Working on A GDD need help organizing.

[emocookie41]

So whenever I create a Game Design Document I start off by just randomly jotting down whatever topics pop into my head first and then I re edit it later on so it is more organized. I have just discovered Otome and Visual Novel games and I am a bit stumped on how to organize the different topics. This particular document is for a game that would be played online with other players but consists of Visual novel elements (if you know of Star Project it is similar).

Here are the topics I am trying to organize:

Summary
Pawn Types
Possible Things to Do
Customizing Your Character(s?)
Pets
Bachelors
How Energy Works
How Mood Works
How Attributes Work
Attribute Mini Games -subtopic-
Player Vs. Player Contests
Money
The Map
School Map -sub topic-
Town Map -sub topic-

Now that I look at it that is a lot of sections so far. Started this particular GDD last night. Any suggestions on organizational format would be helpful.

[SHiNKiROU]

Here is how I organize my GDD:
Overview: The genre and artistic direction of the game. Analysis of the amount of work required.
Mechanics: The gameplay aspect of the visual novel. Explain screens and concepts in the subheadings.
Main Menu and Modes: The design of main menu and the game accessible game modes. (not applicable for VNs)
Story: A summary of the narrative aspect of the game.

[emocookie41]

Thank you ^^ I will see if it looks better rearranged like that!

[Sakai]

As can be seen on my Life* topic in the Ideas I have it like that:

Project Overview - Information about the project and what game is about in short details with its sub-categories about gameplay, genra and target audience.

Game Overview - Full information on story, characters and level's

Menu Layout - All information on how Menu GUI will look like.

Game Layout - On my end it contains hour of gameplay and music together with credits screen.

You can pretty much understand what I mean by checking out the topic itself, its a copy straight out of my GDD minus the parts that team members will only see.

[Taleweaver]

Moved to a more appropriate forum.

[やまと]

Here is how I organize my GDD:
Overview: The genre and artistic direction of the game. Analysis of the amount of work required.
Mechanics: The gameplay aspect of the visual novel. Explain screens and concepts in the subheadings.
Main Menu and Modes: The design of main menu and the game accessible game modes. (not applicable for VNs)
Story: A summary of the narrative aspect of the game.

In my oppinion, the genre must be last thing you must worry about.
If you start a story or tale because you just want to write a specific genre tale, it is that you are out of ideas. And you will probably never finish the novel.

You should always start a novel because you have a good idea about an interesting story.
What genre is, will be defined once the novel is finished, not when the novel doesn't even have a plot.