Game Development Fundamentals Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary use of the Vector3 class in game development?

To perform mathematical operations with 3D vectors (correct)

To handle user interface layouts

To store audio settings for the game

To manage color properties of materials

What is the purpose of using Time.deltaTime in the Update() method?

To disable other scripts temporarily

To control the number of physics calculations performed

To sync game updates with the screen refresh rate

To ensure consistent frame-rate independent movement (correct)

What does the GameObject.Destroy() method do when called with a time parameter?

Makes the object inactive without removing it

Immediately removes the object from the scene

Destroys the object after a specified delay (correct)

Plays an animation before destroying the object

Which of the following statements about the Game architecture is true?

Established standards help in creating maintainable and reusable software. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What feature does the Input.GetButton() function provide in game development?

It checks if a button is currently being held down. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the flow experience a player should achieve?

Feeling of control over the situation (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an attribute of flow?

Regular interruptions (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does a game typically teach players its rules?

Through progression and experience during play (C) Signup and view all the answers

What balance is necessary for flow to occur according to the content?

Balance between challenge and ability (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which condition is necessary for flow to occur?

High perceived challenges (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does a player experience when they are fully immersed in flow?

Altered experience of time (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the roles of game mechanics?

To enforce valid actions and engage the player (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which situation leads to a loss of the sense of self?

When players are fully concentrated on the task at hand (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main functions of game mechanics?

To create challenges players must overcome. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of problem in games can be considered optional?

A side mission providing rewards. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What happens if a problem in a game has a single solution?

It may become repetitive and tedious. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In terms of risk and reward, how should risk be structured?

Risk should be proportional to reward. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines core mechanics in a game?

Activities players frequently engage in. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What defines meta mechanics in gaming?

They tie together various core mechanics. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What types of challenges can players face in a game?

Both physical and mental challenges. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of actions taken by players in games?

They should often have a corresponding risk. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which platform has exclusive access to its store for game purchases?

PlayStation Store (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the revenue cut percentage taken by the Epic Games Store?

12% (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following platforms is non-exclusive for app purchases?

Google Play (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which genre does not fall under the action category?

RPGs (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical revenue cut percentage for the Apple App Store?

30% (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following player modes is characterized by a direct competition between players?

Versus (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which mobile platform is known to have substantial restrictions on app stores, as of 2024?

Apple App Store (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a new emerging genre mentioned that combines features of existing games?

MOBA (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does a higher weight on an edge in path-finding signify?

It is a harder route to pass. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a navigation mesh (navmesh)?

To describe all walkable terrain in a level. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding A* path-finding?

It has several algorithmic modifications. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What additional capability does Unity provide for path-finding?

Dynamic rebuilding of NavMesh. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a common aspect of mobile games?

They are designed for casual play. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential challenge of developing multi-platform games?

Different types of controllers and input methods. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What kind of agents can the ML Agents package in Unity support?

Reinforced learning agents. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How are weights for different types of agents represented in path-finding?

Weights can differ based on agent capabilities. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which method is NOT a way to implement AI in Unity?

Integrating Actuarial Analysis. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which is an advantage of writing your own AI in Unity?

It allows for customization and configurability. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of game logic in a game?

To define entities, their interactions, and game state changes. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which method is used to efficiently find game objects in Unity?

GameObject.FindWithTag() (B) Signup and view all the answers

In Unity's Scene Graph Hierarchy, what should you avoid according to best practices?

Hard-coding GetChild() indices. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the Entity-Component-System (ECS) design pattern emphasize?

Favors composition over inheritance. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is DOTS in Unity?

Data-oriented technology stack for performance improvements. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What problem can arise with unrealistic physics in games?

Small errors can disturb players if the game simulates the real world. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the Event Manager in a game's architecture?

To manage game state changes and ensure subsystems respond. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which component is responsible for playing audio in Unity?

AudioSource (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the Command Interpreter do in a game?

Interprets commands from AI or players to separate game logic. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the graphics display handle rendering efficiently?

With pre-computed data such as light maps and visible sets. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of using GameObjects in Unity?

They help organize and manage components effectively within the scene. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What limits the components of User Interface (UI) in Unity?

They must be designed specifically for each game. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is one disadvantage of complex 3D scenes in Unity?

They can unexpectedly reduce game performance. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect must be considered for audio in a 3D game environment?

3D positions of both listener and audio sources. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Game Design Basics

Game design determines what will be and won't be in the game, dictating the overall player experience and ensuring player engagement.
It always works within difficult constraints.
A game designer must communicate the project vision to the whole team, explaining every detail.
They create game mechanics, story, setting, and narrative while ensuring balance.
A game designer acts as the player's advocate.

Player-centric approach

Understanding the player's desires and needs is crucial.
Determining how the game will affect the player.
What value is provided to the player?

Create experiences, not mechanics

Focus on the player's experience over game mechanics.
Every design decision should contribute to an enjoyable experience.

Player Motivation

People play games for various reasons, such as starting a game, keeping playing, and returning the next day.
Motivation changes over time and in response to gameplay.
Exercise: Evaluate what motivates you in a game and what made you stop playing it.

Gamer Motivation Model

A model categorizing player motivations.
This model groups player motivation into action, social, mastery, achievement, immersion, and creativity.
Example motivations include destruction, competition, challenge, completion, fantasy, and discovery.

Deliberate Game Design

Every element of the game needs a purpose.
How fulfillments change with other changes need to be considered.
Re-evaluate existing purposes and don't add anything to the game if the team can't justify why it needs to be included.
Note that this may conflict with designer wishes.

Judging an idea

A framework for evaluating ideas while recognizing unknowns.
The framework suggests quick experimentation then follow up with further action or rejection.

Game Design is Communication

Informing the player regarding how a game will be presented.
Keeping a consistent Game Design Document (GDD), providing clarity and reminding the team of the purpose.
Ensuring two teams working on the same GDD create practically identical games.
Understanding what the customer will value in the game and how to market it effectively.

Game Design is Iterative

A cyclical approach, alternating between learning, data collection, idea generation, and building and testing.
Important for iteratively refining/improving the game (Build-Measure-Learn).

Minimalism

Designer responsibility for keeping ideas/game implementations to a minimum to improve development speed and team satisfaction.
Removing unnecessary elements has benefits for both game quality and team morale.

Kill Ideas Quickly

The need to effectively eliminate unwanted project components.
Prioritize concepts/game components that improve the game and remove/reject unnecessary ones.

Every Game Developer is a Game Designer

Every game developer should consider themselves somewhat a game designer.
This implies that they should have some basic awareness and interest in the core design aspects of the project.
It's important for everyone within the game production to be knowledgeable in the basics of game design.

You will copy a lot

Game design involves research based on the development of prior games; often design ideas are not completely original and new.
It is key that the project team understands that game design involves a significant amount of established prior work.

It's Analysis & Research

Understanding, researching, and evaluating existing games for potential benefits.
Assessing and evaluating existing games to better understand their successes/failures.

Player should get into flow

Flow, in the context of games, is a positive state of being a player where the experience takes precedence over other stimuli.
This condition is characterized by energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in activities.

Flow Attributes

Clear Goals.
Balance between challenge and ability.
Immediate feedback during game action.
Feeling in control of the game situation.
Full concentration on the task at hand with no distractions.
Your consciousness becomes the thing you do.

Flow conditions

Knowing what to do, how to do it.
High perceived challenges, high perceived skills.
Freedom from distractions.

Game Mechanics

Rules determining outcomes within the game environment.
Not all game rules need to be explicitly stated and some actions are known by the players as they progress through the game.
Digital games often have systems that enforce valid actions and specify outcomes from invalid actions, creating clear rules of play.

