MDDN343 ADVANCED COMPUTER GAME DESIGN Course Outline Trimester 1, 2016 GENERAL Trimester 1; 20 points ASSESSMENT 100% internal by assignment Note: Any hand-in dates scheduled in the exam period are tentative until the official exam timetable is available. CLASS TIMES AND LOCATIONS LECTURES: Monday 16:10am – 18:00 Room: HMLT104 (Kelburn campus –allow for travelling time) STUDIO: Stream 1 – Tuesday 9:30 – 11:30 Room: WG401 Stream 2 – Friday 9:30 – 11:30 Room: WG401 FINAL PRESENTATION: Will be held in the end of year Examination period 10th June – 29th June COORDINATOR Coordinator Peter Freer WG 408 463 6234 Office Hours: Friday 11:30 – 12:30 [email protected] For Tutor details please visit the course blog via: blackboard.vuw.ac.nz 1 COMMUNICATION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Any changes or additions to this Course Outline will be discussed and agreed with the class, and/or conveyed via email, and/or through the course blog on the School of Design Teaching and Learning website: blackboard.vuw.ac.nz PRESCRIPTION Advanced techniques in computer game design and examination of the emerging areas of computer gaming and professional practice. The course focuses on a production-based approach where students build their own computer games using 3D tools for modelling, interactive animation and experiences that are immersive. COURSE CONTENT Advanced Computer Game Design – the emergent cultural phenomenon. Computer games have rapidly developed since their arrival over forty years ago. Analysis and critical assessment of the results that computer games have upon our culture is slow forming at a disproportionate rate with the economic and technical growth of this phenomenon. This course aims to deconstruct the ubiquitous social phenomena of computer games in order to understand their evolution, cultural functioning (subsequently social impact), and future trajectory. Along with the readings and discussions about computer gaming, MDDN343 will be a production course: students will create their own concept briefs, production schedule, and stages of production, all in route to making their own games. Building on the principle concepts introduced in MDDN243, this course will explore the functional, conceptual and technical components of game production in a 3D environment for a variety of platforms. During development and production, students are encouraged to break from established traditions and attempt experimental approaches that use gaming as a vehicle towards new ways of storytelling, interacting, educating and/or delivering an argument. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students who pass this course should be able to: 1. Develop and implement effective strategies and techniques towards the development and execution of imaginative and innovative game design solutions; 2. Work effectively and capably within a multidisciplinary group context; 3. Be active and responsible members of the design profession, demonstrating leadership within multidisciplinary contexts; 4. Be committed to an ongoing engagement with the constantly evolving game environment through self-driven resourcefulness in growing as a designer; 5. Create and convincingly communicate design concepts in written and visual form (both static and interactive) with clarity and insight; 6. Critically evaluate the design process and outcomes of game development. TEACHING FORMAT The weekly lecture is held on Monday at the Hugh MacKenkenzie Lecture Theatre 104 (Kelburn campus). The studio component of the course will be taught at at Wigan 4.01 in two streams - Stream 1 session on Tuesdays and Stream 2 sessions on Fridays. These studio sessions will have practical tutorials, group critiques and individual feedback. Students are expected to attend and participate in all their Stream studio sessions. This is a tightly packed course, so any absences could potentially be a large setback. Any absences should be communicated to the course coordinator via e-mail prior to the absence whenever possible. There are three projects, two individual projects (worth 10% and 2 40% respectively) and one group project. The group project is worth 50% of the overall course grade, where the assessment is split into a 20% group grade, and a 30% individual grade. Additionally, students may seek assistance from the course coordinator and/or tutors during office hours or by making appointments. All course materials, project descriptions, important dates, reference materials and required readings will be available on the course blog, located on the School of Design Teaching and Learning website, see: blackboard.vuw.ac.nz WORKLOAD Attendance and participation is an important aspect of the learning process, and you are required to attend all lectures and tutorials. If extraordinary circumstances arises that require you to be absent from some class sessions, you should discuss the situation with the Course Coordinator as soon as possible; preferably notifying the coordinator via e-mail prior to the absence (e.g. because of a doctor’s appointment). You should expect to spend around 200 hours on