It is in the development of games that the basics Computer Science are merged into one topic. Graphics must take network communications into consideration. Artifical intelligence must utilize a user interface in order to obtain the human's input, and gauge a constructs reaction. Instead of allowing each field to move in static solitary advancement, a sophisticated computer game demands that each facet of Computer Science move in concert.
In addition, a game demands a mature design team. Each member must work on a separate piece of the puzzle and have each fit perfectly when it is time to inte grate. A game may call for more diverse integration than other projects. A pro grammer must wrestle not only with an obscure software tool-kit but also with making a clean interface which others may then utilize. Good timing and commu nication with other group members is a must.
Finally, advanced games demand a level of flow and robustness that many other software projects do not. The quality level of games sky-rockets as people demand more and more from their entertainment each year. The programmer must take into consideration that he or she is designing something which must maintain its flow and continuity in all possible situations. There are no acceptable errors. Discover ing bugs or bad design choices in an application program is usually considered inevitable and is merely an annoyance to the user. Should the same types of flaws present themselves during the course of a game, it is not unreasonable to expect that the user will throw the software away.
According to recent estimates the computer game industry is now larger than the film industry. It is further estimated that within the next 2 years, children in industrialized countries will spend more time playing computer games than watch ing TV. Despite the incredible growth of the computer entertainment industry, few Computer Science departments address issues directly relating to computer gaming. We feel that because of its ever increasing social impact, as well as its nature as a combination of specialized fields in computer science, computer game design is a valid subject of inquiry. This class will be one of the first to integrate knowledge from the entire field of computer science into a cohesive whole.
The focus of the GISP will be to study advanced algorithms and techniques in CS relating to game design. The non-collaborative assignments will consist of five programs and one presentation. Each program will be based on a single area of study and will be created by the focus group studying that area. The focus group members will do the assignment they assign to the class before it is given out to the whole group, and be graded both on their individual assignments and the support materials they produce. The expected length of the programs will be 500 to 1000 lines of code and will be of moderate complexity, or enough to give students a gen eral understanding of the topic.
For example, a Networking assignment might involve writing part of a networking package for a net-based version of Tic-Tac- Toe, and a User Interface assignment might involve the students being given a bad user interface and being asked to improve it. The areas covered will be Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Rendering, Simula tion and User Interface Design. Each student will also be required to make a pre sentation on the focus area he or she is studying. The goal is to have students study each of the focus areas and then do a program based on the material.
Due to the vast supply of potential source material, its rapidly changing nature, and the fact that much of it can only be found in electronic form it is difficult to make a static list of reading for each group at such an early date. Each research group is thus charged with the responsibility of compiling source material and selecting sources for the assignments which they will produce for the class (See #4 - Structure, and #3 - Bibliography). Groups which present their material earlier in the semester will therefore begin developing their material well before the start of the semester.
This GISP will be a collaborative study in Computer Science with a focus on the application of advanced technologies to games. Students will work in groups to develop and implement a game that takes advantage of these technologies in a cohe sive manner. They will also work in focus groups that study a particular area of CS and its unique application to game design. Students will be expected to present their findings in a lecture. They will be teaching other students material that they have researched and analyzed themselves, thereby heightening both their own learning experiences and those of their peers.