CIS 300: Introduction to Computer Game Design

Communications Lab 7
Game Manual

Due: Tuesday, April 8th at 11:59pm

The Game Manual

Now that you have finished your alpha presentation, you (hopefully) have finalized your control interface for your game. For that reason, it is time to start working on your game manual. For this communication lab, we want you to create a first draft of your game manual. We will give you feedback on the draft during the next communication lab, after which point you will submit your next draft as part of Assignment 9. Given the comments on the second draft, you should work these back into the game manual when you release turn in your final portfolio on April 26th.

The format of your game manual is entirely up to you. You should think about the issues that we talked about in the communication lab. At the very least, your manual should contain the following:

  • The systems requirements for your game.
  • How to install and uninstall your game.
  • An outline of the basic objective in your game.
  • Basic instructions on the controls of your game.
  • Game Credits

Extra features such as troubleshooting/technical help, tutorial walkthoughs, strategy guides, supporting fiction, and so on, are up to you. These extra features are not crucial for the first draft, but they will influence your grade in the final portfolio. Your final manual should also have some original artwork in it, though it is okay if some of the artwork in the manual and the website are the same.

Submission

Submit the file manual to CMS. As you will eventually be including artwork in this manual, the file formats are restricted to either a Microsoft Word file (doc) or a PDF file (pdf).

Due Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 11:59pm