Professor George Phillies
Physics and IMGD
Olin 130
phillies [at] wpi [dot] edu

Let me begin by emphasizing that I will be on academic leave for Calendar year 2008.
There are as a result constraints on project schedules.

I offer three projects:

1) IQP -- What is actually taught as a game design program at the ca. 460 game
design programs around the world?  To what extent are we seeing, e.g., a CS major
with an extra course or two pasted on?  Comparative data helpful to high school
students might be of interest. How do the extant curricula match up with, e.g.,
the IGDA recommendations?  What might we be missing that sounds interesting?

2) Art+software project -- For many purposes, a computer program that generated
game maps on orthodox (hexes) and other (e.g., Penrose tilings) grids would be of
interest.  IMGD 210X tried to use cyberboard last year, finding that as a functional
program it left something to be desired. the objective is a software arrangement
that painlessly generates board wargame maps and board wargame unit counters.

3) Serious game project -- the objective is to create a set of entities that
mimic economic players in a small model economy, at a level adequate to test the
Doctrine of Competitive Advantage when dynamics come into play.  Some background
in economics might be helpful.