433 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
433 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
# TODO List for Puzzle Design Handbook Restructure
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## Strategic Overview
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Transform the handbook from a simple taxonomy + examples structure into a comprehensive design methodology guide following Option 5 + Part VI FAQ pattern.
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**Current:** 4 sections (Introduction, Core Principles, Inspiration, Puzzle Taxonomy, Documentation Guidelines)
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**Target:** 6 Parts (Foundations, Design Process, Puzzle Taxonomy, Inspiration, Reference, FAQ)
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---
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## Part I: Foundations
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### 1. Rewrite Introduction
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- [ ] **Rewrite introduction.md** (MODIFY: src/introduction.md)
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- Move personal anecdote material to "Why Adventure Games" chapter
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- Restructure as professional handbook introduction
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- Add roadmap of entire handbook structure
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- Rewrite LLM note to reflect new purpose
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- Maintain the voodoo doll vs. cat-on-ledge tension as opening hook
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- **Source material:** Current introduction.md, adventure-puzzle-design-stanislav-costiuc.md (Inception Principle)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** Can be handled by general agent with writing skill
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### 2. Create "Why Adventure Games" Chapter (NEW)
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- [ ] **Create why-adventure-games.md** (CREATE: src/why-adventure-games.md)
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- Synthesize Gilbert's 12 rules into founding principles
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- Connect to modern design thinking
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- Establish why adventure game puzzle design is a distinct discipline
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- **Source material:** why-adventure-games-suck-ron-gilbert.md (Gilbert's 12 rules)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** Can be handled by general agent with writing skill
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### 3. Expand Core Principles
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- [ ] **Rewrite core-principles.md** (MODIFY: src/core-principles.md)
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- Expand from 4 principles to 8+ principles
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- Add new principles:
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- **Fairness** (from 14 Deadly Sins, Gilbert's rules)
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- **Player Psychology** (from Costiuc's Inception Principle)
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- **Internal Logic** (from Costiuc)
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- **Progressive Disclosure**
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- **Synthesis Over Collection**
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- **Failure as Feedback**
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- **Limited Actions, Unlimited Combinations**
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- **Information as Puzzle Element**
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- **Source material:** core-principles.md, 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md, adventure-puzzle-design-stanislav-costiuc.md, puzzle-game-design-principles-template.md
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- **Delegation suggestion:** Can be handled by general agent with writing skill
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---
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## Part II: Design Process (NEW - Entirely New Content)
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### 4. Create Puzzle Dependency Charts Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/puzzle-dependency-charts.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/puzzle-dependency-charts.md)
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- Explain Keys & Locks method
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- Bushy branching vs. linear design
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- Working backwards from solution
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- Balancing difficulty (break keys into pieces, branch for alternatives)
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- **Source material:** lucasarts-puzzle-dependency-charts.md
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 5. Create Working Backwards Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/working-backwards.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/working-backwards.md)
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- Design from solution to setup
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- Backwards puzzle anti-pattern (Gilbert's rule)
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- Ensuring logical flow
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- **Source material:** why-adventure-games-suck-ron-gilbert.md (Backwards Puzzles section)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 6. Create Bushy Branching & Parallel Puzzles Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/bushy-branching.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/bushy-branching.md)
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- Multiple simultaneous puzzles
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- Player agency through choice
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- Avoiding the cage syndrome
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- **Source material:** why-adventure-games-suck-ron-gilbert.md (Give the player options section), lucasarts-puzzle-dependency-charts.md (Make it bushy)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 7. Create Internal Logic & Fairness Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/internal-logic-fairness.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/internal-logic-fairness.md)
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- Internal consistency
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- External vs. internal logic
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- Fairness as design principle
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- **Source material:** adventure-puzzle-design-stanislav-costiuc.md (Importance of Internal Logic), 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md (Sin #1: illogic), why-adventure-games-suck-ron-gilbert.md (Arbitrary puzzles)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 8. Create Player Psychology: Inception vs. Extraction Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/player-psychology.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/player-psychology.md)
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- Costiuc's Inception Principle
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- Extraction anti-pattern (guessing what designer thinks)
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- Player trust and suspension of disbelief
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- **Source material:** adventure-puzzle-design-stanislav-costiuc.md (Inception Principle section)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 9. Create Playtesting Methodology Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/playtesting-methodology.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/playtesting-methodology.md)
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- Why playtesting is critical for adventure games
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- Types of testing (internal, external, focus groups)
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- Common issues found through testing
