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Experimental
Game Design
ARTS 4510 section 01 &
section 02
ARTS 6400 section 01 graduate level
Fall
2014 VAST Studio, Sage 2411
4 credits
Prerequisites: part of GSAS core (or by permission of instructor)
Zineth created in EGD, Winner
2013 Independent Games Festival Student Showcase
©2012
Arcane Kids
- Tom Astle, Jacob Knipfing, Russell Honor, Tom Lanciani, Evan Gonzalez, Dan
Spaulding, and Sylvia Forrest
http://zinethgame.tumblr.com/
Instructor:
Kathleen Ruiz
Associate Professor of Integrated Arts
email: ruiz@rpi.edu
phone: 518-276-2539
office: West Hall 314c
office hours: Thursdays 10 am to 12 pm by appointment
(please use sign up board on office door WH 314c
or via email ruiz@rpi.edu )
Experimental Game Design is an upper level hands-on
studio and seminar focusing on the creation of large scale workable game
projects and prototypes that advance innovative paradigms, emerging forms and
dynamic interfaces. Primary to the course is the formation of
trans-disciplinary collaborative teams whose members learn by making and
experimenting. Students present their work in a series of formal and informal
critiques that help to guide and expand their iterative process. Games are
analyzed as cultural artifacts reflecting behavior, social formation, and the
representation of gender, ethnicity and identity.
Starting
with creating an archeological, socio-cultural and ethical overview of their
own history of game and toy preferences, students then create a two short
projects in a temporary teams. The short projects are posed as real world
problems that broadly seek applied or indy games genre solutions.
Final
project teams are then formulated for the remainder of the semester. The
final project, which is the main focus of the course, is a purposeful work
which shows depth and quality of ideation, innovation and interaction. It is
student driven in subject, design and development. The game must be fully
functional and be accompanied by a completed, detailed game design document
using the format: Model Game Design
Document
Social
action simulation, art games, applied or serious games, social action games,
indy games, problem solving, blended/augmented reality, educational games,
mobile and locative games, abstract play, and other inventive forms have been
created in the course. Factors in game design including flow and game play
gestalt are taken into consideration. The aesthetics of game design including
interaction design, character development, level design, game play
experience, and delivery systems are developed as students create the various
game assignments. Interdisciplinary collaborative teams consisting of talents
from visual and sound artists, programmers, cognitive science, designers,
engineers, IT professionals and others. Elements of successful collaboration
are covered and camaraderie of invention is encouraged.
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Required Events
Drop
Box Information
Details
Course
Topics
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Course
Objectives/Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course:
1. students will have the ability to explore
new approaches to the concepts of game, play, and simulation and start
to define alternate paradigms and expressive forms as demonstrated in the
individual and team based projects
2. students will
develop one or more of the following skills: design, art making, game
programming, or engineering strategies which merge concept, process and form
- encouraging approaches that are at once inquisitive, analytical, creative,
experimental and articulate
3. students will be able to create an archeological,
socio-cultural and ethical overview of their own history of game and toy
preferences
4. students will
demonstrate the ability to work together in trans-disciplinary teams to
conceptualize, design, produce and express ideas through game or simulation
projects
5. students will
become more articulate in the work of artists, theorists, and institutions
who engage in game creation
6. students will demonstrate their process, code, art, design and experiments
in a detailed game design document, summation overview, poster and short
video game trailer
7. students will successfully articulate informed ideas relating to the
representation of gender, race, and behavior in games and simulations and an
increased awareness of games as cultural and aesthetic artifacts as
demonstrated in class discussions and critiques and in short written reaction
papers to relevant readings and events
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Course
Assessment/Measures: Assignments:
Kindly
upload all projects and studies to your drop box
week 1. Personal Game Archeology & Analysis
5
points
due Aug 27
Archeology and analysis of personal
gaming preferences from:
a. childhood and
b. today as an adult.
