1. 1.1. M ODULE I NTRODUCTION Details of the goals and structure of this module

2. Welcome! Firstly, some things about my lecturing style… I don’t want to talk at you for an hour I really do want to hear your thoughts and opinions I like asking questions, but I don’t like asking questions with a right/wrong answer I’m friendly, honest! And now for something completely different…

3. Approach 1Approach 2 10 hours of lectures on high way code and the theory behind driving 40 hours of practical driving experience Take driving test 40 hours of lectures on high way code and the theory behind driving 10 hours of practical driving experience Take driving test Module aims: Enable learners to pass the driving test Question: Which approach would you pick? More importantly, why would you select this approach?

4. Module aims and learning outcomes. Assessment. Module Handbook

5. What does this module aim to do? The module aims to improve your programming skills… … via 2D computer game development. How does it aim to do this? The module will help you to develop a computer game...... assessment is 100% project based

6. The module handbook contains lots of important information, including: Module learning outcomes Weekly module content Learning contract Project overview and advice Development timeline Project assessment Recommended reading Contact information To do: Read this

7. How best to approach learning on this module…

8. Answer the following questions in a couple of words Q1: Write down something new that you learnt to do recently… Q2: Write down the reasons why you learnt this… Q3: Write down how you learnt this…

9. People learn things because they are either useful or fun People learn things by doing them and getting better through practice. Consequentially, for this module...

10. The entire course is setup around the project and its development...... programming is a practical activity, much like driving, and is best learnt by doing, i.e. by actually writing code, not by sitting in lectures. Lectures will be used to support the project. You get to select your own project...... you know best in terms of what games you find fun and want to explore

11. XNA/Java. Weekly lecture breakdown. Recommended reading. Lectures times and contact information. Student feedback.

12. If you are on the MEng in Computer Game Development : Your game will be developed using XNA If you are on any Computer Science pathway: You can develop your game using either XNA or Java (XNA is recommended) More information on this choice will be provided in the next lecture. To do: Pick language

13. Reading Pack Reading Pack Further Reading Further Reading Pack Reading Pack Reading Pack Reading Pack Further Reading Further Reading Pack Reading Pack Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Pack Reading Pack Further Reading Further Reading Pack Reading Pack Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading Further Reading

14. Learning XNA 3.0: XNA 3.0 Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Zune by Aaron Reed O’Reilly Media (3 Dec 2008) ISBN: 0596521952 Introduction to Game Development by Steve Rabin Charles River Media (14 Jun 2005) ISBN: 1584503777 Artificial Intelligence for Games By Ian Millington Morgan Kaufmann; (18 Sep 2009), 2nd Ed. ISBN-10: 0123747317

15. Lectures Times: Wednesday Lecture12:00 – 13:00BCB / WTS Thursday Lecture12:00 – 13:00 BCB / WTS Friday Lecture 10:00 – 11:00 BCB / WTS Friday Advisory14:00 – 16:00BCB / 1 st Floor Lab Important Dates: Wed 28th September:First lecture Fri 7th OctoberInitial game concept hand-in Fri 4th NovemberArchitecture / prototyping hand-in Fri 25th NovemberAlpha code hand-in Fri 9th DecemberFull project hand-in 14 th -16 th DecemberAssurance vivas

16. Key URLs: Queen’s Onlinehttp://www.qol.qub.ac.uk XNA App Hubhttp://create.msdn.com Sun’s Java Homepagehttp://java.sun.com NetBeans Homepagehttp://www.netbeans.org GIMP (Image editor)http://www.gimp.org/ Audacity (Sound editor)http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ CSC2007 Forum https://vle.qol.qub.ac.uk/2101/CSC/2007-AUT-QUB (Login using your QoL username/password) Contact Information: Philip HannaMSN/Messenger: 028 9097 4634 / 1779Search for P.Hanna@qub.ac.uk Room OG003, 14 Malone Road P.Hanna@qub.ac.uk

17. Feedback from previous students to current students

18. Each year students are asked to reflect on their experiences of the module and pass onto future students advice and tips on how to tackle the project. The information provided by students is highly valuable – although the real value lies not in simply reading the advice, but acting upon the advice... To do: Read

19. To do: Read the module handbook Read previous student feedback Think about game ideas, possible team, development language Today we explored: What this module is about How the module is structured How best to learn on this module