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- Iterating based on feedback
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- **Source material:** 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md (Sin #14: Not soliciting player feedback), adventure-puzzle-design-stanislav-costiuc.md (What I Miss section - alternative solutions)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 10. Create Failure Modes (14 Sins) Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/failure-modes.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/failure-modes.md)
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- Convert 14 Deadly Sins into anti-patterns/chapter
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- Each sin with explanation and examples
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- How to recognize and avoid each
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- **Source material:** 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md (all 14 sins)
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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### 11. Create Hint System Design Chapter
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- [ ] **Create design-process/hint-system-design.md** (CREATE: src/design-process/hint-system-design.md)
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- When to use hints
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- Types of hint systems
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- Progressive hinting
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- In-game vs. external hints
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- **Source material:** 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md (Sin #14), general adventure game design knowledge
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- **Delegation suggestion:** New chapter creation, general agent
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---
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## Part III: Puzzle Taxonomy (Add Design Notes)
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### 12. Add Design Notes to Category Overviews
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- [x] **Modify information-discovery-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/information-discovery-overview.md)
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- Add process notes explaining how to use these puzzle types in design
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- Link to design-process/puzzle-dependency-charts.md for dependency patterns
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- **Source material:** Self-synthesized from puzzle taxonomy knowledge
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- [x] **Modify cognitive-transfer-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/cognitive-transfer-overview.md)
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- Add process notes on teaching patterns to players
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- Link to design-process/player-psychology.md for inception vs. extraction
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- [x] **Modify spatial-temporal-coordination-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/spatial-temporal-coordination-overview.md)
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- Add process notes on timing and coordination design
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- Link to design-process/working-backwards.md
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- [x] **Modify npc-interaction-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/npc-interaction-overview.md)
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- Add process notes on NPC as systems
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- Link to design-process/internal-logic-fairness.md
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- [x] **Modify systems-and-logic-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/systems-and-logic-overview.md)
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- Add process notes on logical consistency
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- [x] **Modify non-standard-domains-overview.md** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/non-standard-domains-overview.md)
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- Add process notes on surreal logic boundaries
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### 13. Cross-Reference Taxonomy to Design Process
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- [ ] **Update all puzzle type files** (MODIFY: src/puzzles/*.md - 27 files)
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- Add "Related Design Process" section linking to relevant Part II chapters
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- Ensure consistent cross-referencing format
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- **Delegation suggestion:** Batch process by category, parallelizable
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---
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## Part IV: Inspiration (Add Cross-References)
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### 14. Add Cross-References to Part II Principles
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- [ ] **Modify all inspiration/*.md files** (MODIFY: src/inspiration/*.md - 26 files)
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- Add "Design Principles Illustrated" section
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- Link to relevant Part II chapters (e.g., puzzle-dependency-charts.md, failure-modes.md)
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- Add back-reference to relevant puzzle types in Part III
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- **Delegation suggestion:** Batch process, parallelizable by game era/developer
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### 15. Create Cross-Reference Index
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- [x] **Create inspiration/cross-reference-index.md** (CREATE: src/inspiration/cross-reference-index.md)
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- Matrix of games to design principles
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- Quick lookup table
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- **Delegation suggestion:** General agent, depends on task 14
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---
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## Part V: Reference (Expand Existing Docs)
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### 16. Expand Common Pitfalls
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- [ ] **Rewrite common-pitfalls.md** (MODIFY: src/docs/common-pitfalls.md)
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- Expand with all 14 Deadly Sins as anti-patterns
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- Add detailed explanations and examples
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- Include "How to Fix" guidance for each
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- **Source material:** 14-deadly-sins-graphic-adventure-design-filfre.md, existing common-pitfalls.md
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- **Delegation suggestion:** General agent with writing skill
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### 17. Expand Validation Checklist
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- [ ] **Rewrite validation-checklist.md** (MODIFY: src/docs/validation-checklist.md)
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- Expand to cover all new sections
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- Add Part II Design Process checklist items
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- Add FAQ section structure validation
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- **Delegation suggestion:** General agent
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### 18. Create Quick-Start Design Worksheet (NEW)
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- [x] **Create docs/quick-start-worksheet.md** (CREATE: src/docs/quick-start-worksheet.md)
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- One-page design worksheet template
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- Key questions for each design phase
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- Puzzle dependency chart template
