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Syllabus |
Course: Programming Games - MATH 1420
Professor: Lee Tusman
Contact: lee.tusman@purchase.edu
Class time: Wednesdays 3pm - 6:40pm
Classroom: Natural Sciences 2027
Office hours: Mondays 11am - 1pm via Zoom (email to set up an appointment)
Office hours with our Learning Assistant Sacia (they/them): Tues 10am - 1pm, Thu 10am - 1pm (sacia.matthews@purchase.edu)
Prerequisites: none
Required books: none
Required software:
- Pico-8 by Lexaloffle ($15). There is a free university edition as well, without Splore support.
- LÖVE (Love2d). Free.
An introduction to traditional and modern concepts in programming. Traditional concepts covered include variables, expressions, data representation, logic, arrays, functions, and pseudo-random numbers. The modern concepts include graphical constructs and event-driven programming. This course uses familiar games as projects, because implementing games requires an understanding of important programming concepts and attention to the human-computer interface.
- Create a series of increasingly complex video games.
- Demonstrate understanding of foundational programming concepts by using variables, loops, functions, conditionals, logic, data representation.
- Present software using graphical constructs and event-driven programming.
- Solve programming challenges with debugging techniques.
- Demonstrate procedural thinking and separation of design from implementation.
- Employ quantitative methods in arithmetic, algebra and geometry to solve problems in programming game environments.
The Purchase College academic integrity policy explicitly forbids cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and/or thoughts of another person and the representation of them as one’s own original work. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of plagiarism and the acceptable methods of attribution. Violation of any of the above may lead to formal disciplinary action and the following sanctions:
- Minimum Sanction: Failing grade on the assignment or examination. Maximum Sanction: Expulsion
- Recommended Sanction (First Offense): Failing grade for the course
- Recommended Sanction (Second Offense): Expulsion
Students who have any questions or doubts about whether any activity is academically permissible should check with the instructor.
The Office of Disability Resources collaborates directly with students who identify documented disabilities to create accommodation plans, including testing accommodations, in order for students to access course content and validly demonstrate learning. For those students who may require accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Resources as soon as possible, 914-251-6035, ODR@purchase.edu (Student Services Building, #316A), https://www.purchase.edu/odr.
University faculty and staff recognize that mental health and stress can impact college performance and interfere with daily life activities. At Purchase, Counseling & Behavioral Health Services can provide support if you’re struggling with feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, lost, stuck or in a crisis. Please call (914)251-6390 or visit the Counseling Center website for more information. CBHS services are free and confidential.
We support all students experiencing emergencies. Services include therapy, support groups, stress reduction at the Harbor Center, and other activities. The Counseling Center in Humanities Lower Level is open M-F, from 9:00a.m.– 5:00p.m. for appointments and walk-up scheduling, or call (914) 251-6390. The Harbor Center Sanctuary in Fort Awesome is available for stress reduction, mindfulness and meditation training, free drop-in classes and support groups, and relaxation.
All students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with Purchase College’s Student Code of Conduct. Any repetitive or disruptive behavior, including but not limited to outbursts, intoxication/drug use, personal or physical threats, damage to property, etc., may result in the professor requesting the student to leave class, contacting University Police, and/or notifying the Office of Community Standards.
All students at Purchase College can take advantage of our tutoring services in the Learning Center and the Einstein Corner. These are free, 45-minute, peer-to-peer tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects and in writing across the disciplines. Sessions can happen in person or through the Online Writing Lab up to 3x/week. The OWL allows students to submit a paper draft and get written feedback by email within 48 business hours. We strongly recommend face-to-face meetings for first-year students and multilingual writers. I encourage you to take advantage of this service to help you excel in this class, as well as your other courses. Please visit the Learning Center and Einstein Corner websites for more information.
- Please be on time, listen actively, and participate in class discussion and activities.
- Please put cell phones in 'sleep' mode at the start of class. If you need such devices for personal obligations, please take a break and leave the classroom.
- Laptops may be used in class for note taking and coding only. During class, don't check social media, do homework for other classes, buy things, text with friends, etc. Stay engaged in the class!
Learning programming is a cumulative effort. Each class builds on what you have learned in previous classes. Missing class can substantially set you back in this process. Therefore, it is important that you attend every class.
Don't miss class! We only meet once a week! If you are sick, send me an email to let me know. Check with your classmates on what you've missed, and to get their notes. You are still responsible for any homework when you are sick.
- Attendance and punctuality are expected for every class.
- Attendance will be taken at every class.
- Your presence is vital for participation in varied learning activities and small-group work.
- You are allowed 1 unexcused absences.
