CMPS-4490 Game Design, Spring 2020
Gordon Griesel
Office: Sci III 337
Office Hours: see my schedule, or make an appointment
Email: gordon@cs.csubak.edu

Course web site: https://www.cs.csub.edu/~gordon/4490/

Course meets:
MWF 11:00am - 11:50am in Sci III 315 (lecture 32805)
Tues 10:00am - 12:30am in Sci III 315 (lab 32806)
Course Description:
This course introduces the fundamentals of Computer Game Programming.

From the catalog:
The course will cover fundamental concepts behind designing a game engine. The concepts, theories, and programming aspects of physics engine, graphics engine, and control engine will be covered. Each week lecture meets for 150 minutes and lab meets for 150 minutes. Prerequisite: CMPS 2120, or 3480, or 3350.

Lecture Topics and Rough Schedule
The topics below are the general subjects of the course, and will
be introduced and discussed sequentially as the course progresses.
Subjects could be added or removed.

Elements of a game engine
• main game program
   input
      . events
      . keyboard
      . mouse
      . communication
   physics
      . collision detection
      . timing
      . optimization
   rendering
      . computer graphics
	  . static scene
      . characters
      . lighting
      . special effects
      . 2D and 3D
• audio
   . OpenAL
   . Listener
• communication
   . multi-player
   . POSIX sockets
• artificial intelligence
   . path finding
   . enemies
• scoring
   . web interface
• configuration
• help
Distribution
• vendor service

Textbooks:
Our textbook material will come from the school's Safari website.
These books are provided free by the CSUB Library.
Sections of the following books will be used:

Game Development Patterns and Best Practices
   By: John P. Doran; Matt Casanova
   Publisher: Packt Publishing
   Pub. Date: April 27, 2017
   Print ISBN-13: 978-1-78712-783-8
   Web ISBN-13: 978-1-78712-696-1
   Pages in Print Edition: 394

Game Physics Cookbook
   By: Gabor Szauer
   Publisher: Packt Publishing
   Pub. Date: March 24, 2017
   Print ISBN-13: 978-1-78712-366-3
   Web ISBN-13: 978-1-78712-081-5
   Pages in Print Edition: 480

Supplemental Materials:
OpenGL Programming Guide:
The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL, Version 4.3.
8th Edition
Available free online at: http://www.glprogramming.com/red/

Grading Policy:
General assignments   50%
  . labs
  . homework
  . quizzes
  . attendance
Exams                 20%
Project               30%
-------------------------
Total                100%

Grading scale used during the semester...
    A   93%
    A-  90%
    B+  87%
    B   83%
    B-  80%
    C+  77%
    C   73%
    C-  70%
    D+  67%
    D   63%
    D-  60%
    F   50%

Attendance
Class attendance is both recommended and required.
Attendance is usually taken before class begins. When our class time-block
starts, you should already be in your seat and ready to go. Not being in
the classroom when class begins is an attendance mark.

One attendance mark is no big deal. The second attendance mark causes a
deduction of 1/2 percent to your overall course grade. The count then starts
again. Every second attendance mark causes a 0.5% deduction in your grade.

Note:
Current time is determined using an Andriod phone which runs about 15-seconds
behind the official U.S. time presented on www.time.gov. Plan your time using
time.gov and never be late.

Late arrivals
Arriving late to class after roll has been taken causes an attendance mark.
If you do arrive late, enter quietly and do not walk across the classroom
looking for a seat. A disturbance to the class can cause an additional
attendance mark.

Labs
Labs are hands-on assignments designed to be done in the classroom
on classroom computers. You may install the necessary components
on your own laptop computer, and bring it to class.
  - Attendance is required for any credit.
  - Full attendance is required for full credit.
Each lab will have some tasks that are due by the end of the lab period.
A lab assignment could be extended into a homework assignment.
Important: Do no arrive late to a lab session and then ask another student
to help you with the assignment. This can result in a score of zero.
Ask your instructor for help instead.

Homework
Homework assignments and due dates will be posted on the course website.
It is common for a lab assignment to be extended into a homework assignment.
Sharing of assignment files is not allowed. If you miss a class session,
do not ask for or accept the completed or partially-completed assignment files
of another student. This will result in a score of zero for all students
involved. Instead, ask your instructor how to get caught-up with the class. 

Quizzes
A quiz is a short exam that covers current material from reading, lecture,
lab, homework, and project material. Quizzes can be online or written.
A quiz can be given at any time during any class session.

Exams
Exams will be announced in advance.

Late Assignment Policy
Assignments submitted late are not accepted and receive a score of zero.

Compile and build standards for all work
Compile flags C++11, C++14, and C++17 are not needed for work in this course.
If you need them, please make sure your programs compile on the Odin server
and on our classroom computers.

Time Conflicts
Time conflicts are not allowed. Your own personal schedule must allow you to
arrive on-time to class, and stay for the entire class period.
CMPS-3350 is a hands-on course taught in-person in the classroom by your
instructor. This course is in no way an on-line course. In-class assignments
are not to be done at some remote location. All exams require your in-class
on-time attendance also.

Accommodations
Students requiring accommodations should speak with the instructor at the start
of the course. To make arrangements for accomodations, please contact SSD at
the following link: http://www.csub.edu/univservices/ssd/services2.htx

Classroom Behavior
Please do not...
  • wear headphones of any type in the classroom.
  • use your cellphone during class time.
  • walk across the classroom while a lecture is in progress.
  • hold a conversation with another student during a lecture.

Absence from class
If you miss a class and wish to make up the work, it is your responsibility to
inform your instructor of the reason for missing class (documentation required)
and to arrange to make up exams, quizzes, and class work, to the extent that
this is possible. Excusable absences include, but are not limited to:
Illness, injury, family emergency, etc.
See a complete list at CSUB Catalog page 64.

Recordings
Under California Education Code Section 51512, it is illegal for any person,
including a student, to use an electronic device to record what is happening
in the classroom without the consent of the instructor. This includes photos.
The instructor for this course does not give consent for electronic recording
of any kind. If a disability requires you to record a class session,
then please contact SSD so accommodations can be made.

Academic Integrity Policy
All work done in this course is individual work, unless specified otherwise.
Please do not share your work with other students.
Refer to the Academic Integrity policy printed in the campus catalog and class
schedule. Violations are enforced in accordance with the Department's policy
on academic honesty.


Amendments
Your instructor reserves the right to amend this syllabus during the semester.