FULL SEMESTER PROGRAMME (30 ECTS) Autumn semester

Transcription

1 GAME DESIGN FULL SEMESTER PROGRAMME (30 ECTS) Autumn semester 1

2 GAME DESIGN 30 ECTS Courses of this program: Game Design (3): 4 ECTS Usability in Games: 4 ECTS Animation Technology: 4 ECTS Procedural Gameplay: 4ECTS Survival Dutch 2 ECTS Project Gaming: 12 ECTS 2

3 GAME DESIGN (3) 4 ECTS During the course Gamedesign 3 you will build on a theoretical framework and critical vocabulary regarding game rules en meaningful play. This is done by studying the book Rules of Play, Salen & Zimmermann, reading articles, discussing various games (by making use of the metagame) and pitching two gameconcepts, one of which is a serious game. The gameconcepts are worked out in a workable prototypes and reviewed by peers, using the vocabulary learned in class. You will finish this course once you have delivered two playable prototypes of the assignments in class and finished the open book exam with a 5.5 or higher. During the open book exam you will be asked about existing games. During class you are given a list of games. You are expected having played and reviewed them. 3

4 GAME DESIGN (3) CONTINUED program: 1. Introduction of the core concepts of a game. Discussion. Forming groups. Brainstorm on first game assignment: Serious Games 2. Gamerules, Rules on three levels, Emergent systems & Systems of Information. Assignments during class. Pitch of one-page-design-documents. Peer review on pitches. 3. Gamerules, Systems of Uncertainty & Systems of Conflict. Playtesting prototype. Review of prototypes on theory studied. Example of exam questions. 4. Play. Games as Narrative Play and Play of Experience. New game assignment: Storytelling in games. Forming new groups. Playing the metagame. 5. Play. Games as the Play of Pleasure & The Play of Meaning. Pitch of one-page-design-documents. Assignments during class. Peer review on pitches. 6. Play. Games as social play and games as simulation.. Playtesting ti prototype. t Review of prototypes t on theory studied. Example of exam questions. 7. Example exam. Questions about theory. Study of theory. 8. Handing in games. Exam. Literature: Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play, Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press ISBN-10:

5 GAME USABILITY This course covers game functinalities. Themes are: Interface Study, Interaction Map, Object Inventory and Gameplay Logfiles. These themes constitute the basis for the user interface of a game. Teaching method: lectures and practicals during which teams analyse games and make a test plan. This testplan will be used in the university s usability lab. Course contents: six games will be discussed Assessment method: grading g is based on the student logs, test plan, test results and quality of the advice basis on the test results. Course material: Laurel, Brenda, Design Research, mehtods and perspectives. The MIT Press 5

6 ANIMATION TECHNOLOGY Aim of this course is to provide insight in the basic principles of 3D (character) animation, the different methods to animate objects and organisms in 3D. Teaching method: workshops: interface, strucure, tools and accompanying possibilities are explored and tested in a game related environment. Course contents: Students familiarize themselves with the different methods of generating movement: Keyframing (in 3D software) Eraltime animation (recording in 3D software) Direct relations: Set driven keys, contraints, Scripting Procedural animation (with the help of scripting in 3D softare or in a game engine) Simulation: soft- and rigid body dynamics, clothing, hair Motion capturing and editing Assessment: students deliver a game character which is built and animated in 3 D. This character is exported to a game engine and is interactively cotnrolled by a blending of at least 3 animation sequences 6

7 PROCEDURAL GAMEPLAY Course contents: In procedural gameplay you will build a Flash game in ActionScript3 without any assets. During the classes and workshops you will practice programming techniques and design techniques required to build a game with that constraint with a series of exercises. Topics that are included are: component based game architecture, particle systems, simple steering and AI behavior, software audio synthesizers and automatic level generation. 7

8 PROJECT GAMING Aim: development of a 2D or 3D computer game using techniques from artificial intelligence and modern control systems. Supporting workshops in project on: Nintendo DS XNA Physics simulation (ODE) 8

9 SURVIVAL DUTCH This course teaches you the basic Dutch you need to survive as an exchange student in The Netherlands. Teaching method: Workshops Assessment method: Exam 9