Games are problem-solving activities

Games provide challenges and their mechanics provide tools to overcome these challenges.
Games provide various sorts of challenges, including physical and mental.
Considering the overall game as a problem to solve can give a player motivation to continue playing.

Problems & Tools

Providing the player with problems to overcome and the tools with which to do so.
Problems/challenges in games need to be more diverse.
Providing the player multiple tools to overcome problems/challenges in the game.

Risk & Reward

Actions in games often involve risk, which should be proportional to the potential reward.
Balancing risk to reward is key to creating interesting and engaging gameplay.

Game Mechanics Classification

Describing game mechanics in greater detail.
Categorizing game mechanics into core mechanics and meta mechanics gives insight into the structure of games.
Core mechanics relate to repeating actions that largely affect the game.
Meta mechanics are wrapped around and often support core game mechanics, but they aren't as frequently interacted with by the end user.

Core + Meta Mechanics

Core mechanics describe the fundamental game actions that the player repeatedly interacts with (a high frequency of interaction).
Meta mechanics surround core mechanics, connecting them together to shape the overall gameplay design (a lower frequency of interaction).

5 Types of Mechanics

Categorizes core mechanics into Physics, Economy, Progression, Tactical Maneuvering, and Social Interaction.
Understanding different mechanics types across various categories of gameplay can benefit understanding the structure of various existing games.

Broad categorization of game mechanics with similar characteristics.
Understanding these broad categories of gameplay allows one to further narrow down or assess various game architectures.

Games are about doing the same thing over and over again

The repetitive nature of games is an important aspect of game design.

Core (Game) Loop

Describing the sequence of actions repeated in a game to define the core gameplay of the game.
The game loop is important and needs to be clearly defined, since the player will go through this loop.

Core Game Loop - Overwatch

Describing the standard game loop for the competitive game Overwatch in more detail.
Outlining each stage in the game loop with connections.

Overwatch Core Vs Meta

Illustrates how “core gameplay” is contained distinctly within the “meta gameplay” part of a larger game.

Game Design step-by-step guide

A stepwise approach to planning game design detailing each needed step while creating the game.
The designer must define how all these elements fit together to fulfill the designer's and the team's end goals regarding the game.

Game Design knowledge + skills

Summarization of necessary knowledge/skills of a game designer.
Designer creativity/communication is vitally important, but so are soft skills, introspection and the ability to take criticism.
In addition, the knowledge of game play of a diverse range of games is very helpful for the designer to generate innovative ideas.

Game Design Specializations

Categorizes game design into System, Level/World, Economy, Monetization, and Narrative Design.
All these can be further analyzed to shape a better game design strategy.

Game Documentation

Provides a summary of document types used in games
Illustrates the needed documents for game design and their interactions with development.
Including an example diagram giving insight into how these interact.

Pitch Deck (or Concept Doc)

Details about a presentation used in game development showing the game's goal and purpose.
The presentation format conveys game purpose/viability and assists with pitching the concept to management/investors/etc.

Pitch Deck contents

Outline of the contents of a pitch deck for a game, including premise, player motivation, unique selling points, Target Market, competitor analysis, budget, scope, timeline, and revenue projections, and license information.
Including this information aids in the effective presentation of the pitch to others.

Game Design Document (GDD)

Discusses the importance of a game design document (GDD) that is similar to a hardware requirements specification document.
Describes the use of various components and detailed description of features and gameplay.

GDD forms

Discusses various platforms used for creation of a GDD, such as Google Docs/Notion, Wiki, or Miro.
Provides pros and cons of each GDD platform, considering different needs for each.

GDD Structure

Outlines required elements for a well-defined Game Design Document (GDD) describing needed elements.

Core game loop

Describes a simplified loop in a game to explain what actions/events happen and their relationship to each stage of the loop.

2D Camera

Summarizes different camera types used in games from a gameplay perspective, such as side-scroller, isometric, or top-down.

