SGE Simulation and Game Eng. (SGE)

This course provides a broad overview of the game design process. Students explore the game design process by inventing the concept and design of their own board/video game. Students walk through the process of creating their own game design document and use it to guide them as they work on their game project. The course explores a variety of game design concepts while students work through their game project including game worlds, character development, core mechanics and game balance. Students are also introduced to the magic circle and level design.

This course is divided into three sections. The first section deals with physics and has students use rigidbodies, colliders, and hinges to create different physics effects. The second section of this course focuses on the user interface (UI) and building game menus and information to the screen in a clear manner to the player. The third section of the course is about artificial intelligence (AI) and designing different ways to have the games’ enemies patrol and attack.

This course focuses on 3D game development. The student will create movement scripts, design maze levels, create inventory systems, and script basic artificial intelligence (AI) for enemy players. Students create triggers to open doors and spawn events and non-player characters (NPCs). Students also learn how to script triggers that import images from third party websites into their game when players activate them, which can be used to add advertising or give the player directions.

This course has students build a complete first level of a 2D game similar to the original Mario Brothers game. Students build title screens, option menus, and other user interface (UI) elements such as health meters and coin counters. Students create triggers to spawn enemies, create moving platforms and obstacles for the player to get around. Students script basic artificial intelligence (AI) for enemy non-player characters (NPCs) and create an end condition to trigger the completion of the level.

This course develops the students’ understanding of simulation and game production and implementation. Activities are focused upon understanding of advanced concepts and implementation techniques central to game development. Lab activities are focused upon the writing of code for games in a high-level programming language. Upon completion, the student will be able to code for advanced gaming methods and procedures.

This course covers the use of game assets in the Unity game engine. Students will learn how to find assets in the Unity asset store as well as how to import pre-made assets from other sources outside the Unity asset store. These assets will include 3D art, animated characters as well as music and sound effects. Students will be shown several sites that offer these pre-made assets and the different licensing issues with these assets will be discussed.

This course further develops the students' understanding of the simulation/gaming production and implementation process. Class activities are focused upon understanding of more advanced concepts and implementation techniques central to the game and simulation development process. Lab activities are focused upon the writing of simple, yet complete, interactive programs in a high-level programming language.

This course is the capstone experience in video game design and development. The project experience will synthesize previously covered techniques by allowing the students to design and develop an entire simulation/game project. The students will, under the guidance of faculty mentors, take a complete project from idea to proposal to development to product in a diverse team environment. The project sequence culminates with the completion and formal presentation of a completed working interactive 3D simulation/game.