Research and present a short power
point or web presentation and demonstration of your favorite game/toy as a
child and why it was your favorite, and your favorite game/toy as an adult
and why. Include a brief history of the origins of each game, and why this
is/was a compelling game experience for you. Thoughtfully research and
consider the socio-political context of the game/toy you have chosen and its
use. Please consider not only the game industry, but also the larger context
as well. Include references in your presentationweb links, documentation.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
week 2. Experimental Game Jam # 1
The theme this semester is
Space
5
points
due Sept 3
Working collaboratively in temporary teams, (ideally creating a balanced team consisting
of the following talents: visual artist, programmer, engineer, sound composer
& designer) create an experimental game around the theme of space.
This is purposefully broad so use
your imagination and creativity and open
yourself up to experimenting. Trust your
intuition! Innovation is key here.
Possible suggestions to open up
ideas about space could include our in-class discussions about the expanded
notion of the exploration of game space, physical space, deep space, interior
space, open world space, games as spatial metaphors, speed running through
space, exploration of space of all kinds. The realms of possibility of space
beyond space as we may currently know it. Possibly breaking through the 4th
wall or considering new kinds of studies in perspective, or time in space
such as real-time, slo-mo, bullet time, rewinding time and space, or the joy
of exploring space, the violence of speed, the construct of what it is to
create a game or simulation space, numerical space, mental space, the space
within the computer, an exploration of the space we physically use to play
the game, locative, mobile or hand held games and space, what markers you
design to indicate what part of space you want the user to use.
Pay attention to the ethics of space and intentionality (what world or
possibility you create, the realms of possibilities to do what kinds of
activities in). For instance addiction could broadly be interpreted as a
dimension of time in that the time spent playing becomes excessive through
obsession.
Do market research on your ideas.
If it has been done before, why repeat it?
Original ideas are more important than polished
graphics and optimized code for this study.
Deliverables:
(place in your drop box)
* initial working or semi-working
experimental game prototype
teams will present a power point that contains the following background
research:
* concept ideas and sketches of your
teams creative response to the theme
* storyboards explaining and illustrating the project
* Answers to the following questions:
~ Why create this game?
Why would someone want to play it?
~ Immediate and Long Term Projected Socio-cultural Project Impact?
~ Predecessor or previous games/ distinctive factors in this genre?
~ Target Audience?
~ What is the game?
~ What is the ethical space of the game?
~ Where does the game take place?
~ What do the players do?
~ How many characters are there, if any?
~ What is the main focus?
~ What is different?
~ List of technical information and
methodologies of production: any necessary hardware, software, SDKs, and
APIs, etc. needed.
Readings: due Sept 3
* Experimental
gameplay project - How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days
*create a short, one paragraph reaction paper of
the above and place in your drop box
Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students (Optional Extra Credit
for Undergrads):
* Homo Ludens: A study of the Play Element in Culture by
Johan Huizinga
* Man, Play, and Games by Roger Caillois
*create a short reaction paper of each the above and place in
your folder in the class drop box
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
week 3. & 4. Experimental Game Jam #2
The theme is Gaming
responds to the big questions of our time.
10
points
due Sept 17
What are the big questions of our time? Being aware of them could mean being beyond the cutting
edge of the game field and being a cultural producer, rather than a follower.
What do we mean by the big
questions of our time?
What larger forces of nature, culture, spiritual, intellectual, emotional,
physical, economic, shifts are on the horizon? What world events are
happening or about to happen that may be of intense interest to you and your
future? You decide on the top three
issues that will become our themes.
Deliverables:
* workable game (or app) prototype
responding to the theme
* PowerPoint or web presentation of the teams research and ideas that also
answers the following questions:
~ Why create this game?
Why would someone want to play it?
~ Immediate and Long Term Projected Socio-cultural Project Impact?
~ Predecessor or previous games/ distinctive factors in this genre?
~ Target Audience?
~ What is the game?
~ Where does the game take place?
~ What do the players do?
~ How many characters are there, if any?
~ What is the main focus?
~ What is different?
~ List of technical information and methodologies of production: any
necessary hardware, software, SDKs,
and APIs, etc. needed.