3D Camera

Summarizes different camera types used in 3D games, such as 1st person, 3rd person, or top-down.

Controls

-Describes the user input methods used by different platforms in game design and development. -Includes a description of examples using consoles or touchpads for controlling a game.

Characters

Provides information on different character design styles.
Differentiates between single-character and multiple-character, as well as character commander-types of gameplay.

Characters

Describes customizable character designs, including specific/customizable and character attributes including visuals and stats.

Uls

Provides a visual/interactive overview of the user interface flow (screen-flow) when navigating different game interfaces.

1 Picture > 1000 words

Emphasizes the importance of visual representation in design and understanding games (a visual is often worth a thousand words).

Art Design Document (ADD)

Outlines information needed to describe the art used in a game.
Includes categories of art style, mood boards, palettes, 2D/3D assets, animation techniques, software, workflows, and limitations.
Importance of these elements to define the "look" and "feel" of a game.

Technical Design Document (TDD)

Describes essential information regarding technological and hardware aspects of a game's production.

Production Plan

Outlines a game's production plan, detailing team allocation, task estimates, deadlines for shipping, marketing strategies, and post-launch plans including DLCs and LiveOps.

Game Development Stages

Illustrates a summary of standard game development stages (like concept, design, implementation, testing, and deployment) as a cyclical process.
Outlines the tasks and responsibilities of developers during each phase.

Development phases

Describes basic development steps from concept, prototypes, pre-production, production, Alpha, Beta, Gold, to post-production in greater detail.

Problem & Solutions

Presents issues in game development and their potential solutions.
Describes common challenges in game design and proposes potential solutions.
Explains the potential advantages of iteration and flexibility against earlier, inflexible methods.

Introduction to Unity

Describes Unity as a game engine used for game development in several different formats. – Outlines percentages for game usage, detailing its strengths both in free and premium versions.

Game Engines

Provides an overview of several popular game engines/frameworks.
Details popularity of each engine/framework by percentage as of 2022.
Describes that several additional engines/frameworks are also available.

Unity

Describes the technical and licensing aspects of Unity, including cost, accessibility, and platforms supported.

Unity Platforms

Outlines relevant platforms and relevant versions for use with Unity.

Unreal

Describes the technical and licensing aspects of Unreal, including cost, accessibility and platforms supported.

Unreal Platforms

Outlines relevant platforms and relevant versions for use with Unreal.

Godot

Describes Godot as a free and open-source game engine.

Godot 4.3 Platforms

Specifies the supported platforms.

Picking an engine

Highlights the importance of license/pricing, support and features.
Suggests which engines/frameworks are better suited to various games, depending on genre, intended platform, etc.

Why Unity

Describes advantages of Unity including wide support, easier to learn than Unreal and better performance relative to Godot.

Recommendations

Provides best practices for utilizing Unity and its tools for initial game project creation, use of LTS (Long Term Support) versions as a standard design practice.

Interface overview

Provides an overview of standard elements of the interface that are used with Unity.

Basic Concepts

Outlines some of the fundamental elements used in Unity for game object properties.

Scripting

Presents some of the basic scripting concepts used in Unity.
Discusses the use of certain functions such as GetComponents and input.GetKey().

Scripting (2)

Discusses the use and function of specific Unity classes and scripting concepts.

Scripting (3)

Outlines additional concepts including vectors and their use in Update and FixedUpdate function calls within Unity scripts.

Game and Engine Architecture

Describes game architecture as a collection of layers to help facilitate understanding and implement game and engine architecture.

Game development is software development

Game development is fundamentally software development, following established design patterns.

Game architecture

Describes game architecture as encompassing all parts of a game, highlighting the importance of adhering to established standards.

Game architecture layers

Describes the layer structure of a game using the analogy to TCP.
Outlines several categories or layers that are used, such as Application, Game Logic, and Game View.

