Ryan
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From: PERMANA --SYDVM1 Date and time 24/11/94 12:25:09 To: CSPITERI--SYDVM1 Craig Spiteri TTRAN --SYDVM1 X.T. Tran SHELSWEL--SYDVM1 Ryan Shelswel TANGPHIL--SYDVM1 Phil Tang VTFIRMAN--SYDVM1 Firman Lynarko SANTANA --SYDVM1 Manny Santana VTSEACH --SYDVM1 Adrian Seach VTGAZO --SYDVM1 Johmar Gazo CCHAI --SYDVM1 Colin Chai ALLANTIN--SYDVM1 Allan Tin CFLEMING--SYDVM1 Chris Fleming
From: Richard Permana Subject: University-level Games Programming Class
I pulled this off of the Internet...thought it might be of some interest. especially in that IBM donated money for some of the hardware...
[long - 100 lines]
From: ian@nospam.ponder.csci.unt.edu (Ian Parberry):
This is the last call for my computer games class at the University of North Texas - classes start on Monday. Please forgive me for posting this to the whole world. I want everybody to see what we are doing here. I'd love to get feedback by email from as many people as possible even if you cannot come to UNT to take the course. I can use it as evidence to the Administration that this course needs to be "on the books" permanently. So if you think it is a good idea, please drop me a line.
We have a 600 square foot laboratory containing 5 DX-2's, each with a sound card, mouse, joystick, and internet access, with a total of 30MB of RAM and 3.5GB of disk space. This will be augmented in the Fall with 3-5 Pentiums courtesy of an equipment grant from IBM.
I also have a computer games project (LARC) that is producing commercial computer games to be marketed for the benefit of the University of North Texas. We have a number of small puzzle games, a 3D flight simulator, and a 2D network based game under development, and are in the initial phases of negotiating contracts with three companies to market them.
For more information, please contact me at ian@nospam.hercule.csci.unt.edu.
Announcing CSCI 4980.002 Computer Game Design and Programming
Fall 1994
Time: MW 5:00--6:20 Office: GAB 327 Place: GAB 438 Phone: (817) 565-2845 Instructor: Dr. Ian Parberry Email: ian@nospam.ponder.csci.unt.edu
Synopsis: Want to learn how to design and program computer games? Want to break into the computer games market? Want to write commercial quality games? Want the opportunity to work in a group environment with experienced games programmers? Are you self-directed? Eager to learn? Tired of traditional classes? Then this is the class for you.
Objectives: This course will provide an introduction to the design and coding of computer games. The emphasis will be on commercial quality games in the most popular genres, including strategy, arcade, flight simulation, battle, and brain-games. The general principles will be taught by examining commercial games and exploring the techniques used to program them. The aim of this course is to prepare students and give them the opportunity to gain the experience needed to produce and market their own games, or find a job with a computer games company. Successful students will also have an opportunity to participate in the Laboratory for Recreational Computing, a UNT project to produce commercial and shareware games.
Prerequisites: CSCI 2010 (Assembly Language Programming) and CSCI 3400 (Data Structures). Also recommended but not mandatory: CSCI 3700 (Advanced Assembly Language Programming) and CSCI 4420 (Introduction to Computer Graphics).
Grading: Grades will be based on homeworks and programming assignments. The majority of the grade will be based on a group project to produce a proposal for a commercially viable computer game, with completion of a demonstration program that exhibits the major features of the game.
Course Material: We will select material from the following list, according to the interests and abilities of the students:
1. Basics: Terminology. The primary game genres.
2. Game reviews: The best games in the leading genres. The features that make them sell. How to program these features.
3. The parts of a game: The pre-game module. The game engine. Menu systems. Scoring. User interfaces that work. Common mistakes to avoid in user interfaces.
4. Game design: How to design a commercial game. What the user looks for in a game. Putting together a production team. Team composition: programmers, level designers, gophers, artists, musicians, testers. Storyboarding versus freewheeling. Putting together a solid proposal.
5. Introduction to the Internet: The programs ftp, archie, and gopher. Connecting to the internet. Network news. Commonly used ftp sites. Net etiquette.
6. Hardware: Mice and joysticks. Sound and video. Midi and digital sampling. Game environments on the IBM PC, MAC, and Amiga. Cartridge games. CD-ROM.
7. Graphics for computer games: 3-D projection systems. 2-D graphics. Graphics libraries.
8. MUDS: Multi-User interactive Dungeon Systems. Design and implementation. Nongame applications.
9. Adventure games: Common adventure engines: TADS, ADL, ADSYS. Adventure, Zork, and their derivatives. Designing interactive fiction.
10. Marketing strategies: Shareware. Freeware. Copy protection. How to find a company to market your game. Who the big players are. How to get their attention. What they do for you. What they demand of you as a programmer.
11. Social issues: Copyright laws. Pirating. Political correctness. Sex and violence in games. Morals and personal ethics in the gaming industry.
---Karl R. Dalley : Internet: 8ball@nospam.cs.utexas.edu Status: ex-IBM co-op, recent B.S. in C.S. graduate looking for a job
Cheers, Richard Permana SYDVM1(PERMANA) Internet:rpermana@nospam.vnet.ibm.com Cumberland Forest(FF22) EXT : (02) 354-7552