2014 (Subject to change)

 

Week
Date
 Topics PDF Notes/Assignment
1
01/07-09
  1. Course introduction
  2. Movie about the game industry (W/Th), several famous "gamers" are depicted in the movie.
 [PDF]
2014 Academic Calendar
UG/GRAD drop/add day (Fri, Jan 10th)
Homework [H1], see leftmost column, will be posted (updated) Wednesday evening.
2
01/14-16
  1. History of games.
  2. Pictures of class (W)
  3. HTML5 introduction:
    1. Canvas
    2. Java Script
    3. Animation
    4. Physics
 [PDF]

First Project [P1], see leftmost column, has been posted, it is due Wednesday January 29, 2014. You will need to demonstrate your game in class using a laptop.

Required Reading/History: Wikipedia ( URL ), also look at side bar (genres & consoles)

Quiz 1 (Rectangle, Circle), Bonus Quiz 1 (Gravity) (Thursday)

One Solution: RectCircle.html (inspired by someone's submission)
One Solution: 6.gravityPlus.html
3
01/21-23
  1. HTML5 & Java Script continue
  2. Simple games:
    • Breakout
    • A Pong like Game
  3. JQuery if time permits
  

Checkout - Will Wright' Spore talk (about 16 minutes) talk ( url )
Check out HTML5 colors ( here ) W3 naming ( here )
Monday, Jan 20, MLK Day
Recommended Book: "Core HTML5 Canvas", by David Greary, Paper copy $32.0.
4
01/28-30
  1. A more complex game
  2. JQuery continue
  3. Wednesday: Demo Day Projects laptops required.
  4. Structured game programming
  

Demo P1 in class (Wednesday)
Required Game Engine: ImpactJS ($99) educational licenses will be provided (with constraints that will be discussed in class).
Required Book: "Introducing HTML5 Game Development", Jesse Freeman (electronic copies are available, $8.00-$9.99 for the electronic version). This book is on the ImpactJS engine.
5
02/04-06
  1. Tue: Hackathon, Project 1 Show and Tell:
  2. We: ImpactJS license distribute.
  3. We/Th: Adding a 2D game engine: ImpactJS
  

Hand out license code, and form that needs to be signed.
Photoshop (pencil tool pixel setup - here )
Gimp ( here , here ), GrafX ( here ), various ( here )
P2 (post Thursday Friday) Impact JS Platform Game.
Read Chapters 1, 2 and 4. ([optional] skim Ch 3)
Weltmeister (tutorial)
Pong (tutorial)

6
02/11-13
  1. Ice / Snow Week
    
7
02/18-20
  1. ImpactJS
  

 

Grades Project 1 ( here )

 
8
02/25-27
  1. Tu: Show Tell Hackathon
  2. Tu: Camera View, Levels,
  3. Tu: Weltmeister (here)
  4. Tu: Parallax ( here )
  5. Twitch plays pokemon (think about a class game, e.g., soccer - need a server). RETURN to this wedensday next week.
  6. We: Flappy Birds
  7. TH: Hackathon
  

Midterm, Thursday February 27

Grades Impact JS II Hackathon (last ImpactJS one) ( here )

HW by TH: All of Ch5 by TH, and especially make sure you understand the Grenade Explosion Section.
9
03/04-06
  1. Tu: P2 Demo
  2. Th Exam 1 (laptops required)
    
10
03/11-13
  Spring Break (Mar 10-Mar 14)
11
03/18-20
  1. Tue: Guest Speaker March 18 (Kang Li)
  2. We: TED Talks (Arash)
  3. Th: Guest Speaker (Zane Everett)
  4. Path planning (Th)
   Final project 1 grades ( here )
Project 2 grades ( here ) 1 week contest period
Exam 1 grades ( here )
Grade Sheet ( here ) [email instructor if you have concernts]
** updated Grade Sheet to include a column indicating the current percentage grade (if you have less than 70, you will need to put more effort into the course in order to pass the course).
Withdrawal Deadline (2014) Thu, Mar 20, 2014
12
03/25-27
  1. Tu: BioSim / Animal Modeling & Simulaition
  2. We: A*, PyGame (pointers only).
  3. Th: Indie Movie? (possibly, if time permits)
   A* Project (10 days) same as last year's Project 3, people enjoyed this project. Note the choices of platforms.:D
We will go over the tutorial link and draw out the algorithm on the board this Wednesday.
13
04/01-03
  1. Tu: Finish Movie
  2. We: Finish AI in Games (path planning)
  3. Thu: Project (AI) Demonstration (moved to 4/08 Tu) & Worksheet Quiz (Done, We!).
  4. Th: Unity Introduction (moved to here, since we move the P3 Demo). Ch 1 & Ch 2.
  