Game logic layer

Describes the responsibilities of the game logic layer, including its interaction with other layers and its implementation of game mechanics.

Game view layer

Describes the layer that presents game state related information (like visuals and audio) to the player.
Outlines the characteristics and functionality of the game view layer, such as dealing with user input with game logic..

An example – racing game

Presents an example of a racing game and its associated game logic, input, and output.

Racing Game – Human Game View

Presents an example workflow of a game view in a racing game from a player's perspective.

Racing Game – Al Game View

Presents an example workflow of game views in a racing game with an Al as a controller.

Game views

Discusses various aspects of a game view and its flexibility in handling input and output, including a basic implementation of rendering and an example of how an AI interacts with game data.

Game views (2)

Discusses advantages/disadvantages of various game views, such as 4:3 (smaller) vs 16:9 aspect ratios and how to handle player perspective issues.

Input devices and output devices

Categorizes game input/output and how they affect the overall structure of the underlying game design.

Application layer

Describes the application layer as the layer between hardware/software and gameplay.

Reading input

Discusses game design regarding user input.

Reading input in Unity

Describes how the Input System in Unity works, outlining differences between the "Old" and "New" models used within Unity and their differences.

File System and Resource Caching

Explains the importance of efficiently managing game resources, considering the need for a resource cache to maintain a quick gameplay experience with minimal interruptions or lag.

Resource Loading in Unity

Describes the different methods available in Unity for handling loading procedures of various game resources, describing available options like SceneManager.LoadScene and SceneManager.LoadSceneAsync or use of Addressables for fine-grained memory control during load procedures.

Resource Loading in Unity

Describes actions regarding resource handling and their load procedure in greater detail.

Initialization, Main Loop, and Shutdown

Describes the initial, continuous, and final stages of a game.

Simple game loop

Outlines elements of a simplified game loop.

Game loop in Unity

Describes the Update and FixedUpdate functions in Unity, describing their importance in the game loop and differences in use.

How Unity game loop looks (simplified)

Shows simplified Unity game loop code example.

Unity's game loop simplified

Outlines Unity's simplified game loop visually in diagram form.

Unity Update & FixedUpdate

Discusses specific use cases for Update() or FixedUpdate() methods, detailing how these functions work relative to each other depending upon the type of game state being handled and the frequency of calculations required.

Unity Execution Order

Explains the importance of understanding the order of events in Unity.

Other Application Layer Code

Details various code or system functions useful in the application layer for games, such as systems handling time, strings, threads, or network communication.

Game Logic Layer - Authoritative

Describes the function and various aspects of the Game Logic Layer, outlining it as an important layer in game architecture that contains elements needed to handle and manage game states regarding different game events, physics, and other game elements.

Game logic

Describes the game logic, outlining its importance in game universe and how changes to game state happen.

Game state and data structures

Outlines needed components for managing game objects to support game play, and how to deal with complex structures when navigating and managing updates to game state.

Scene Graph Hierarchy in Unity

Outlines the structure of the scene graph hierarchy in Unity.

Game state and data structures

Describes problems that may arise when dealing with game data and objects, as well as potential solutions and approaches.

Entity-Component-System (ECS)

Outlines the principles and components of the Entity-Component-System (ECS) design pattern.

ECS in current Unity

Explains the ECS design pattern in the context of current Unity implementation, describing similarities and distinctions.

Example of systems

Provides an example of how systems work within an ECS implementation and details examples of various kinds of systems.

True ECS in Unity

Details how to achieve a true ECS structure in Unity.

Physics and Collision

Describes elements of physics that affect game play (and/or how they work in a game), such as rigid body dynamics, ragdolled physics, fluid simulations, etc., as well as addressing issues like precision.

Game Events

Outlines the role of game events as mechanisms that trigger responses in subsystems.

Process Manager

Describes the process manager layer and how it works to execute various actions in a game.

