Introduction to Computer Game Design and Development
Fall 2005
Home Contact Syllabus Outline Project	Syllabus Syllabus Handout Course: ITCS 4010/5010 Section 002 "Computer Game Design and Development" Monday/Wednesday 3-4:20 pm STECH 130126 Instructor: Tiffany Barnes Office: STECH 403E, Phone 687-8577 Hours: Monday 1:30-3 pm, and by appointment Email: tbarnes2@uncc.edu Teaching Asst.: Shilpa Sharma Office: STECH 404 Hours: Wednesdays 1:30-3 pm Thursdays 4-5:30 pm Textbook: Introduction to Game Development Edited by: Steve Rabin ISBN: 1-58450-377-7 Charles River Media, May 2005 Readings assigned from various sources Software: 3D Game Studio 3D GameStudio will be available in an ITS lab ASAP. In the meantime, please contact the TA for access to the FCL lab (STECH 404) if you do not have home access. You may download the trial version to complete the first homeworks. You may purchase the Commercial version of 3DGS for $100 by calling Conitec, and mentioning that you are taking this class with Dr. Tiffany Barnes and would like the educational discount. Emails: The class email list has been set up at UNCCGameDesign@yahoogroups.com. Subscribe to UNCCGameDesign Powered by groups.yahoo.com 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. 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. Below is presented the weight of the different course components toward your final grade. Component    Weight Assignments/Quizzes   50% Project   50% Topics: History of video games, game genres The games industry Theory of funativity: what is fun? Game design teams and processes Level design Modeling Human-computer interaction (HCI) & interface design Computer graphics, collision detection, lighting, and animation Game scripting and programming Game data structures and algorithms Artificial intelligence Play testing