Unity Project (Get Started)!!!! 3D GAMING Please gets softcopy of the Unity book.

HW Chapter 1, 2.
14
P4
P5
04/08-10
  1. Tu: P3 Demo
  2. We: Ch 2 Check Point
  3. Th: Ch3, Ch 5 Work in class, showcase path planning projects and unity progress showcases.
  


Discuss Final project and Final Exam
Download Unity ( here ) 30-40 minutes
Get.Started: http://www.virtualgamelab.com/unity-resources.html

Chapter 2 : Breaking Wall exercise will be check pointed Wednesday.

Required book: ($25.40)
https://www.packtpub.com/unity-3-x-game-development-essentials-with-c-and-javascript-will-goldstone/book

Project 4: are the check points of Ch 2, 3 and Ch 5. (Ch 3, 5 4/15 due)
Project 5 : are the check point sof Ch 6, 7 and 8. (4/15 Ch 6, 4/22 Ch 7/8)

You may request to be checkpointed earlier

Post practice games for exam (theme: games you can create in 20-30 minutes).
15
[FE]
04/15-17
  1. Tu: Check point Ch 3, 5,
  2. We: Check point Ch 6
  3. Th: Exam II (theme: create a Unity Game in 30-40 minutes). Goal iof Exam is to demonstrate that you can quickly create (proto type) a game.
  

* Unity 3D Project (this will be the last project) Assign
Take Home Final Exam Project (intermediate report due Wednesday April 23th)

** Project 4 : Done Check pointed all chapters 4/15

project 3 A Star Grades ( here ) (contest period starts now)
grade sheet ( here ) : if there still are issues email and talk to instructor Tuesday.

Practice Exam Games:
* Driving game 10-15 minutes ( here )
* Racing Game
* Pong game in Unity
* 3D Platform Jumper.
* Snake Game 20 minutes ( here )
* Sport (e.g., Javelin, Shot put).

16
04/22-24
  1. Tu: Ch 7, 8 Check point
  2. We: demo 24 hour Eaxm 2 demo (couldn't get some to work that were emailed).
  3. We: Showcase 9/19
  4. We: Loose ends.
  5. Unity 3D Show Case
 

** Project 5: Done Check pointed all chapter 4/22

HW: Before Tu's class finish Chapters 5/6
* Ch 7 Instatiations,
* Ch 8 Particle Systems
* Ch 10 Animation Basics (final exam resource)
* Project 4 Grades Here
* Project 3 Updated Grades Here (2 regrades still in progress)

Update:
* Exam 2
* Final update project 3
* Project 4
* Project 5
* Grade Sheet (AND see what you need on the final

17
04/29-01
  1. Tu: Reading Day (No Class)
  2. Th: Our Exam May 01
    12:00-3:00 PM
 PDF Mon April 28, Last day of Classes
Tuesday April 29 Reading Day
April 30, May 1,2,5,6 Final Exams (Wed – Fri; Mon, Tues)
18
05/06-08
  1. Last Week of Finals
 PDF Graduation Friday May 09, 2014
19
05/13-15
PDF Monday, May 12, 5 PM, Grades Due
 

Topics (including potential & optional topics)

Broad Concepts:
  1. Introduction, Background & Fundamentals (done)
  2. Virtual Words (2D & 3D) (2D Done, 3D in progress)
  3. Events, Collisions and Animation (done)
  4. Visual Effects & Mechanics (some)
  5. Game Engines & Multi-Player Games

Game Programming Environments:
  1. HTML5 & JavaScript & ImpactJS (done)
  2. Python & Pygame (done)
  3. Unity (done)

 



Acknowledgments

But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure [unknown].

Resources