Syllabus

1. See the class specific information.
2. See the class policies.
3. See the recommended syllabus info.
4. See the specific dates of importance.
5. Topics

Information You Need to Know for This Class

• A few Game Design final project videos from Fall 2019
• The book appears to be available at Peach pit including in eBook form.
• My comments about lab reports and technical writing
• How to get/put a file on a local computer and a remote one
• Link to the gamedev server

Assignments

• Homework assignments Note that I may instead write the homework on the board during class.
• Some homeworks may require you to demonstrate your work. In these case, you are responsible for meeting with the TA to show your homework. Failure to do so will result in a lower grade.
• Note about assignments below: You'll notice that there are a lot of things listed below, with due dates in the past. These will be updated shortly. The assignments and dates should give an idea of what to expect this semester.
• The project abstract is due September 8, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Note: the following system appears to work well, but you are advised to keep a copy of what you type, in case there is a problem. Use this link to submit the abstract. If you want to see what other groups are doing, click here.
• September 29, 2024 - Project update video. The video should be about 5 minutes. Please follow the specifics for this class and video project update directions. Present the current status of your project, including what you have accomplished so far. Include any problems you have, and any decisions you made. Your video should be complete enough to anticipate questions, and keep in mind that your video audience will not have seen your initial project deliverables.
  After we see the video, we will ask you questions about your project, and give your feedback.
  Feedback is due Sunday, October 6, 2024
  You can work in a group. We may need to extend presentations to the following class(es), too. Use .mp4 for the video format.
• Use the following links to submit links to your project update video and display video links.
• Milestone Checklist (due October 27, 2024) Turn this in through iCollege.
• For 6821 students only: Paper Summary is due in class and you will give a 5 minute presentation on the topic (this paper) on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. See the how to review page. All students are expected to provide in-class feedback to the graduate student presentations. Using this form, leave your feedback by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the presentation(s).
• Milestone Checklist 2 (due November 24, 2024) Turn this in through iCollege.
• Final Project demonstration videos will be during the final exam time-slot.
  • There are only so many groups that can present their videos in that time slot; we will also use class-time from the classes immediately before. In a recent semester there were so many groups that we had to schedule presentations over 4 classes.
  • You will NOT do this live; instead, you will show us a video that you made on your project. The video should last at least 4 minutes, but no longer than 6 minutes.
  • Afterward, you will answer questions from the class.
  • The final video should include game-play, so that we can clearly see what your game is like.
  • It would be better to have a small game that works rather than a large game that does not work.
• IMPORTANT: Information on the Final videos
• Here is a checklist with dates to help.
• Final exam time-slot Wednesday December 11, 2024 13:30-16:00

Favorite Games from Past Semesters

• Favorite Games Spring 2020:
  I calculated a weighted score, each vote for "best" counts as 3, "second" counts as 2, "third" counts as 1. Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. Stellar Apex (game 13/14), 44
  2. Fleeting (game 5), 25
  3. Gourmet Feud (game 20/21), 14
  4. Battle Mage (game 11), 13
  5. Going Dark (game 12), 11
  6. Super Vapor Rush (game 15), 8
  
  
• Favorite Games Fall 2020:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. Sidequest: A Glaive and his Human, 26
  2. Sky Jumper (Firefox⁄Safari), 18
  3. Alex FPS, 17
  4. Dragon Farm, 12
  5. Forgotten, 11
  
  
• Favorite Games Spring 2021:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. Till Midnight, 32
  2. World of None, 20
  3. Space Runner, 16
  4. Prison Break, 13
  5. Adventures of Johnny Blade Blaze, 13
  
  
• Favorite Games Fall 2021:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. Stick-Em-Up,40
  2. Duckhood, 20
  3. Death By, 19
  4. Rhomboids, 17
  5. Project Z, 17
  
  
• Favorite Games Spring 2022:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. ChefLike, 35
  2. Galaxy Jump, 33
  3. Final Shot, 26
  4. Back to Life, 20
  5. Lefty Lucy, 18
  
  
• Favorite Games Fall 2022:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. What Lies Beyond, 38
  2. CyberCity, 19
  3. Darkwoods, 15
  4. Cliff Jump, 11
  5. Tower Defense, 10
  
  
• Favorite Games Fall 2023:
  Rank, game, weightedscore
  1. Rebellion, 24
  2. Haunted Havoc, 18
  (tie!) Penguin Quest: Homeward Bound, 18
  4. Stella Volare, 16
  5. KILLCOLOR, 13
  
  
• display final videos (from Spring 2021)
• Top games, Fall 2021
  display final videos

Announcements and Other Information

• A few javascript games
• Lex Fridman podcast, interview with Todd Howard
• Computer Space and beyond: 50 years of gaming (article from the BBC)
• This class includes a semester project. Most projects will probably be software-only, but hardware projects are possible.
• Log file with ssh and sftp examples
• solution to the "-bash: pkg-config: command not found, Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64" problem
• solution to the "dyld: Symbol not found: __al_mangled_main" problem compiling allegro under g++
• The mysterious origins of an uncrackable video game (BBC)
• Simple animation made from this sprite sheet
• Make magazine has a lot of projects that would work for our class.
• Do something with the Raspberry Pi
• Make a Lego Robot (and use NQC)
• Port a classic game to a mobile device
• GWT project
• Here is a website hosted by IEEE Spectrum with a lot of different projects.
• You can always do a project that a previous group did, and take it to the next level.
• Build a Retro Arcade Game from a Raspberry Pi and an Ikea Table
• Game designers should consider the audience. Considering how China and Taiwan clash over Wikipedia edits, how would you refer to Taiwan in a game?
• Army uses 3D mixed reality for tank commander training
• harassing messages on in-flight messaging system
• In class, we talk about identifying a game's competition and market timing. In music, there is a recent news item about Taylor Swift's album rising to the top spot for sales before being quickly displaced by Tool's new album. "[t]he music business is, after all, big business"
• The enduring appeal of simulation games
• The "crunch" evironment
• monetization and the whale hunt
• Texas Instruments and Calculator Hobbyists discusses mods and a company's attitudes towards them
• Super Crate Box an interesting, small game

Learning Outcomes

• After completing this course, students will be able to analyze game design topics, such as the genre, story, game world, and character development
• Students will gain proficiency with programming games, including the game loop, sprites, movement, sound, and input
• Students will gain understanding of game events, including collisions, spawning/de-spawning objects, and distance between game objects
• Students will create their own game project