Final Game Instructions

The final game project involves four deliverables, discussed below.

Design Document (Due 10/24, Noon) [2pts]

Your design document should be written as a google doc (so it's easy to collaborate on live) and contain four sections:

• Gameplay -- describe and storyboard the core gameplay of your game. This should include details about the controls used and the mechanics in play.
• Plot/Characters -- give a one-paragraph description of the game's plot, and a one-paragraph bio of a few of the characters.
• Timeline -- give explicit deliverables for three project milestones: (1) the first prototype, (2) the midpoint demo, and (3) the final game. I will hold you to these, so be careful.
• Distribution of Work -- who will do what? Remember that game assets and the asset pipeline both take work.

Please be somewhat more detailed than in our short game design docs -- it is crucial that your whole group is making the same game, and this design document is the first step in getting everyone to do that.

E-mail a link to the google doc to jmccann+finaldesign@cs.cmu.edu.

Prototype (Due 10/31, Noon) [1pt]

The first playable prototype will be your team's first experience programming together in this course. It will help you shake out your collaboration pipeline, get some sort of basic architecture for the core of the engine working, and -- critically -- move you to that wonderful place where changes you make to the game have immediate visible (and playable!) consequences.

For the prototype, focus on the core gameplay systems, not on final assets. Make something playable, not beautiful.

And make absolutely sure that everyone understands the code.

Make a branch called 'prototype' in your repository and e-mail a link to the repository to jmccann+finalprototype@cs.cmu.edu.

Demo (Due 11/14, Noon) [5pts]

The demo contains a full chunk of core gameplay, but may be missing some extra systems or levels.

Pay special attention to providing some documentation with the demo that describes how to play. We will be play-testing your demo builds in class, and there is nothing more frustrating than watching a player who hasn't been informed about how to play.

Make a branch called 'demo' in your repository and e-mail a link to the repository to jmccann+finaldemo@cs.cmu.edu. In addition, bring a playable build to class for testing.

Final Build (Due 12/7, Noon) [9pts]

Your final build is due on the last day of class, just one day before the final expo (where we'll be showcasing your games for -- one hopes -- scores of other excited students).

During class, I will be asking each group about their final build, including what works, what doesn't, and who did what.

E-mail a link to your repository to jmccann+final@cs.cmu.edu. In addition, bring a playable build to class for demonstration.