For assignment 3, you get to
take your first crack at programming a 3D game. We will provide you with a
framework that handles most of the low-level messy stuff (such as selecting the
video mode, setting up a back buffer and page flipping, interacting with
DirectX/OpenGL). You have to design a 3D game, support 3D physics, render the
scene and program the inner workings of your game. You have three weeks to
create a working 3D game, so design and engineer carefully to make sure
you are done on time. We expect a game on the order of a 3D variant of Pong or
Breakout (or more!). Originality is important, but more important is that the
game really is a 3D game and not just
a 3D projection of a 2D game.
Your game must run under
Windows on the CAEN computers in the CSE computer labs.
Your grade on assignment 3
will be based on 5 factors:
Is the game fully
functional?
While good design is the most
important factor, it will be almost impossible for the game to have good
gameplay if it does not work. Therefore, we are looking for a working game. It should include scoring (almost
always appropriate), multiple lives for the player, and the ability to play
multiple games. If the game is almost but not quite finished or still contains
bugs, your grade will suffer much more than if it is a working game with fewer
features. When you design your game make sure you can finish the project within
the three-week time frame. Create a schedule and stick to it. Do not try to
write the whole thing before getting anything to run. Do incremental
development - get something running and then add more features.
Is the game original?
The more original the
better. The game should not be a clone of an existing game. Less
important than the 3D aspects of the game.
Is the game really 3D (and
of course, non-trivial)? This is very important for this game!
You will not get a good grade
if your final game is a 2D game with 3D graphics.
1. Make a game that could not have been made in 2D - 3D
actually matters.
2. The 3D camera is dynamic - the perspective changes
during the game either automatically or from player actions.
3. Interactions in the game take advantage of the 3rd
dimension
4. Good clean 3D graphics. It does not have to be
complex, but it should not be pixilated or ragged. Simple geometric shapes that
look good (look 3D, maybe some lighting effects, etc.) are fine.
5. Good/realistic interactions and/or collisions
6. Other ways to make the game more complex are
height-mapped terrain, complex player-environment interaction, some objects
that behave independent of the player (AI!), ... Thus for this project, a
significant proportion of your grade is
how much work you put into to (that we can see when we play it).
Is the game well designed
and fun to play? Still important, but a bit less important than the 3D aspects.
We
talked about designing a game and what make a game fun. This also includes
things like how fun it is to play, whether it looks good (has good graphics),
has good "feel" in controlling the objects, ... The game should not
be too easy or too hard, and must have different levels of difficulty, either
through starting menu selection, multiple levels with increasing difficulty, or
dynamic adjustment of difficulty during game play. Additionally, for this
assignment, it is important that the game try to use 3D effectively. Sometimes
beginning game developers get caught up in the low-level programming and do not
step back to see the whole picture until it is too late - when developing your
game, remember that the final product must be enjoyable with good gameplay! The
longer the game is fun to play, the better. Have friends play test early and
often.
Is the game well
documented?
You must have a good design
document that describes what the concept of the game is and how you implemented
it. You should not turn in code, but you need to hand in a design document and
a manual (so we can play it). Better than a manual is having all of the
instructions embedded in the game. Finally, turn in a half page description of
what you think makes your program good according to the grading criteria listed
above.
In order to make it easier to
grade, we would appreciate some mode that makes it possible to play through the
game (and see all the great stuff you did) without becoming an expert at the
game.
To do this assignment you
will need to use Zenilib, a paint program (such as
Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, the Windows Paint program available on
CAEN machines, the GIMP, etc.), and a modeling program that can export to .3DS
(such as 3ds Max or Blender).
Paint Program
You
will have to create graphics for each of your game objects. You can use any
paint program that creates BMP and/or PNG files. The Paint program in windows,
the shareware program Paint Shop Pro, Macromedia Fireworks, Adobe Photoshop and
the GIMP are all appropriate choices.
Modeling Program
You
will have an easier time creating art assets for your game if you use a
modeling program that can export .3DS files. 3ds Max in Windows and the Free
and open source program Blender are both appropriate choices.
You must test your
program on the Windows machines in the CSE computer labs to make sure that it
runs correctly. If you are doing your development elsewhere, you should test
your game periodically on the CSE machines to avoid an unpleasant surprise on
the day that your game is due!
1. On October 17, you must hand in a design document for your game.
You
will submit the following items via cTools. A single
zip file would be best. Please name the .zip file with your last name.
If I was handing in the assignment, it would be laird.zip.
Your game executable - which must
run on a CSE lab computer running Windows.
A manual for your game if the instructions for running
the game are not embedded in the game.
A document that points out how your program meets (and
possibly exceeds) the grading criteria mentioned above.
We
will then begin the grueling task of playing all your games.