Agile Game Development
CS 415 - Summer 2022
Catalog description:
Prerequisite: CS 253. An introduction to the fundamental concepts of computer game programming. Students design and develop original computer games applying proven game design and software engineering principles. Topics include computer graphics and animation, elements of artificial intelligence, game-specific algorithms, human-computer interaction, as well as principles of physics and mathematics for collision detection and object interaction.
Logistics
Instructor | Dr. Stan Kurkovsky, Professor of Computer Science |
Office | MS 303-06 |
Phone | (860) 832-2720 |
kurkovsky@ccsu.edu | |
Office hours | TBA |
Class meetings | MTWR 10:15am-12:15pm online |
Textbook and other things you will need
- Agile Game Development with Scrum by Clinton Keith
Addison Wesley, 2010, ISBN 0321618521 - In-class handouts
- Instructor's web site available at http://www.cs.ccsu.edu/~stan/ and other web sites recommended by the instructor
Course learning outcomes
Program educational objectives and student outcomes are supported by the following course learning outcomes achieved by students upon a successful completion of this course:
- Hypothesize about the benefits and limitations of agile practices for game development;
- Evaluate and prioritize the features of a software project based on the stakeholder needs;
- Solve problems caused by limited resources and/or limited time;
- Estimate the time and resources required to accomplish specific tasks;
- Prioritize specific efforts and/or elements relative to the production goal;
- Play an effective role in a small software development team;
- Produce a computer game using modern development technologies.
Tentative schedule
Week 1: May 31 - June 3
- Tuesday
- Topic: Agile Development
- Agile game: Death match
- Team information sheet is due Monday, June 6
- Game engine analysis paper is due Tuesday, June 7
- Wednesday
- Topic: Scrum
- Agile game: Herculean donut
- Work on course project proposal and game engine analysis
- Thursday
- Topic: Sprints
- Agile game: The World of Goo deconstructed
- Work on the team information sheet and game engine analysis
- Friday
- Work on the team information sheet and game engine analysis
Week 2: June 6 - 10
- Monday
- Team information sheet is due
- Project reflection paper is due Friday, July 1
- Topic: User stories
- Agile game: Air Wings deconstructed
- Tuesday
- Game engine analysis paper is due
- Activity: Building a product backlog
- Wednesday
- Topic: Agile planning
- Agile game: Celebrity prioritization
- Thursday
- Activity: Sprint 1 planning
- Work on course project / sprint 1
- Friday
- Work on course project / sprint 1
- Test 1 is available through Sunday, June 12
Week 3: June 13 - 17
- Monday
- Topic: Agile projects
- Agile game: Presto manifesto
- Work on course project / sprint 1
- Tuesday
- Topic: Agile teams and iterations
- Agile game: You are not in control
- Work on course project / sprint 1
- Wednesday
- Work on course project / sprint 1
- Thursday
- Activity: Sprint 1 review & retrospective
- Activity: Sprint 2 planning
- Work on course project / sprint 2
- Friday
- Work on course project / sprint 2
Week 4: June 20 - 24
- Monday
- Topic: Agile technology and quality assurance
- Agile game: Collaborative poetry
- Work on course project / sprint 2
- Tuesday
- Topic: The myths and challenges of Scrum
- Agile game: Story spines
- Work on course project / sprint 2
- Wednesday
- Work on course project / sprint 2
- Thursday
- Activity: Sprint 2 review & retrospective
- Activity: Sprint 3 planning
- Work on course project / sprint 3
- Friday
- Work on course project / sprint 3
Week 5: June 27 - July 1
- Monday
- Work on course project / sprint 3
- Tuesday
- Work on course project / sprint 3
- Wednesday
- Work on course project / sprint 3
- Thursday
- Activity: Final project demo and retrospective
- Friday
- Project reflection paper is due
- Test 2 is available through Sunday, July 3
Online activities
Students are required participate in all course content items listed as "Agile game" or "Activity" in the course schedule above. These will be conducted synchronously online. Each game/activity will supplement and enrich the corresponding course topic.
Students are responsible for reading the corresponding textbook material prior to each game/activity. Relevant course topics are listed under the "Topic" headings in the course schedule above. Notes on the course material presented on this website are just summaries and are not a good substitute for reading the relevant course chapters.
Midterm and final exams
Each test will focus on the most recent material. However, each test will very likely include some questions aimed at the material covered by the earlier test(s). Make-up tests may only be given if a student can provide a written proof of a serious reason for missing a test (such as illness or accident).
Course project
While working on the course project, students will use the knowledge and skills obtained in this course covering many if not all of the course topics. Working in teams, students will design, implement and document a computer game.
Course project is described in detail in this document.
Academic misconduct
All students are expected to demonstrate integrity in the completion of their coursework. Academic integrity means doing one's own work and giving proper credit to the work and ideas of others. It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with what constitutes academic dishonesty and plagiarism and to avoid all forms of cheating and plagiarism. Students who engage in plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct will face academic and possibly disciplinary consequences. Academic sanctions can range from a reduced grade for the assignment to a failing grade for the course. From a disciplinary standpoint, an Academic Misconduct Report may be filed and a Faculty Hearing Board may impose sanctions such as probation, suspension or expulsion.
For further information on academic misconduct and its consequences, please consult the Student Code of Conduct and the Academic Misconduct Policy.
Attendance
All students are expected to attend class sessions regularly. However, recognizing individual differences, each student is responsible for his/her own attendance and for making-up any missed study or work. Limited assistance will be offered to those with plausible reasons for absences; unexcused absences will result in the student being totally responsible for the make-up process.
Students with disabilities
Please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs if you believe you need course accommodations based on the impact of a disability, medical condition, or if you have emergency medical information to share. I will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services if you are not already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating reasonable accommodations with the faculty.
Grades and evaluation
Students will be evaluated regularly and should be aware of their progress continuously during the academic term. The final course grade will be reported according to the stated University policy. All assignments must be submitted before their deadlines, and tests must be taken during the time windows when they are open. No late work will be accepted under any circumstances.
The final course grade will be calculated according to the following distribution of points:
Game engine analysis paper | 10 |
Team info sheet | 5 |
Course project | 30 |
Reflection paper | 10 |
Test 1 | 20 |
Test 2 | 20 |
Attendance | 5 |
Total | 100 |
Course letter grade will be determined as follows:
A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- | F |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
94-100 | 90-93.99 | 87-89.99 | 84-86.99 | 80-83.99 | 77-79.99 | 74-76.99 | 70-73.99 | 67-69.99 | 64-66.99 | 60-63.99 | 0-59.99 |