CPSC 411/511 Building Game Engines
Pragmatic and technical game development -- Your Instructor
Course Information
- Course Name: Building Game Engines
- Semester: sp - 25
- Course Location: ML 104 - Mason Laboratory 104
- Course Schedule: Tues/Thur from 11:35-12:50pm ET;
- Instructor: Mike Shah
- Instructor E-mail: michael.shah{_at_sign}yale.edu
- Instructor Office: Mike: Dunham 410
- Student Hours: Mason Laboratory, or otherwise virtual (piazza or video) if needed
Course Staff (ULA/TF Teaching Assistants)
- 0:{"Andrew":"email TBD"}
- 1:{"Katie":"email TBD"}
Course Description
This course teachings the fundamentals of building a game engine. We will be using a systems programming language, software engineering techniques, and several libraries to build a game engine. This course will include some refreshers of using Object-Oriented methods to build software. There will also be some case studies of game engines and programming throughout this course.
Registrar Description: This course teaches the fundamentals of building a reusable software architecture by building games. This is a programming-intensive course where the end product of this course is a data-driven game engine that students work in small teams to implement in a systems programming language (e.g. C, C++, D, etc.). Students apply data structures, algorithms, and systems programming skills in the domain of games. Discussion and implementation of the components of a game engine may include: resource management (allocators, resource managers, serialization), abstraction (design patterns, game objects, scripting, graphics layers), graphics management algorithms (scene graphs, level of detail), physics (linear algebra, collision detection and resolution algorithms), artificial intelligence (e.g. pathfinding,decision making), and performance (concurrency, parallelism, math). Students work on a final course project for their portfolio.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Build games to understand the components of a game engine!
- Have an understanding of how to build tools to support game Development.
- Work as a team to build a final game project using a custom engine.
Course Prerequisites
The following prerequisites are expected to get the most out of this course:
- CPSC 223 (Data Structures and Programming Techniques) and CPSC 323 (Computer Systems) are hard prerequisites. For graduate studnets, an equivalent data structures and systems (or operating systems) course is needed.
- (Unofficially-Mike says) You need to be willing to learn a systems programming langauge (e.g. Dlang, C, C++) and understand things like how to compile software, link in static and dynamic libraries, and understand memory allocation
Course Resources
The following resources have been vetted, and I recommend for mastery (while taking this course, and reviewing later on in your career). Note, I will also often provide readings that will be valuable for completing your assigned work.
- (Free- Online Edition) Game Programming Patterns
- (Free - Online Edition) Programming in D
- (Strongly Recommended) Game Engine Architecture or on Yale Library
- (Strongly Recommended) Game Coding Complete
Academic Integrity and Non-Discrimination
Students and instructors are to follow the University policies on these important issues.
- Please see Yale College\'s Undergraduate Regulations and Academic Dishonesty
- Assignments: The code you submit must be the result of your understanding of the problem. You may discuss concepts and approaches with other students, but you may not take any written or electronic records from such discussions (this includes discussions on Ed; such discussions are electronic records so you may not post code publicly there). Furthermore, you must engage in a full hour of mind-numbing activity such as watching back-to-back episodes of an inane sitcom before resuming work (this is Stan Eisenstat\'s "Gilligan\'s Island rule"). Under no circumstances may you examine a copy of another student\'s code, nor may you provide a copy of your code to another student. You may use snippets of code you find online for a generic purpose (for example, for resizing a dynamically allocated array), but you must clearly indicate in your code which parts are derived from code you found online, and the bulk of your code must be your own. You may consult course staff for help writing and debugging, and you may use code examples from class or posted to a course website without attribution and without triggering the Gilligan\'s Island rule.
- Final Programming Project: each student must work individually (so, for example, no discussions with other students even under the Gilligan\'s Island rule)
- Exams: each student must work individually
- If you are caught cheating I have to report the violation. My official policy is you receive a 0 in the course. Always remember, if you use any external sources, you must cite them.
Late Assignment and Make-Up Policy
This semester we have a very simple "make-up" policy. You turn the assignment in by the official deadline for a potential of up to 100%. If you submit the assignment up to 1-week late (7 days), you can get up to 90%. If you submit the assignment any time after 1 week, it is a 0.
Important Note: Course projects (or final examinations) however must be completed on time. Final course projects lose 10% per day that they are late. The reason for this, is because there is no time flexibility at the end of the semeter in which I must otherwise submit final grades (especially for graduating students
Students participating in varsity athletics(this does not include club sports or intramurals) or other University sanctioned events (e.g. attending a conference like Grace Hopper, Tapia, Game Developers Conference, or otherwise presenting a research paper) may have the need for a make-up or flexibility in a deadline. You must contact me in advance of such events and provide materials documenting your participation (e.g. name in a conference program, registration, etc.), so that appropriate accommodations can be made if they are indeed an excused absence.
Note: Students who contact me after the event participation has taken place, are not elgible for extensions. The reason(s) for this is: 1.) It is not fair to expect me to accomadate your situation after it has happened. 2.) You need to learn communication skills (e.g. If you do not show up for work, you cannot ask your boss to forgive the absence after you come in the next day without telling them). 3.) Some students work multiple jobs, are caretakers, and have other sometimes invisible circumstances, and it is not fair to them for you to get an extension "after the fact".
Note: Previously I had used a "5 token" system (which no longer exists in favor of a better system) which allowed you up to 5-days of extensions. Instead a more equitable option, and to avoid issues of students guessing when to use tokens (or students e-mailing asking for more tokens, while others did not feel comfortable), I am giving everyone a 7-day window to submit assignments with up to 90% credit on every assignment. Please keep in mind, I am still giving assignments with the expectation and duration that the assignments can be completed by the first deadline otherwise.
