The following is a list of some of the courses that I’ve taught over the last few years.
Game Design I
Through research, critical thinking, and theoretical analysis, students learn to employ basic game design techniques to their own creative projects. Students demonstrate their understanding of these principles with visual representations of their design choices. This course strongly focuses upon the role of mechanics in game design and how to represent these mechanics artistically. Projects involve real world hacks and board games as well as computer game oriented assignments.
Game Design II
Students apply concepts learned in Game Design 1, exploring the relationships between character and environment in both two and three dimensional space. This is largely a level design oriented course and course assignments and topics reflect that.
Game Design III
This course focuses on game theory and design. Game theory is a subset area of study called Decision Theory that determines how people make choices. Design focuses on game concepts and the development of meaningful play. Interactive narrative and character structures are explored in a relationship to single, multiple, and mass user gaming environments. Emphasis is placed on the creation of original, unique and useful gaming concepts. Students produce proof of concept collaterals in the form of storyboards, animatics, drawings, game design documents, and digital paintings, and mechanic prototypes.
Pre-Production for Games
Students go through a preproduction process orientated to the creation of material to be used as a basis for subsequent production of a computer-generated senior project for gaming. Stages include initial concept creation, game play testing, event mapping, character, environment and asset design, staging design, lighting studies and sound design. The elements are combined into a proof of collateral animatic and supplemental document.
Concept Development I
Students learn process through the practice of research, critical analysis, brainstorming and improvisational techniques to create ideas for effective animation. Material created in this class form a foundation for subsequent conceptual work in the animation major. This course focuses upon visual storytelling through exploration of situation, negotiation, camera choice, staging and storyboarding.
History of Computer Games
This course surveys the chronological landmarks in the history of computer games in the technical, design, and aesthetic fields. Beginning with the oldest known games, the course surveys the development of game culture and traditions around the world. Emphasis is placed upon the development of computer games from 1950 to the present. The course introduces students to the major movements, trends, and vectors in the development of computer game art and design and develops understandings of these in broader historical contexts.
Programming for Artists
This course develops the artist’s basic scripting skill set through graphical scripting in Kismet. The skills learned in this course help to develop the ability to create customized tools for game asset creation and management, to script level events, and to prototype game mechanics. Students learn to more elegantly and efficiently realize their artistic visions and design goals through acquiring basic skills for automating processes and creating graphical interfaces for their own tools and methods. The course introduces students to the basic techniques, principles, structures, and methods of scripting/programming. Students develop critical thinking techniques for simplifying cumbersome processes in the asset creation and management pipeline.
Games and Society
The ethical and social implications of games in contemporary society are explored with a focus on computer-generated video games. Students develop a broad conceptual understanding of the practice of play and gaming in relation to human society and community. Students learn to think critically and rigorously concerning the basic concepts of gaming and its contributions and inheritance within global culture. The course aims at developing students’ reflection upon their play and the play of others as embodied within a framework of economics, language, gender, and pre-existing and co-emergent social networks. The course develops conceptual and critical frameworks for analyzing games and gaming practices and deconstructing game worlds.
Maya Scripting for Animators
This course develops the artist’s ability to create customized tools for 3D animation. Students learn to more efficiently realize their artistic visions and design goals through acquiring basic skills for automating processes and creating graphical interfaces for their own tools and methods.
Concept Development for Games
Multiple-narrative, interactive narrative and character structures are explored in relationship to single, multiple, and mass-user gaming environments. Emphasis placed on the creation of original, unique and useful gaming concepts. Students produce proof of concept collaterals in the form of animatics, drawings and digital paintings. Students develop game worlds with accompanying story and mechanics in game pitch documents.
Rules of the Game
Students are introduced to the basics of game design, meaningful “play”, player interaction and multiple options for user choice and gaming content. Special attention is paid to the process used in creating and refining game content.
