Fundamentals of Game Design

DMA C141

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces techniques of electronic game design production. Topics include the past, present and future of the game industry, basic game programming concepts, game art requirements, understanding palettes, file formats, creating graphics for 2D games, creating graphics for 3D games, porting of project meshes, maps, and animation data to game format files, low-polygon count modeling techniques, and motion capture. Artificial intelligence for opponent behaviors, networked systems, and the issues surrounding multi-user play will also be examined.

LEARNING OUTCOMES & ASSESSMENTS

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to

Evaluate selected commercial game designs, addressing; social content, historical significance and artistic technique. This will be assessed with a written critique, scored with a rubric.
Compare the foundations of 3D animation and modeling, programming, production, and artificial intelligence. This will be assessed with a written critique, scored with a rubric.
Visualize and implement a game design plan that describes the controls, interface and artistic style of an electronic game. This will be assessed with a project, scored with a rubric.
Create a 3D game animation with a 3D character model figure, low-polygon models, and real-time textures. This will be assessed with a project, scored with a rubric.