This module will introduce students to the use of an embedded scripting language within a game engine to create the player experience. Students will each design and develop a region of a 2D single player game based on a set of required criteria.

Students will cover the following topics:
- History and philosophy of scripting languages
- Rapid prototyping techniques
- Graphics and sound manipulation
- Functions, variables, operators and conditions
- Scripting game engine features, entity events and interactions
- Debugging techniques
- Basic artificial intelligence systems

COURSEWORK weighted at 50%

An initial realm implementation consisting of a series of linked maps containing basic interactive objects and populated with AI-controlled Non-Player Characters (NPC's). (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)

COURSEWORK weighted at 50%

The final realm implementation consisting of scripted player objectives, fully interactive custom objects & NPCs and additional scripted engine features. (Learning Outcomes 3 and 4)

3 hour lecture/tutorial per week delivered as 8 weeks intensive Lecture/Tutorial followed 4 weeks of surgery sessions each semester.

Game Development with LUA, Paul Schuytema / Mark Manyen, Charles River Media, 2005 ISBN:1-58450-404-8
Game Programming with Python, Lua, and Ruby, Tom Gutschmidt, Premier Press, 2003, ISBN:1-59200-079-7
Beginning Lua Programming, Kurt Jung, Aaron Brown, Wiley publisher 2007, ISBN:978-0-470-06917-2
Quests: Design, Theory and History in Games and Narratives, Jeff Howard, A K Peters Ltd, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-56881-347-9

XNA Game Studio

None.