CS 481 / CS 681 Advanced Computer Game Design
taught as
CS 491N/691N
MW: 4 - 5:15 p.m., SEM 257

Sushil J. Louis

http://www.cse.unr.edu/$\sim$sushil/class/games

Catalog Description

Advanced Computer Game Design (3+0) 3 credits

The engineering, science, and art in creating advanced computer games. Design and implementation of game components in producing useable and engaging computer games. Prerequisite: CS381

Introduction

We will study the technology, science, and art involved in the creation of computer games. The course will emphasize hands-on development of games. We will study a variety of software technologies relevant to games including programming languages, scripting languages, operating systems, file systems, networks, simulation engines, and multi-media design systems. We will also study some of the underlying scientific concepts from computer science and related fields including: simulation and modeling, graphics, artificial intelligence, real-time processing, and game theory. Finally, we will study the art and design principles for developing useable and engaging games including: software engineering, human computer interaction, thematic structure, graphic design, choreography, music and sound effects, and game aesthetics.

The course will include visiting lectures and a variety of group projects. The group projects will involve system implementation, but emphasize design and use of existing tools. The final group project will require the students to go through all phases of system conceptualization, specification, design, implementation, and evaluation.

Instructor

Sushil J. Louis: SEM 233 (784-4315), sushil@cse.unr.edu,
http://www.cse.unr.edu/$\sim$sushil/

• Office Hours
  • M: 10:00 - 11:30
  • T: 1:00 - 3:00
  • And by appointment (email sushil@cs.unr.edu for an appointment)

TextBook

• Required: There is no required textbook for this course.

• Recommended: Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering by David Freeman, Will Wright. New Riders; 1st edition (September 15, 2003)

• Recommended: Chris Crawford on Game Design by Chris Crawford. New Riders Games; 1st edition (June 18, 2003)

• Recommended: Developing Games in Java by David Brackeen (Author), Bret Barker, Laurence Vanhelswue. New Riders; 1st edition (August 14, 2003)

• Recommended: Game Architecture and Design, Rollings and Morris, Coriolis Publishing.

• Recommended: Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games, Bates, Prima Tech.

• Recommended: Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design: Rollings and Adams, New Riders.

• Recommended: Game Design: Theory and Practice, Rouse, Wordware Game Developer?s Library.

• Recommended: 3D Game Engine Design, David H. Eberly, Morgan Kaufmann.

• Recommended: Game Programming Gems 1, 2, 3, Mark DeLoura, Charles River Media.

Preliminary Syllabus

This interdisciplinary course seeks to combine artists, musicians, actors, directors, computer scientists, and others in conceptualizing and producing a viable computer game. We will have professional game producers, developers, and animators providing their expertise. There is a strong lab component to this course and we will hold a few classes in different laboratories to go over available software and hardware. All students are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

Topics

1. Aug 27: Get acquainted, introductions.
2. Review of History of Computer Games and Game Design principles
3. Video Game Architecture and Bit-Mapped Graphics
4. Pygame - Pong
5. 2D graphics, basic physics, collision detection
6. Game Design Process
7. Game Design Principles
8. 3D graphics
9. Introduction to the lagoon game engine and lagoonCraft, a game built on lagoon (http://lagoon.cse.unr.edu).
10. Story-based games
11. Massively Multiplayer Games
12. Neworking for Computer Games
13. Development processes and teams
14. Artificial Intelligence
15. Strategy Games, FPS
16. Ethics in Computer games

Assignments, Presentations, and Project

• August 27: Assignment: Pick a computer game and write a critique. Address art, sound, animation, gameplay, physics, artificial intelligence, and what appeals to you and what does not.
• Sept 5: Assignment: Design and implement a simple arcade style game
• Oct 1: Assignment: Design and implement a racing game
• Oct 22: Project start
• Oct 24: Project brainstorming, prepare pitch
  • Oct 29: Pitch Day - make a game pitch. Attract group members
  • Nov 5: Presentations: Game Concept
  • Nov 19: Assignment: Design Document Due
  • Dec 3: Presentation: Internal Game Demo
  • Dec 7: Presentation: Gaming open house Presentation and Demo

Graduate component

Graduate students will achieve deeper understanding of the material presented by being given additional readings and additional work in all course assignments and projects.

All assignments, projects, and presentations must be done in groups. Any group with a graduate student is a graduate group. Graduate groups will also have to complete portions of the assignments and projects clearly identified in the assignment and project handouts. For example, in designing an arcade game, graduate groups will design the game with multiple levels. An undergraduate groups will need only design one level.

Grading

You will be evaluated on course assignments (40%), class presentations (30%), and final project demonstration (30%). We will be using the +/- grading system.

Disability Statement

The Deptartment of Computer Science and Engineering supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that students may require. Please meet with me at your earliest convenience to ensure timely and appropriate accommodations.

Late Policy

No late assignments will be accepted.

Attendance

All students are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

Sharing

You are encouraged to discuss ideas and techniques broadly with other class members, but not the specifics of assigned problems except as part of group projects. Sharing of code or intermediate designs is expressly prohibited. Read the code of student conduct at http://www.unr.edu/stsv/acdispol.html. All write-ups, reviews, documentation, and other written material must be original and may not be derived from other sources.

Guest Lectures

From time to time we will have invited speakers to give us a talk related to this course. The class may then meet at another location. I will notify the class when we such a lecture and I will post a message on our web page.

Communications

If I need to communicate with the class as a group I'll post a message on our web page. You are required to check the class web page and your email every day. The class web page is at: http://www.cs.unr.edu/$\sim$sushil/class/games/index.html

About this document ...

CS 481 / CS 681 Advanced Computer Game Design
taught as
CS 491N/691N
MW: 4 - 5:15 p.m., SEM 257

This document was generated using the LaTeX2HTML translator Version 2002-2-1 (1.71)

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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, Ross Moore, Mathematics Department, Macquarie University, Sydney.

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The translation was initiated by Sushil Louis on 2007-08-27