Readings:
due Sept 10
* your research readings and
* look through and play at least 4
social awareness games that may be of interest. Here are some preeminent
sites:
Games for Change : http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/
Persuasive Games, too: http://www.persuasivegames.com/
Paolo Pedercini www.molleindustria.org
* Be a game critic: create a short, 1 to 2
paragraph analysis and critique with suggestions to your 4 chosen games
Readings for
Masters and Ph.D. Students (Optional Extra Credit for Undergrads):
building your research with relevant
selections from the following:
* Springer Special issue:
The Philosophy of Computer Games Volume 27, Issue 2, June 2014
vpn or log in to rensSearch then go to http://link.springer.com.libproxy.rpi.edu/journal/13347/27/2/page/1
* Game Studies: The International
Journal of Computer Game Research http://gamestudies.org/0601
*create a short reaction paper to 2 relevant papers from the
above and place in your folder in the class drop box
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Final Project
Experimental Game Trajectory
working with permanent
teams from this point out
____________________________________________________________________________
week 5. Final Project Starting Sketches, Ideas & Concepts Informal
presentation 6.6 points
due Sept 24
team meetings with Game Industry Experts
Deliverables:
drop in drop box and also print
out the following:
First ideas about your final project game
These are all ITERATIVE
and will be changed and perfected as your ideas unfold.
* rough concept ideas and sketches of
your teams ideas
* rough storyboards explaining and illustrating the project your team has in
mind
* rough initial prototypes
* Fill in the Game Structure
template
* Answers to the following questions:
~ Why create this game?
Why would someone want to play it?
~ Immediate and Long Term Projected Socio-cultural Project Impact?
~ Predecessor or previous games/ distinctive factors in this genre?
~ Target Audience?
~ What is the game?
~ Where does the game take place?
~ How many characters are there, if any?
~ What is the main focus?
~ What is different?
~ List of technical information and methodologies of production: any
necessary hardware, software, SDKs, and APIs, etc. needed.
* Answer Ernest
Adams Game Design Philosophy Questions:
- What dreams does the game
fulfill?
- What is the player going to do?
- What are the physical, intellectual, emotional, economic and
ethical spaces of the game world?
Please remember that your completed game project is an innovative, original,
purposeful work which goes beyond conventional style gaming paradigms and
shows depth of creative goals, sensitivity to social issues, and quality of
interaction. The game must be fully functional.
Additionally the final project
must be accompanied by an iterative, completed, (web ready, standalone) game
design document and a well-designed poster, project overview sheet and
promotional game trailer.
See samples:
Nova Radix:
Game Design Document
Game Overview Sheet
Game
Readings:
due Sept 24
* your research readings
* Play as Design by Brenda Laurel
Play as Design by Eric Zimmerman
*create a short, one paragraph reaction paper of the above and place in your
drop box
____________________________________________________________________________
week 6 Phase I
Proposal Final Project Formal Group
Presentation 6.6 points
due Oct 1
Deliverables:
rethink and refine your
project based on your resonation of the feedback your team received in class
previously:
* concept ideas and sketches
* storyboards
* GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT TEMPLATE
with blocked out time frame of production, a
schedule and an outline of individual responsibilities and deadlines
* Game
Structure template
* list of technical information and methodologies of production: any
necessary software, SDKs, and APIs, etc. needed.
* produce new work and progress on your game assets including design, art,
programming, etc.
Midterm assessments
(please upload all
perfected work to drop box for evaluation)
Readings: Oct 1
* From Sun
Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games by Ed
Halter
* Baudrillard
and Hollywood: subverting the mechanism of control and The Matrix by Jim
Rovira
* The Oxymoron of Virtual
Violence, J. Baudrillard
*create a short, one
paragraph, reaction paper of the above and place in your drop box
Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students (Optional Extra Credit
for Undergrads):
* Origins of FPS by Galloway
* Lenoir-Lowood_TheatersOfWar
*create a short reaction paper of each the above and place in
your folder in the class drop box
____________________________________________________________________________
week 7.
