UMich-Dearborn CIS 488

International Game Developers Association

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CIS 488 Computer Game Design 2

 Games Education 

Course


Table of contents

[edit] Teachers

[edit] Instructors

[edit] Guest speakers

  • Name of guest here

[edit] Course Background Information

[edit] Location

University of Michigan-Dearborn, Computer and Information Science Departments

[edit] Classification

See: Areas for classifing for your course.

Primary classification:

  • Conceptual Game Design
  • Practical Game Design
  • Game Programming
  • Game Production

Secondary classification:

  • Game Criticism
  • Visual Design

[edit] Student background needed

Students are expected to have completed the junior level course on software engineering and the first class on game design.

[edit] Course prerequisites

  • Students are assumed to have taken discrete mathematics prior to this course.
  • Knowledge of data structures and abstract data types.
  • Ability to apply knowledge of algorithm analysis.
  • Knowledge of rapid prototyping and component-based development methodologies assumed.
  • Previous experience with object-oriented programming assumed.
  • Previous experience with windows programming assumed.
  • Ability to write and document large programs.
  • Ability to apply the principles of computer-human interaction and user interface design.
  • Some knowledge of software production management techniques assumed.

[edit] Time periods

Describe how the class was spread out over time, for example:

  • This course is taught one a year during the 14 week Winter semester
  • The formal course meetings are twice for 90 minute lecture, plus 4 monthly technical reviews and game fairs.

[edit] Course Structure

This course is offered in a coordinated manner by the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. The course focuses on the term long development a multimeedia computer game by interdisciplianry teams made of of digital animation and art students from CCS and software engineers from UMD.

[edit] Course description

This course is a continuation of the material studied in CIS 487. The focus of the course will be hands-on development of computer games and computer game development tools (e.g. game engines). Students will study a variety of software technologies relevant to computer game design, including: 3D graphics, computer animation, data-driven game design, multiplayer game programming, and game AI. Lecture topics will be taken from several areas of computer science: simulation and modeling, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, game theory, software engineering, human computer interaction, and game content development.

[edit] Course learning objectives

  • Review and critique an existing commercially written computer game.
  • Evaluate and critique game AI written by classmates.
  • Evaluate and critique multi-media games written by classmates.
  • Design and implement an intelligent opponent for an original computer game.
  • Design and implement a 3D multi-media computer game, create design documents for the game, and implement the game using a commercial game engine (e.g. Torque or Unreal.

[edit] Week by week topics

  • Windows and DirectX Programming (3 hours)
  • Designing Math Engines (3 hours)
  • 3D Graphics (2 hours)
  • Solid Modeling (2 hours)
  • Texture Mapping (2 hours)
  • 3D Clipping and Depth Buffering (2 hours)
  • 3D Rending (2 hours)
  • Shadows and Lighting (2 hours)
  • Animation and Collision Detection (3 hours)
  • Artificial Intelligence Engineering in Game Design (3 hours)
  • Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance (2 hours)
  • Tactics and Weapon Selection (2 hours)
  • Fuzzy Logic and Learning (4 hours)
  • Emotions and Finite State Machines (2 hours)
  • Decision Making and Reactive Learning (2 hours)

[edit] Course Materials & Facilities Used

Books

Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus by LaMothe, Sams, 2003 (required)

Programming Game AI by Example by Buckland, Wordware, 2005(required)

AI Game Development by Champandard, New Riders, 2003 (recommended)

Introduction to Game Development by Rabin, Charles River Media, 2005 (recommended)


Other materials

http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis488/ppt/index.html


Software (engines, tools)

Torque Game Engine http://www.garagegames.com/mg/projects/tge/education.php


Syllabus

http://www-personal.engin.umd.umich.edu/~bmaxim/cis588/syl588-w06.html


Slides

http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis488/ppt/index.html


Assessment materials

http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588.html


Digital media used in class

e.g. Video, Multimedia sources, Audio

Student Game AI Reviews http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/evalAI/index.html


Case studies

Student Game Pitch Docuemnts http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/pitch/index.html

Student Game Alpha Protoypes http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/alpha/index.html

Student Reactive Game AI Prototypes http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/ai/index.html

Student Design Documents http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/design/index.html

Student Gold Release Games http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588/games/index.html


Tutorial files

(link to each file's storage location)


Other materials

http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis588.html

[edit] Analysis of learning methods

[edit] What worked

Students liked working on teams to build larger games. Student liked working with a commercial game engine like Torque. Students enjoyed working with artists to get high quality game art. Students like working on the term long development of a single game.

[edit] What didn't work

Having students work on their own to build large games from scratch does not work well for this class. Students seem to want to build larger games than they did in their previous courses and to make ue of higher quality art assetes than computing students typcially produce. The AI produced is not as advanced as I would have liked. Did not like trying to teach Torque wihtout a textbook (the first major text on Torque programming was released part half-way through the semester)


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