Games Development : Weekly learning

 Games Development

Weekly learning

WEEK 1:

First, the teacher started with an icebreaker activity—asking everyone to stand up and introduce their neighbor within 5 minutes to lay the groundwork for future team collaboration.

Next, the teacher focused on what would be covered in the course and key notes. For example, he emphasized that game development requires mastering basic principles first instead of relying solely on ready-made modules. He recommended open-source software, which has no license restrictions, and mentioned that AI can be used to assist in asset generation, but warned against tools that require authorization like Photoshop. He also advised everyone to look into early "dot games," noting that these games had limited resources and focused more on core mechanics, making them ideal for the course.

Regarding assignments and projects, the teacher stated that everyone needs to complete 3 assignments plus notes, and submit a complete game work with assets by the end of the term. He specifically stressed not to design multiplayer online games at the beginning; instead, start with simple ones to avoid excessive complexity.

On teams and progress, the teacher said the number of team members is up to the students, but they need to consider that fewer members may mean more games to review at the end of the term. Creative teams must be formed by the 4th week, and team projects will officially kick off after the 5th week. Progress updates need to be submitted weekly to ensure everyone is learning and working independently.

Additionally, the teacher provided learning resources: free online books, recommended Riot Games content on YouTube for reference, and even mentioned AI models like Stable Diffusion, saying they can help find design inspiration.

Finally, the teacher outlined the rules: 3 attendance records are required; after the 3rd activity, students can study anywhere as long as they submit tasks well every week. Relevant documents must be uploaded by Saturday midnight, and modification requests can be made. The final game topic is based on personal preference and will be adjusted later according to feedback.

WEEK 2:

The class began with some students sharing their homework assignments. I heard some interesting game design ideas. Afterward, the teacher taught us the basics of using Blender and how to import it into Godot.

WEEK 3:

This week, the students shared their experiences and experiences with game modeling. We then divided into small groups. Our group consisted of seven people, and we needed to refine our game ideas after class. We ultimately chose Tao and Obata's game ideas.

WEEK 4:

This week, we presented Assigment 1. After reviewing the presentations from other groups, our teacher generally praised our group's progress and creative expression. He felt that both projects—Double Pendulum Pachinko and Phyto—demonstrated promising concepts and unique visual ideas.

In Double Pendulum Pachinko, the teacher found the combination of "chaos physics" and "arcade pinball" to be interesting and novel, but suggested we further refine the gameplay logic and control feedback to make the game's rhythm more coherent and the visuals more unified.

For Phyto, the teacher approved of the "purifying the environment with plants" theme, but hoped we could clarify the storyline, make the level structure more logical, and improve the color and lighting to make the ecological changes more visually impactful.

Finally, the teacher encouraged us to maintain our creativity, strengthen communication and task allocation within the group, and polish the details in subsequent versions for a more complete and professional look.

However, after reviewing the other groups' presentations, I felt we could do even better, so we decided to further enhance the content.

WEEK 5:

In Week 5, we held our second presentation. This week, the teacher provided feedback primarily on the game's scoring mechanics.

First, the teacher noted that the current scoring logic was somewhat vague and suggested clarifying the score progression in "winning slots" and "losing slots." For example, he suggested using a multiplier progression (2 → 4 → 8 → 16 → 32) to enhance the thrill of chained scoring.

Second, he mentioned that players might not currently understand the reasoning behind their scores , and that the visual feedback and logic needed to be more intuitive. A simple "scoring simulation" test could be conducted to ensure the rules make sense before further incorporating complex design.

Overall, the teacher felt that we were making good progress and on the right track. As long as we continue to refine details and player experience, we can make the game more coherent and engaging.

WEEK 6:

In this lesson, we mainly learned how to create simple animations using godot.

Here are some examples:

1. Breaking Infinite Loops: Taking character animation as an example, the instructor pointed out that a counter remaining at "less than 10" would cause the animation to freeze. A live demonstration showed adding "+1" iteration logic, allowing the counter to increase from 0 to 9, stopping the loop once the target was reached. It was emphasized that "this is the foundation for controlling animation repetition."

