FIT2096 - Games Programming
ASSIGNMENT 3a [10%]-Individual Assessment
Technical Design Document
SUBMISSION DUE: Friday Week 07, 11:55 PM
Covers Topics from Weeks 1 - 6
Late Penalty: 10% of total marks per day late
Learning Outcomes
Completion of this assignment demonstrates the following learning outcomes:
● Describe the geometric meaning behind vectors and matrices, and create code that demonstrates how these can be applied practically in game programming, including for object movement and collision
Brief
Across the semester you will be writing technical design documentation for a game prototype of a 3D Beat-em-Up style. game. This is the game that you will be creating as part of Assignment 2 and will require the completion of lab tasks and outside additional work. This assessment is broken down into 2 submissions each focussing on specific aspects of the documentation.
Relation between A2 and A3
● A2 (game prototype) submissions are linked to A3 submission.
● The technical design documentation must reflect the current state of the prototype.
Live Document
You must work on this document on Google Docs and name it using the following convention: FIT2096-StudentID-TechnicalDesignDocument. Replace StudentID with your own unique ID.
This must be shared with the following emails:
● [email protected]
● [email protected]
● [email protected]
● [email protected]
Submission Requirements
You must submit the Technical Design Document via Moodle as a single PDF document. Name the document using the following convention: StudentID-A3a. Include a link to the live document on the first page of the document.
Use of Generative AI in Assessment
In this assessment, you can use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in order to create images for illustration of mood boards, colour themes, illustrative diagrams and for grammar correction. Any use of generative AI must be appropriately acknowledged (see Learn HQ).
Where used, a reference should be included in-line where an image or statement has been generated with the assistance of an AI program. An appendix MUST be included that provides the following information for EACH use of generative AI in your assessment.
● Name of asset
● The prompt used to generate the asset
● The tool used to create the assets (Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, ChatGPT, etc.)
● The model used if known (e.g. SDv1.5 https://huggingface.co/runwayml/stable-diffusion-v1-5)
Task: Overview and Core Mechanic Introduction
For this first submission you are writing the starting point of your technical design document; the overview and the beginning of the Core Mechanics section.
The document is based on the prototype you developed for Assignment 2 and will describe the technical detail of what you have created/plan to create in that assignment.
The submission of this document must include the following components:
● Project Overview
● Core Mechanics
Project Overview:
Suggested Completion Date: End of Mid-Semester Break
The start of your document must include a project overview discussing your core mechanic and target platform. Each of these should be their own sub-sections of the project overview.
Game Mechanics Overview (100 words minimum recommended)
The mechanics overview section should provide details about your main mechanics and relate it to how this will interest your audience. Describe the mechanics and how it interacts with the other parts of the game. Write this section in a way that gets the reader interested in the game.
You must ensure that you include mention of your additional mechanics created as part of Assignment 1 and not just the mechanics developed within the labs.
Target Platform. (100 words minimum recommended)
Describe what platform. you are creating your prototype for. Examples of this include PC, console, handheld or mobile.
Explain:
● Why you have chosen this platform.
● How your game mechanics suit that platform.
Core Mechanics:
The game mechanics section of your document must include technical details about each of the mechanics and the overall gameplay within the game.
This will involve the following subsections:
● UML Diagram
● Movement Mechanics
● Controls
● Core Gameplay Mechanic
UML Diagram (Minimum recommended words not applicable)
Suggested Completion Date: End of week 6
The document must include a UML diagram showing all classes created by the user with their relationships, properties and functions present. This UML diagram is expected to be rough and will change over the development of the project.
You can use UMLet to create your UML diagrams.
Movement Mechanics (250 words minimum recommended)
Suggested Completion Date: End of week 6
Discuss the movement mechanics as follows:
● How the player is able to move within the game
● Limitations on movement (collisions, physics)
● Constraints on movement (speeds, limits).
Types of movement include:
● Walking
● Running
● Jumping
These should be explained with examples and values of variables included.
Controls (250 words minimum recommended)
Suggested Completion Date: End of week 6
Discuss the control options provided to the player.
This includes:
● What actions are available to the player
● What input actions are used
● What input mappings are used
● How input actions are bound to input mappings with keys
● What each action does
Core Gameplay Mechanic 1 (250 words minimum recommended)
Suggested Completion Date: End of week 7
The documentation must contain information on the core gameplay mechanic that you plan to implement in the game across the semester.
The core mechanic must contain the following information:
● What the mechanic is
● A sequence diagram of the mechanic
● How the mechanic functions in game
● How the mechanic interacts with other mechanics
Assessment Criteria
Your assignment will be marked on the following criteria listed below.
● Project Overview - 15 Marks
○ Core mechanic outlined to entice audience
○ Target platform. justified
● UML Diagram - 25 Marks
○ High level UML diagram with anticipated classes for game and mechanics
● Gameplay Mechanics - Movement & Controls - 20 Marks
○ Movement explained with options and constraints outlined
○ Controls detailed with mappings and constraints included
● Gameplay Mechanics - 40 Marks
○ One Gameplay Mechanics outlined
○ Sequence diagram provided outlining how you envision the mechanic working
A detailed marking rubric is provided on Moodle.
Feedback Information
You will receive a mix of formal and informal feedback for this assessment. Demonstrators will provide feedback in your scheduled lab sessions informally the week after submission. Formal feedback will be provided within 10 business days of submission