Concordia University Logo COMP 476/4
Advanced Game Development
Winter Session 2012
News:
  • (May 3/12) Here are the Final Marks. The grades have been submitted. Please let me know if you have any issues with the marks.
  • (Apr 11/12) Here is a summary of All Marks Thus Far, including presentation and midterm marks.
  • (Apr 8/12) Information on the class presentations is posted.
  • (Apr 5/12) Project Demo Schedule
  • (Mar 28/12) Solution for Theory Questions for Assignment 3 posted.
  • (Mar 12/12) Marks for Assignment 2 posted. Here is a summary of All Marks Thus Far.
  • (Mar 8/12) Information on the class presentations is posted.
  • (Feb 1/12) Extra lab hour this week (if you need Assignment 1 help): Friday, Feb. 3, 1pm-2pm in H-842.
  • (Jan 22/12) Detailed information on the Team Project is posted.
  • (Jan 15/12) Assignment 1 is posted. It is due Friday, February 3rd (note change in due date).
  • (Dec 30/11) Welcome. Course Page still under development. Much of the material is password protected. You can access the course info and first week's slides.
    • Course Outline:
    Course Outline Handout: ( PDF ) 
    Lab Instructor and Marker Information:

    COMP 476: ADVANCED GAME DEVELOPMENT (4 credits)
    LECTN  -T-J---14:4516:00H-537 Fevens, T.
    LABNNI ---J---13:0014:40H-842            Kaustubha Mendhurwar
    LABNNJ -T-----13:0014:40H-842            Kaustubha Mendhurwar
    Marker: Kaustubha Mendhurwar

    More Lab Information including topics covered weekly.

    Instructor Office Hours: Thursdays, 12h00-13h00, EV 3.157 (or feel free to email me to arrange for an appointment).

    Assignments:
    Electronic Submission: https://fis.encs.concordia.ca/eas/

    Assignment 1: ( PDF )  (posted Jan 15; updated Jan 16; updated Jan 19)
                 - Due Friday, Feb 3 (note change in due date)
                Assignment 1 Theory Questions Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down).
                Assignment 1 Practical Question Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down; updated Feb 27).
                 [ Solution to Theory Questions: ( PDF )  (posted Feb 5) ]
    Assignment 2: ( PDF ) 
                 - Due Friday, Feb 24 (note change in due date) (demos Feb 28/March 1)
                Assignment 2 Theory Questions Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down).
                Assignment 2 Practical Question Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down; updated Mar 21).
                 [ Solution to Theory Questions: ( PDF )  ]
    Assignment 3: ( PDF )   [updated Mar 4: changed all references to bounding boxes to bounding volumes]
                 - Due Friday, Mar 23 (demos March 27/29)
                Assignment 3 Theory Questions Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down).
                Assignment 3 Practical Question Detailed Marking: PDF  (question by question marking break-down).
                 [ Solution to Theory Questions: ( PDF )  Corrected solution to question 1 -- had wrong mass 1; corrected question 2 solution - had headings of columns of n-gram predictors backwards ]
    Project:
    Project Information
    Class Presentation:
    Class Presentation Information
    Overheads:
    The set of slides (see below) used in class are given below. Note that the links are password protected (except for Week 1 until the start of classes).
    Course Overheads, by Week:
    Week 1: Introduction to Course; Review of Game Architecture;
                  Game Engine Design; Scripting.
                  Related: Devmaster's searchable listing of game engines     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 2: Game AI Fundamentals. Introduction to Movement AI.
                      		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 3: Movement AI - Basic Techniques; Combining Movements;
                  Jumping; Coordinated Movement.
                  Related: Craig Reynolds' site on Steering Behaviors
                  Related: A chapter on computing trajectories (PDF)     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 4: Pathfinding AI - Basic Techniques; A* & Variants
                  Related: Amit Patel's site on Heuristics for A*     		( 2-Up format, PDF ) [updated Jan 26, added pages 56-98; updated Jan 31, added A* example details]
    Week 5: Decision Making - Decision Trees; State Machines;
                  Behaviour Trees; Fuzzy Logic; Goal-Oriented Behavior
                  Related: AI-Depot's page on State Machines     		( 2-Up format, PDF ) [updated Feb 1, added material on Goal-Oriented Behavior; updated Feb 5, corrected example on behaviour trees]
    Week 6: Tactical AI - Waypoint Tactics, Tactical Analysis,
                  Tactical Pathfinding, Coordinated Action     		( 2-Up format, PDF ) [updated Feb 9, added material on Coordinated Action]
    Week 7: Learning
                      		( 2-Up format, PDF ) [updated Feb. 16; added slides 53-100]
    Week 8: Reading Week
                      		 
    Week 9: Game Physics: Collision Detection. Bounding Volume
                  Hierarchies, Spatial Partitioning; Collision Geometry
                  Related: Bounding Boxes in XNA     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 10: Game Physics: Collision Resolution.
                  Related: Impulse-Based Simulation
                  Related: Physics Collision - Practical Issues
                  Related: Tutorial - Collision Detection and Response     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 11: Networked Gaming; Multiplayer Games.
                  Related: XNA Tutorial for Adding Multiplayer Support     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 12: Mobile Gaming
                      		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 13: Improving Realism: Audio
                  Midterm (Thursday)
                  Related: Enhancing the Impact of Music in Drama Oriented-Games     		( 2-Up format, PDF )
    Week 14: Class Presentations
                      		 
    Midterm:
    The midterm is on Thursday, Mar 29rd (confirmed), during the regular class time. The midterm is closed book; no notes, texts, electronic aids, etc. A calculator with a valid ENCS sticker can be used (though probably not needed).
    References/Resources:
    Primary References: Books
    Artificial Intelligence for Games, Second Edition, by Ian Millington and John Funge text webpage (errata for second edition) (more errata for second edition) (e-book webpage)
    Game Physics Engine Development, Second Edition, by Ian Millington (e-book webpage)
    Game Coding Complete, Third Edition, by Mike McShaffry text webpage
    Game Engine Architecture, by Jason Gregory text webpage
    Real-Time Collision Detection, by Christer Ericson
    Local (Montreal) Gaming Sites/Events (let me know of more...)
    Montreal Game Jam (Jan 27-29) (Concordia volunteers needed! Go here)
    Montreal Chapter of IGDA
    Sites for AI and Games
    AIGameDev.com
    AIguru.com
    AI-Depot.com
    Generation5.org
    Craig Reynolds' site on Gaming and AI
    Sites for AI and XNA
    How To: Writing a AI library for XNA (creation of the AI library called BRAINS)
    Simple AI Engine for XNA (Open source codes)
    SharpSteer (Autonomous AI library for XNA)
    Sites for Game Development in General
    Gamedev.net
    GamesUtra.com
    Develop-Online.net
    ToyMaker.info
    Various Links on Gaming
    Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a Better World
    COMP476/4, Winter Session 2012
    Thomas Fevens  (course instructor/coordinator)