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Status

Open

Estimated Completion Time

36 Weeks

Overview

We live in a technologically-advanced world where virtual reality and video games play a major role. Have you ever thought about designing your own video game? By signing up for Game Design 1b: Building a Game, you will learn the skills needed to conceptualize, design, and fully create your very own video game. Explore various video game software and hardware, sharpen your coding skills, learn about game storylines, player progression, and algorithmic decision making. Learn to analyze player goals, actions, rewards, and challenges, among many other game play components. Utilize the 21st-century skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and technical expertise. When you sign up for Game Design 1b: Building a Game, you are putting yourself at the forefront of a future in technology!

During this course, you will learn career-related skills and earn a badge for this accomplishment. A badge is a digital certification of your career-related learning that you can share on social media or with higher education platforms, colleges, potential employers, peers, and colleagues. Select this link to learn more about badges.

Course Requirements

Software

  • Unity LTS Release 2017.4.0f1
    • OS: Windows 7 SP1+, 8, 10, 64-bit versions only; Mac OS X 10.9+ Server versions of Windows and OS X are not tested
    • GPU: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities
  • GIMP 2.10.2 (Unit 1)
  • Blender 2.79b (Unit 2)
  • Audacity 2.2.2 (Unit 6)
  • Jing (Unit 6)
  • OpenShot v2.4.2 (Activity U7)

Physical devices

  • Video recording device with computer connectivity (Activity U7)
  • Color Printer (U8)

Browser-based software that may need a login

  • Vectr: https://vectr.com/

Major Topics and Concepts

Unit 1: Get Artistic

  • Identify the different roles within the video game art team
  • Categorize visual art software according to its function
  • Explain how Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation overlap with physics laws
  • Create a seamless texture to use in your game prototype

Unit 2: Go 3D!

  • Use essential box modeling skills to create hard-edge objects
  • Apply UV mapping skills to 3D objects
  • Create textures using procedural tools
  • Explain how to create the illusion of 3D in a 2D environment

Unit 3: Enter Level One

  • List the different game level metrics and explain how they impact level design
  • Design a game environment using principles of design and level metrics to support gameplay
  • Sculpt and apply texture to a terrain
  • Create a location event that serves as a trigger zone in a game

Unit 4: Get Physical

  • Explain what it means to use an event-driven language in object-oriented programming
  • Define the different kinds of operators used in programming and explain their uses
  • Create a movement mechanic for a 3D game
  • Apply physical forces to Rigidbody objects

Unit 5: Accept the Mission

  • Explain how to create understandable and context-appropriate game rules
  • Show how context-appropriate game rules are connected to game progression and cognitive flow
  • Use goal design to create nested victories
  • Build a GameManager class to track global, game-wide variables, such as lives and score
  • Create collisions between player and enemies or objects

Unit 6: Crank UP the Volume

  • Explain the basic tenets of GUI design
  • Create menus in Unity using Canvas
  • Generate, edit, and export sound effects for your games
  • Enhance your gameplay by attaching sound effects to certain game events

Unit 7: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

  • Describe the iterative nature of the testing stage of software development
  • Explain the difference between continuous dynamic and discrete event simulations
  • Create a frame-by-frame animation sequence
  • Use a simulation to create special effects in your game

Unit 8: The Future of Gaming

  • Describe what components Augmented Reality relies on
  • Create a game that uses Augmented Reality
  • Identify features of a game that may pose accessibility challenges to players
  • List reasons why a game reviewer might be biased towards certain types of games

 

Credits 1

Competencies

  • Gaming Artwork
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of gaming artwork by identifying different roles within the video game art team, understanding the various types and the functions of each visual art software category, and explaining the principles of animation in order to create a seamless texture in a game prototype.
  • 3D Modeling from 2D Design
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of 3D modeling from 2D design by using modeling skills, UV mapping skills, and procedural tools.
  • Creating a Game Level
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of creating a game level by listing different game level metrics and explaining how they impact level design, designing a game environment using principles of design and level metrics to support gameplay, sculpting and applying texture to a terrain and creating a location event that serves as a trigger zone in a game.
  • Game Mechanics
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of game mechanics by explaining the use of an event-driven language in object-oriented programming, understanding the various operators and their uses in programming, creating a movement mechanic for a 3D game and applying physical forces to rigid body objects.
  • Game Rules and Goal Design
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of game rules and goal design by understanding how to create context-appropriate game rules, connecting game rules to game progression and cognitive flow, using goal design to create nested victories, building a GameManager class, and creating collisions in your game between player and enemies or objects.
  • Sound Design
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of sound design by understanding GUI design, creating menus in Unity using Canvas, and mechanics of sound effects for your game, and enhancing your gameplay using sound.
  • Testing and Quality Assurance Processes
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of testing and quality assurance processes by examining the iterative nature of software development testing, systems evaluation of simulations, and playtesting of animation and special effects.
  • The Future of Gaming
    Students will demonstrate an understanding of the future of gaming by describing the components required for Augmented Reality, creating a game that uses Augmented Reality, identifying accessibility challenges within game features, and explaining the reason behind game reviewer bias toward certain types of games.

Pre-Requisites

Foundations of Game Design 1a

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