Intermediate Programming - 3D Games and game A
The course focuses on how to program 3D applications and games, and how to favorably add game AI to same. The students will use multiple development systems and technologies for 3D-game development. The course gives a foundation for forming work habits and pipelines for use later, either as a student or a professional.
As artificial Intelligence is an essential topic in video games development, this subject explores what artificial intelligence is, how it is used, and how the students themselves can develop, program and verify AI routines for use in video games.
The students experience working on small projects covering different game-related topics such as physics and basic artificial intelligence. The course offers an introduction to develop 3D-applications for multiple hardware and software platforms through use of object-oriented programming, several diverse programming tools, techniques and computer programming languages.
The course also stresses the limitations and possibilities of using different development tools put on a 3D-game development project. The course gives a foundation for forming work habits and pipelines for use later in the study program or in a professional capacity.
The course introduces fundamental concepts of computer AI and explores them further by addressing how modern video games use AI to enrich the user experience and tailor it to the user’s skills, behavior, tactics and strategies. Modern AI in video games ranges from very simple routines to very complex sets of algorithms and technologies. The students will be exploring these different approaches on both a theoretical and a practical level. The students will be analyzing game designs to determine how AI is used in specific situations. A responsible use of generative AI will be emphasized for sustainability awareness.
A major part of the course is developing AI-driven video game prototypes. Analyzing how proposed AI routines will perform in a video game is also addressed to allow for faster development of effective routines for use in student projects.
After completing the course, the student:
Knowledge:
- has knowledge on features, limitations and challenges to consider when developing 3D-games
- has knowledge on software development platforms and tools for 3D-game and applications development and their fundamental similarities and differences
- has knowledge on 3D math and how physics engines and basic AI can be used to enrich 3D-applications
- has basic game design notions including documentation, mechanics, level design and worldbuilding
- can explain the history and technological importance of AI in a general context
- can explain how AI has been used to solve some common issues in video game design
- has knowledge on how AI relates to video game development, the approaches to its integration, advantages and disadvantages
- has knowledge on how specific complex challenges can be solved using different AI driven approaches.
Skills:
- can use 3D-development tools to create simple 3D projects and programming tasks, and using physics systems
- can design, plan and develop simple 3D games for several hardware and software platforms
- can implement basic AI routines for navigation, movement and interaction in 3D games
- can develop and use simple and semi-advanced AI routines in selected video game engines
- can analyze technical challenges when introducing AI to solve complex problems efficiently
General competence:
- is experienced in developing prototypes and testing functionalities using 3D-game development tools
- can design and develop functional 3D-games for multiple platforms
- can implement general AI-routines and verify their intended behavior in 3D-game environments
- can use physics engine routines to program game logic and game mechanics
- can assess when AI can be a useful choice in video game development
- understands how AI is being used in other fields than video game development
- understands how the use of generative AI may impact the sustainability of video game development
Compound Assesment (SV) Graded A-F
Coursework (0/100)
- Mandatory attendance (OD) min. 80 % attendance in teaching activities.
- 5 mandatory individual coursework (AK) - approved/not approved
Students must complete all mandatory coursework before being eligible for the final examination.
Exam (100/100)
Take home exam (HJ) - individual - Duration 1 week 100/100
Graded A-F
Any sources allowed
Generating responses using ChatGPT or similar generative artificial intelligence and submitting them wholly or partially as your own work is considered plagiarism.
Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:
SPO1000 - Programming 3D Games - 10 credits
SPO2001 - Artificial Intelligence for Games - 10 credits
