{"id":13,"date":"2012-08-19T13:16:59","date_gmt":"2012-08-19T13:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2012\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2012-10-21T15:53:37","modified_gmt":"2012-10-21T15:53:37","slug":"syllabus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Syllabus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carnegie Mellon University – School of Art
\nProfessor: Paolo Pedercini
\nCourse number: 60427
\nClassroom: CFA 303 + CFA 318 (Mac Lab)
\nTime: 6:30PM – 9:20PM
\nOffice: CFA 419A – 4th Floor
\nOffice hours: By appointment
\nEmail address: paolop [at] andrew [dot] cmu [dot] edu<\/p>\n

A hands-on game design course focused on innovative and expressive forms of gameplay. The emphasis is on the complex relationship between storytelling and games: from point-and-click graphic adventure games to AI-driven interactive narratives. The class involves frontal lectures, design exercises and in-depth analysis of works from the digital arts and the independent gaming world. This installment of Experimental Game Design does not require any substantial coding experience but all students will be required to tackle some programming and produce visual content.<\/p>\n

LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h1>\n

Upon completion of the course students will (hopefully) be able to:<\/p>\n

* Create playable games or prototypes with innovative gameplays or expressive\/political value.<\/p>\n

* Critically analyze the mechanics of games including its ideological and cultural underpinnings.<\/p>\n

* Discuss their interactive works in the context of new media art and\/or in relation with mainstream cultural production.<\/p>\n

DISCLAIMER<\/h1>\n

* Being passionate about game might help but please keep in mind this is not a class for sharing our love for video games or video game culture. We’ll try to approach the subject critically and focus on cutting-edge developments at the margins of the mainstream game industry.<\/p>\n

* This is an art course and CMU School of Art is focused on conceptual practice, it means that your primary goal will be to create meaningful, personal and unique works – not necessarily elegant, balanced, well designed, entertaining products. More industry-oriented game design classes are offered by the ETC.<\/p>\n

STRUCTURE<\/h1>\n

The course is structured in 4 units and a “main project”. Every unit revolves around an assignment, a digital production tool and various theoretical topics. The main project will take about half of the semester and consists in the production of a complete playable artifact.<\/p>\n

Home play: you will be strongly encouraged to play some games that relates to the unit, and present them to your classmates for discussion. A schedule for the presentations will be defined soon.<\/p>\n

Tool: this is an ETB class so the emphasis is on digital tools but I’m open to the possibility of computer-less projects (card\/board games, rpgs, outdoor\/urban games, performances\u2026). Each unit is associated to a “recommended” development tool that will be properly introduced and supported. If you have significant previous experience with other tools you are free to adopt them.<\/p>\n

Readings: being a studio class, Experimental Game Design is relatively light on theory. However you’ll be required to read and respond to a short text chosen among the one I recommend for each unit.<\/p>\n

UNITS<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nGAMES VS. STORIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topics:<\/strong> Ludology & Narratology. Branching narrative from Borges to the Hypertext.<\/p>\n

Tools:<\/strong> Twine<\/p>\n

Assignment:<\/strong> Write a text-only branching story with one or more of the following features:
\nNon-human (or better, non-animal) main character
\nEvents out of chronological order
\nMultiple characters<\/p>\n

Note: avoid dialogues (it’s the next assignment), life choices, choose your own adventure tropes (moving, fighting, dying etc.).<\/p>\n

Home Play:<\/strong>
\n253 by Geoff Ryman (1996)
\nEverybody Dies by Jim Munroe and Michael Cho (2008)
\nHummingbird Mind by Jake Elliot (2010)
\nThe Immoral Ms. Conduct by Hannah Epstein (2011)
\nDigital: a love story by Christine Love (2010)
\nSpent by McKinney (2011)
\nMurder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog by Thecatamites (2011)<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/strong>
\nThe garden forking paths \u2013 Jorge Luis Borges (1941)
\nCYOA \u2013 Christian Swinehart (200?)
\nComputer Lib \/ Dream Machines \u2013 Ted Nelson (1974)
\n1000 Plateaux: Rhizome \u2013 Gilles Deleuze and F\u00e9lix Guattari (1980)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nLITTLE COMPUTER PEOPLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topics: <\/strong>Character design. The Eliza effect.<\/p>\n

Tools: <\/strong>Ren Py<\/p>\n

Assignment: Use a “visual novel” editor to create a multiple choice dialogue with a virtual character. The project may have one or more of the following features:<\/p>\n

The character is a portrait\/caricature of a person you know
\nThe character is based on the personality types from the Myers-Briggs test (note: pseudo-science)
\nThe character is a credible depiction of a person affected by mental or behavioral disorder
\nAny of the above, but applied to the player’s character<\/p>\n

Note: you can make it goal-oriented (persuade the character) but avoid “dating sims” tropes.<\/p>\n

Home Play:<\/strong>
\nGamer Mom by Mordechai Buckman & Kyler Kelly (2012)
\nAir pressure by BentoSmile (2010)
\nUltimate Flirt off by Radstronomical (2012)
\nGalatea by Emily Short (2000)
\nFacade by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern (2005)
\nProm Week by Expressive Intelligence Studio (2012)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nDESIGNING WORLDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topics: <\/strong>Indie revolution. Elements of animation.<\/p>\n

