Game development (small groups develop their own simple computer game)

Each game development group (between two and five students) has come up with its own game that it is working on (in alphabetical order):

DaHoon
In this strategy game, the player takes on the role of chief tactician on the side of the Smurfs, humans, lawyers or chickens. Bases must be built, resources collected and battles fought. Dominate the level!

Developers: Jens Haines, Florian Hirdes, Kai Schönewald

JaRsk
Various players fight for world power in a network. While turn-based armies fight battles and conquer, lose and recapture countries, the players argue with each other in the built-in chat.

Developers: Rahan Bölzer, Markus Fiedler, Sebastian Hardt, Jan Frederik Naujoks

Krass
A Bomberman clone in 3D. In the network and in full 3D splendor, players throw bombs at each other's feet and clear walls and other players out of the way.

Developers: Dominik Erdmann, Gunther Hohmann, Christoph Kurz, Irma Sejdic, Daniel Wilhelm

Website: www.krass-thegame.de

Lemmings
A Lemmings clone. Little blue men scurry across the screen and must be guided to the exit by the player. Lemmings like to jump from great heights and don't take care of themselves - so the player has to keep an eye out.

Developers: Eduard Jakel and Sergej Keterling

Metal Graze
A Metal Slug clone. The player jumps, runs, shoots and saves his way through 2D levels and masses of enemies - "frag everything that isn't you".

Developers: Dominik Bossdorf, Mirko Schaefer, Christian Schulze, Markus Wiederhold

Monopolism
"Money makes the world go round". Factories produce goods and sell them. To do this, they need raw materials and other goods. Can the player feel the pulse of the markets and win millions?

Developers: Jörn Dreyer, Dennis Keßler

Nuke the Aliens
Save the Earth from the cruel alien invasion in this extremely fast-paced 3D arcade first person shooter. Whether in Antarctica, in the desert or in the jungle: be a fighting pig - a fighting machine!

Developers: Florian Bachmann, Sebastian Schulz

Website: www.timtomtam.de/~rockon/

Powder
For balls - the player controls a ball physically correctly through various mini-games, e.g. a pool table or a labyrinth. The developers use their self-developed scApe 3D engine and the corresponding level editor.

Developers: Christian Niemand, Johannes Spohr

Prometeus
In this space arcade shooter, the player steers his spaceship - the Prometeus - through 2D levels and masses of enemy spaceships, always on the hunt for the next power-up.

Developers: Sergej Michel, Igor Prochnau

SpaceCowboys
No one can hear you scream in space. Players compete for domination of the galaxy and let their spaceships collide in 3D on the network.

Developers: Mario Diehl, Michael Knötig

Xerxes
A 2D science fiction role-playing game. Find your way from the lower levels of a space station to the top. Easier said than done, because there are many difficult tasks to solve and sometimes, when talking no longer helps, weapons have to speak in order to get ahead.

Developer: Steffen Höhmann, Dominik Riehl

Website: xerxes.gamedev.net

Project description
Computer games are not only fun, they are also complex software applications whose components are usually designed according to the current state of the art or even define this state of the art - e.g. in the field of 3D computer graphics and, in some cases, artificial intelligence.

A typical game has and integrates the following components:

• AI (computer-controlled characters, so-called "agents")

• Graphics (2D, 2.5D or 3D; e.g. using OpenGL)

• Audio (music and/or sound; e.g. OpenAL)

• Interaction with the player(s)

• Physics (collision detection and handling; e.g. ODE)

• Animation (movement on the screen)

• Embedded scripting language (e.g. Lua)

• Network capability (several users can play together over a network)

As part of the project, small groups will develop their own simple game and implement some of the above components.

Participants
Students from the 5th semester and other interested parties. Participants in last semester's project can complete their work.

Requirements
Knowledge of a programming language (C++, Java, or similar), object-oriented software development and linear algebra (matrix and vector calculus) or The willingness to acquire this knowledge during the project is a prerequisite.

Previous knowledge of 3D computer graphics is welcome, but not required.

Project supervisor
Prof. Claudia Leopold
Björn Knafla

Time/location
The project takes place on Mondays from 10.15 to 11.45 a.m. in the laboratory of the department (new building, room 0646).

A preliminary discussion of the project will take place on Monday, 31.10.05 at the time indicated.

Scope
8 SWS

Slides
projektarbeit_ws_2005_2006.pdf
spieleentwicklung_projektmanagement.pdf

Posters (DIN A0) from the Computer Science Day at the University of Kassel
Game development projects summer semester 2005 - winter semester 2005/2006
How does the dragon get into the computer game?

Wiki
Participants have access to the project's own game development wiki.