Note: Generally speaking, I discourage and only under rare circumstances grant an 'incomplete'. Incompletes cannot be used to makeup or extend assignments, that is not the right mechanism.
Occasionally, other life events and circumstances occur that were not planned. If this is the case, please e-mail me privately.
Accessibility
Part of what makes university unique, is our diverse cohort of students, faculty, and staff. In order to support this, the university is committed to providing equal access and support to all qualified students through the provision of reasonable accommodations so that each student may fully participate in the University experience.
- Students with disabilities, especially those who need special accommodations for exams, should contact the instructor and the Student Accessibiilty Services (SAS) in the first week of the semester to work out a plan. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that SAS and the teaching staff has plenty of advance notice to accommodate the student needs.
Attendance Policy
Students who do well in this course tend to show up to the course consistently, participate (virtually or in-person), start coursework the day it is assigned (pro tip: read the assignment at the least, the day it is released!), and engage with their peers. Come to class, come on time, and build good habits! In-Class activities that are not completed during the specified duration are a zero.
Wellness Policy
While university can be difficult at times, please do take care of yourself. It is okay to seek help and take a break. Please communicate with your instructor, advisor, and officials at the university if you just need a mental break.
I personally remember how difficult university can be juggling myself multiple jobs, multiple clubs, and trying to learn. Do take your wellness seriously!
Please consider the following resources at Yale:
- Yale Health - Mental Health and Counseling
- Please consider reaching out to your Residential College Dean and/or advisor
Assessment Rubrics
Please find below the grading distribution that will be used for this course to compute a weighted average for your final grade. You will find grades you earn through the semester on Canvas and your final grade in banner.
- In-Class Activity: (5%)
- Assignments; (60%)(Each equally weighted)
- One Exam; (10%)
- Final Project: (25%)
- The grade system follows the University Grading System.
- A = 95 - 100
- A- = 91 - 94.99
- B+ = 87 - 90.99
- B = 83 - 86.99
- B- = 80 - 82.99
- C+ = 77 - 79.99
- C = 73 - 76.99
- C- = 70 - 72.99
- D+ = 67 - 69.99
- D = 63 - 66.99
- D- = 60 - 62.99
- F = 0 - 59.99
- Please do not ask me for an A on the first day of class (It happens enough I have a bullet point here).
- Please do not ask me if I can raise your grade to the next level because you need it for X,Y,or Z reason -- you earn your grade. (It happens enough I have a bullet point here).
- In the event of a sick/snow day (i.e. we miss a lab or in-class activity) the weight of each assignment increases (There may also be shuffling of course material if we are interrupted).
- The expectation is that the assignments are fair but difficult, so you should start early!
- Unfortunately, I cannot fairly make individual extensions for you (i.e. "special deals") -- your peers may also be making other personal sacrifices to complete work on time, and that is not fair to them.
- Come speak to me about your wellness if something is otherwise impeding your progress so we can provide you available resources to succeed.
- Assignments that do not compile/open receive no credit Simply put, programs that do not compile do not do anything.
- There are no "re-grades" or points awarded one week after your grade is posted. "re-grades" may result in a higher, equal, or lower score.
- Re-grades are done cautiously to correct any errors that may occur from the course staff.
- Re-grades are not for "redoing assignments", you have the opportunity to improve based on the feedback for your next assignment.
- Re-grades are not elgible for resubmission (i.e. you cannot submit different code/assignment for a regrade).
- There are no "re-grades" after the semester is over.
- Do not ask multiple members of the course staff for "re-grades"
- Anywhere on Earth (AOE) when used as a deadline, means the assignment is due on that day, where anywhere in the world it is still that day.
- If you are currently waitlisted, you must submit your homework on time. That is the gamble! If you do not have Canvas access, you will submit by e-mail or other course mechanism (e.g. github).
- There are no extra credit assignments just for you. I reserve the right to add points to assignments that do go above and beyond however. I reserve the right to give an extra credit assignment to the entire class, though this is highly unlikely.
- I reserve the right to modify the grading scale in your favor if you show exemplary proficiency in any of the categories. I will never modify the scale to lower a students grade.
- In class work cannot be made up at a later date unless otherwise arranged with the instructor well in advance.
- Course work completed after the due date cannot be graded, as solutions may have been discussed (this includes if taking this course for an Incomplete).
- Once again, "in-class" work must be completed in-class unless there is a documented emergency or you have prearranged with the instructor a make-up well in advance.
- Lab time or in-class activities (where applicable for in-person courses) are meant for helping students with the lab/activity, not completing homework. I have to prioritize the lab/activity first, then can answer homework questions.
- AI Policy: Generally speaking, do not use AI to shortcut to your learning and generate code for you. AI will probably be useful for searching for help, finding idioms, and asking potentially clarifying questions. AI however may be detrimental to your learning. Make sure you understand what is generated -- typing out code, answers to exercises, making some mistakes, and putting thought into your work is how you learn and grow.
- Generally speaking I like Microsoft Teams for office hours, but do not use it for ad-hoc questions (use piazza, or e-mail if there is a more personal question).
- (For in-class courses) No Facebook, no cell phones. Not only does it distract you (the screen flickering or otherwise images/videos), it distracts others! Sit in the very back of the class if you must wander the internet. Laptops for browsing, searching for concepts, etc. is fine.
- Everyone needs to come see me in office hours (or by appointment) at least one time during the semester to introduce yourself. The purpose is so that you:
- Know where my office is (physical or virtual)
- Get used to coming to office hours.
- Let me know how I can help you achieve your goals.
Additional Course Policies
The following course policies will apply this semester. Please take time to read over them prior to making requests: