Script (story/elements) templates or examples.
 

Has any Adventure game or indeed any other type of computer game designer ever released examples of the script/ design papers they worked on?

I'm getting at the idea of an early sell/pitch script as you would write for a movie or TV series to present to a publisher, but for a computer or video game. I have always enjoyed writing scripts for shorts (films), and was interested in developing a couple of game ideas but the idea of cramming interactive elements and puzzle ideas into the standard film script is not very compelling.

I'm just looking for examples to pinch the layout/format.

There's a template for design documents in Secrets of the Sages and you could probably find one on the web. There aren't real rules for it though, like everything in screenwriting has been standardized. It's probably best to look at a few examples and then modify it to fit your game.

I guess one word of advice that applies to all design documents: don't make it too long. Just like you shouldn't write a 20 page cover letter when applying for a job, it makes sense to keep it short and digestable.

It is extremely rare for someone not in the industry to pitch a game idea to a publisher and get it funded. Publishers aren't actually looking for ideas. They've got plenty of them in-house. They're looking for people who can really develop ideas into full games and focus on the execution. You might have something that sounds brilliant on paper, but be prepared to face a lot of criticism.

Still, good luck with finding a company to pitch to. I hope this helps!

Thanks, I'll check the local bookstores for that or something similar. I'm not really looking to pitch the game scripts any time soon, Its just a means for me to organise and flesh out ideas better. I would never dream of pitching every short I've scribbled down, it's just something I like to do.

Ah, right. Same here. :) I almost forgot to mention the template by Chris Taylor: http://www.ihfsoft.com/files/docs/ct...gntemplate.zip It's a bit elaborate, but it will probably give you some ideas. My design documents usually don't exceed 10 pages.

Personally, I've used the Chris Taylor template for all the projects in which I've worked. It is elaborate, but leaves room for judicious editing, as some areas will not be applicable to certain projects.