The 2012 679 Game Project
This is the main "overview" page. The details are on separate pages, but we give you an overview here since the details may not make sense without it.
The goal of this project is to produce a game by working in a team of 4 people. What game you create is up to your team, but is subject to some Rules.
All parts of the project will contribute towards your grade (including your proposal and post-mortem).
Ideas for games must be presented as a Proposal. Students will be assigned partners and each pair will create a proposal. After the proposals are presented, the each member of the class will be assigned to a team. You team may choose any one of the proposed designs. Even if the design was proposed by someone who isn’t a member of the team.
Teams will be assigned on Tuesday, November 6th. Each team will need to choose a game to build, and create a plan in time for a project meeting with the course staff on Friday, November 9th. The games will be built over the following 3 weeks, culminating in a playtesting session when each person will play each game. (expect to give and recveive lots of demos). The following week will give an opportunity to tune the game and produce the final documentation.
The project Phases (with due dates – descriptions below):
- Game Proposals (Wednesday, October 31st)
- In-Class Pitches (Thursday, November 1st)
- Critiques (Tuesday, November 6th)
- Project Kickoff (Tuesday, November 6th)
- Project Plans and Meetings (Friday, November 9th)
- Signs of Life Demos (Friday, November 16th)
- Tech Demos (Friday, November 30th)
- Playtests (Friday, December 7th)
- Gold Masters (Thursday, December 13th)
- Festival of Games! (Friday, December 14th)
A Brief Discussion of the Phases (with links to each added as the details are announced)
- Game Design (Proposal) (due Wednesday 10/31)
- Pairs of people will propose games for project groups to build. You will be assigned a partner, and will create a brief description of a game (using a specified form for the proposals) on the class forum. In class on Thursday 11/1, each pair will give a 3-5 minute “pitch” (you must send the materials (such as power point) to the TA before noon on Thursday 11/1). Note: the proposal (including the pitch) is graded.
- Over the next days (Thursday 11/1-Tuesday 11/6) , there will be discussion (online in the forums) about the proposals. Each person must comment on at least half of the other games, and each team is responsible for responding to comments about their game. The idea is to have some dialog and discussion so that people can decide which games to build. Your discussion counts towards your class participation grade.
- Project Kickoff (Tuesday, 11/6)
- Teams will be announced. Class time will be used for teams to meet, and try to decide what game to build.
- Game Plans (due Friday 11/9, 9am)
- Each project team will complete a detailed plan. During class time, there will be meetings to discuss the designs (the early deadline is to give the instructor and TA time to read over the plans). There will be meetings during lab time to discuss the plans.
- Signs of Life Checkpoint (due Friday 11/16 – demo lab)
- Each project team will have to provide evidence that they are making progress towards implementing their plan.
- Tech Demo -> Checkpoints (due 11/30, demo lab)
- Each project team will give a demonstration of the their "technology" implemented to that point.
- Playtests (Friday, 12/7)
- In class, we will have a "play testing" session where each person will get to play each other group’s game. Enough stuff needs to be prepared (including documentation) such that people can play the game at class time.
- Gold Master (Thursday, December 13th)
- The last day of class, "everything" is due (code, documentation, …). Official University Policy says things cannot be due after this. Late projects (up until the final deadline) are negotiable.
While the post-mortems are officially due at this time, there is leniency for them. - Festival of Games! (December 14th)
- We’ll play games!
- We won’t have a final exam.
