Is game software design the same as non-game software design?

Is the software design process for a game similar to a non-game? Do developers create UML diagrams? I ask because of the iterative nature of game development, I wonder if creating a UML diagram would just be a waste.

Answer

UML diagrams have 3 purposes:

1. Something that university professors can teach their students so that it seems like software development is a universally well defined structured process, and not some cowboy field where everyone does things their way.


2. Being a way of stalling when you want to look like you do some real work, or bureaucratize a process to slow everyone down. Not only does the creation itself take time, but the subsequent requirement that development follows the diagram can greatly slow down or even derail the work.


3. Helping people understand complicated data structures.

Point 1 and 2 are by far the most common.

This mocking is not to say that you shouldn't plan, but your initial plan probably doesn't need so much structured diagramming that a software framework is required.

The most important things for a game I'd say is:

• A list of desired features, and a note on what considerations should be taken when designing the core engine to make it possible to implement them all.



• A rough estimate of performance and possible issues, you don't want to have to deal with structural performance issues when the game is halfway done.


• A plan for the gameplay. Story, theme and artwork can all be tagged on later, they are not mandatory at this stage, but if you haven't got at least a sketch of what mechanically makes the game exciting to play you won't have any direction for the work.

If you do prototyping you'd probably want to first do a quick round of planning, then do the prototype, and then make a more thorough plan.

As the work progresses the plan should continuously be adapted as new knowledge about the game is gained.

@everyone Is there anything else the planning list should contain?

Flamebait disclaimer: UML is a tool, some people regard it as a solution, which is wrong and potentially dangerous. There is noting wrong about UML itself, only the way it is sometimes (mis)used.