Tool:<\/strong> Flash – point and click toolkit provided<\/p>\n

Assignment: <\/strong>Make a one-screen interactive scenario that introduces the player to a visually unique and consistent world. Think about where it can go from there. The project may have one or more of the following features:<\/p>\n

The palette is made by only 4 colors
\nThe scenario portrays a non-humanoid extraterrestrial sexual intercourse
\nThe scenario doesn’t represent a physical space but an abstract concept(s)<\/p>\n

Notes: It can be a point and click puzzle and have a resolution, but avoid the straightforward “room escape” tropes.<\/p>\n

Home play:<\/strong>
\nSamorost by Amanitadesign (2005)
\nMachinarium by Amanitadesign (2009)
\nBotanicula by Amanitadesign (2012)
\nWindosill by Patrick Smith (2009)
\nCoil by Edmund McMillen (2008)
\nI Fell in Love With the Majesty of Colors by Ludus Novus (2008)
\nMoon Stories by Daniel Benmergui (2008)
\nA House in California by Jake Elliott (2011)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nSTORIES IN SPACE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topics:<\/strong> Art games. Joystick envy: women and games.<\/p>\n

Tools:<\/strong> Flash – Template provided<\/p>\n

Assignment:<\/strong> Starting from the template make an explorable space that tells a non-linear story. The work may have one or more of the following features:<\/p>\n

Broken time-space continuum
\nNon stereotypical female protagonist
\nCharacter and\/or scenario are affected by players’ interaction
\nAutobiographical<\/p>\n

Homeplay:<\/strong>
\nThe Cat and the Coup by Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad (2011)
\nPassage by Jason Roher (2007)
\nSword and Sworcery by Superbrothers and Capybara Games (2011)
\nToday I Die by Daniel Benmergui (2008)
\nCart life by Richard Hofmeier (2011)
\nDys4ia by Anna Anthropy (2012)
\nTrauma by Krystian Majewski (2010)
\nNorrland by Cactus (2010)
\nMirror Stage by Increpare (2009)
\nLove Punks by Yijala Yala (2012)
\nSissy Magical Ponycorn adventure by Untold Entertainment (2011)<\/p>\n

Homeplay (3D):<\/strong>
\nBad day on the Midway by The Residents (1995)
\nDear Esther by the Chinese Room (2008-2012)
\nStanley Parable by Davey Wreden (2011)
\nProteus by Ed Key & David Kanaga (201-)
\nThe Path by Tale of tales (2009)
\nDinner Date by Jerome Stout (2010)
\nIn Ruins by Tom Betts (2012)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMAIN PROJECT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ideally, the main project is a development of one of the ideas emerged in the first four assignments.
\nYou can also pitch an entirely new idea.<\/p>\n

Groups (up to 3 students) are allowed.<\/p>\n

You’ll be required to report on your progress weekly.<\/p>\n

Home play:<\/strong>
\nCase studies proposed by students<\/p>\n

GRADING<\/h1>\n

10% Unit 1
\n10% Unit 2
\n10% Unit 3
\n10% Unit 4
\n40% Main project
\n20% Class participation<\/p>\n

Grading sucks but someone has to do the dirty job. Assignments and final project are graded according to the following criteria:<\/p>\n

E. The student failed to deliver the assignment.
\nD. The game\/prototype doesn’t work, has major bugs or is incomplete to a point that is impossible to get a clear idea of the user experience.
\nC. The game\/prototype is functional and complete in all of its parts. Both the technical execution and the concept are sufficient but not outstanding.
\nB. Good concept and excellent technical execution. Or, vice versa, excellent idea and good technical execution.
\nA. Outstanding concept and implementation. This is usually reserved to the top 10%.<\/p>\n

POLICIES<\/h1>\n

* Attendance: three or more unexcused absences result in the drop of a letter grade.<\/p>\n

* Absences: you are responsible for what happens in class whether you\u2019re here or not. Organize with your classmates to get class information and material that you have missed.<\/p>\n

* Participation: you are invited, encouraged, and expected to engage actively in discussion, reflection and activities.<\/p>\n

* Net addiction: you can exist for few hours without tweettering, facebooking, chatting, texting or emailing. Any device for mediated communication is banned during theory classes, crits and discussions. A 1% grade reduction will result from being found using them.
\nDuring the lab hours you will be allowed to network as long as your behaviour is not disruptive.<\/p>\n

* Assignments: late assignments are only accepted with permission of instructor. You lose 10% of your points per day late up to a max of 7 days late.<\/p>\n

* Tardiness: 1st tardy = free.
\nLess than 10 minutes late = 1% grade reduction.
\nOver 20 minutes late = absence (unless justified).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carnegie Mellon University – School of Art Professor: Paolo Pedercini Course number: 60427 Classroom: CFA 303 + CFA 318 (Mac Lab) Time: 6:30PM – 9:20PM Office: CFA 419A – 4th Floor Office hours: By appointment Email address: paolop [at] andrew [dot] cmu [dot] edu A hands-on game design course focused on innovative and expressive forms<\/p>\n