this course, including both scheduled class time and independent study. Typically this involves around 12 hours per week during the twelve teaching weeks, with the balance during the mid trimester break, study week, and examination period. http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/about_victoria/avcacademic/publications/assessment-handbook.pdf Please check out the link below with information on Studio Courses: www.victoria.ac.nz/fad/faculty-administration/current-students#studioculturepolicy Students with course timetable clashes are responsible for discussing these with their Course Coordinators. Students who then choose to remain enrolled in such courses must recognise that it is their sole responsibility to seek information from peers, Blackboard and other sources, and catch up on course material they may miss because of clashes. ASSESSMENT Assessment items and workload per Due % CLO(s) item 1 ACORNS Stream 1 – March 15th 10% 1, 5, 6 Stream 2 – March 11th 2 ADAPT TO SURVIVE Stream 1 & 2 / Part a – April 11th 40% 1, 4, 5, 6 Stream 1 & 2 / Part b – May 2nd 3 1+1+1>3: GROUP GAME Stream 1 & 2 – June 14th + 15th 50% 1, 2, 3, 4, DEVELOPMENT (TBC) 5, 6 All work submitted for this course must be original and developed for this course only, unless prior approval is gained from the course coordinator to further develop existing work from previous or concurrent courses. The School has a long tradition of providing critical review of student work as it progresses especially in design projects. For further information please refer to the Website below: www.victoria.ac.nz/fad/faculty-administration/current-students/faqs#criticalreview All grades posted during this course are only provisional results until entered on your student record in Banner. 3 Project 1: Acorns - Individual Game Proposals (10%, Hand-in March 11th / 15th) Big ideas often grow from small seeds. For this project, you will prepare a game proposal. Consider as many aspects as you can: methods of interaction, core game mechanics, economy, character and level design, emotive genre, precedents and potential for an innovative, immersive game. Your proposal must include one conceptual or visual influence / precedent that is not a game: e.g. referencing a film or including themes from a book. Design a proposal for a relatively contained project, as this will be executed in a 3D engine (Unity) by up to 6 individuals (Project 3). Populate this document with as many suiting diagrams, sketches, concept drawings and supporting referenced visual material as possible, in order to make a compelling case. This material should also be documented on your blog. Innovation is important (the world really has enough FPSs), and the stronger and more considered your proposal, the better. Proposals should consider the time scale and resource limitations of Project 3, game proposals should be scoped to be achievable within this development period. As a comparison, get closer to Crossy Road or Downwell, than Fallout 4. Aim for a minimal approach with a strong, focused core game mechanic with two or three accompanying features, rather than a full-featured game with complicated game mechanics or a large amount of content. Successful game proposals from Project 1 will be taken through into development in Project 3. Hand-in requirements: 2-4 page proposal PDF (+ digital scans of sketches on the blog) 2 slide, 1-2 minute PowerPoint presentation in class. The slides and proposal needs to be submitted to the local drive before the presentation. Your proposal should contain: Name, sizzle statement, USP description (unique selling point) and target audience descriptor 3 – 4 key design pillars (intended user experience rather than technical design) Hero image or gameplay diagram Bullet point gameplay breakdown (design overview) Game economy/structure flow diagrams Supporting gameplay diagrams, documents and concept images This assignment focuses on the following learning objectives: 1. Develop and implement effective strategies and techniques towards the development and execution of imaginative and innovative game design solutions; 2. Create and convincingly communicate design concepts in written and visual form (both static and interactive) with clarity and insight; 3. Critically evaluate the design process and outcomes of game development. 4 Project 2: Adapt to Survive : Game Asset Creation (2a 20%, 2b 20%, Hand-in 2a April 11th / 2b May 2nd.) Our environment informs a large part of how we evolve as a species. Our reaction to the environment (e.g. evolving to walk on two hind legs) has ensured our success as a species, allowing the development of a larger cerebral cortex, which in turn led to the use of tools etc. Your challenge is to imagine a similar biological reaction to an environment that is in flux, one where the climate is changing quicker than most evolution cycles would allow. For this project, you will create and envision an environment and eco-system appropriate for a gaming situation. Central to this environment will be a character and set of environmental props to be used within a 3D game engine.