Course Syllabus Level Design GAME 1304 Semester with Course Fall 2015 Reference Number 46819 (CRN)

Instructor contact Christopher Khuong information (phone Office Phone: 713.718.2063 number and email Email: [email protected] address) Learning Webpage: learning.hccs.edu/Christopher.Khuong

Office Location and Office Hours: TBA Hours Office: Faculty Room C256

Course Location/Times West Loop Center, Rm C124 Monday/Wednesday 3:00PM – 5:30PM August 24 – December 13

Course Semester Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours (SCH) Lecture Hours: 2 (lecture, lab) If Laboratory Hours: 4 applicable External Hours:

Total Course Contact 96.00 Hours

Course Length 16 (number of weeks)

Type of Instruction Hybrid Face to Face and Eagle Online 2.0

Course Description: Introduction to the tools and concepts used to create levels for games and simulations. Incorporates level design, architecture theory, concepts of critical path and flow, balancing, play testing, and storytelling. Includes utilization of toolsets from industry titles.

Course Prerequisite(s) PREREQUISITE(S):

 Departmental Approval

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 1

Academic 1. Identify and analyze the production of game or simulation assets. Discipline/CTE 2. Create documentation for game or simulation. Program Learning 3. Develop game assets for game or simulation. Outcomes 4. Organize projects for game or simulation. 5. Evaluate game or simulation assets post production.

Course Student 1. Understand environmental design, game spaces, game sequences, immersive Learning Outcomes storytelling, and multiplayer balancing. (SLO): 4 to 7 2. Draft blueprints and level layouts for the creation of environments. 3. Create a level from drafted blueprints in a game engine. 4. Evaluate level for post-production.

Learning Objectives 1.0 Understand environmental design, game spaces, game sequences, (Numbering system immersive storytelling, and multiplayer balancing. should be linked to 1.1 Analyze the pros and cons of a level including balance and emotional impact. SLO - e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.2 Evaluate existing architectural spaces for game aesthetics. etc.) 1.3 Understand the differences between genre, level design elements, level flow, memory constraints, difficulty, rhythm, anatomy of level design, player ergonomics, team roles, game design. 1.4 Checks and balancing, game testing for pre-existing games. 1.5 Analyze architectural history and spaces. 2.0 Draft blueprints and level layouts for the creation of environments. 2.1 Effectively handle preproduction in preparation for the production of game assets. 2.2 Design concepts in 2D orthographic view. 2.3 Design concepts in 3D perspective view. 3.0 Create a level from drafted blueprints in a game engine. 3.1 Create original game environments using existing game engines and tools. 3.2 Create 2D and/or 3D game assets for environmental art. 3.3 Program environmental assets and properties. 4.0 Evaluate level for post-production. 4.1 Evaluate peer and self. 4.2 Provide post mortem on projects. 4.3 Play testing.

Key activities from the A:Develop Concept Art Assets industry-defined A.2 Develop preliminary drawings of level environments Electronic Game B: Create User Interface Content Production B.1 Design game interface hierarchy skill standards C: Create Models C.1 Create objects or character game geometry recognized by the C.2 Create game geometry for level environments Texas Skill Standards C.3 Create game geometry for secondary game objects Board (TSSB) C.4 Create game placeholder geometry F: Create Special Effects F.1 Create texture animation F.2 Create cycled keyframed mechanical motions F.4 Create particle animation G: Create lighting G.1 Create environmental lighting G.2 Create and apply light maps

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 2 Course Calendar The calendar is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Students will be immediately notified if for any reason the schedule changes. HCC Calendar: http://www.hccs.edu/district/events-calendar/academic-calendar/

