IMGD 1001: The Game Development Process
Project 1: Making Games in Flash

Due dates:

Objective: THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT, NOT TO BE DONE IN TEAMS! This will ensure you have Flash skills even if tasks in later projects are more partitioned.

This project is actually a series of three smaller assignments with the primary goal of getting you up to speed with Flash. Each assignment works through a Flash tutorial to make a small game, with an additional custom piece on the end. Completing all three assignments will put you in good position to develop a game from scratch or extend one of the tutorials using Flash.


Details: Upon completion of each tutorial, and before turning it in, you must extend the basic game you have made in some creative fashion. This means adding code or art to extend the game by roughly 10%. The actual extension is up to you, and you will indicate what you have done with a short README document when you turn in each assignment. The tutorials are designed to be read online (not printed), but can be printed pages out, if that is easier.

The assignments are:

  • A) Choose Your Own Adventure - make the start of a text-based, narrative adventure with choices for the player. Completing the tutorial will also provide familiarity with Flash's development environment. Once done, you might consider extending the game by one or more of: complete some (or all) of the story lines, implement the EASY (or MEDIUM) option listed at the end of the tutorial, ad a time limit or score feature... This list is by no means the only way of extending the game.

  • B) Flight Simulator - The second assignment is to make a top-down shooter, and, in the process, get an introduction into Game Development. The tutorial includes some instructions to add some basic visual art elements. Once done, consider extending the game by adding additional methods of losing points, or modifying the weaopn fire or ship. movement. Again, this list is by no means the only way of extending the game.

  • C) IMGD Brothers - The third assignment is to complete, and then extend, another Flash tutorial. This time, a simple platformer game. The tutorial comes with some art assets. Once done, you can expand your project by adding coins the player collects or blocks as obstacles. Again, feel free to extend the game in other ways, as you see fit.


What to Submit: All assignments (A-C) are to be submitted electronically via turnin by midnight on the day the assignment is due. You will turn in a zip file of your project's root direction (including src and .fla, .html, and .swf). This will allow the grading to open, compile and run your flash projects as well. Also, you should submit a short README document clearly describing the additional 10% contribution. Make sure your name and login is included in the README file. Include the README file in the zip file you turn in.

IMPORTANT! While each of the tutorial assignments may include source code, you may not submit that source code yourself. You are to do your own work, turning in your own code (even if it is cut-and-pasted from the tutorial), using the sample code only as reference if you get stuck.

When you are ready to submit, zip everything up into a single archive file. Name the file LastName_FirstName_proj1a.zip for part A, and similarly for parts B & C.

You will use the new Web-based "Turnin" facility to submit your work. Information about submitting can be found here:

http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~kfisler/turnin.html.

Use your WPI user ID should be used to login, and you should have been emailed a password.
The Turnin assignment IDs are proj1a, proj1b, and proj1c, respectively.


Academic
Honesty:		 Remember the policy on Academic Honesty: You may discuss the project with others, but you are to do your own work. You can also read the official Student Guide to Academic Integrity at WPI.

Grading:
Grading Guidelines
Tutorial 50% Doing each tutorial without any additional customization is worth 1/2 the grade. While you will have learned a substantial amount about Flash, you will not have demonstrated your understanding of the principals enough to apply them in a creative fashion.
Customization 50% Extending or modifying the tutorial game with custom work is worth the other 1/2 the grade. Doing so will begin to flex your creative muscles and show mastery of the basics taught in the tutorial.

Resources:

For a presentation summary, you might check out the slides (ppt, pdf) for this project.

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