Introduction
to Game Development
Syllabus
|
Week |
Topic(s) |
Reading (s) |
Class exercises (optional) |
HW |
|
Week 1 |
- Course overview and objectives - Designers and teams - Computer Games: History, genres, markets - Game Components and Structures |
Adams, Chapter 1 |
|
|
|
Week 2 |
Rules and Systems |
Rabin, Part 2 Feature Set Documentation Template (filled in with the oh so popular Lorem ipsum Latin text from Cicero's "The Extremes of Good and Evil" for your contemplation and enrichment |
Class Feature
Brainstorm Session Organize feature
teams |
HW1: Fully explore
Dawn of War II. Organize and |
|
Week 3 |
Game Play Psychological Design Considerations |
Rabin, Chapter 2 Adams Chapter 9 |
Teams Present DoW
II Features |
HW2: Document and
illustrate new feature or feature set for DoW II. Implement features
based on class feedback – Phase 1 implementation. |
|
Week 4 |
Non-interactive and Interactive Storytelling Visual Storytelling Design Ideas |
Adams Chapter 7 |
Teams Present Phase
1 Features |
HW3: Phase 2
implementation |
|
Week 5 |
Design Project Proposals and Discussion |
N/A |
Teams Present Phase
2 Features |
HW4: Phase 3
implementation |
|
Week 6 |
Game Architecture Controls and Interfaces |
Rabin Part 3 |
Teams Present Phase
3 Features |
HW5: Final feature
implementation |
|
Week 7 |
Game and Physics Engines |
Rabin Part 4 |
Teams Present Final
Features |
HW6: Fully Explore
Unreal III |
|
Week 8 |
Game AI Game Audio |
Rabin Part 6 |
Class Feature
Brainstorm |
HW7: Work with
feature teams to document and illustrate new feature or feature set for
UTIII. |
|
Week 9 |
Play testing |
|
Teams Present UTIII
Features |
HW8: Implement
features based on class feedback – Phase 1 implementation. |
|
Wee 10 |
Project Status Reports |
|
Teams Present Phase
1 Features |
HW9: Phase 2 Implementation |
|
Week 11 |
Game industry overview; publishers and developers; trends. |
Rabin Part 7 |
Teams Present Phase
2 Features |
HW10: Phase 3
Implementation |
|
Week 12 |
Turning ideas into games. Development teams |
Adams Chapter 2, Maxwell Chapter 5 |
Teams Present Phase
3 Features |
HW11: Final
Implementation |
|
Week 13 |
Development stages. Budgets and schedules. Postmortems |
Maxwell Chapters 19, 22, 25 |
Teams Present Final
Implementation |
|
|
Week 14 |
Final Presentation of Game Features |
|
Teams prepare
websites/portfolio to showcase work. |
Presentations |