due Oct 8 Phase II
Reiteration Informal presentation 6.6 points
Reality check on
scope of project and schedule
presented
Deliverables:
*
gameplay experiments showing clear proof of concept and progress on your game assets
* evidence of new research and
work
* updated and refined GAME DESIGN
DOCUMENT TEMPLATE that includes a game overview sheet, more refined story boards, at least 5
citations of games/ websites/readings/ literature/ films that have influenced
your teams research,
Readings:
due Oct 8
* Complete
Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered PlaySpaces by Henry Jenkins
*create a short, one
paragraph, reaction paper of the above and place in your drop box
Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students (Optional Extra Credit
for Undergrads):
* The Construction of Experience: Interface as Content David Rokeby
*Everything
But the Words: A Dramatic Writing Primer for Gamers
by Hal Barwood
* Storytelling in Action by Bob Bates
* The Rhetoric of
Video Games by Ian Bogost
* Materials for an
exploratory theory of the network society by Manuel Castells
* Delightful Identification & Persuasion: Towards an Analytical
and Applied Rhetoric of Digital Games by Steffen P. Walz
*create a short, one paragraph reaction
paper of the above and place in your drop box
____________________________________________________________________________
week 8.
due Oct 15 Phase III Game Prototype Formal
Group Presentation 6.6 points
Deliverables:
* evidence of progress
incorporating critical feedback, polishing and refinement of content, assets,
gameplay, methodology, and delivery system
* final definitive schedule for entire project which will be used as clear
milestones for further project development
* your teams progress of the above reflected in your evolving game design document including
completed game overview sheet and image, refined answers to the philosophical
question section
Please print and hand in prior
to your teams presentation in class
Readings: due Oct 15
final
project research readings
Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students (Optional Extra Credit
for Undergrads):
* A Game of Ones Own: Towards a New Gendered Poetics of Digital Space by Tracy Fullerton, Jacquelyn Ford
Morie, and Celia Pearce
*create a short reaction paper of the
above and place in your drop box
____________________________________________________________________________
week 9.
Phase IV Game Content Informal presentation 6.6 points
due Oct 22
Deliverables:
* evidence of refinement and
progress on your teams project in design, development, gameplay and depth of
research reflected in the project and game design document
Readings: final project research readings
____________________________________________________________________________
week 10.
Phase V Refinement Formal Group Presentation
6.6 points
due Oct 29
Deliverables:
*
Play Testing Plans due
* Refinement and progress on your teams project for pre-review and three week trajectory for individual team work
Related Readings: final
project research readings
____________________________________________________________________________
week 11.
Phase VI Further Refinement Informal Group Presentation 6.6 points
due Nov 5
Deliverables:
*
Play Testing Summary results
and Recommendations
* Refinement and progress on your teams project based on critiques
* Printed Project Posters 34 x 24
~ you can
print archival prints on the Epson 9800 printer in West Hall 413 by
appointment only see details and instructions at: http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/teaching-facilities-s17/large-format-printer-suite
or
~ on the VCC Pltg
Instructions for Printing your Poster at the VCC
(Voorhees Computing Center) on the RCS Public Plotters:
You need to configure your computer with the proper drivers in order to print
to the plotter
http://dotcio.rpi.edu/services/printing/plotting-rcs-public-plotters
and for general info: http://helpdesk.rpi.edu/update.do?catcenterkey=78
The plotter paper is 36 inches wide, but the actual content space
is 34 inches. So your document should be 36 wide, but have an inch of
whitespace on either side.
The minimum height is 24 inches, but I would recommend the same
amount of padding there. If your poster is vertical you can of course rotate
it to fit into this space for the lowest cost. File formats: .jpg or even a
.png file works from a well configured computer, but to ensure success you
should make a PDF. You can possibly use Photoshop and output your file as a
PDF or use Illustrator (proven to work very well) (it is on
the VAST lab computers if you don't have it), create a document 36" by
height + 2", then use File->Place to insert your document. You can
then do "Save As" and switch the file type to PDF.
If your computer is not configured you can physically take the PDF file to
the VCC and open it in Acrobat (or Reader? whatever it's called these days).
Switch the printer to vcpltg for
glossy ($0.25 more per foot, not bad for the shiny effect). I think the
checkboxes are something like:
"Automatically select paper size"
"Allow use of custom sizes"
Select both of those and the rulers in the preview should update to be
your document's size. Then you should be able to send it.