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- Checklist format
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- **Source material:** lucasarts-puzzle-dependency-charts.md, puzzle-game-design-principles-template.md
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- **Delegation suggestion:** General agent
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---
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## Part VI: FAQ (NEW)
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### 19. Create FAQ Structure and Core Entries
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- [x] **Create docs/faq.md** (CREATE: src/docs/faq.md)
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- Create actionable Q&A format
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- Minimum 10 common design problems with solutions
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- Link to playbook patterns where applicable
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- **FAQ Topics to include:**
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- "My puzzle feels like a fetch quest" → Add synthesis requirements
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- "Players are stuck with no feedback" → Use failure-as-information
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- "Puzzle seems too easy" → Break into parallel sub-puzzles
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- "Players miss critical item" → Add incremental reward/hints
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- "Multiple solutions conflicting" → Design alternative paths
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- "Moon logic accusations" → Add logical consistency
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- "Player feels caged" → Implement bushy branching
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- "Timing puzzles frustrating" → Use Hollywood time
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- "NPC puzzles too similar" → Add class-specific variations
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- "Endgame feels anticlimactic" → Ensure puzzles advance story
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- **Source material:** Self-synthesized from all resources
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- **Delegation suggestion:** General agent with writing skill
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---
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## Implementation Order & Dependencies
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### Phase 1: Foundation (Must come first)
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1. Rewrite Introduction (task 1)
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2. Create "Why Adventure Games" (task 2) - depends on 1
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3. Expand Core Principles (task 3) - depends on 1, 2
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### Phase 2: Design Process (Can parallelize after Phase 1)
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4. Create puzzle-dependency-charts.md (task 4)
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5. Create working-backwards.md (task 5)
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6. Create bushy-branching.md (task 6)
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7. Create internal-logic-fairness.md (task 7)
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8. Create player-psychology.md (task 8)
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9. Create playtesting-methodology.md (task 9)
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10. Create failure-modes.md (task 10)
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11. Create hint-system-design.md (task 11)
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**Note:** Tasks 4-11 can be parallelized (different agents) since they don't depend on each other
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### Phase 3: Taxonomy Enhancement (Depends on Phase 2)
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12. Add design notes to overviews (task 12) - depends on Phase 2
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13. Cross-reference puzzle types (task 13) - depends on 12
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### Phase 4: Inspiration Cross-References (Depends on Phase 2)
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14. Add cross-references to games (task 14) - depends on Phase 2
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15. Create cross-reference index (task 15) - depends on 14
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### Phase 5: Reference Expansion (Can parallelize with Phase 3-4)
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16. Expand Common Pitfalls (task 16)
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17. Expand Validation Checklist (task 17)
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18. Create Quick-Start Worksheet (task 18)
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**Note:** Tasks 16-18 can parallelize with Phase 3-4
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### Phase 6: FAQ Creation (Final)
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19. Create FAQ structure (task 19) - depends on all previous
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---
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## File Operations Summary
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### CREATE Operations (13 new files)
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| File | Task |
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| src/why-adventure-games.md | 2 |
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| src/design-process/puzzle-dependency-charts.md | 4 |
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| src/design-process/working-backwards.md | 5 |
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| src/design-process/bushy-branching.md | 6 |
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| src/design-process/internal-logic-fairness.md | 7 |
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| src/design-process/player-psychology.md | 8 |
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| src/design-process/playtesting-methodology.md | 9 |
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| src/design-process/failure-modes.md | 10 |
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| src/design-process/hint-system-design.md | 11 |
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| src/inspiration/cross-reference-index.md | 15 |
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| src/docs/quick-start-worksheet.md | 18 |
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| src/docs/faq.md | 19 |
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### MODIFY Operations (40+ files)
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| File | Task |
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| src/introduction.md | 1 |
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| src/core-principles.md | 3 |
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| src/puzzles/information-discovery-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/cognitive-transfer-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/spatial-temporal-coordination-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/npc-interaction-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/systems-and-logic-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/non-standard-domains-overview.md | 12 |
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| src/puzzles/*.md (27 files) | 13 |
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| src/inspiration/*.md (26 files) | 14 |
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| src/docs/common-pitfalls.md | 16 |
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| src/docs/validation-checklist.md | 17 |
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### Directory Structure to Create
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```
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src/design-process/
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puzzle-dependency-charts.md
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working-backwards.md
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bushy-branching.md
