COMP07178 2018 Advanced Games Programming
Full Title
Advanced Games Programming
Transcript Title
Advanced Games Programming
Code
COMP07178
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
COMP - Computing
Department
COMP - Computing & Creative Practices
Level
07 - NFQ Level 7
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
€
Start Term
2018 - Full Academic Year 2018-19
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Neil Gannon
Programme Membership
SG_KGADV_B07 201800 Bachelor of Science in Computing in Games Development
SG_KGADV_B07 202100 Bachelor of Science in Computing in Games Development
Description
In this module you will understand the role of game engines in modern video and computer games development. The module will cover some of the major third party game engines currently available, examining each and analysing the overall architecture and design of such real time software systems.
The key areas to be covered in this module are
- Game engine architecture and development
- Game engine programming and visual programming
- The differences between the major engines (CryEngine, Unreal Engine, Unity)
- How these engines allow for a wide variety of games (extensibility and flexibility)
- Scripting solutions
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
1.
Produce detailed design and development documentation
2.
Have detailed knowledge and understanding of an industry standard scripting language in a commercial game engine
3.
Demonstrate ability in the usage of Cinematics, Particle System and Material Editors
4.
Implement a client/server multiplayer game with additional web services for game data
Teaching and Learning Strategies
To be filled.
Module Assessment Strategies
There will be both summative and formative assessment of the students progress.
Repeat Assessments
Repeat assessments for this module will take the form of a project.
Indicative Syllabus
Examination of existing popular Game Engines
- Existing shared features offered between engines (BSPs, NavMesh, Scripting)
- Content pipelines
- Current and future platform support (PC, current gen consoles, web)
Examination of common data structures and uses
- World/Scene representation
- Spatial partitioning
- Object culling and occlusion techniques
- Game Object Components
Examination of key engine systems
- Rendering
- Scripting
- Collision detection
- Cinematics
- Particle Systems
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %
Coursework Assessment
| Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project Design documentation and initial prototype | Coursework Assessment | Written Report/Essay | 30 % | Week 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Project | Coursework Assessment | Project | 50 % | End of Semester | 2,3,4 |
| 3 | Interim Project Evaluation | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 20 % | OnGoing | 2,3,4 |
Full Time Mode Workload
| Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | Computer Laboratory | Class Theory Lecture | 2 | Weekly | 2.00 |
| Supervision | Computer Laboratory | Practical Lecture | 2 | Weekly | 2.00 |
Total Full Time Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 4.00 Hours
Module Resources
Non ISBN Literary Resources
Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3,
Jason Busby,
ISBN-10:0672329913, ISBN-13:978-0672329913
Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3,
Jason Busby,
ISBN-10:0672329921 , ISBN-13:978-0672329920
Other Resources
Unreal Engine
- http://www.unrealengine.com/udk/documentation/
- http://forums.epicgames.com/forums/366-UDK
CryEngine
- http://freesdk.crydev.net/dashboard.action
- http://doc.crydev.net/
Unity
- http://unity3d.com/learn
Additional Information
None