Syllabus 2012

DIGM 530: Advanced Game Design I

Prof. Paul Diefenbach

Office Hours: TBD

pjdief at drexel dot edu

Course Description

DIGM 530 - Advanced Game Design I

Gaming I. Students investigate novel game design problems working with game programming techniques and leading cross platform software.

Course Purpose

This two-course sequence investigates research issues in gaming including modeling, animation, storytelling, programming, and user interface design for various markets, devices, and purposes. Students will work in teams to research, plan, and implement an area of gaming that contributes to expanding the knowledge-base of the field. The goal of the class is to produce research suitable for published papers, projects, and presentations. The first course plans the area of research and produces a simple prototype, which is expanded to full production in the second course in the sequence.

Format

Classes will be a combination of presentations, class discussions, individual and group assignments, and lab. Class participation is an important part of your evaluation and grade. In addition, students will be required to work in teams outside of class in the computer labs, doing research online and in books and journals, and hands-on exposure to various video games.

Students will chose a research topic, and develop a proof-of-concept game in this area. Students will also investigate public submission of this research area through either publication or display or contest. A research paper on the project is a required submission at the end of Gaming II.

Students will work in groups throughout the term. Team members will alternate with the presentations, and each team member will present twice during the term.

Students will have various opportunities to give feedback on the class as well as their concerns and comments throughout the term.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes. Class participation is an important part of your grade. If a student must miss class, it is the student's responsibility to contact me by phone the day prior to the missed class. Students will also be responsible for getting missed notes from the other students.

Course Requirements

• Students must attend class.

• All written correspondence related to class to myself and between team members

must be archived (yes, even emails) and submitted. This is an important part ofyour individual evaluation and lets me determine who is and isn’t pulling their

weight.

• You will act as though I am an external game producer and you are my

development team. This includes professional salutations: “Dear Dr. Diefenbach”, not “Hey!” or “Yo!”. No smileys or emoticons. Each message should have a clear subject and well-formed questions and answers. In business, your communications reflect on your company.

• Assignments must be turned in on time! Lateness will automatically result in at minimum the loss of one letter grade. Excuses will not be accepted after the assignment is due. If you believe the assignment even might have to be turned in late, it is your responsibility to notify me by phone the night before class by 10 P.M.

Grading Policy/Rubrics

Grades will be based on several criteria:

• Class participation: 20%

• Weekly assignments and presentations: 20%

• Midterm Design Document: 10%

• Research Paper: 15%

• Design Document and Demo: 30%

• Group Evaluation: 5%

Class participation will be graded on how well the student contributes to class discussions, contributes his or her own ideas and thoughts, and demonstrates keeping up with the assigned material. A student that demonstrates an eagerness to participate and shows some thought and preparation behind their comments will have no trouble achieving an A for this part of their grade. A student who only occasionally contributes and often rehashes ideas or shows a general lack of understanding of the homework topics can hope for a C.

Cheating/Plagarism

Copying text, artwork, models, or animations without credit, whether copyrighted or made freely available on the web, is considered plagiarism for the purposes of this class (as it is in industry) and is forbidden. One illegal asset can open an employer up to litigation.

Having another student perform your tasks for you is considered cheating. Group evaluations, class participation, and project debriefings are a very effective means of determining this type of cheating, so do not cheat.

Cheating will result in at minimum a failing of the assignment and an automatic decrease of one letter grade for your final grade, and may result in your failing the course. Cheating and plagiarism are often done not due to sinister intentions, but because of laziness, fear, lack of preparation, overloaded schedule, or other reasons. If you are having a problem in class and are fearful that your grade may suffer, please, please come

talk to me about it rather than attempting some shortcut. I am always eager to try to help, and I do not want to have to fail anyone.

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Cheating Policy

http://drexel.edu/provost/policies/academic_dishonesty.asp

Drexel University Student Handbook

http://drexel.edu/studentaffairs/community_standards/studentHandbook/

Students with Disability Statement

http://drexel.edu/ods/student_reg.html

Course Drop Policy

http://drexel.edu/provost/policies/course_drop.asp

Course Change Policy

The instructor reserves the right to change the course during the term at his or her discretion. These changes will be communicated to students via the syllabus, website announcement, or email