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internal-logic-fairness.md
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player-psychology.md
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playtesting-methodology.md
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failure-modes.md
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hint-system-design.md
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```
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---
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## Delegation Strategy
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### Agent 1 (Writing Intensive)
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- Tasks 1, 2, 3 (Foundations)
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- Can run sequentially after understanding the project
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### Agent 2 (Design Process - Parallel Set 1)
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- Tasks 4, 5, 6 (3 new chapters)
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- Independent parallel work
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### Agent 3 (Design Process - Parallel Set 2)
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- Tasks 7, 8, 9 (3 new chapters)
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- Independent parallel work
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### Agent 4 (Design Process - Parallel Set 3)
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- Tasks 10, 11 (2 new chapters)
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- Independent parallel work
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### Agent 5 (Taxonomy & Inspiration)
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- Tasks 12, 13, 14, 15 (cross-referencing)
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- Should start after Design Process chapters exist
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### Agent 6 (Reference & FAQ)
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- Tasks 16, 17, 18, 19 (Reference docs + FAQ)
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- Final phase, can run after seeing full structure
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---
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## King's Quest VI Puzzle Dependency Chart Project
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### 20. Acquire King's Quest VI Walkthroughs
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- [ ] **Download 3 high-quality KQVI walkthroughs**
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- Source from web archives, GameFAQs, or authoritative fan sites
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- Verify walkthroughs cover the full game
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- Save to `src/walkthroughs/kings-quest-vi/`
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- **Delegation:** Use downloading-game-walkthroughs skill
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### 21. Create Puzzle Dependency Chart
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- [ ] **Create mermaid chart for KQVI puzzles**
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- Cross-reference 3 walkthroughs
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- Node type: Problem (puzzle/obstacle)
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- Node type: Solution (item/action that resolves)
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- Show true dependencies (not just sequential ordering)
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- Save to `src/inspiration/kings-quest-vi-puzzle-dependencies.md`
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- **Delegation:** General agent with writing skill
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### 22. Quality Assurance - Dependency Verification
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- [ ] **QA check all puzzle dependencies**
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- Verify each dependency is a real logical dependency
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- Going to a location ≠ unlocking it
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- Getting item B before item A ≠ B depends on A
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- Cross-reference with web if puzzle logic unclear
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- **Delegation:** General agent for QA analysis
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### 23. Layout Verification
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- [ ] **Ensure logical flow with START to END**
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- Chart must have clear start node
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- All nodes must connect (no orphans)
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- Final puzzle(s) must lead to END
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- Logical progression from easy to hard
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- **Delegation:** QA agent
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---
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## Commit Points
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After each major phase completion:
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1. **Phase 1 complete:** "Complete: Part I Foundations (Introduction, Why Adventure Games, Core Principles)"
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2. **Phase 2 complete:** "Complete: Part II Design Process (8 new chapters)"
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3. **Phase 3 complete:** "Complete: Part III Taxonomy design notes"
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4. **Phase 4 complete:** "Complete: Part IV Inspiration cross-references"
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5. **Phase 5 complete:** "Complete: Part V Reference expansion"
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6. **Phase 6 complete:** "Complete: Part VI FAQ creation"
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### KQVI Project Commit Points
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7. **KQVI walkthroughs acquired:** "Complete: Acquire 3 KQVI walkthroughs"
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8. **KQVI dependency chart created:** "Complete: KQVI puzzle dependency chart"
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9. **KQVI QA verified:** "Complete: KQVI dependency chart QA verification"
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10. **KQVI layout verified:** "Complete: KQVI dependency chart layout verification"
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---
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## Validation Before Completion
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- [ ] All 13 new files created and populated
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- [ ] All 40+ existing files modified appropriately
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- [ ] SUMMARY.md updated to reflect new 6-part structure
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- [ ] Cross-references are functional (links work)
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- [ ] Word counts reasonable per section (target: <1000 words per page)
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- [ ] No broken links or missing references
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- [ ] Build passes (`mdbook build`)
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### KQVI Project Validation
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- [ ] 3 KQVI walkthroughs acquired and saved
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- [ ] Mermaid chart created with Problem/Solution nodes
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- [ ] Each dependency verified as true logical dependency
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- [ ] Chart has START and END nodes
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- [ ] All nodes connected with no orphans
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- [ ] Chart saved to `src/inspiration/kings-quest-vi-puzzle-dependencies.md`
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- [ ] INSPIRED entries in SUMMARY.md updated
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