CIS 488/588 Computer Game Design and Implementation II

Winter 2007

Bruce R. Maxim, PhD

Associate Professor

Office: 233 CIS

Phone: 436-9155

E-mail: bmaxim@umich.edu

Classroom: 1430 PEC

Meeting Time: 4:35-5:50

Office Hours: 3:30-4:30

This course is a continuation of the material studied in CIS 487. The focus of the course will be hands-on development of computer games and computer game development tools (e.g. game engines). Students will study a variety of software technologies relevant to computer game design, including: 3D graphics, computer animation, data-driven game design, multiplayer game programming, and game AI. Lecture topics will be taken from several areas of computer science: simulation and modeling, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, game theory, software engineering, human computer interaction, and game content development.

The term project for this course will focus on the development of 3D computer game. The term project will require students to go through all phases of system life cycle: specification, design, implementation, and evaluation. There will be 4-6 graded assignments as part of the term project. All assignments will include design activities and students will be expected to make use of existing programming tools. Each assignment will be accompanied by an oral presentation. Your scores on the project deliverables and presentations will determine your grade in this course. The final game deliverables will count for 40% of your grade. Late work will be penalized, as will evidence of cheating in any form.

Texts: Mastering Unreal Technology: The Art of Level Design by Busby et.al.,

Sams, 2005 (required)

Programming Game AI by Example by Buckland, Wordware,

2005(required)

AI Game Development by Champandard, New Riders, 2003

(recommended)

Game Programmers Guide to Torque by Maurina, Peters 2006

Week of

Topic

Reading

01-08

3D Graphics and 3D Rendering

3D Clipping and Depth Buffering

Notes

01-15

Martin Luther King Birthday

Game Pitch Presentations

01-22

Texturing, Shadows, and Lighting

Teams Organize at CCS

Notes

01-29

Unreal Level Editing

Unreal 1-4

02-05

Terrain and Lighting

Game Treatment Presentations

Unreal 5-7

02-12

Interactive and Reactive Elements

Unreal 8-11

02-19

Bot Navigation and Custom Cinematics

Unreal 12-13

02-26

Spring Break

03-05

Scripted Sequences

Game Alpha Release Presentation

Unreal 14-16

03-12

AI Engineering and Games

State Driven Agents

C1-C3,C49

B2,C36-C43

03-19

Movement and Obstacle Avoidanc

Rule-Based Systems

B3,C5-C10

C11-C12

03-26

Graph Searching

Scripting Languages

04-02

Tactics, Targets, and Weapon Selection

Game AI Presentation

B7,C13-C28

04-09

Path Planning and Goal Driven Agents

Game Beta Release Presentation

B8-B9

04-16

Learning and Fuzzy Logic

Decision Making and Reactive Learning

B10,C29-C35

C44-C48

04-27

Term Project Fair (3:30 - 6:30 pm)

Gold Release Deliverables Due