The printouts show up rolled in
the racks on the right side of the VCC building, near the glass-enclosed
classroom on that side. In general, they will put obviously bad printouts up
without saying anything, but you can get a refund if there was a problem on
their end by going to the help desk.
Print soon as other students across the campus will be vying for this
printer soon.
Related Readings: final project research readings
____________________________________________________________________________
week 12. Phase VII & Formal Group Presentation
6.6
points
due Nov 12
* Your final printed project summary in .doc format with summation image
* high
quality edited high def. 1920 x 1080, H264 mp4 promotional video trailer.
Please include:
the title, credits (for all team
members and their roles, and any music credits). Show an overview of the
distinctive features of your project including interaction and gameplay on
and off screen if desired. 2 to 4 minutes maximum should be enough time to
give a person a taste of your game project and for them to want to play it.
This video will be used to judge whether your game gets into the competition
so please make a good one.
* order all gear in advance for Gamefest for ---2015
Related
Readings: final
project research readings
____________________________________________________________________________
week 13. Phase VIII
due Nov 19 second to last class
informal reviews
intensive work studio
Related
Readings: final
project research readings
____________________________________________________________________________
week 14. Phase IX 6.6 points
due Nov 26
OFF for THANKSGIVING
* final refining of the game and project assets
____________________________________________________________________________
week 15.
Phase X Formal Group Presentation of Final
Projects 60 total points
LAST CLASS
due Dec 3 (last class of the
semester)
All
perfected work due this day.
NO EXCEPTIONS
Please ensure that all work is spell checked
All work must
be printed and also submitted on a labeled DVD
Please include:
*all work from the semester, all short studies, all code, art, reading
reactions, event reactions
*
Your game and all elements including all art, programming code, files,
etc.
*
Printed and digital posters
* Printed and digital Final Game Design Document
* Printed and digital project summary in .doc format with summation
image
* Printed and digital final user Evaluation Testing Summary and Recommendations
*
High quality edited high def. 1920 x 1080, H264 mp4 video trailer of
game play. Please include your title, overview, interaction, gameplay and
credits.
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Class Schedule
week 1. Aug 27
* Introduction to the course
* review game archaeologies and student aspirations
* formulate temp teams Experimental Game Jam #1
* lecture & discussion on the issue of space
* lecture & discussion on ideas for the future
of games and gaming as we may not know it now to be, content,
platforms and interfaces
week 2. Sept 3
* Review Game Jam #1
* briefly discuss prototyping, short project as opposed to longer project
trajectories
* lecture and discussion and student input on The
Big Questions of Our Time
* vote on 3 top questions to use as the theme of Experimental Game Jam #2
* teams form for the new Experimental Game Jam #2
* lecture & discussion of The Big Questions of our Time
week 3. Sept 10
* Review progress on Experimental Game Jam #2 Big Question
* discuss selected social awareness games from
Games for Change, Persuasive
Games, & Molleindustria,
* grads discuss chosen papers within The
Philosophy of Computer Games
week 4. Sept 17
* Review and critique Experimental Games from Jam #2 The Big Questions of Our
Time
* Formulate permanent Final Project teams
Final
Project Experimental Game Trajectory
working
with permanent teams from this point out
week 5. Sept 24
* Informal review of Final Project Starting Sketches, Ideas & Concepts
* team meetings with Game Industry Experts giving
feedback on initial ideas
* Discuss the iterative process of game design and production as given
in Play as Design reading selection
week 6. Oct 1
* Formal review of phase I prototypes
* Lecture, video and discussion about virtual
violence, catharsis and desensitization
week 7. Oct 8
* Informal review of phase II content and reiteration
* Reality check on scope of project and schedule
* Lecture, video and discussion about the representation of gender, love and emotion in games and the game
industry
week 8. Oct 15
* Formal presentation and critique of phase III prototypes
* Lecture, video and discussion about the representation of race representation in games and the games industry
week 9. Oct 22
* informal presentations and reviews of phase IV refinements
* review poster and promotional design and high end printing
week 10. Oct 29
* formal critiques of Phase V refinements
* review of playtest plans
* review team 3 week trajectory schedules
* Lecture, video and discussion about addiction
and games
week 11. Nov 5
* informal presentations and reviews of phase VI
* examine playtest results and take appropriate actions to refine
* review methodologies of producing game video trailers
* Lecture, video and discussion about Breaking
through the 4th Wall and issues in player created content
week 12. Nov 12
* formal presentations and critiques of phase VII
* review project summaries, game design documents and game trailers
* review installation requirements, tech, and gear
week
13. Nov 19 second to last class
* informal reviews of phase VIII
* intensive work studio
week
14. Nov 26 OFF for
THANKSGIVING
week
15. Dec 3
* final project formal reviews
* all posters, game design documents, video trailers, etc. reviewed
* all work from the semester, all short studies, all code, art, reading
reactions, event reactions are handed in on individual DVS and in student
drop boxes for final review
* lecture and discussion on The Future is Here Starting
a Small Business and wrap up lecture
and discussion on what the future may be like
in new game worlds
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Grading:
Evaluation:
Students must
demonstrate satisfactory achievement of course objectives through fulfillment
of course projects and by contributing to class discussions and critiques.
