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This unit aims to develop your understanding of computer game engines, and provide you with the skills needed to use them when developing a new game.

The Sales Concept Team at your games company has approached a leading media company and proposed to them that they could use a game to encourage new customers to use their services. This “link bait” method is intended to entice an entirely new and untapped audience onto the potential client’s website with the aim of introducing them to their products and services.

To understand the relationships between 3D computer game elements you must describe how static and dynamic 3D elements relate to one another in a computer game. This should take the form of a written report, which may be supported by an accompanying slideshow. You must keep all of your research notes and records and must use a range of sources for your research.

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  Dynamic elements: animated 3D meshes, eg non-player characters, foliage, background props, physics-enabled geometry; entities, eg items the player can pick up, waypoints for artificial intelligence pathfinding, information used to initialise the game; dynamic lights (point lights, spot lights, directional lights); trigger objects; invisible volumetric objects that control gameplay, eg water volumes, fog volumes, blocking meshes
  
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  Static elements: visible 3D models, eg environmental architecture, foliage; background objects, eg skyboxes; lightmapping; constructive solid geometry (convex geometry, concave geometry)
  
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  Relationships between game elements: game rules; balancing gameplay; ending conditions (victory, loss); feedback (positive, negative)
  

In order to achieve M1 you must identify the most appropriate static and dynamic 3D elements and explain the relationships of different game elements to one another.

You must be able to use cameras from 3D game engines to implement points of view in a computer game to produce example real-time (in-game) video clips. You must ensure that your choices demonstrate different virtual camera parameters, are justified in terms of the game’s genre (this may be inferred by quality of clip) or by means of annotated storyboards.

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  Point of view: first-person, eg Unreal Tournament, Half-Life, Mirror's Edge; third-person, eg Oni, Tomb Raider, Shadow Of The Colossus, Okami; context-sensitive, eg Alone In The Dark, Resident Evil, Broken Sword 3; aerial point of view, eg Rome: Total War, Myth
  
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  Virtual camera parameters: field of view; orthographic projection; clipping planes (near clip, far clip); transforms (position, rotation); interactive movement
  

To achieve M2 you must effectively employ the cameras to a high standard, and justify the choices made. This may not be inferred, but rather must be recorded, perhaps by means of annotated storyboards.

You will produce different types of input device for controlling a computer game. This will demonstrate the relationships between input devices and the virtual 3D world and the relationships between input devices and cameras. These controllers may be via keyboard, mouse or some other medium, must be evident within a submitted level and must be accompanied by some form of instructional material. You must work to a standard acceptable to an employer or client.

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  Input devices: implementation of PC devices, eg keyboard, mouse; understanding of console controllers, eg Sony Playstation controller, Nintendo Wii remote; understanding of handheld device inputs, eg Apple iPhone, Nintendo DS
  
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  Relationships between input devices and virtual 3D world: controls to manipulate objects in the world, eg interacting with doors to open them, keyboard movement for player character; controls to cue events, eg cutscene animations
  
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  Relationships between input devices and cameras: navigation of 3D environments; control of player's point of view
  

To achieve M3 you must apply an appropriate and structured approach to this implementation by means of some form of structured planning materials.

You will develop a sample playable mod for a gameplay genre using a 3D game engine, working to a standard acceptable to an employer or client. This application must then be fully demonstrated during an informal presentation.

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  Export: model properties, eg mesh, up-vector, animation, morphs, skins, material data, UV coordinates; file formats, eg .obj, .dxf, .fbx; game engines requirements
  
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  Mods: gameplay modification, eg creation of new ‘capture the flag’ levels in Unreal Engine 3, new Team Fortress ‘control point’ levels in Source Engine
  
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  Gameplay genres: platformer; puzzle; construction and management; massively multiplayer role-playing games
  
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  3D Game Engines: appropriate use of level editing software, eg Unreal Development Kit, Source Engine, CryEngine, Unity3D; gameplay scripting; game logic; sequenced events
  

To achieve M3 the playable must be produced to a good standard acceptable to an employer or client. Well structured planning work will also help to improve your grade.

A supporting slideshow,

A log of research notes and records

Justification of choices made (inferred, annotated storyboards,

Intuitive planning materials

Structured planning materials

A filmed informal presentation,