Syllabus

GMAP 378: Game Development: Workshop II

Prof. Paul Diefenbach

Office Hours: TBD

pjdief at drexel dot edu

Course Description

DIGM 378 - Game Development: Workshop II

This course provides and environment in which the pre-production work of GMAP 377 Game Development:Workshop I can be taken to a full production effort. Students work in small teams to bring a selected prototype to completion.

Course Purpose

This course is the second in the sequence on the digital game design process. Students will learn how the individual skills of modeling, animation, storytelling, programming, user interface design, etc. are coordinated to produce interactive media experiences for various markets, devices, and purposes. Students will work in large teams to research, plan, and implement a full-production effort which will based on the pre-production effort of Workshop I.

Expected Learning Outcomes

This course will teach the role of the executive producer and the development team in taking a game from concept to design document to production, including project scheduling, project management, communication, brainstorming, and Agile software development.

Format

Classes will be a combination of instruction and tutorial, class discussions, individual and group assignments, lab and presentation period, and team building exercises. 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 work in groups throughout the term. Every week, an assignment will be presented and the group will research, write, and present their findings and decisions in a paper and 5 minute class presentation. 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.

Special guest lecturers from industry may also give presentations during the term.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes. Class participation is an important part of your grade. Missing 3 classes results in automatic failure. 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 of your 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. Be professional. 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 email the night before class by 10 P.M.

Grading Policy/Rubrics

Grades will be based on several criteria detailed in the weekly adgenda.

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. Unexcused absences lower your grade. Three absences results in failure.

The Design Documents, related documents, websites, and Demo will be judged as an External Producer would judge it: based on its salability for moving into production. For this, the more features, assets, look and feel, story and backstory, and gameplay aspects that can be demonstrated in a cohesive manner, the better the grade. A team which supplies these components yet does not generate a clear picture of what the production game would entail can only hope for a B or C. A team which gives a clear picture of what the final game would be and has added originality in concept, assets, or implementation will receive an A grade. Students can not simply rely on an existing game’s level builder features and expect to receive a good grade.

You get grades each week, therefore you must not try to cram the bulk of the work in at the end of the term.

In addition, you will be graded on team organization, communication, asset management, revision control, and project management. Together, these will constitute fully 1/3 of your grade.

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.

Schedule

Motion Capture:

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.