Units
Advanced Game Design
Unit code: INN281
Contact hours: 3 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit will provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced games design concepts; that is, specific activities undertaken by game designers and their purpose. By the end of this unit you will have the knowledge to identify problems and suggest solutions for innovative game designs, as well as understand how to carry out the process of designing a game yourself. You will possess practical and theoretical knowledge of game design issues such as: how to design a game level, how to design a task and reward a player for completing it, how to ensure that the player knows how to progress through the game and how to design characters whose behaviour and dialogue provide clues and prompts to the player.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Modern games production is a complex process involving teams in the order of a hundred people or more, working with budgets in the tens of millions. One of the roles within a game production team is that of the game designer. It is crucial that a game designer understands how to create levels and tasks within a game, to ensure that the player is able to move forward and is rewarded for doing well. These tasks are important as the result can determine whether the player finds the game enjoyable or not. This subject provides an advanced exploration of game design, by examining the tasks that designers need to carry out within the framework of a game world.
Assumed Knowledge
It is expected that students undertaking this unit will have an understanding of computer and video games and the game industry, as developed in ITB750. Students will also be required to have a familiarity with high level game design tasks, as developed in ITB016. It is assumed you have some computer programming and/or scripting experience.
Aims
This unit will provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced games design concepts; that is, specific activities undertaken by game designers and their purpose. By the end of this unit you will have the knowledge to identify problems and suggest solutions for innovative game designs, as well as understand how to carry out the process of designing a game yourself. You will possess practical and theoretical knowledge of game design issues such as: how to design a game level, how to design a task and reward a player for completing it, how to ensure that the player knows how to progress through the game and how to design characters whose behaviour and dialogue provide clues and prompts to the player. Students will demonstrate their understanding of game design concepts through working in a project team to create a game using an open source game engine.
Objectives
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
Key: Graduate Capabilities
GC1 - Knowledge and skills
GC2 - Critical and creative thinking
GC5 - Independence and Collaboration
GC6 - Social and ethical responsibility
Content
This unit explores advanced topics in game design. Well-understood techniques drawn from game theory and industry practice will be examined. Topics include:
- Game Design Principles
- Core Mechanics and Gameplay
- Narrative and Storytelling
- Game World Design
- Level Design
- Task and Challenge Design
- Game Interface Design
- Multiplayer Design Issues
- Designing for Mobile and Pervasive Games
- Game Design Roles
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
There will be four hours of contact per week for this unit. During the first three weeks of semester students will be required to attend 4 hours of lectures per week. These lectures will take place in two hour blocks. From week a two hour tutorial will replace lectures. Students will be required to report on design progress both formally and informally during tutorials. Students will also be expected to attend a two hour prac each week. Lectures will provide stimulus material, but much of the learning will take place through active participation in at tutorials and in practicals. Lectures will explore critical issues and examples of good and bad game design. This information will provide you with the knowledge required to understand the process of designing a game, the tasks that are involved and what separates good game design from bad game design, both in theory and in practice.
Group presentations will give you a structured opportunity to apply lecture concepts through presenting your progressive design work to your peers. The design process will provide hands-on experience and the presentation, reflection and critique will provide you with opportunities to refine your design ideas. The weekly student presentations will allow you to come into contact with many design ideas and to critically assess these ideas based on your emerging knowledge. They will also provide you with the opportunity to effectively communicate your game design ideas. Much of the learning in this unit is achieved through direct experience and discussion, therefore your active participation in presentation sessions is compulsory and you will be awarded marks for your positive participation.
The tasks that you undertake during the lectures and presentation sessions will also prepare you for the technical design tasks that you will undertake in the practical sessions. Both presentation and practical sessions will involve group work. Each week, you will be assigned tasks that you need to do in order to complete the project, which is the major piece of assessment for this subject.
Concurrent Teaching
This unit is being taught concurrently with an undergraduate offering of the same subject. University policy permits that postgraduate and undergraduate students attend the same lectures. Separate discussion/practical groups will be provided for postgraduate students where student numbers allow. As a postgraduate student you will be required to complete separate or additional assessment tasks.
Assessment
Criterion-Referenced Assessment
Appropriate assessment criteria will be made available to students at the introduction of each assignment.Formative feedback will be provided during the presentation sessions and through the return of marked assignments.
Feedback Mechanisms
- Advice and assistance will be provided by the teaching staff during lectures and presentation sessions
- Guidelines and objectives will be provided for each piece of assessment to help you assess your progress
- Written feedback will be provided on items of assessment
- Consultation times, allowing individual contact between staff and students will be specified
Assessment name:
Game Design Process
Description:
Students will be required to design a game in groups of 3 or 4. Students will be assessed on how actively they participate in the game design process throughout the semester. Students will be required to complete presentations related to their game design and create a complete game design document. Detailed criteria will be provided during class.
Relates to objectives:
1, 3, 4 and 5
Weight:
60%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group with Individual Component
Due date:
throughout semester
Assessment name:
Final Game
Description:
The game itself will be assessed over the examination period. A provisional assessment of the game will be performed during the presentations in the final week of semester to give students some direct feedback on their game before final assessment. The final game will be handed-in in the examination period. The principle criterion for assessment purposes is how well the game plays.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3 and 5
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group with Individual Component
Due date:
end of semester
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Required Textbook(s):
None
Reference(s):
None
Students will be required to access a variety of readings in order to complete the assessment for this unit. Readings will be made available to students through the QUT Blackboard website and via the Course Materials Database.
No extraordinary charges or costs are associated with the requirements for this unit.
Risk assessment statement
There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 24-Oct-2012