2. Variable-Controlled Animation: We learned to use variables to define movement rules (e.g., if the counter > 500, the character moves right; < 500, the character moves left). It was also suggested to encapsulate the movement logic into functions for reuse. For example, "turning after 500 steps" can be achieved using variables + functions.

3. Avoiding Pitfalls in Motion Control: When trying to "move backward + move right simultaneously," the character didn't move. The instructor explained that this was a code conflict and reminded us to "adjust the priority of multi-directional movements." Advanced content was also introduced: "Later, we'll use physics to control the character; for now, let's practice parameter-controlled position."

4. Homework assignments: Homework is an individual task, requiring you to try character rotation and skill animation; next week we will learn about physics optimization motion, and you can ask the teacher any questions you may have.

WEEK 7:

In today's class, I learned the basics of 3D project practice from the teacher. Following along step by step was quite rewarding. First, the teacher taught me how to build a 3D scene. I had to adjust the size of objects like the floor and boxes, change their colors, select standard 3D materials, and even enlarge the boxes to cover the entire scene so there would be room for elements like iPhones and iPads later. Next, we learned about character and animation settings. I added sprites to the 3D world, selected 4-frame animation assets, and learned how to set up autoplay. Watching the sprites move was quite interesting.

Motion control was a key area. I configured the input system, using the WASD keys to control movement, and set up a jump function. I remember setting the jump speed to 4.5 and the gravity parameter to 9.8. The teacher said that speed only has fast and slow aspects, but it also has direction, which I specifically noted down. In addition, I learned about physics collision settings, choosing collision shapes for objects to ensure the character doesn't pass through the floor, and basic operations like scaling objects and adjusting the camera angle. The teacher also reminded me to ask questions anytime if I encountered any problems and that I could catch up at home if I missed anything.

Finally, the teacher also mentioned the project submission, saying that there was no need to write complicated reports, the key was to show the teacher the practical results, and that questions could be asked later.

WEEK 8:

We have no classes this week; we will continue developing our game project.

WEEK 9:

During today’s class discussion, our lecturer began by acknowledging the overall progress of our project. He noted that:

• The basic 3D models have been completed

• Background textures and game environment are in development

• Game assets are gradually being prepared

Overall, he can clearly see that our prototype is moving toward a more complete form.

🎮 Core System Progress & Lecturer’s Comments

Our lecturer pointed out that several core gameplay systems have already taken shape, including:

• Basic physics simulation

• Coin drop mechanism

• Pendulum movement scripts

These essential elements are working in an early form, but he reminded us that

The movements still need refinement to feel more natural.

For example, the pendulum can have a smaller but more realistic swing, and its parameters may need further tuning.

In general, the logic is correct—it just needs continued adjustment for smoother, more believable interaction.

🔧 Code Structure & Sound Design

The lecturer also mentioned that our coding direction is solid and structurally clear. At this stage, he emphasized:

The priority is to stabilize the core mechanics of the game.

Sound design will become important later on, but there is no need to rush it now.

Once the main gameplay loop is stable, we can then work on sound effects and background audio to enhance immersion.

🎨 Visual Presentation, UI/UX & Digital Effects

Since the current gameplay is relatively simple, the lecturer reminded us that:

UI/UX, digital effects, and overall visual presentation must be strengthened in the later stages.

These elements will significantly elevate the overall experience once the system is stable.

⏳ Time Planning 

We are currently at:

• Week 11

• Final submission & presentation in Week 14

This leaves us with only 2–3 weeks of production time.

Recommended timeline:

🔹 Next Two Weeks (Week 11–13)

✔ Complete all gameplay logic

✔ Finalize physics systems

✔ Implement main interactions

✔ Ensure all core functions run smoothly

🔹 Final Week (Week 14)

✔ Focus on visual polish

✔ Refine UI animations

✔ Add digital effects

✔ Complete overall polishing

🏁 Lecturer’s Closing Encouragement

He concluded by checking whether we had further questions and encouraged us to maintain our current momentum:

Our progress so far is on the right track.

As long as we stabilize the core mechanics soon, all visual and interaction details can be refined within the remaining time.

The lecturer feels confident about our direction and pacing, and he encouraged us to keep pushing forward.

WEEK 10:

Our teacher was sick and on leave this week, so we didn't have any classes.

WEEK 11: