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Teaching Game Development To Fine Arts Students?
jkavalier writes "I've been asked to prepare a short course (50 hours) of video game development to Fine Arts students. That means people with little-to-no technical skills, and hopefully, highly creative individuals. By the end of it, I would like to have finished 1-3 very basic minigames. I'm considering Unity 3D, Processing, and even Scratch. How would you approach teaching such a course? What do you think is the best tool/engine/environment for such a task?"
Alice is a pretty simple way to introduce newbies to game/3D-environment development. I used to use it in an introductory programming class and the kids loved it. Gives you a real sense for how game development and programming work without being heavy-handed about it (or requiring students to jump right into hand-coding, without so much as flowers and dinner first). Here is the text I used for the course.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
and nobody seems to understand it - you shouldn't teach programs, you should teach techniques and principals to be applied in lab sessions. I don't know what arts students are doing in game development. If anything, the only thing they should be developing is artwork.
You can use anything to teach them how to design something, I would suggest Blender (since it's free and they are ART students) or if they are technically adept enough (which they aren't), you can let them use the Sauerbraten engine and I believe you can get the Unreal engine free as an educational institution. If you have to get really simplistic and only teach them how their art works out in games, use HTML5 or *shudder* Flash, for something bigger you can use the Doom engine (very simple to design for) and let them make some artwork for it.
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A good way to start them out is making 3d models and creating maps for games using Unreal or Source.
...ugh, I think maybe you shouldn't be teaching them?
There are other aspects to game development than just programming, you know. Think BioWare would be anywhere if they don't have top notch writers? What about the graphic artists, 3D modelers, texture artists, and level designers that are indispensable in any game studio?
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Clearly the goal isn't to turn some art student into the next Carmack. But development teams need artists, and don't you think giving those artists some basic understanding of how 3D games are built would help them do their jobs?
The Blender Game Engine is actually quite suitable for an introductory game design course, and it has two completely free books written for learning it, plus a huge number of example games and scripts. Almost all of the logic can be scripted with 'logic bricks' (a minor amount of simple python scripts are needed for some typical behaviours).
http://download.blender.org/documentation/gamekit2/
http://download.blender.org/documentation/gamekit1/
Also see Yo Frankie - which shows what a team can accomplish in a short time
http://www.yofrankie.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7RRaEvWqJc
Blender itself is now quite easy to create game assets in, and works well as a level editor.
The Game Engine is not exactly cutting edge, but then cutting edge isn't of much benefit for learning game design.
Stick with the broader aspects of game design such as: story development, character development, gameplay, flow. I would be hesitant to throw "fine-arts" students into programming. If you must, however, I have no advice.
For such an illiterate students
How's that Flash workin' out for 'ya?
To be fair, many of them may have highly developed technical skills. But their tools may be paint brushes, pianos, or their own bodies.
It's probably more accurate to say they don't have much computer technical skills.
The course's aim is to let art students have a glimpse of the interactive and expressive possibilities that videogames have. It's not about training them to become EA employess, but to inspire them and burst a little flame of curiosity for interactive art and art games.
To be a successful artist in game development you need a sturdy technical foundation. No need to be a engineer, but you definitly need to be a geek and have a strong passion for games.
I have been a game developing 3d-artist for many years, and i'd rather hire a geek that became an artist than a "fine artist" that learned to do 3d.
Being a 3D artist with a fine arts background, if you are trying to teach artist basic elements of game design, I think it would be best to pair an artist with a comp sci major. The comp sci major can handle many of the technicalities of getting content into a game. Most artists who lack a technical background are going to be intimidated just by the process of creating assets and learning how to use the software necessary and the various requirements of doing so. The benefit for the comp sci major is insight in to how to communicate with artist. If they go into gaming they WILL be frustrated by the flakey, flighty artists. Understanding how to cope with them in a future professional environment will be very useful.
I wouldn't necessarily focus on finishing actual games. Focus on finishing assets. You'll be surprised at how excited these artists will be just seeing the helmet, gun or whatever they made show up in a level that will cement their interest in game content creation and will be a much better focus for a 50 hour course. I would also recommend the Unreal 3 engine if possible. That way, they are more likely to continue learning from what you taught them well after the class is over. They can skin a head for a game they have at home. Geeking out is an understatement regarding what their reaction will be to that. "That's mine, and it's in the game engine used for Gears of War!"
After that they'll have an interest and incentive to take it further and more technical, things like scripting, etc.
Umm...That's not how that portfolio works. Most programs include a wide variety of media (pencils, paint, print-making, sculpture, performance art, etc) without banning students who have only one or two (sketches, paintings). In point of fact, what you're suggesting is about as far away from the goal of a BFA program as possible; much of the point of a BFA or conservatory or other formal art instruction program is to expose students to new ideas and techniques and give them the tools to be productive in those media.
The title pretty much says it all. People in art don't program games at all. They instead get hired to do levels and art for them. I'd just take a basic game that's well understood and have them make their own custom levels for it.
It sounds like you want to teach computer game programming to me. If you really want to just teach game development maybe you should develop a pen & paper game. They can write the rule book. Otherwise you're teaching two things and maybe nobody will learn much of either.