Life in a flowchart

I agree that flowcharts are an important aspect of game design, if only to ensure that you do not end up with structural holes once the game is in programming. I also like how flowcharts track the progression, and encourage deviations from the original idea by showing the idea as it flows through the game. Having a large whiteboard with the different storylines flowing across it acts to spark additional ideas in the designer’s minds.

Flow charts can act as a hindrance to creativity, but only if the designer is limited by original idea, if the designer is willing to think in non linear ways a flowchart can help creativity by providing visual stepping stones to tangents the designer can follow.
The flowchart example of the house, which at first seems very basic and boring, but what looked at creatively ends up hiding multiple options illustrates perfectly how flowcharting can be beneficial to game design. A designer without the use of the flow chart might have the idea that there should be secret tunnels, but not be able to illustrate these tunnels well enough for the programmers to implement the idea of the designer. This can lead to holes in game storylines. A metaphor for a good flow chart is a GPS or dynamic map which allows various users to see where they are, how they got there, and where they are going.

Flowcharts further help design teams ensure that everyone can visually follow the action as it progresses, and use different symbols to represent say a new room or a new beginning.

In a nutshell, i agree with the author that flowcharts are an important part of game design, and that we as students can really benifit from applying flowchart and storyboard principles to our work.