Short study#1. 5% = 5 points
Short study #2. 5% = 5 points
Short
Study # 3. 10% = 10 points
Final Project 60% (incremental evaluation over 9 due dates,
each 6.666% = 6.6 points each x 10= 60 points
Participation in class
10% = 10 points
Reaction papers 10% to readings 5 and your events 3 = 8 total @
1.25 points each = 10 points
Point to Letter grade equivalents for the course
are as follows:
|
LETTER GRADES
|
PERFORMANCE DESIGNATION
|
POINTS
|
|
A+
|
EXCELLENT
|
90-100 points
|
|
A
|
85-89 points
|
|
A-
|
80-84 points
|
|
B+
|
GOOD
|
77-79 points
|
|
B
|
73-76 points
|
|
B-
|
70-72 points
|
|
C+
|
SATISFACTORY
|
67-69 points
|
|
C
|
63-66 points
|
|
C-
|
60-62 points
|
|
D+
|
MARGINAL
|
57-59 points
|
|
D
|
53-56 points
|
|
D-
|
50-52 points
|
|
F
|
UNSATISFACTORY
|
0-49 points
|
Participation: you are invited, encouraged, and expected to
engage in discussion, reflection and activities.
Class Attendance
Policy
As an enrolled student, you have made a
commitment to this class and your attendance is a significant part of that
commitment. Attendance will be taken at every class. An absence is considered
excused if the student has informed the course instructor by email or in
person before the beginning of the
class and the excuse is considered reasonable by the instructor.
Late Policy: All
students are required to be on time and in attendance for each and every
class. Students arriving to class more than 10 minutes late may be counted as
absent. Two (2) unexcused absences
will result in a reduction of one entire letter grade.
Adherence to deadlines is expected. It is the individual student's
responsibility to keep track of deadlines and to present the work to the
class and instructor on the specified dates. 15% per day will be subtracted
from late assignments.
If you are concerned about your creative
trajectory or your grade at any point during the semester, please do not
hesitate to contact your Instructor and schedule an appointment.
Academic Honesty:
Statement On
Academic Integrity
Class Specific
Collaboration and discussion about class projects
is actively encouraged, and is in no way considered cheating. This is a
studio course, and personal ownership of information is not deemed to be
appropriate. Original
game design, art and design, programming and production are required.
Projects are expected to reflect personal endeavor, but
may also be collaborative in nature when
the nature of the collaboration is clearly indicated.
Academic Integrity
Student-teacher relationships are built on trust.
For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate
decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and
teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own.