Week Day Agenda 1 August 24 Introduction  Eagle Online 2  Policies  Evaluation  Syllabus August 26 Lecture: Introduction  Defining Level Design  Production Cycle  Production Roles  Tools of the Trade Assignment 01: Questions  Answer Questions on EO2 2 August 31 Lecture: Basic Theory  Fun  Player Ergonomics  Level Flow  Rhythm  Difficulty  Wow Factor  Setting Levels Apart September 2 Lab: Level Test  Interface  Game Library and Structure  Building and Compiling  Basic Room Assignment 02: Sample Level  Submit Level on EO2 3 September 7 Holiday: Labor Day September 9 Lecture: Simple Level  Story  Building Blocks  Types of Levels  2D Environments  Optimization Assignment 03: Blueprint for Platformer  2D Preproduction  2D Production  Draft an outline for level 4 September 14 Lecture: Game Types  Game Genres  Camera Types  Game Elements  Defining Environment Elements September 16 Lab: Populating your Level

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 3  Static Meshes  Dynamic Props  Textures  Material Assignment 04: Questions  Answer Questions 5 September 21 Lecture: Elements of Level Design  Vital Elements of Architecture  Spatial Sequence  Game Space  Elements of Level Design September 23 Lab: Atmosphere  3D Preproduction  3D Production  Lighting  Terrain Assignment 05: Questions  Answer questions 6 September 28 Lecture: Single Player Design  Starting Point  Teaching the Player  Navigation  Interaction  Mechanics September 30 Lab: Atmosphere II  Music/SFX  Skybox, Objects, AI Assignment 06: Questions  Answer Questions 7 October 5 Assignment 07: House  Blueprint  Interior and Exterior October 7 Midterm Review 8 October 12 Midterm Exam October 14 Project 01: Level Singleplayer 9 October 19 Project 01: Level Singleplayer October 21 10 October 26 Project 01: Level Singleplayer October 28 11 November 2 Project 01: Level Singleplayer Due November 4 12 November 9 Lecture: Multiplayer Design November 11  Challenges of Multiplayer Design  Level Types, Game Modes  Checks and Balances  Multiplayer Elements, Objects, and AI 13 November 16 Lab: Multiplayer Mechanics  Player, weapon spawns  DM, CTF, CP modes

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 4 Project 02: Level Multiplayer Start November 18 Project 02: Level Multiplayer 14 November 23 Project 02: Level Multiplayer November 25 15 November 30 Project 02: Level Multiplayer December 2 16 December 7 December 9 Project 02: Level Multiplayer Due

Instructional Methods Lecture During times of instruction on campus, I will providing personal and professional notes on the subject. It is your responsibility to take notes following those on either the projector or on the whiteboard.

Lab When announced lab times, you will be able to work on the assignments given to you during or after the lecture. Lab during class time will serve as a hands-on experience where you may ask questions or for help on the subject.

Student Assignments Create original game environments using existing game engines and tools in one or multiple of the following software: Source SDK Unreal Development Kit, Unreal 4 Unity3D, Unity 4 GameMaker 8.1, GameMaker: Studio

Using the elements of level design, you will be designing and drafting, analyzing your own levels, and creating environments based off of those levels. Each week you will create a level and playtest someone else’s. Your peer and instructor will provide notes and feedback to your level suggesting change for you to take into consideration whether it is an aesthetic issue, a programming problem, or simply just a bug that needs fixing. These things can range from falling into infinity and beyond or dying by nothingness. Learn to test and learn to be a constructive critic.

Evaluate existing architectural spaces for game aesthetics. Source Engine: Half Life 2, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike, Portal, Titanfall, The Stanley Parable, Contagion, Dota 2, Black Mesa, Dear Esther, Nuclear Dawn, Alien Swarm, E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy, Dino D-Day, Vindictus, Neotokyo, Zenoclash, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, Zombie Panic, D.I.P.R.I.P. Warm Up, The Hidden: Source, Insurgency, The Ship, GoldenEye: Source, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Blade Symphony

Unreal Engine: Bioshock, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Mirror's Edge, Mass Effect, Hawken, Gears of War, Enslaved, Dust 514, DmC: Devil May Cry, Dishonored, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Borderlands, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Brothers in Arms, Deadpool, Dungeon Defenders, Global Agenda, Killing Floor, Lost Planet, Monday Night Combat, Mortal Kombat, Quantum Conundrum, Red Orchestra, Sanctum, Section 8, Spec Ops: The Line, SMITE, Thief, The Last Remnant, Too Human, Turok, Viscera Cleanup Detail

