CSIS 285 Video Game Development

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Course Description

A course for the study of the foundational skills in video game development. The course covers an overview of relevant programming methodology, use of 2D art and design, animation, and level design.

Instructor

J. Walker Orr, Ph.D.
Office hours: WMR 216 (see schedule)

Texts

required

• None

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Objectives

Students will learn the essentials of video game development in Unity include programming in C#, character creation and animation, and level design. Students will apply these skills to build a game as a class project.

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Course Organization

The course will include regular homework and/or programming assignments. Unless otherwise specified, assignments are due 5 minutes before midnight on the due date. There will be no credit given for late assignments (without an excused absence)—turn in as much as you can.

Reading assignments should be completed before the lecture covering the material. Not all reading material will be covered in the lectures, but you will be responsible for the material on homework and exams. Quizzes over the assigned reading may be given at any time.

Collaboration

See the GFU CS/IS/Cyber policies for collaboration and discussion of collaboration and academic integrity. Most students would be surprised at how easy it is to detect collaboration in programming—please do not test us! Remember: you always have willing and legal collaborators in the faculty.

Almost all of life is filled with collaboration (i.e., people working together). Yet in our academic system, we artificially limit collaboration. These limits are designed to force you to learn fundamental principles and build specific skills. It is very artificial but intensional for your own benefit. The only way for you to learn is by doing the work.

To be clear, do not:

• Copy other students work
• Copy code from an online sources such as Stack Overflow
• Generate code with "AI" tools such as ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot

Spiritual Formation

Besides EYS, I am always available to discuss the Christian faith if you have any questions or doubts. Send me an email, come by my office hours, or talk to my after class, Christ is the reason I am at GFU, I always have time to talk about faith.

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Grading

The final course grade will be based on:

Grading Scale

• 75% Project
• 25% Participation

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Tentative Schedule

1 Intro to Unity, Essential Concepts & World Building

2 C#, MVC, Singleton Pattern, Physics, & Player Controls and Animation

3 Colliders, Collectables, & Event Handling

4 Scriptable Objects & Entity Component Systems

5 NPCs, NPC Controls, & Events

6 MVC part 2, Menus, & UI

7 Scene & Level Management

8 NPC State, Path Finding, & AI

9 Progression & Game Systems

10 Game Design Theory

11 Level Design

12 Student Projects

13 Student Projects

14 Student Projects

15 Student Projects

Week	Topic
1	Intro to Unity, Essential Concepts & World Building
2	C#, MVC, Singleton Pattern, Physics, & Player Controls and Animation
3	Colliders, Collectables, & Event Handling
4	Scriptable Objects & Entity Component Systems
5	NPCs, NPC Controls, & Events
6	MVC part 2, Menus, & UI
7	Scene & Level Management
8	NPC State, Path Finding, & AI
9	Progression & Game Systems
10	Game Design Theory
11	Level Design
12	Student Projects
13	Student Projects
14	Student Projects
15	Student Projects

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1. GFU
2. CSIS
3. J. Walker Orr
4. CSIS 285