GAD 415, Programming for the Artist
Instructor: Lindsay
Grace, Associate Professor, Game Art and Design/Web Design and Multimedia
The following games were programmed by my undergraduate art
students in 8 weeks. The teams of 2-3 students created the games from instructor provided
code bases, original code, and resources on the web.
The games were programmed
in Basic using Blitz3d. Most students have never programmed anything before this course so they are learning computer programming while developing a game from concept to production. The art is not representative of their skills, as the course focuses on programming, not modeling, texturing, et al.
Each quarter the teams compete to produce the best game. They are judged by their peers in Game Programming(GAD415), Game Prototyping (GAD420) and Advanced Game Prototyping (GAD440).
You may also want to view video game paper prototypes done by students in class. The paper prototypes are created before the students develop digital prototypes.
Summer 2008 | Class Site
- Battle Buggies
- 2-Player capture the flag with a Mini Cooper. Earn extra points by doing tricks in mid-air. Code based from friction demo in Blitz archives.
- Zeus Lightning
- Kill townspeople with your lightning, but don't deplete your power.
- *Mobility Scooter Deathmatch (Granny Game)
- 2-Player race to collect the candy and cash out at the register. A capture the flag style game with pineapple bombs.
- Sumo Racers
- 2-player race around the track to collect objectives. Players can sabotage opponents by pushing them off the track - sending them back to the start
- Rocket Rita
- 2-player competitive shoot-em-up.
Spring 2008 | Class Site
- Murder Hearse*
- Kill zombies by running them over, then collect their bodies in a post-apocalyptic city. 2 player game (later version offers 1 player gameplay), using original models (except animated zombie). Code based from friction demo in Blitz archives.
- Orc Smash Face
- Kill bad guys, collect beer, and listen to the pain as you mouse-click your way to victory. 1 player game using all original models and code. Battle system based on standard D&D dice rolling.
- Chicken Plucker
- Pluck chickens using the [F] key before the time runs out. 1 player game. Code base from friction movement demo in Blitz3D archives.
Winter
2008 | Class Site
- Hoover Saves Wellsville*
- Collect pills by driving your vacuum cleaner over them, but watch out for the boulders tumbling out of the cave. 2 game modes, original art and models. Shown at the 2008 FAME media show
- Stryder Ball
- The player character must escape a coma by moving through the puzzle space. This is a prototype of a action puzzle game involving shooting platforms to freeze them, then jumping to higher elevation. 1 player game using original code base
- RacerX
- Race one of two "experimental" ships through a canyon, but don't hit the walls or you'll hear the most grating noise on the planet. 2 player game using the x-fighter blitz sample as a code base.
Fall 2007 | Class Site
- Video: BlitzKrieg Tanks*
- Battle two tanks against each other in one of 10 environments. Collect weapons which include mini tanks, mines and the "ever powerful" air strike. 2 player game using all original code, models and textures.
- Video: Rally Racer
- Drive a rally car and do tricks to earn points. If you don't land correctly, you'll crash and lose everything you earned. 1 player game using the marble physics code base from the Blitz3d code archives
- Video: Orball
- Marble madness clone for single player.
Spring 2007:
- Video: Hellions*
- Slalom your car to the gates of Hell without falling off the track. 1 player game based on the "driver" sample code.
- Cereal Killa
- Pilot your space craft to fight the evil cereal bandit who got your Lucky charms. Based on the X-wing code base, original art work, all other content borrowed from others.
- Puppet Madness
- FPS to eradicate the invading puppets. A familiar character orbits your player sideways as you shoot. Some original art and code. The code base was the FPS demonstration from the now defunct blitzcoder.com.
- Video: Ice Runners
- Drive a snow tank/house through several chasms. Use your ice cubes to fill holes and make the impassible, passable. Timer based, 1 player game derived from particle example and simulated friction example.
Winter 2007:
- Video: Jack vs Bunny*
- In the wild, survival of the fittest rules. Here 2 furry animals complete to collect carrots, but they can squish each other to gain advantage. Earn points for killing your opponent or collecting the most carrots before the timer ends. All Original code and art, music used by license. Casual game winner at the 2007 FAME Student Media Show.
- Go Fish (not shown)
- Collect fish food to grow bigger, but don't try to attack fish that are bigger than you.
- Reaper
- Collect the souls of old ladies before the timer ends. 1 player game.
*Denotes competition winners.