In this module, students will focus on two different areas of prototyping. The first area is concerned with the rapid creation of gameplay using a provided framework. The second area looks at the challenging art of designing Artificial Intelligence for a given problem domain. Through scripting complex custom entities, students pit their developed AIs against a series of challenging scenarios included competitive arena-based combat situations.

Students will learn the practical techniques necessary to script games and AIs within both a commercial and a proprietary engine environment. Topics include:

- Rapid games prototyping
- Scripting engine components
- Physics-based game mechanics
- State and goal-based behaviour
- Individual and group steering behaviour
- Collision avoidance
- Pathing and optimisation
- Perceptual modelling
- Decision making
- Inter-agent communication for team AI

COURSEWORK weighted at 50%
One custom game mode built using the custom framework and based around the existing core gameplay. The game mode needs to demonstrate a core understanding of rapid prototyping techniques and game creation. [Learning Outcomes 1-4]

COURSEWORK weighted at 50%
Scripted AI-controlled entities built using the concepts from the course and designed to overcome the threat posed by other entities and environmental features. [Learning Outcomes 1,2 & 4]

1 x 3 hour interactive lecture per week.

Buckland M. [2004]: Programming Game AI by Example. Wordware Publishing
Doran, J. [2014]: Unity Game Development Blueprints. Packt Publishing
Dunniway, T. [2008]: Game Development Essentials: Gameplay Mechanics. Delmar
Gibson, J. [2014]: Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development. Addison-Wesley
Felicia, P. [2016]: Unity 5 From Zero to Proficiency [Foundations]. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Kirby N. [2010]: Introduction to Game AI. Delmar
Menard, M. [2011]: Game Development with Unity. Delmar Cengage Learn
Millington I. [2009]: Artificial Intelligence for Games. Morgan Kaufmann
Murray, J. [2014]: C# Game Programming Cookbook for Unity 3D. CRC Press
Nystrom R. [2014]: Game Programming Patterns. Genever Benning
Okita, A. [2015]: Learning C# Programming with Unity 3D

Unity Game Engine

1. DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNIQUES REQUIRED TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP NOVEL PROTOTYPE GAMES AND PRACTICAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USING HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGES.
[Knowledge and Understanding]

2. DEFINE AND REFINE FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING CONSTRUCTS REQUIRED TO MEET PROGRAM FLOW AND AIMS OF ORIGINAL GAME CONCEPT.
[Problem Solving]

3. DETERMINE GAME CHARACTERISTICS AND MECHANICS TO SUPPORT THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPIDLY PROTOTYPED GAME.
[Enquiry]

4) APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SINGLE PLAYER CONSTRUCTS IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A FUNCTIONAL 2D SINGLE PLAYER GAME.
[Application]