CIS564: Game Design and Development

Dr. Stephen H. Lane

Prerequisites:

A previous course in computer graphics (such as CIS277 or CIS460/560).  Basic understanding of real-time animation principles (CIS562), prior exposure to programming languages (C++, C#) and scripting languages (Python).

Texts:

REQUIRED:

Game Design Workshop, 2^nd Edition, Tracy Fullerton, Elsevier, Inc.

ISBN 0240809742, 2008.

Challenges for Game Designers,  Brenda Bathwaite and Ian Schreiber, Charles River Media, 2008, ISBN 978-1584505808, 2008

Artificial Intelligence for Games, 2^nd Edition, Ian Millington, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers,  ISBN 0123747317, 2009

Game Engine Architecture, Jason Gregory, AK Peters,  ISBN 978-1-56881-413-1, 2009

OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST::

Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, Steven D. Katz, Michael Wiese Productions, 1991, ISBN 0-941188-10-8.

David Perry on Game Design – A Brainstorming Toolbox, David Perry and Rusel DeMaria, Charles River Media, ISBN 1-58450-668-7, 2009.

Course Objectives:

The intent of the course is to provide students with a solid theoretical understanding of the core creative principles, concepts, and game play structures/schemas underlying most game designs.  The course also will examine game development from an engineering point of view, including: game play mechanics, game engine software and hardware architectures, user interfaces, design documents, play-testing and production methods.   

Course Format:

The course will consist mainly of lectures, homework exercises, four programming assignments and one game design project.   A final exam also will be given.  Grading will be based as follows: approximately 20% on the homework assignments, 60% on the game and programming projects and 20% on the final exam.

CIS 564 – GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Summer 2011

Dr. Stephen H. Lane

(shlane@cis.upenn.edu)

Lecture 1: Introduction.         

• History of Computer Games

Lecture 2: Structure of Games

• What is a game?
• What is meaningful game play? 
• Choice and Outcome
• Structural Elements of Games

Lecture 3-4: Game Rules and Systems

• Types of rules
• Game Systems
• Emergent Systems
• Systems of Uncertainty
• Feedback Control Systems
• Economic Systems

Lecture 5: Game Theory

• Sequential decision games
• Game trees
• Simultaneous decision games
• Payoff tables
• Zero sum and non-zero sum games
• Dominant and Dominated strategies
• Prisoner’s Dilemma

Lecture 6: Game Play

• What makes a game fun?
• Meaningful play - revisited.
• Game “Flow”
• Game Play types/mechanics
• Balanced Game Play

Lecture 7 and 8:  Game Design Project.     

Lecture 9: Game Engine Architecture.

• What is a Game Engine
• Game Loop and Real-Time Simulation
• Object-Oriented Design

• Animation vs. Simulation
• User interface devices.

Lecture 10 and 11: Game Engine Architecture – Con’t

• Animation System Review
• Rigid Body Dynamics Review
• Game Play Systems

Lecture 12 - 15: Game AI

• Useful AI Techniques and Common AI Elements
• Feedback Control
• Steering Behaviors
• Finite State Machines
• A* Path Planning
• Neural Net Learning – CMAC
• 3^rd Person Camera control

Lecture 16: Game Project Demos

Lecture 17: Psychological Design Considerations

• Attention
• Types of Rewards
• Types of Learning
• Player Motivations

Lecture 18: Story

• Non-Interactive Media
• The role of the story

• Interactive narrative and storytelling
• Alternating fixed story with interactive game
• Branching trees
• Emergent narrative approaches

Lecture 19: Visual Storytelling

• Storyboards
• Camera Techniques
• Line of Action (180 degree rule)
• Line of Movement
• Staging and Framing
• Dialog Sequences

Lecture 20: Design Ideas

• Brainstorming techniques -Generating and evaluating new ideas
• Turning ideas into games

• High concept
• Design Document details
• Prototyping

Lecture 21: Game Project Demos

Lecture 22:  Audio Design and Production. 

• Audio design
• Sound effects
• Interactive audio and soundtracks
• 3D sound

Lecture 23:  Networking. 

• Game Architectures
• Client/Server and Peer to Peer
• Sending game state and user action data
• Prediction
• Latency issues

Lecture24:  Game Development and Publishing. 

• Game Industry overview
• Publisher/Developer business relationships
• Development team roles
• Stages of development
• Budgets and schedules
• Contracts and Payments

Lecture25: Intellectual Property Protection.

• Patents
• Copyrights
• Trademarks
• Tradesecrets
• Infringement