Module COMP41115: Game Architecture

Department: Computer Science

COMP41115: Game Architecture

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The purpose of this module is to allow students to study game engine architectures, providing them with an understanding of physics and artificial intelligence relevant to games engineering, and the skills to apply this understanding in a games engineering context.

Content

• Game engine architectures such as distributed systems and massively multi-player environments.
• Basic physics such as gravity and collision detection.
• Basic artificial intelligence such as non-player characters.
• Game theory.
• Particle systems such as fire, smoke and water.
• Real-time rendering, for example in distributed systems requirements.
• Network/online games.

Learning Outcomes

• An advanced level of knowledge of the theory, principles and practice of game architectures.
• An understanding of the physics of gaming.
• An understanding of the artificial intelligence of gaming.
• An advanced understanding of at least one publicly available game architecture.

• To be able to demonstrate the ability to design a computer game based on the given game engine.
• The technical process and industry-standard software lifecycle-based approach to designing and constructing game architecture.
• Advanced theoretical and practical appreciations of modern approaches to the software engineering required for physics, AI and game theory in the context of game architectures.

• Written communication skills to an appropriate professional standard.
• Apply research and problem solving.
• Achieve a practical solution through the integration of a number of technologies, many of which may be very rapidly changing.
• Confidently conduct oral presentations, perform time management and develop and promote their own ideas.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching will be a combination of lectures, tutorials (including group work and peer review), individual and group presentations with individual development work in practicals and laboratory exercises. All these activities will be customised to support the requirements of the summative report.
• Summative report will be a summary of code implemented in the module which demonstrates awareness of game architecture types with examples of physics and artificial intelligence in a gaming environment.
• Use of open source software will be explored to understand the utilisation of publicly available game architectures.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Staged written feedback of laboratory and practical work by staff/demonstrators.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University