Command Interpreter

Explains why the command interpreter layer is useful in separating game logic and view, describing its role and how it enables more effective debugging.

Game view – Human

Describes the role of a human game view in a networked game.
Explains how the game view's actions interact with the logic layer, detailing the necessary components and how decisions are made.

Graphics Display

Summarizes the important aspects of handling graphical display for various game objects and how these components relate to the overall game process workflow.

Rendering

Describes the visual processing components in a game.

Graphics Display (2)

Details how various graphical capabilities of games affect how games are rendered.

Audio

Describes three categories of audio involved in game development, including audio effects, music, and speech, as well as needed elements for implementation of each kind.

Audio in Unity

Outlines specific Unity components utilized for audio in game development.

User Interface Presentation

Highlights the importance of tailoring user interfaces (UIs) to specific game requirements, and when re-using UI components might or might not be possible.

Unity UI

Describes the graphical elements frequently utilized in Unity to create UIs.

Options

Outlines general options available in typical game UI, such as resolution, aspect ratio, and other visual components.

Game Physics

Describes importance of real-time physics in video games, outlining needs and considerations regarding their implementation.

Realistic modeling of the world

Describes how game physics tries to model the real world and the challenges associated with doing so in real-time environments.

Pong physics model

Describes the basic physics for a game like Pong.

Pong physics model (2)

Presents details for how the basic physics in Pong can be described and/or conceptualized when dealing with collisions and changes to game state.

Complex physics models

Describes several kinds of more complex physics available, and/or needed in various advanced game conditions and challenges.

Complex physics models – Reality

Describes how various complex physics concepts are often simplified for practical reasons in game design.

Rigid body dynamics

Discusses rigid body dynamics in detail for games.

Linear Dynamics

Describes linear dynamics, defining the position and/or velocity functions, and how to identify/handle constant/variable acceleration values.

Example

Explains parabolic projectile movement and related components for the example.

Forces

Discusses the need to compute acceleration by considering various game forces.

Getting the desired positions

Outlines steps needed for accurately implementing the calculated forces to get objects in the desired position or location relative to game state parameters.

Moving with variable acceleration

Describes the challenges in computing variable acceleration, and highlighting numerical integration as an important solution for computing motions with variable forces or other changing conditions.

Rotational dynamics

Describes principles related to the rotation of objects in games.

Object-object interaction

Describes steps needed to determine object collisions in more complex game situations.

Intersections

Presents an overview of how to determine the overlap of game objects given various possible configurations.

Determining the intersection

Describes various types of algorithms appropriate for determining object intersection, including examples for use in games.

Complex intersections

Discusses the importance of how non-convex intersections/collisions are more difficult to compute/evaluate, while explaining why this knowledge is important.

Optimizing intersections

Describes general approaches for improving speed and reducing issues when dealing with complex intersections, and how to use simpler shapes with bounding volumes..

Bounding volumes

Describes the use of bounding volumes to simplify collision detection between complex game objects.

(Ray)casting

Outlines the use of ray-casting to determine which objects overlap/intersect with a virtual line (ray), to efficiently and accurately estimate what elements in a game environment might overlap.

Space partitioning

Discusses the various methods used to determine collisions/intersections when using more complex/realistic models of objects within games.

Space partitioning (2)

Outlines the need for handling dynamic objects, including the need for adjusting partition structures efficiently.

Collision response

Describes aspects of game calculations needed to handle collisions, including physical material considerations needed for real-world approximations and how to generate forces due to interactions between game entities.

Precision problems

Explains why simplifying the simulation of various forces may be needed to maintain consistent performance and the challenges associated with maintaining precision.

Tunneling

Discusses various techniques/methods for attempting to mitigate the "tunneling" issue when an object passes through other objects in an unrealistic simulation.

Solutions

Addresses several solutions to the "tunneling" issue when a game simulation results in an unrealistic overlap of objects.

