Study Guide

Objectives

With this course, students gain the foundational skills to bring their game visions to life, navigating through game engine essentials for development and design.

After completing the ""Introduction to Game Engines"" course, students will have gained the knowledge and skills to:
• Navigate Game Engine Environments: Acquire the ability to efficiently navigate and utilize the core features of a game engine, understanding its interface and toolsets.
• Import and Manage Assets: Learn to import various types of assets, such as textures, models, and sounds, and manage them within the game engine to create engaging game scenes.
• Construct Game Levels: Develop the skill to block out and refine game levels, applying basic principles of level design and lighting to enhance gameplay and visuals.
• Implement Gameplay Mechanics: Gain insights into using scripting or visual scripting systems to create and manipulate gameplay elements, from player movement to interactive game objects.
• Integrate Audio and Visual Effects: Understand how to incorporate sound effects, music, and particle effects to enrich the game experience.
• Optimize Game Performance: Learn strategies for optimizing game performance to ensure smooth gameplay across different platforms and devices.

Content

Editor Overview: A comprehensive introduction to the game engine's editor, guiding students through the interface and tools that form the foundation of game development.

• Asset Introduction: An exploration of various assets crucial to game development, including static and skeletal meshes, audio, and animations, and how to effectively manage them.
• Level Design and Basic Lighting: Techniques for creating the initial layout of game levels (blocking out) and applying basic lighting to enhance the atmosphere and visual fidelity.
• Gameplay Framework Implementation: Detailed examination of the Gameplay Framework, focusing on implementing game mechanics using both C++ and Blueprint visual scripting.
• Data Management: Utilizing data assets for efficient game data management, enabling streamlined modifications and access to game variables.
• Dynamic Characters and Input Systems: Building custom characters with core actor components and implementing enhanced input systems for refined player control.
• Reference Management: Differentiating between hard and soft references to manage game assets effectively, optimizing load times and memory usage.
• Artificial Intelligence Introduction: Creating simple AI behaviors to add life and challenge to the game environment, covering pathfinding and basic decision-making processes.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student
• can navigate the game engine editor and utilize basic functionalities to create simple game levels.
• is able to import assets and apply basic textures and materials
• understands the principles of basic lighting in game environments
• can create and manipulate simple nodes for gameplay elements

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student
• demonstrates the ability to design and implement intermediate gameplay features using both nodes and programming language within the game engine
• can effectively use data assets to manage game data and understand the use of hard/soft references to optimize game performance
• is proficient in blocking out game levels with a focus on gameplay flow and utilizes advanced lighting techniques to enhance atmosphere and depth
• begins to apply AI principles to control character or enemy behaviors within game scenarios.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student
• exhibits advanced knowledge in integrating complex assets and animations into the game engine, ensuring they function seamlessly within the game's context
• understands complex nodes and programming language demonstrating a deep understanding of the game engine's scripting languages and their interoperability
• designs and implements sophisticated AI systems that contribute to engaging and dynamic gameplay experiences
• is capable of optimizing game performance across different platforms, ensuring smooth gameplay and visual quality
• successfully prepares and exports a game or game level, demonstrating the ability to deliver a polished product ready for deployment