There are a bunch of submissions and I wanted to give feedback to everyone, so I'm going to list some strengths and weaknesses that I perceive from the GDD's in this challenge (take with a grain of salt, I recognize the challenge this jam theme + time limitations, especially during a holiday weekend).
Strengths: This GDD reads to me quite clearly, it's very thorough. You've included a lot of content to go through. Easily, I would say the narrative section is probably the best part. You've put a lot of thought into the story of this game, especially surrounding this MC. I applaud your use of the Kisōtenketsu structure, bless. I also really love the overall design/aesthetic of this game. I have very clear imagery from the descriptions in the Look & Feel, but I will say some visuals would help to ensure I'm not assuming incorrectly based on what I'm reading.
Weaknesses: Though your GDD is thorough, as I've said about other submissions using Diagrams would help to break up some of the text and give great visual explanations to cut down on the blocks of text. Secondary to that, I grappled with the technical aspects of the game a lot. I would restructure the Gameplay section to include the mechanics + core loop, because those were the first things I was looking for when trying to figure out how the game would be played.
As a personal question, I would like to know more about why the MC can both fly and rollerblade...not that it's an issue, but it sounds cool and I want to hear more about that! It may be that I'm simply not familiar with the game genre you referenced, so it's hard for me to consider what a level would look like in this game.
Overall: this game seems so cool and I would 10000% play it.
Viewing post in New World Aiko GDD jam comments
Thank you, thank you for your feedback! It's given me some reassurance that I'm doing a good job 🙂! I guess long responses can't be avoided 😖.
With that being said, I totally agree you that visuals would take a load off the doc and make understanding some sections much easier. That was the plan for the game loop, and especially for the Look & Feel section since the visuals and audio are the most notable parts of the game's presentation. All I could do was throw the words in without eliminating the major sections so I could get my point across. 48 hours was a massive crunch on top of work. I only had a fraction of time compared to what was actually given. Thankfully, I had a headstart working on the GDD in preparation for the jam. It wasn't going to match the theme but my hard work wasn't going to waste!
Writing is my strong suit, so trying to convey how gameplay would function was the biggest challenge. Once it was put to paper, I even started questioning how some things would work, which just gave me an even bigger headache 😞. It was really just a matter of making sure everything made sense.
I'd be happy to answer your question about Aiko! As for why she can fly and rollerblade... For starters, it is mentioned in the doc as one of the abilities she gains when she ascended. Gameplay-wise, it's used as a means to reach platforms or areas that are out of range just by jumping alone. Or she could cover more ground faster than on foot in a stage, once you get the right ability. You could even say there's a thematic purpose for Aiko's flight, that being soaring to new heights.
Finally, the rollerblades let Aiko move swiftly if she's moving on foot in a stage so player can complete it quickly. The choice to give Aiko rollerblades was moreso done for artistic reasons so it'd be in line with the game's aesthetic. You could easily compare her to Shadow The Hedgehog 😆. As for the in-universe reason why Aiko wears rollerblades in the first place: I never thought that much about it, but I'll just assume she got them when she ascended since she already has them on when she reaches Earth.