Technical Game Development I

Breakdown

Final grades will be computed as follows:

Project 1	Catch a Dragonfly	10%
Project 2	Dragonfly (Egg, Naiad, Dragonfly)	50%
Project 3	Dragonfly Spawn (Plan, Alpha, Final)	25%
Exams	Mid-term and Final	15%

The bulk of the course grade will involve programming. This can be done on either Windows, MacOS or Linux but must be in C++. C++ will not be taught (although various C++ techniques will be re-introduced), and it is assumed students have had signficant exposure to C++ before starting this course. The grading policy for each project will be provided at the time of the assignment. In general, for each project there is a basic objective for the majority of the assignment points. There may be an extended objective for demonstrating additional work and understanding. Projects, including all data and source code, as appropriate, will be turned in online as specified in the writeups.

The first two projects (and any sub-projects) are to be done individually, without partners. The third project, developing a game using your own engine, should be done in groups of exactly two (no more, no less).

There will be two in-class exams. These are designed to test important class concepts that may not have been adequately demonstrated in the programming projects. The first exam is roughly mid-way through the term, and the second is on the last day of the term. The second exam is non-cumulative. There is a remote possibility of a pop quiz for which no advance notice will be provided. Exams will be closed book and closed notes, unless otherwise indicated. The majority of each exam will cover concepts presented in class with a few questions testing additional understanding and insight.

Final grades will reflect the extent to which understanding of the material has been demonstrated and the assigned projects completed. The base level grade will be a "B" which indicates that the basic objectives on projects and exams have been met. A grade of an "A" indicates significant achievement beyond the basic objectives. A grade of a "C" indicates not all basic objectives were met, but work was satisfactory for credit. No incomplete grades are assigned unless there exist exceptional, extenuating circumstances. Similarly, no project dealine extensions or makeup exams will be given unless there are exceptional, extenuating circumstances.

Late Policy

Exams are done, and due, in class. Projects are due online at 11:59pm on the due date, unless otherwise noted. Late projects are accepted up to two days late, with the weekend (Saturday plus Sunday) counting as one day. Any late project is penalized 10% of the total assignment value per day, unless otherwise noted.

Class Conduct

This course is intended for serious students. Participants are expected to adhere to all rules of professional behavior. It is to be emphasized that knowledge of material and professional behavior are tied together; failure in one of them negates any excellence in the other.

All work is expected to be done individually, unless otherwise specified. As such, students are encouraged to discuss their work with each other, but are also expected to do the work by themselves.