Acts, which violate this trust, undermine the educational process. The
Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities defines various
forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make yourself familiar with
these. In this class, all assignments that are turned in for a grade must
represent the students own work. In cases where help was received, or teamwork was allowed, a notation on
the assignment should indicate your collaboration. Submission of any assignment
that is in violation of this policy will result in a penalty of a grade of F
given for failure in the course and also further disciplinary action as
outlined in the Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Addressing Academic Dishonesty at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Intellectual
integrity is critical to the foundation of all academic work. Academic
dishonesty, therefore, is considered a serious matter and will be addressed
as such. As defined in the current Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights
and Responsibilities, examples of academic dishonesty include, but are
not limited to: academic fraud, collaboration, copying, cribbing,
fabrication, plagiarism, sabotage, and substitution. Additionally, attempts
to commit academic dishonesty, or to assist in the commission or
attempt of such an act, are also violations of the academic dishonesty
policy. If found in violation of the academic dishonesty policy, students may
be subject to two types of penalties. The instructor administers an academic
(grade) penalty of F, and the student may also enter the Institute judicial
process and be subject to such additional sanctions as: warning, probation,
suspension, expulsion, and alternative actions as defined in the current Handbook
of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Required Materials
An active RCS account.
Approximately 10 to 15 dvds, or a 60 GB usb drive and or high capacity
external hard drive will be necessary to back up and archive your work
Other materials on a project basis
You may be making a number of digital
prints/manifestations of your work on or off campus. The costs of digital
printing vary, but be prepared to incur approximately $25 in
fabrication/material costs.
Electronic
Communication
Email: All students are expected to have an
active electronic mail account, and should check mail at least four times a
week for class information. Some essential class information is communicated
by email only.
Work Habits
Always back-up your work frequently; that is,
every time you make something you think is worth keeping. Systems crash
when least expected and you could lose all your work. It is a good idea to make three backups (on different media), as storage media are
sometimes unstable. Always save onto your own media or into your account as
files left on hard drives will be removed.
Also, please keep in mind the highly addictive
aspects of working with computers. Many people lose track of time and later
wonder why they have severe back, neck and eye problems. It is a good idea to take a rest every 15
to 20 minutes. Look up or beyond your
computer or, better still, at a long distance to relax your eyes. Take a walk or stretch. Fatigue can lead to frustration. Stay in
touch with your body's needs.
Try not to harm or deface any equipment or
software in any way or lose files and folders belonging to our class or other
classes.
For problems in the studio please be specific in
your email and contact: hasshelp@rpi.edu
Please follow the guidelines for working in each
studio very carefully, as you will be held personally responsible for
problems you incur. At all times please keep the lab clean and sanitary.
Overview of Game
Design Document:
Title of the Game, Artist Statement/Philosophy/The WHY Factor (why create this
game? why would someone want to play it?), Predecessors or previous games/
distinctive factors in this genre, Target Audience, Introduction & Story,
Immediate and long term projected socio/cultural project impact, Delivery
System & Requirements, Interface, User Interaction, The World Layout,
Level Design, Visualization (characters, flow charts), Music/ Sound Design,
Rules and Game play (Setup, Scoring (if applicable)), Program Structure,
Technical Specs (such as Physics, Rendering Systems, Lighting Models),
Implementation, Production Timeframe, Research, References and other Features
Unique to the Project.
Background needed:
Students entering the course should have a basic general awareness of
contemporary socio-cultural issues, have some exposure to interactive digital
simulation, and possess the ability for personal expression using any one or
combinations of the following: media applications, drawing, music composition,
programming, visual art, design, narration, or engineering. Students entering
this course have had varied backgrounds coming from Computer Science, Arts,
Communication & Media, Cognitive Science, Engineering, IT, Management,
and other areas.
Suggested further
readings:
Wardrip-Fruin,
Noah and Pat Harrigan, Editors. First Person: New Media as Story,
Performance and Game
Laurel, Brenda and Zimmerman, Eric, editors.
Play as Design
Halter, Ed. From
Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games
Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens: A study of the Play Element
in Culture
Caillois, Roger. Man, Play, and Games
Schell, Jesse. The Art of Game Design
Lenoir-Lowood. Theaters Of War
Nitsche, Michael. Video Game Spaces. Image, Play, and
Structure in 3D Worlds
Adams, Ernest. Fundamentals of Game Design, Second Edition
Jenkins, Henry. Complete
Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered PlaySpaces
Baudrillard, Jean. Passwords
(There are many other evolving and
emerging relevant titles of interest.
Please ask the instructor.)
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