Unity's physics engine

Describes the structure of the Transform component used for representing objects in the engine and how using components to describe different physical principles and/or entities aids consistency in development and gameplay.

Unity's physics engine scripting

Outlines how to implement scripts with Unity's physics engine.

Execution Order of Event functions

Describes the order in which various events/functions are executed in Unity.

Collisions messages called only in some cases

Presents an overview of interactions and collisions in specific circumstances.

Unity's physics engine scripting (2)

Discusses specific Unity functions/classes used for physics calculations, particularly for different testing and computation strategies.

Math for 3D games

Describes the various mathematical concepts/components fundamental to game design regarding three-dimensional geometry.

What we need the math for

Outlines the different mathematical needs for 3D game design and development.
Discusses how these elements are needed for games, ranging from object manipulation to rendering to physics.

Floating point numbers

Outlines the significance of using IEEE 754 standard floating-point numbers for representing numerical values in game environments.
Explains the importance of using single/double precision and GPU FLOPS for efficient computation.

Vectors and points

Introduces the role of vectors and points in 3D game mathematics and their use in different aspects of game design.

Vectors and points - Unity

Presents the Unity Vector classes, their uses for 3D math functionality (e.g. for vector/point manipulations, animations, and physics components) and various mathematical operations.

Transformations

Describes affine transformations for games.

Affine Transformations

Describes affine transformations and their use in 3D games.

Affine Space

Explains the concept of affine space and its components for dealing with vectors and points in various aspects of game design.

Affine Transformations

Describes how affine transformations are used in mapping between spaces to help in representing game layouts.

Examples

Illustrates examples of 3D transformations including translation, rotation, and scaling.

Combining Transforms

Describes how these transformations can be combined and the importance of the order of transformations.

Graphics APIs use matrix form

Explains how 3D graphics APIs use matrix transformations for manipulating objects.

Unity transform details

Explains why Unity transforms are a collection of 4x4 matrices.

Orientation vs Rotation

Presents the difference between Orientation and Rotation used for object transformations in 3D games using a reference frame.

Orientation Representation

Explains numerical representation of orientation using various methods such as Euler angles, Axis+Angle, and Quaternions and their efficiency/usefulness.

Quaternions

Presents Quaternions and the advantages and drawbacks of using them for representing rotations in 3D games.

Quaternions

Explains more about applying quaternions in various contexts.

Why 4x4 matrix

Explains why 4x4 matrices are used to represent transformations in 3D graphics and games.

4x4 matrix allows other transforms

Describes how 4x4 matrices can also represent non-affine transformations involving homogenous coordinates.

3D Transformation Pipeline

Describes the needed 3D transformations used in the pipeline for 3D games in more detail.

Scene Graph

Describes the Scene Graph and how it is used in 3D games

Object Transformation

Outlines the concepts involved with transforming objects in a game.

Different spaces and transforms

Describes how different spaces for representing position/orientation of 3D game objects relate to the game pipeline and their use/interaction with various game components.

Spaces in Unity

Describes how different spaces (object, world, eye, NDC, viewport, screen space) and associated transformations are used in Unity.

Real-time Rendering Pipeline

Explains different rendering pipelines and their relationship to objects in the scene.

AI in Games

Outlines the different motivations for implementing Al in games and how it relates to the player.

A little history

Presents the history of game Al, giving examples.

The Kind of Al in games

Describes some general types of Al commonly used in games.

Hacks - "Game Al is not Al"

Highlights the distinction between basic Al implementations and more sophisticated Al, emphasizing that not all implementations are actually AI.

Heuristics

Describes what "heuristics" is in the context of AI and games, highlighting common examples and their limitations.

Algorithms

Describes what "algorithms" are in the context of AI and games, and what sorts of operations they support.

Academic Al vs. Game Al

Describes how Acadamic Al and Game Al have some differences and aims for different outcomes regarding user experience, efficiency and precise results for game design.

