Assessor Resource

ICAGAM523A
Collaborate in the design of 3-D game levels and environments

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


This unit applies to concept artists, game designers, games programmers, animators and other personnel working as part of a team in the game development industry.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to work collaboratively with a production team in the design of interactive 3-D environments.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.




Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

plan, collaborate and manage the design process for creating an interactive 3-D environment

incorporate design specifications into actual deliverable

produce and deliver design documents for the production of an interactive 3-D environment.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

computer hardware, software, games engines and file storage

copyright and intellectual property legislation

OHS legislation and enterprise policy

appropriate learning and assessment support when required

modified equipment for people with special needs.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

evaluation of candidate’s work samples, such as 3-D models

observation of candidate working as part of a team

written or verbal questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of interactive 3-D environments

review of:

3-D design documents

concept art

logbooks

presentations

storyboards

textures.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.

In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

analytical skills to:

interpret briefs, work instructions, and technical and conceptual information

analyse documentation and images to inform design of environment specifications

enterprise and initiative skills to visualise and develop the concept

communication skills to:

check and confirm design requirements

collect, interpret and communicate in visual and written forms effectively for various audiences, including engineers and artists

communicate complex designs in a structured format drawn from industry standards, styles and techniques

communicate technical requirements related to software development, graphics requirements and code development to supervisors and other team members

contribute to and work in a collaborative team

give and receive constructive feedback

provide practical advice, support and feedback to colleagues and management

realise a unified game-play vision

translate design requirements into specifications

planning and organisational skills to:

appropriately refer decisions to a higher project authority for review and endorsement

delegate tasks and responsibility appropriately

establish clear roles and goals to achieve required game development outcomes

meet project deadlines

organise equipment and resources to achieve required outcomes

organise own time to meet milestones

prioritise work and meet critical milestones and deadlines

problem-solving skills to recognise and address potential quality issues and problems at design development stage

research skills to undertake practical, technical or desktop research into design requirements and software tools

learning skills to accept peer feedback and make improvements

technology skills to:

use correct file formats and archiving procedures

resolve basic hardware, software and other technical issues associated with game production.

Required knowledge

budgeting and scheduling considerations for game design

capabilities and constraints of game engines

computer game development, including specific terminology

current game-play hardware and software products

human resources required in the process of creating a game and their respective skills and technology requirements

technical constraints that hardware imposes on software development, graphics requirements, code development and creative visual design.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Design considerations may include:

aesthetics

cultural context

genre

resource limitations and constraints

target market.

Project brief and documents may include:

concept drawings

designer’s notes

development environment description

level design document

storyboard

style and design principles

style and medium

target market information

technical design document

technical design review process.

Level specifications may include:

level-specific components:

allies

base building and location

cinematic (cut scenes)

colours

enemies

graphics

health

lighting

non-player characters

resources and their harvesting

sounds and music

weapons

location

stages

transportation devices:

buttons

doors

keys

teleporters

tunnels and passageways.

Environment profiles may include:

alien

fantasy

foreign

historical

naturalistic, for example:

arctic

desert

jungle

mountainous

post-apocalyptic

urban.

Game genre may include:

adventure

alternative reality

ancient

casino

cyberpunk

educational

edutainment

fantasy

first person shooter

flight shooter

flight simulation

futuristic

god simulation

massively multi-player online game

massively multi-player online role-playing game

medieval

modern

multi-player

post-apocalyptic

puzzle

racing shooter

racing simulation

real-time strategy

role-playing game

science fiction

side-scrolling shooter

single player

sports

strategy, including:

action strategy

turn-based strategy

tactical combat.

Game design may include:

concept illustrations or graphics that enhance the comprehension of the document

design for all level missions

game mechanics that affect level design decisions

illustrations of level with all significant points of interest

introduction and overview (one page synopsis)

key selling points, including intended audience, genre and platforms

production details

scripts required for level

synopsis and scripts for each level

title and cover art (art must be colour and of a reasonable resolution for high quality printing)

walk through for at least one mission or level.

Game-play elements may include:

buildings

game flow

switches

terrain objects

transportation

transformations

traps.

3-D modelling and animation software may include:

3ds Max

Blender

Cinema 4D

Houdini

Lightwave

Maya

Modo

XSI

Z Brush.

Painting, shading and texturing software may include:

3-D paint

Illustrator

Mudbox

Photoshop

Z Brush.

Concept art may include:

illustrations

models

settings

sketches

storyboards.

Feedback may involve:

accepting and responding to comment, critique and suggestions from:

clients

colleagues

target audience representatives.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Select a project planning methodology 
Identify design practices and design considerations in collaboration with other team members 
State the stages of the design process using project brief and documents 
Identify team roles that relate to level creation and design 
Plan and implement a design process using timemanagement principles 
Identify key level specifications and purpose for the 3-D environment 
Gather and analyse reference materials in collaboration to help with visualisation of 3-D environment, including environment profiles, game genre, game design and game-play elements 
Catalogue required objects of the level environment 
Identify appropriate 3-D modelling and animation software and painting, shading and texturing software that can be used to create the 3-D environment 
Document design decisions that are made before and during the design conceptualisation 
Produce concept art of the designed environment 
Present the conceptualised environment to peers and receive feedback 
State how the design decisions have met the requirements for game-play elements 
Justify why certain design decisions were made 
Accept peer feedback 
Implement quality assurance principles 
Incorporate user feedback to modify the design 
Finalise the design decision documents in readiness for creating the 3-D environment 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

ICAGAM523A - Collaborate in the design of 3-D game levels and environments
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

ICAGAM523A - Collaborate in the design of 3-D game levels and environments

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: