Agile Game Development

CS 415 - Summer 2018

Catalog description:

Prerequisite: CS 253. An introduction to the fundamental concepts of computer game programming. Students design and develop original computer games applying proven game design and software engineering principles. Topics include computer graphics and animation, elements of artificial intelligence, game-specific algorithms, human-computer interaction, as well as principles of physics and mathematics for collision detection and object interaction.

Logistics

Instructor Dr. Stan Kurkovsky, Professor of Computer Science
Office MS 303-06
Phone (860) 832-2720
E-mail kurkovsky@ccsu.edu
Office hours TBA
Class meetings MTWR 10:00-12:00 @ MS 119

Textbook and other things you will need

  • Agile Game Development with Scrum by Clinton Keith.
    Addison Wesley, 2010, ISBN 0321618521
  • In-class handouts
  • Instructor's web site available at http://www.cs.ccsu.edu/~stan/ and other web sites recommended by the instructor

Course learning outcomes

Program educational objectives and student outcomes are supported by the following course learning outcomes achieved by students upon a successful completion of this course:

  1. Hypothesize about the benefits and limitations of agile practices for game development;
  2. Evaluate and prioritize the features of a software project based on the stakeholder needs;
  3. Solve problems caused by limited resources and/or limited time;
  4. Estimate the time and resources required to accomplish specific tasks;
  5. Prioritize specific efforts and/or elements relative to the production goal;
  6. Play an effective role in a small software development team;
  7. Produce a computer game using modern development technologies.

Tentative schedule

Week 1: May 29 - 31

Tuesday
Agile game: Marshmallow challenge
Topic: Agile Development
Game engine analysis paper is assigned. Due date: Monday, June 4
Project proposal is due Monday, June 4
Wednesday
Topic: Agile Development, cont.
Agile game: Death match
Thursday
Topic: Scrum
Agile game: Herculean donut

Week 2: June 4 - 7

Monday
Game engine analysis paper is due
Project proposal is due
Activity: Project proposal presentations and discussions
Tuesday
Topic: Sprints
Agile game: The World of Goo deconstructed
Wednesday
Topic: User stories
Agile game: Air Wings deconstructed
Thursday
Topic: Agile planning
Agile game: Celebrity prioritization
Activity: Sprint 1 planning

Week 3: June 11 - 14

Monday
Test 1
Tuesday
Topic: Agile projects
Agile game: Presto manifesto
Wednesday
Topic: Agile teams and iterations
Agile game: You are not in control
Thursday
Activity: Sprint 1 review
Activity: Sprint 2 planning

Week 4: June 18 - 21

Monday
Topic: Agile technology and quality assurance
Agile game: 99 test balloons
Tuesday
Topic: The myths and challenges of Scrum
Agile game: Story spines
Wednesday
Agile game: TBA
Thursday
Activity: Sprint 2 review
Activity: Sprint 3 planning

Week 5: June 25 - 28

Monday
Test 2
Tuesday
Agile game: TBA
Wednesday
Activity: Final project demo and project review
Thursday
Work on project reflection paper
Project reflection paper is due (Friday, June 29)

Midterm and final exams

Each test will focus on the most recent material. However, each test will very likely include some questions aimed at the material covered by the earlier test(s). Make-up tests may only be given if a student can provide a written proof of a serious reason for missing a test (such as illness or accident).

Course project

While working on the course project, students will use the knowledge and skills obtained in this course covering many if not all of the course topics. Working in teams, students will design, implement and document a computer game.

Course project is described in detail in this document.

Academic misconduct

All students are expected to demonstrate integrity in the completion of their coursework. Academic integrity means doing one's own work and giving proper credit to the work and ideas of others. It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with what constitutes academic dishonesty and plagiarism and to avoid all forms of cheating and plagiarism. Students who engage in plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct will face academic and possibly disciplinary consequences. Academic sanctions can range from a reduced grade for the assignment to a failing grade for the course. From a disciplinary standpoint, an Academic Misconduct Report may be filed and a Faculty Hearing Board may impose sanctions such as probation, suspension or expulsion.

For further information on academic misconduct and its consequences, please consult the Student Code of Conduct and the Academic Misconduct Policy.

Attendance

All students are expected to attend class sessions regularly. However, recognizing individual differences, each student is responsible for his/her own attendance and for making-up any missed study or work. Limited assistance will be offered to those with plausible reasons for absences; unexcused absences will result in the student being totally responsible for the make-up process.

Students with disabilities

Please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs if you believe you need course accommodations based on the impact of a disability, medical condition, or if you have emergency medical information to share. I will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services if you are not already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating reasonable accommodations with the faculty.

Grades and evaluation

Students will be evaluated regularly and should be aware of their progress continuously during the academic term. The final course grade will be reported according to the stated University policy. All assignments must be submitted before their deadlines, and tests must be taken during the time windows when they are open. No late work will be accepted under any circumstances.

The final course grade will be calculated according to the following distribution of points:

Game engine analysis paper 10
Game proposal 5
Course project 30
Reflection paper 10
Test 1 20
Test 2 20
Attendance 5
Total 100

Course letter grade will be determined as follows:

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F
94-100 90-93.99 87-89.99 84-86.99 80-83.99 77-79.99 74-76.99 70-73.99 67-69.99 64-66.99 60-63.99 0-59.99