Stage 1

Objectives: Finalize teams, start the initial design, explore tools.

What is it worth: 5% of your final grade.

What to turn in:

1. List of team members

2. Outline of game objectives

3. Sketches & potential looks (be realistic)

4. Tools you will use

5. Tentative job distribution to team members
   

Stage 2

Objectives: Working GUI / Rendering engine

What is it worth: 10% of your final grade.

What to turn in:

1. Your source code (along with any assets required to run it)
2. A write-up (in the form of a web page) that summarizes how the user interface will work. Your write-up should have screenshots from your working project to demonstrate what the user will see and what the user will be able to do.
3. Challenges: What did you find most difficult to do ? What aspect of the project do you feel proud about ?

You must include a README file with your project. This file must have precise instructions for executing your project as well as the names of the group members.

Submission instructions:

• You should e-mail me and Paul the URL for your write-up
• I will distribute blank recordable CD's on 2/28/2006. You should burn your project onto these CD's (one for each group) with a README file as above. You should write the name of your game on the CD before you turn it in on 3/2/2006.

Stage 3

Objectives: Working game logic / Technical accomplishments

What is it worth: 15% of your final grade.

You will follow the same submission instructions outlined above for Stage 2. In summary, you will turn a full copy of your project (including EVERYTHING) that is ready to compile/run with a single button.

The focus of this stage is implementing a working game and showing off your technical accomplishments. In particular, I will expect a playable game. It does not have to be a good game, but I expect to see the game logic in place.

Me and Paul will meet with every group on Monday (3/6/2006) and talk about your projects and will let you know about the technical components we want to see in your game. After this meeting, if you have any doubts about what technical stuff you need to put into your Stage 3 deliverable, send me an e-mail and schedule a meeting.

You will also create a web page. In this web page, we expect:

1. What's new
2. Technical challenges
3. Explanation of your game logic with screenshots or movies
4. Task distribution within your group
5. If it is possible, a zip file containing your project

If your project is too big to put on your web site, burn it on a CD and bring it to the class. Make sure you write the name of your project on the CD.

Final Stage

This is it people, time to show off your hard work

Objectives: Working game

What is it worth: 15% of your grade.

There are 4 things you need to do:

1. Your source code/assets. Follow the same instructions as the previous stages.

2. Project web site. Create a web site for your game. This page should include the description of your game, your technical accomplishments, credits (who worked on what) screenshots and movies from your game. This is a cumulative report: include everything from the beginning of the semester. To capture movies, you can use FRAPS. This web site should contain a link to your earlier web sites, but other than that, must be self standing (do not make any references to the previous milestones except the link).

3. Poster. You will create a poster (a PowerPoint slide) that shows off your game. It should contain the same information you have on the web page. Prepare your posters for a 20'' by 30'' display. I am planning to get them printed and displayed somewhere visible. Make sure you say that this is your CS 378 - Game Technology final project.
   REMEMBER: People like posters with pictures.

4. Demo/Talk. You will make a demo on Thursday (May 4th), between 2:00pm-3:30pm. Every group will have 10 minutes (hard) to show off the game. In addition to your demo, you can create a PowerPoint presentation, but it is not required. Make sure you demonstrate your game in 10 minutes. Practice your demo at least twice !!! This is incredibly important, a big portion of success is demonstrating your hard work. The presentations will be in TAY 3.129, NOT the regular meeting room (RLM 7.120).

I need to receive your source/website/poster by midnight May 4th. Make sure you are in the class by 2:00pm.

IMPORTANT: The final size of the poster and the setup for demonstrating your game will be discussed in the class on March 27th.