Course Game Description

CMPS 160 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Stevenson 175
Tu/Th 10:00-11:45am

Lab Times: (attend one of the following)
Social Science I Rm 135 : Mon 2-4pm, Wed 9-11am, Fri 11am-1pm

Instructor: James Davis
Office: E2 363
Office Hours: Mon 9-10:30am
Email: davis@cs.ucsc.edu

Course TA: John Murray
Office : BE 358
Office Hours: Thu 12-1pm
Google Calendar to schedule an appointment
Email: lucid@soe.ucsc.edu

Textbook: Interactive Computer Graphics: A Top-Down Approach Using OpenGL (5th Edition) by Edward Angel

Instructors and Assistants

Grading

We are trying a gamification system this quarter. As part of this system, there are two separate types of points. There are the standard points, which correspond to your grade on an assignment or midterm. These points are labeled "criteria" or "score". If an assignment has 65 possible points in the criteria section, then your grade is out of 65.

To get an A, you'll do all of the criteria listed for each lab, and score highly on both midterms. If you do most of the criteria on the labs and do sort of average on the midterms that should be about B- level.

Experience (XP)

XP are separate, special points awarded for going beyond the requirements for the course. They accompany achievements and badges and any "extras" listed under lab descriptions. XP both represent your status within the class (they are public) and can be exchanged for various beneficial rewards ("buffs.") The exact cost of various buffs in points are listed below. You will be able to see all such points and currently active buffs at any time, and be able to see how they affect your grade immediately upon spending them.

Earning XP

Here are some ways you can earn XP:

  1. Helping out students on Piazza - 10+XP
  2. Create online quizzes (30-70XP)
  3. Create a blog entry that describes some cool related research. 20-15 XP.
  4. Turning in assignments early (3 XP per day, up to a week)
  5. Exceed expectations in any way on labs
  6. Various other announced and unannounced ways (added to this list)
  7. Earn badges/achievements (See below)

Spending Points

"Buffs"

Buffs are modifiers, represented as which you can purchase with points. Currently all such purchases can be made at any time, but the system isn’t quite set up yet. Each of the following will be available to purchase with points:

  1. 1-day Extension (35XP), 3-day Extension (70XP), 1-week Extension (150XP)
  2. Additional Submission: (70XP)
  3. Re-spec: Can change the weightings of labs by 5% (250XP) or 10% (350XP). This means you can reweight one midterm toward another lab or midterm, or vice versa.
“Quests”
  1. Range from small extras, such as finding a research paper to large undertakings such as replacing a midterm with a larger, more elaborate lab 5.
  2. Timed Quests, which upon beginning, have their own deadline to complete a challenge. Both known and unknown challenge await.
  3. Small quests are free, larger quests require spending points to receive grade/credit.
  4. Rewards for quests are fame and fortune (if you end up turning the results into a business or demo). In-class rewards might include points, bonus credit, or buffs.

Badges

Badges are awarded for exceptional performance in a variety of categories. They consist of badges on assignments/labs and general achievements.

Badges

  1. Creative! 20XP-40XP (Implement the requirements in an innovative way)
  2. Interactive 20XP-40XP (Add controls to change the view or behavior beyond those specified)
  3. Gamify! 20XP-60XP (Create some sort of goal or incorporate a game mechanic)
  4. Physiced! 20XP-60XP (Use some physics calculations in your demo)
  5. Particulate! 20XP-60XP (Implement or use a particle generator in your demo)

Badges that apply to assignments can be accumulated; you can get more than one or even one for each assignment. The total count of badges of this type will be displayed next to your point score.

Achievements

  1. Early Bird (turn in an assignment early 3 times)
  2. Seeker (submit 3 articles)
  3. Quizzer (create 3 quizzes)
  4. Apprentice (earn X+ points from helping students on Piazza when not anonymous)

Achievements are awards for students that achieve particularly noteworthy accomplishments, such as writing multiple quizzes for other students, creating an exceptionally creative project, or contributing to the class web site by creating title graphics, badges, etc. These may or may not be accompanied by change in role (access to other aspects of the course web site). Top achievers may be rewarded in other ways.

Midterms

There will be two midterms, each worth 20% of your final grade. XP can be spent to change the weightings, but only to a limit.

Midterm1 - 20%

Midterm2 - 20%

Labs

You earn partial credit in each lab for features you implement. There are lots of extras and add-ons you can complete for XP and/or extra credit (see Quests). Turning in an assignment early will earn you 3 XP for each day before the deadline you submit it. You have three submissions per lab, though you will be able to send in additional submissions for XP.

All submissions will be handled via a course website (www.lucidbard.com/cs160/)

Labs 1 - 10% (out of 65)

Labs 2 - 10% (out of 70)

Labs 3 - 10% (out of 70)

Labs 4 - 10% (out of ?)

Labs 5 - 15-25% Implement something cool, we have a sample list, but you can propose things to get added to the list. You can do this stuff at any time during the qtr.

 

Course Grade:

Your grade will be available, along with any details of XP you've earned on the course website. The scale will be consistent with the standard +/- scale, though you can change weightings, extensions and other factors using XP.