CSC x171  Introduction to Interactive Entertainment



Course Information Grading Labs Homework Project Class Participation Resources


Course Information

Instructor

Place and Time

Zoë Wood
email: zwood 'at' calpoly.edu
office: 14-209
office hours:
MWF 10:30-12am


Lecture:
52-E26
MWF 2:10-3pm

Lab:
14-301
MWF 3:10-4pm

Description

CSC x171 is an introduction to interactive entertainment. It includes an overview of the development process of games and an introduction to gaming fundamentals: logic, story and game play. Students will use a click-and-drag software application to create an entertaining or informative, socially responsible application. The course will focus on software design, software development, teamwork, and basic programming concepts. The course is offered to be an enjoyable introduction to both computer science and interactive entertainment.

Learning Outcomes

Course Schedule

Here is a tentative lecture/reading schedule for the quarter.

Required Textbooks

Salen and Zimmerman , "Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals", 2004 The MIT Press, ISBN 0-262-24045-9

Recommended Textbooks

Keith Peters, "ActionScript 3.0 Animation", 2007 Friends of ED, ISBN 1-59059-791-5

Venit and Drake, "Extended Prelude to Programming: Concepts and Design (3rd ed)", 2007 Pearson Education, ISBN 0-321-41851-4

Prerequisites

Blackboard


Grading

Grading Distribution (approximately)

Labs 20%
Homework 10%
Project (Milestones, Paper, Demo) 45%
Class Exercises 10%
Midterms 15%
Total 100%

Grading Policy

Late Policy: Except for exceptional circumstances (e.g. a limb fell off), Late assignments will be given 0 points.

I will report all suspected incidents of academic dishonesty to the Office of Student's Rights and Responsibilities. If guilty, the student will receive an "F" in the course.


Labs

Lab Assignment Schedule

Assignment Due Points
Lab #1 (pdf) Oct 2 2.5%
Lab #2 (pdf) Oct 9 2.5%
Lab #3 (pdf) Oct 19 5%
Lab #4 (pdf) Nov 6 2%
Lab #5 (pdf) Nov 20 8%


Homework

Homework Assignment Schedule

Assignment Due Points
Homework #1 (html) Oct 2 3%
Homework #2 (html) Oct 28 3%
Homework #3 (html) Nov 20 4%


Final Project

Your final, quarter-long project in this class is to design and implement, in Flash, a game.

Milestone Schedule

Milestones Due Points
Milestone #0 (pdf) Sept 25 5%
Milestone #1 (pdf) Oct 14 5%
Milestone #2 (pdf) Nov 2 5%
Milestone #3 (pdf) Nov 16 5%
Milestone #3.5 (pdf) Dec 2 5%
Milestone #4 (pdf) Dec 9 20%


Class Participation

Your class participation grade is based on your performance in the following three areas:


Resources