Unity Engine: The Forest, Gone Home, Surgeon Simulator 2013, Kerbal Space Program, Wasteland 2, Thomas Was Alone, Endless Space, Guns of Icarus Online, Iron Grip: Marauders, Max and the Magic Marker, ittle Dew, Pid, Rochard

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 5

GameMaker: Valdis Story, Noitu Love, Risk of Rain, Love, Super Crate Box, Gunpoint, Hotline Miami, Stealth Bastard, Home, ArcaneSoul, Terrian Saga: KR-17, Uncanny Valley, Hyper Light Drifter, Spelunky, Nidhogg, Uncanny Valley, ArcaneSoul, Fenix Rage, Blackhole, Savant - Ascent

Student Assessment(s) Assignments Exams Final Project

Instructor's External Harddrive or Flash Drive Requirements Dropbox or Other Online Storages Graph/Grid Paper Pen or Pencil Game Engine to be Announced

Program/Discipline If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will be considered late. Missing Requirements: If 12.5% of the class time may result in you getting dropped from the course. This applicable counts for both attendance and tardiness.

HCC Grading Scale: A = 100- 90 4 points per semester hour B = 89 - 80: 3 points per semester hour C = 79 - 70: 2 points per semester hour D = 69 - 60: 1 point per semester hour

59 and below = F 0 points per semester hour

FX (Failure due to non-attendance) 0 points per semester hour

IP (In Progress) 0 points per semester hour

W (Withdrawn) 0 points per semester hour

I (Incomplete) 0 points per semester hour

AUD (Audit) 0 points per semester hour

IP (In Progress) is given only in certain developmental courses. The student must re- enroll to receive credit. COM (Completed) is given in non-credit and continuing education courses.

FINAL GRADE OF FX: Students who stop attending class and do not withdraw themselves prior to the withdrawal deadline may either be dropped by their professor for excessive absences or be assigned the final grade of "FX" at the end of the semester. Students who stop attending classes will receive a grade of "FX", compared to an earned grade of "F" which is due to poor performance. Logging into a DE course without active participation is seen as non-attending. Please note that HCC will not disperse financial aid funding for students who have never attended class.

Students who receive financial aid but fail to attend class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back their aid. A grade of "FX" is treated exactly the same as a grade of "F" in terms of GPA, probation, suspension, and satisfactory academic progress.

To compute grade point average (GPA), divide the total grade points by the total

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 6 number of semester hours attempted. The grades "IP," "COM" and "I" do not affect GPA.

Health Sciences Programs Grading Scales may differ from the approved HCC Grading Scale. For Health Sciences Programs Grading Scales, see the "Program Discipline Requirements" section of the Program's syllabi.

Instructor Grading 30% Assignments Criteria Students will be handed a list of requirements and objectives to be completed by specified deadline. 30% Midterm Assessment on key words, the elements behind the production, and basic level design theories. Midterm will follow a review. 60% Project The projects will follow specified objectives and student must be able to present their level by the end of the semester. Each project will require a blueprint to be approved by your professor. If the blueprint is not approved for production, then your project will not be accepted.

Instructional Materials Optional Material 1: Game Level Design by Ed Byrne ISBN: 1-58450-369-6

Optional Material 2: An Architectural Approach to Level Design by Christopher W. Totten ISBN: 978-1-4665-8541-6

HCC Policy Statement:

Access Student http://hccs.edu/student-rights Services Policies on their Web site:

EGLS3 -- Evaluation for At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback Greater Learning is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time near the Student Survey System end of the term, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and department chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term.

Distance Education and/or Continuing Education Policies

Access DE Policies on http://de.hccs.edu/Distance_Ed/DE_Home/faculty_resources/PDFs/DE_Syllabus.pdf their Web site:

Access CE Policies on http://hccs.edu/CE-student-guidelines their Web site:

GAME 1304 Level Design Syllabus 7