Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter

Overview

Class Central Tips

If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your third step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of level design, game balancing, prototyping, and playtesting, as well as game asset creation techniques. You will continue developing video games using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity 2020 game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 3D First-Person Shooter game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.

Syllabus

Your Third Step into Game Design and Development

Are you ready to take the next step in your journey into game design and development? In this module, we will introduce the course and kick off your third game project, a 3D Shooter. In the first part of the assignment, follow along with the tutorial videos introduced in this module. In the second part of the project, you will modify the game to make it your own.

Game Assets

A big part of game development is developing the game assets. Game assets in Unity include the visuals (2D and 3D graphics, fonts, materials, animations), audio (sound effects, voice acting, ambient sounds, and music), and even the game logic (C# scripts), amongst other things. In this module, we will explore concepts and creation techniques of graphics, concepts and creation techniques of audio, the asset pipeline, and explore programming best practices.

Level Design and Game Balancing

In this module, we will explore level design and game balancing. Level design is where the ‘rubber meets the road’. The level design is where the gameplay, storyline, art, and technology all come together to create the actual game world the player experiences. We have discussed the idea of creating experience goals, designing, playtesting, comparing the difference between the experience goals and the actual experience, and then iterating on the design, several times. This is game balancing. It is what iterative design is all about.

Making Your Game Better

Prototyping is one of the most critical skills a game designer can cultivate. The ability to "find the fun" in gameplay design is critical to being a successful designer. In this module we will discuss prototyping of a game. This can then be put in front of players during a playtest, allowing you to better understand if the underlying mechanics, systems and aesthetic are something that players may find engaging. As you work on your 3D Shooter project, you should be playtesting. In this module, you will also finish up the 3D Shooter project, submit it for peer review, and peer review your fellow learners games. Finish the course strong!