Simpsons II – Pre-Production Outline

1.0 Pre-Production Goals

 Redefine the Art direction and Game Play goals.
 Refine workflow process from art creation to in game art implementation.
 Research new features, technical, art and game to assess feasibility and
define the workflow and process for implementation through testing and
experimentation.
 Revisit current art for characters and vehicles that will stay in the game
and refine during pre-production phase.
 Define the art resources needed based on art content as well as
understanding time required for art creation based on pre-production
research and experimentation.

2.0 Pre-Production Milestones

2.1 December 21st, 2001 (Internal Deliverables)
 Revised Preliminary Art Document
 Redefine Environment workflow including postmortem of past game Environment
Workflow
 Redefine Game Build process (i.e., debug cam, faster build, screenshot
capabilities, interface checklist etc..)
 Define and investigate workflow for reflective shaders with P3D
 Investigate and define technical workflow for vehicle for proper physics and
damage
 Define Character, passenger workflow. This includes:
o Defining new additional characters
o Define art direction, look of character
o Redefine and revise workflow for characters (i.e. Characters need full
bodies, texture allocation, polycount) (document)
o Redefine and outline number of LOD’s for characters (document)
 Redefine skeleton structure and model (document)
 Define animation workflow (reorganize)
 Investigate and define workflow process for in-game NIS. This includes:
o Experimentation to define workflow
o Create a test NIS – with defined workflow (may run into January 15th)
o Storyboard preliminary FMV (dependent on approval from FOX)
 Preliminary first pass test experiment on small portion of a Level 1. This includes:
o Defining level theme,
o Define sample mission
o Document art assets and goals
o Outline landmarks

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  Storyboard concepts if required, colour palette design, collect reference material
(from Simpson’s and other sources)
 Create a topographical rough 1st pass diagram of sample Level.
 Create build geometry terrain and roadmap with buildings (rough geometry and
placeholder).
 Develop Landmark List for 1 Level
 Finalize Character & Driver List
 Finalize Vehicle List
 NIS story 1 in treatment form

2.2 Milestone 3, January 15th, 2002

 Continuation of Preliminary first pass test experiment on portion of a Level 1.
 Document art assets including background, sfx, particles, texture animation, etc.
and goals.
 Define vehicle geometry workflow including:
o Damage states
o Pre production art concepts – all new additional vehicles
o Define art direction, look of vehicle (document)
o Postmortem of vehicle workflow
 Build first pass partial list of landmarks for level 1
 Storyboard concepts if required, colour palette design, collect reference material
(from Simpson’s and other sources)
 Define Art Management – naming convention, hierarchy, directory structure,
texture allocation, polycount, SFX allocation (document)
 NIS story 2 in treatment form
 Preliminary Roadmap Doc.

2.3 Milestone 4, February 15th, 2002

 Finalize art direction
 Continuation of level design 1
 Finalize Homer’s sedan with new damage states and textures.
 Art asset management documentation – naming convention, workflow directory
structure formally documented for all aspects of art.
 First pass Implementation test of Homer sedan Vehicle damage states in a
runtime aspect
 First pass implementation test of reflective shaders for vehicle.
 NIS/Mission game play and/secondary objectives, for Story 2
 Refine police/chase AI design
 Vehicle upgrades and interface
 Pause menu w/flow for replaying missions
 System and content for interactive events in-game
 Character animation and relationship logic
 Vehicle damage design w/hierarchy logic
 In-game HUD design w/interactive map

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  Technical Art Spec Doc
 Preliminary Technical Doc

2.4 Milestone 5, March 15th, 2002

 Final art document
 First pass implementation of one mission NIS beginning and ending in initial level
1 build 1st pass.
 First pass implementation test of palette swapping
 First pass preliminary level design for Level 1. Based on test level
experimentation (this dependent on finalized missions and story)
 Preliminary outline of all level themes, and missions, NIS based on Game design
document.
 Remodel and revisit in-game current characters.
 Preliminary HUD design conceptuals based on HUD flow
 Preliminary Title screen design
 Preliminary Menu screen design
 Create first pass geometry for landmarks for level 2
 Driving physics and vehicle spec
 Rewards - collectibles and alternate vehicle rewards/access
 Nav arrow and scoring design
 Multiplayer race/CTF design
 Tools - Maya, Mission scripter
 Tools - Mission scripter
 Tools - AI/multiplayer/other
 Technical Prototypes delivered (non-game play)
 Final Technical Doc

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