Course Syllabus

EAE 6050-001 - Game Systems Design

 

Professor: Matt Anderson, MFA

University of Utah

Email: mla8@utah.edu

Office Hours: By appointment only

DISCORD SERVER: SERVER INVITE

 

Course Description

Game Systems Design will introduce students to the theory behind building and balancing mathematical and system frameworks in games. Course work will focus on originating and modeling numerically-driven game behavior within systems-heavy genres, such as MMOs, RTSs, and CCGs, utilizing Google Sheets, Google Tools, and Machinations. Students will build complex economies, player progressions, leveling systems, combat mechanics, timelines, sub-games, monetization plans, and more. 

 

Course Objectives

Through readings, lectures, discussion and laboratory work, at the end of the course students will have a well founded, broad understanding of game systems design as well as a strong understanding of the underlying math and structures for building complex game systems.

 

Required Texts

Articles assigned by the instructor.

 

Learning Objectives

• Produce dynamic models of complex game systems using industry standard software tools.
• Apply mathematics and simple scripting to predict outcomes in game systems.
• Design predictive modeling to balance game mechanics and content.
• Understand game design theory for creating compelling choice trees in numerically complex game systems.

 

Teaching and Learning Methods

Students are expected to fully participate in the class. Attendance at lectures, participation in discussion, as well as completion of all assignments is expected and required for satisfactory completion of the course.

 

Attendance

Students who participate in officially sanctioned University activities (e.g., marching band, debate, athletics) will be permitted to turn work in early and/or make up assignments without penalty. Official absences must be documented at least one week prior to the absence.

 

ADA Statement
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

 

Wellness Statement
Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross-cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources contact the Center for Student Wellness; www.wellness.utah.edu; 801-581-7776.

 

University of Utah Student Code
The Student Code is spelled out in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the classroom as detailed in Article III of the code. The code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves cheating, tests, plagiarism, and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the Code carefully to become aware of these issues. Students will receive sanctions for violating one or more of these proscriptions.

The faculty will enforce the code. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee.

 

Accommodation
I do not offer content accommodations. If you find any of the course material offensive, you may opt not to participate acknowledging that you will not receive points for that section of the course.

 

Copyright

Work produced in this class is copyrighted by the student. Continued attendance to this course constitutes permission for your work to be used by the professor as examples in courses, public lectures, academic publications, and other not-for-profit, fair-use practices.

 

Evaluation

Work in this course will consist of three main components: in-class activities, systems homework exercises, and a semester long, full systems design of your choosing consisting of four deliverables. 

* Participation and Exercises: 50%
* Final Game Project and Deliverables: 50%

 

Semester Project

The semester project will consist of creating a complete working model of a game with at minimum player progression, an economy, a loot table, a combat engine, and monetization.

The four deliverables will be:

• Conceptualization: Defining the game concept and its core systems abstractly, then specifying how they interact with and drive one another.
• Framework: First pass on the rules and formulas that run individual systems and create interdependencies between them. This will include a peer review and critique.
• Test Content and Extrapolation: Population of test content that allows for secondary/tertiary data and forecasting.
• Balance and Tuning: Utilizing findings to tighten, balance, and polish the design.

 

Grade Scale

* The A range is for excellent performance and superior achievement.
* The B range denotes good performance and substantial achievement.
* The C range indicates standard or average performance and achievement.
* The D range is for substandard performance and marginal achievement.
* An E is given for unsatisfactory performance and achievement.

I grade on a standard system: A=94-100; A-=90-93, B+=87-89, etc.

Late work will be accepted with permission only. There is a 10% reduction to the grade every 24hrs after the original due date/time to a maximum of 50%.

 

Course Schedule and Content: 

**Note: The syllabus is not a binding legal contract and will likely change with appropriate notice. You are responsible to get those changes from this syllabus, your peers, or via class announcements. 

 

Course Calendar

 

Week 1

• Syllabus Overview and Course Introduction

 

Week 2

• Systems Design Introduction
• Heuristics

 

Week 3

• Spreadsheet Deep Dive

 

Week 4

• Components of Systems

 

Week 5

• System Psychographics

 

Week 6

• Progression

 

Week 7

• Curves and Tiers

 

Week 8

• FALL BREAK
• No Class

 

Week 9

• Rewards and Failure

 

Week 10

• Habituation

 

Week 11

• Machinations

 

Week 12

• Randomness
• Modeling the Player

 

Week 13

• Game Balance
• Input and Challenge

  

Week 14

• Ending a Game

 

Week 15

• Player Effort and Economy

 

Week 16

• FINALS WEEK