General information


Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Ana Beatriz Pérez Zapata

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Alfredo Gonzalez-Barros Camba

Teaching languages


  • Spanish

Skills


Basic skills
  • B1_That students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that is based on general secondary education, and is accustomed to finding at a level that, although with the support of advanced textbooks, also include some aspects that involve knowledge from the forefront of your field of study

     

  • B2_That students know how to apply their knowledge to their job or vocation in a professional way and have the skills they demonstrate by developing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of ​​study

     

  • B3_Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of ​​study), to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues

     

Specific skills
  • V2. Design the mechanics, rules, structure and narrative of video games following the criteria of gameplay and balance to provide the best possible gaming experience.

  • V3. Identify the type of player and design the game experience according to its psychological characteristics.

  • V5. Write the specifications of a game and communicate them effectively to the team of artists and developers and other members involved in the creation and development of the game.

Transversal competences
  • T2_That students have the ability to work as members of an interdisciplinary team either as one more member, or performing management tasks in order to contribute to developing projects with pragmatism and a sense of responsibility, making commitments taking into account the available resources

     

Description


The subject of Game Design II is the last approach to the creation of games that is carried out within the framework of the subject of Design and Creation of Games. We work from the perspective of gender theory and, more specifically, from the design of mechanics. The subject consists of sessions
theoretical, design sessions based on cases and oral defense sessions. In order to obtain knowledge of the subject, the creation of design documentation in specific cases and its oral defense is assessed, on the one hand, and theoretical knowledge on an individual basis.

Contents


Subject 1. Design of systems
1.1. Roles and tasks of a video game designer
1.2. The designer in the video game industry
1.3. Design tools and methods


Topic 2. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (I): Combat
2.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
2.2. Central mechanics of the genre
2.3. Case study


Topic 3. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (II): The shooter
3.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
3.2. Central mechanics of the genre
3.3. Case study


Topic 4. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (III): sports games
4.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
4.2. Central mechanics of the genre
4.3. Case study


Topic 5. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (IV): the puzzle
5.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
5.2. Central mechanics of the genre
5.3. Case study

Evaluation system


The grade of each student will be calculated following the following percentages:


A1. Laboratory practices: Mechanics definition workshops 40%
A2. Exercises to do in class: Oral defense of design proposals 20%
A3. Final exam 40%


Final grade = A1 0,4 + A2 0,2 + A3 0,4


Considerations:

  • You must obtain a grade above 5 in the final exam to pass the subject.
  • An activity not delivered or delivered late and without justification (court summons or medical matter) counts as a 0.
  • In the case of detecting plagiarism, copying or fraud in any evaluable activity or test, this will automatically obtain a final grade of 0. Additionally, in cases of copying or fraud, both the person who copies and the person who allows copying are responsible for their conduct, and the consequences of the conduct affect all students involved in the irregular action. Regardless of the suspension caused by plagiarism, copying or fraud, the professor will communicate the situation to the Department Management so that the applicable measures are taken in terms of disciplinary regime and the initiation of the relevant disciplinary file.
  • Misspellings, writing errors and formal and technical problems specific to the subject will be penalized with 0,10 points, up to a maximum of 2 points, in all assessable activities and tests


Recovery:

  • It is necessary to obtain a grade above 5 in the recovery exam to pass the subject.
  • The recovery will use the same system as the ordinary call: A1 0,4 + A2 0,2 + A3 0,4, with A3 being the mark of the recovery exam. In this case, the practices cannot be recovered and it is also necessary to obtain a grade above 5 in the recovery exam to pass the subject.

REFERENCES


Basic

Rogers, Scott. (2014), Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Wiley 2 edition.

Fullerton, Tracy. (2014). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, Third Edition, AK Peters/CRC Press.

 

Schell, Jesse. (2011). The Art of game design: a book of lenses. Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann.
 

Complementary

Adams, Ernest & Dormans, Joris. (2012). Game Mechanics, Advanced game design. New Riders Games.

Salen, Katie & Zimmerman, Eric. (2004). Rules of Play, Game Design Fundamentals. The MIT Press.

Come on, Katie. (2005). The Game Design Reader. A Rules of Play Anthology. The MIT Press.

Addison, Wesley. (2006). Level Design for Games: Creating Compelling Experiences. New Riders Games.