Game State Analysis

Outlines the analysis of game data and how these actions/states/etc. are used in various areas of game design (like physics or Al actions).

Gameplay Al is a 3-step process

Describes a decision tree for the process of gameplay AI action and decision making.

Al Difficulty

Explains some differences in the implementation of AI depending on the complexity or purpose of the game, and some potential issues associated with AI design.

An example: Sims

Describes how decisions are made in games with complex/dynamic game state and/or in-game models.

Al types in games

Describes different types of algorithms used in games, such as hardcoded, or weighted random algorithms.

Weighted randoms example

Explains the use of weighted randomization in games for creating dynamic AI behavior.

Finite State Machines (FSM)

Describes Finite State Machines (FSMs) as a useful mechanism for representing and/or modeling Al actions as transitions between different states.

Finite State Machines (2)

Describes the use of FSMs to define actions during gameplay and explains how game action might change based upon different states.

Finite State Machines (3)

Describes the use of Finite State Machines (FSMs) regarding how transition rules might involve aspects of randomization and/or reactivity..

Decision trees

Describes decision trees as an Al design tool and how they work, including their function, structure, use of nodes, and their traversal through the decision tree.

Decision trees (2)

Explores how decision trees can be used in a game to create sub-trees depending on various conditions.

Decision trees (3)

Shows an example for how a decision tree can be used in a broader game design, including an example based upon differing possible levels of health variables to define appropriate actions.

Behavior Trees

Explains how behavior trees expand upon the use case of decision trees, and/or what components they might include.

Behavior Trees (2)

Details how various kinds of nodes, including composite, decorator, and leaf nodes, are related to behavior trees.

Behavior Trees – Actions

Details the role that parameters and actions might play in Behavior Trees and how they're generally used for game logic decision making.

Halo 2

Presents an example of a game using Behavior Trees.

Fuzzy logic

Describes the concept and implementation of fuzzy logic in game Al, explaining its purpose and use relative to other methods like decision trees.

Fuzzy logic (2)

Explores the implementation details of fuzzification, which assigns degrees of membership in decision making.

Fuzzy logic (3)

Addresses the complexity of defuzzification (converting membership degrees to specific actions) using fuzzy logic and the importance of ensuring that these transitions are balanced/appropriate.

Fuzzy logic (4)

Presents the use and complexity of Al prototyping or use-cases with fuzzy logic, such as games that try to be more or less similar to real-world behaviors.

Utility theory

• Provides a description of how utility theory functions regarding game Al design.

Utility theory - examples

Examines the use case of utility theory in an example game like chess, and how it applies to the game's strategic considerations/decision-making framework.

Utility theory in practice

Describes the application of utility theory to practical game design, highlighting how it aids in localized decision-making and understanding game actions.

Goal-oriented action planning (GOAP)

Describes the goal-oriented action planning (GOAP) method in game development regarding Al and its various uses.

GOAP (2)

Describes how one example game (like a character getting hungry, searching for food/etc.) is conceptualized using some basic GOAP methods.

GOAP (3)

Presents how sequences of goals might exist and how to deal with situations where a sequence might not exist, or when multiple goals are present in a single game state.

Path-finding

Outlines the concepts of Path-finding, describing it more as a support, rather than an Al technique, utilized in various contexts.

Path-finding (2)

Discusses some of the limitations or potential drawbacks when implementing path-finding, including how to handle more complex/irregular terrains.

Path-finding (3)

Explores different aspects of edge weight, its importance, and how weights might change based upon a variety of criteria.

A* path-finding (aka. A-star)

Presents a well-known path-finding algorithm.

Path-finding – taking it a step further

• Describes the use of navigation meshes (navmeshes) to calculate paths through a specific terrain/environment in more detail, and/or how tolerances can be used to further improve the use and design aspects of pathfinder algorithms.

Al in Unity

Presents commonly used Al systems/libraries, including Behavior Trees or Finite State Machines, that can be directly utilized with Unity.