SAT Reading material:Game design

　　Game design starts with an idea, often a modification on an existing concept. The game idea may fall within one or several genres. Designers often experiment with mixing genres. The game designer usually produces an initial game proposal document containing the concept, gameplay, feature list, setting and story, target audience, requirements and schedule, staff and budget estimates.

　　Many decisions are made during the course of a games development about the games design; it is the responsibility of the designer to decide which elements will be implemented, based on, for example, consistency with the games vision, budget or hardware limitations. Design changes may have a significant positive or negative impact on required resources.

　　The designer may use scripting languages to implement and preview design ideas without necessarily modifying the games codebase.

　　Game designer

　　A game designer is a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structure of a game. Many designers start their career in testing department, where mistakes by others can be seen first-hand.

　　Lead designer coordinates the work of other designers and is the main visionary of the game. Lead designer ensures team communication, makes large design decisions, and presents design outside of the team. Often the lead designer is technically and artistically astute. Keeping well-presented documentation also falls within the lead designer responsibilities. Lead designer may be the founder of a game development company or may be sent by the publisher, if the games concept is provided by the publisher.

　　Game mechanic designer designs and balances gameplay mechanics.

　　Level designer or environment designer is a position becoming prominent in the recent years. Level designer is the person responsible for creating game environment, levels, and missions.

　　Writer is a person often employed part-time to conceive games narrative, dialogue, commentary, cutscene narrative, journals, video game packaging content, hint system, etc. It is responsibility of the writer to collaborate with primary designers to seamlessly place this content into the game, creating immersion, avoiding repetition, providing feedback, etc. Writing for games involves a different set of skills from those for traditional works, such as novels. A writer spends a lot of time with other designers. Writing believable character language is a talent.