- Additional unexcused absences may affect your grade.
- Late arrivals or early departures may be counted as absences.
- If you are sick, don't come to class. Get in touch with the professor.
- If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out from classmates what you missed and submit assignments on time.
- Submit your work on time for full credit.
- To receive an extension, consult with the instructor.
- All completed game projects will have deliverables. At minimum, you will need to turn in a game file along with a document with the title, game description, link to media online, and screenshots. There may be other requirements as well.
- Smaller homework projects lead up to completion of larger projects.
Students are expected to be self-directed. This is a 4 credit class, so significant outside class homework is expected and necessary to learn to code and to make good projects.
This class will require some collaboration.
Coding can be difficult, and struggling with the material is part of the learning process. Students are allowed to collaborate to learn from each other. Do not collaborate in order to simply find out a solution to a project. Each participant should contribute approximately equally, and what you turn in should be your own. Copying a solution from another student, even if you change a few minor things such as variable names, is not a collaboration. You may help someone learn something, but you can not tell them what to code. If you have questions about collaboration or academic integrity, get in touch with me via email, talk with me before or after class, or come to office hours.
The Purchase College academic integrity policy, purchase.edu/live/blurbs/840-academic-and-professional-integrity, explicitly forbids cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and/or thoughts of another person and the representation of them as one’s own original work. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of plagiarism and the acceptable methods of attribution.
Violation of any of the above may lead to formal disciplinary action and the following sanctions:
- Minimum Sanction: Failing grade on the assignment or examination. Maximum Sanction: Expulsion
- Recommended Sanction (First Offense): Failing grade for the course
- Recommended Sanction (Second Offense): Expulsion
Students who have any questions or doubts about whether any activity is academically permissible should check with the instructor.
Plagiarism and cheating are taken seriously. You will be held accountable for Purchase's Student Code of Conduct for Academic Integrity.
If needed, this syllabus and the course outline may be revised to better suit the class. Students are responbile for keeping up with any changes distributed via email or in class. The most up to date syllabus will always be up to date on the class site.
I will be accessible to you in class, office hours, and online. I will respond promptly within 24 hours during the schoolweek to any questions and can clarify anything from our class.
I will use your preferred name and pronouns and treat you with respect.
If you come to me with a request or feedback I will listen and give my full consideration.
If you have a concern or an emergency I will help you to services and support.
I will give prompt and clear feedback to you on your progress in class at set points in the semester and any time you make a request via email.
- Work with your classmates inside and outside of class
- Do Pair Programming
- Start your homework early, do it in a quiet place, and minimize distractions. Expect 8 hours of work outside class per week.
- Stay on top of your work. It will be hard to recover if you fall behind.
- 60% Three assignments - three completed games. (20% each)
- 20% Class participation (including check-ins), attendance and readiness
- 20% Weekly homework
Last day to withdraw from full-term courses: Friday October 28.
Thanksgiving recess: Wednesday, November 27 - Sunday, December 1.
Final exam week: December 9 - 13.
- REPL
- Strings
- Variables
- Functions
- Comments
- Booleans
- Conditionals
- While loop
- Input
- Random number generation
- HW: text-based adventure
- Install
- framework
- Coordinate system
- Intro to graphics
- shapes
- time (delta time)
- keypresses
- images
- HW: interactive player character
- Collisions
- Tables
- For-loops
- Game loop
- Iterative game development
- HW: bouncy ball physics
- Objects
- Pong iterative development
- HW: finished pong game
- GAME ASSIGNMENT: PONG GAME DUE
- Animation
- Walk cycles
- Platforming physics
- HW: begin prototyping escape/survival game
- Working with audio
- Putting together a complete game
- Distribution
- HW: continued work on escape game (collisions/animation/graphics)
- Techniques of debugging
- Using a camera
- HW: Complete escape game
- GAME ASSIGNMENT: ESCAPE GAME DUE today
- Field trip
- Meet the game dev
- Intro to Pico-8
- Install
- Command prompt
- Splore
- Running programs
- Debugging
- HW: Explore Pico-8 and edit Jelpi
- Pico-8 API
- Character controller
- Randomness
- Sprite editor
- Map Editor
- Basic platformer
- HW: simple platformer
- Animations in Pico-8
- Loading scenes, cutscenes
- Coroutines
- HW: Final project - Sketch/prototyping of final project
- finite state machines
- handling states
- HW: Final project - mechanics, gameloop
- methodology
- workshop
- procedural content generation
- HW: Final project - finish draft
- final playtesting
- demo day
- HW: Final project - finish game
- GAME ASSIGNMENT: Final Project due
- presentations