused term can derail your reader significantly, so write like a professional.

When in doubt, Document it! (Source: Gamasutra)