ITCS 4010/5010 Video Game Design and Development - Syllabus
Instructor:
Tiffany Barnes
STECH 403E, tbarnes2@uncc.edu
Office hours Mondays 1:30-3 and by appointment.
TA:
Shilpa Sharma
STECH 404, ssharma@uncc.edu
Office hours TBA
Schedule:
Monday & Wednesdays 3-4:20 pm, STECH 130
Course Catalog Description
ITCS XXXX. Introduction to Computer Game Design and Development. (3)
Prerequisite: ITCS 2215. Basic concepts and techniques for electronic game design
and development. Topics include: game history and genres, game design teams and
processes, theory of funativity, level and model design, game scripting and
programming including computer graphics and animation, artificial intelligence. Fall.
Prerequisites
ITCS2215 with a C or better
Objectives of the course
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Understand the basic history and genres of games
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the overall game design process
3. Explain the design tradeoffs inherent in game design
4. Design and implement basic levels, models, and scripts for games
5. Describe the mathematics and algorithms needed for game programming
6. Design and implement a complete three-dimensional video game
Instructional Method
This course incorporates lectures, readings and seminar-type discussions. Individual
course assignments lead students through the basic elements of game design, building
a basis for the final course project, a complete 3D video game, to be implemented in
teams of 3-4 students.
Grading
Approximately 3-5 assignments emphasize learning the basic elements of game
design, while 2-4 quizzes assess reading of course reading materials. The project, a
team implementation of a complete video game, includes evaluation of the game as
well as one or more presentations in the course of the game design. Attendance and
participation are required in class. For each absence beyond the third absence, 5 points
may be deducted from a student’s overall grade.
Assignments/Quizzes
Project
50%
50%
A standard 10-point grading scale will be used for the class (A: 90-100, B: 80-90, …).
For credit in the graduate version of the course, graduate students must: 1) complete
all assignments, 2) prepare and lead one class discussion, and 3) incorporate and
demonstrate a significant portion of original scripting or programming in the final
project. Assignments will also include additional exercises required for graduate
students.
Course Policies
University integrity: Students are expected to know and abide by the UNC Charlotte
Code of Student Academic Integrity. Students are expected to submit their own work,
and fully cite any sources used. Assignments or projects that are not appropriate in an
academic setting, subject to the instructor’s discretion, will not be accepted for a
grade.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. For each absence beyond the third absence, 5
points may be deducted from a student’s overall grade.
Communication: Students are expected to read email and check the course website
several times each week.
Textbook and resources
Title: Introduction to Game Development
Edited by: Steve Rabin
ISBN: 1-58450-377-7
Charles River Media, May 2005
Course website: http://coitweb.uncc.edu/~tbarnes2/GameDesign/
Readings and slides will be linked to the course website during the semester.
Software: 3D GameStudio, http://www.3dgamestudio.com
This software is being made available in the STECH ITS lab, and personal copies
of the Commercial version of the software may be purchased through Conitec. The
website contains several tutorials and samples.
Topics
1. History of video games, game genres
2. The games industry
3. Theory of funativity: what is fun?
4. Game design teams and processes
5. Level design
6. Modeling
7. Human-computer interaction (HCI) & interface design
8. Computer graphics, collision detection, lighting, and animation
9. Game scripting and programming
10. Game data structures and algorithms
11. Artificial intelligence
12. Play testing