CS 426: Game Programming II
- Meets: Thursdays from 4:30-7:10pm in Robinson Hall B224
- Announcements and Discussion: Piazza
Instructor: Yotam Gingold
Description:
This is a capstone class for making a functioning and complete game.
Please expect this to be a very demanding class.
Most activities take place outside the classroom.
Course Outcomes:
- Gain ability to complete the development of a functional game.
- Become familiar with the resources for developing games.
- Deepen the understanding of the current techniques used in the game.
- Realize the manner with which team work may be achieved in a programming environment.
- Exhibit skills that demonstrate the ability to present a video game appropriately.
Prerequisites:
- Grade of C or better in CS 425
- In addition, you should be an expert or highly proficient in:
- programming and debugging
- git or another version control system
- game design
- a game programming framework
- data structures and algorithms
- hard work and motivation
Textbook: none
Topics:
Special topics on game development will be discussed according to class interest. For example:
- Sound
- GPU computing
- Procedural content generation
- Networking
- Physics
- Collision detection
- Motion capture data
- Real-time rendering
Grading:
- Presentations: 25% (special topics, project progress, final project presentations)
- Course project: 75% (final software, video, and report)
- Late policy: Assignments and progress reports must be completed on time. If you miss your own presentation, you will receive a 0. The late penalty for your final project is 0.007% per minute. (This is approximately 10% a day.)
Honor Code:
GMU is an Honor Code university; please see the Office for Academic Integrity for a full description of the code and the honor committee process, and the Computer Science Department’s Honor Code Policies regarding programming assignments. The principle of academic integrity is taken very seriously and violations are treated gravely. What does academic integrity mean in this course? Essentially this: when you are responsible for a task, you will perform that task. When you rely on someone else’s work in an aspect of the performance of that task, you will give full credit in the proper, accepted form.
Another aspect of academic integrity is the free play of ideas. Vigorous discussion and debate are encouraged in this course, with the firm expectation that all aspects of the class will be conducted with civility and respect for differing ideas, perspectives, and traditions.
When in doubt (of any kind) please ask for guidance and clarification.
Accommodations for Disabilities:
If you have a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance you should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with Office for Disability Services (SUB I, Rm. 4205; 993-2474;http://ods.gmu.edu) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) talk with me to discuss your accommodation needs.
Privacy:
Students must use their MasonLIVE email account to receive important University information, including messages related to this class. See http://masonlive.gmu.edu for more information.
Other useful campus resources: