Game Development for Everyone

Overview

This course is intended as a quick and fun introduction to game development. Students will create several games as a part of the course. No previous computer programming experience is required, and all necessary tools will be provided as free downloads.

Schedule

As this is an entirely new type of class, we'll need to keep the schedule flexible. However, this is my preliminary plan:

• Intro to 2D Games Use the squeak engine from MIT to experiment with basic concepts of 2D gaming. Topics include:
  • Creating basic sprites and backgrounds
  • Essential computer drawing and audio input techniques
  • Animation with loops
  • Conditions and control structures
  • Responding to environment
  • Collision detection
  • Basic Variables
  • Multi-state sprites
  Students will create a game including a scorekeeping system, multiple sprites, audio effects, and some form of user input.
• Intro to 3D Games / OOP Use the Alice engine from Carnegie Melon to experiment with 3D and Object-Oriented techniques. Topics include:
  • Elements of a scene graph
  • Manipulating models
  • Model - object hierarchy
  • Animation loops
  • Methods and functions
• 3D Modeling Use the Blender 3D modeler / game engine to learn essential 3D modeling skills, including:
  • Basic subdivision modeling
  • Use of primitives and more complex constructs
  • Vertex Coloring
  • U/V Texture-mapping
  • Skeleton Animation
  • Animation
• Moving Onward The final phase of the course will involve each student taking the skills learned and applying them to a new system. I will introduce tools suitable for both non-programmers and experienced programmers. Computer Science majors will be expected to experiment with a programming environment. Environments will include:
  • Python/pygame/gameEngine
  • Panda3D
  • Adobe Flash
  • Microsoft XNA
  • Greenfoot
  Students without CS/programming experience will be permitted to use gaming engines with less rigorous programming requirements, including
  • gamemaker
  • RPG Maker
  • Adventure Game Studio

Free Game Development Tools

• AGS Adventure Game Studio (point and click adventures)
• GameMaker Point and Click construction of 2D games
• Story Harp Text-based adventure system
• Scratch Nice 2D game and animation tool
• Alice 3D Game and Animation Environment
• GreenFoot Very nice 2D game development in Java
• Megazeux Fascinating freeware game development system

More elaborate tools

• Panda 3D 3D toolset for Python and C
• Blender Amazing 3D Modeller and game engine
• Nice online book for Blender

Games with level editors

• n incredible flash-based platformer
• Future Pinball Amazing pinball simulator