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Elements and Performance Criteria

Required Skills

Required skills

analytical skills to analyse documentation and images to inform implementation of game specifications

communication skills to

check and confirm brief requirements

communicate clearly using speech and text

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

give constructive feedback

literacy and numeracy skills to read briefs game documentation scripts storyboards scenarios images and technical and conceptual information

planning and organisational skills to

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

balance talent experience and budget

delegate tasks and responsibility appropriately

establish clear roles and goals to achieve required game development outcomes

meet project deadlines

problemsolving skills to recognise and address quality issues and problems

teamwork skills to

contribute to and work in a collaborative team

realise a unified gameplay vision

technical skills to

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

use file formats and archiving procedures

Required knowledge

basic programming techniques

capabilities and constraints of game engines

computer games development including specific terminology

current gameplay hardware and software products

risk and critical path management

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

Evidence Required

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

apply a variety of strategies for game trialling and testing

apply original and innovative approaches to the creative developmentof a D game

apply original and innovative approaches to the creative developmentof a 3-D game

implement game development and production strategies

maintain integrity of the design brief and game design document

undertake risk assessment and critical path planning

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 work samples or simulated workplace activities

observation of game production activities

verbal questioning or interview concerning aspects of game development including

capability of game engines and software tools to meet the requirements of the brief

evaluating game prototypes from technical design and gameplay perspectives

game testing and trialling procedures

maintaining integrity of the design brief and game design document

risk assessment and critical path planning

translating design and technical specifications into working game prototypes

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 nonEnglish speaking background may need additional support

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

Range Statement

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.

Project brief and other relevant documents may include:	concept drawings designer’s notes development environment description game design document game-play designs help notes information design operating manual storyboard style and design principles style and medium target market information technical design document and review process.
Game-production assets may include:	current work files development kits existing digital product libraries: character models environments motion capture data sound effects game engines, including customised game engines personnel.
Technical specifications may include:	backup procedures delivery platform difficulty levels disc or memory space format for final product navigation design pixel size polygon count source code and game assets archiving specifications for phases of game development: alpha version - pre-production beta version - playable prototype gold version - completed game trialling and testing systems and workplace standards for documentation, including: computer file management job lists progress reports target market.
Personnel may include:	animators concept artists game-play designers graphic designers instructional designers modellers motion capture technicians producers programmers project manager sound engineers team members technical director writers other specialist and technical staff.
Creating a schedule may involve:	allocating work tasks in consultation with other team members analysing key requirements of the brief assessing concept viability against resource availability conducting risk assessment regarding possible issues and constraints and potential solutions creating an overall project plan and schedule determining workflow with consideration to available resources identifying key milestones and associated deliverables: alpha version - pre-production beta version - playable prototype gold version - completed game trialling and testing identifying stakeholders and devising strategies to meet stakeholder needs identifying the critical path researching background information setting project objectives against achievable timeframes.
Monitoring production progress may involve:	balancing quality and scheduling requirements coordinating the efforts of development, quality assurance, sales, marketing, public relations and finance ensuring the timely production of assets to brief requirements, including: animation components graphic images interfaces text video identifying and applying testing procedures monitoring workload allocated to individual personnel progressive game testing to ensure playability renegotiating variations and schedule slippage ahead of milestone dates sound identifying and applying contingency strategies.
Game-engine software and development tools may include:	3-D Studio Max Bullet Cinema 4D Corel Draw DirectSound DirectX FMOD Irrlicht Lightwave Maya Newton OGRE OpenGL Photoshop.
Considerations for selection of game-engine software may include:	application of code libraries application of game-engine functionality for an interactive game assessing coding strategy for compliance to brief and for optimal performance of game engine: function testing test plan development validating results assessing viability of existing code in relation to interaction of game-play elements assessing strategy for game-play code basic code writing abilities for customising game-engine functions building code creation specifically for handling exceptions code creation strategy for interaction of game-play elements data structures documentation of code development environmental models game engine customising game platform and game platform logic sound capability spatial data structures technical constraints imposed by the architecture of given game engine integration of custom code into game engines.
Attributes of assets may include:	alpha-channel colours or layers colour bit-depth dimensions of 2-D artwork file format compatible with game engine naming convention polygon count for 3-D models.
Tools and features of software may include:	animation compilers debugging software development software efficiency flexible systems suitable for non-programmers graphics graphics-system design middleware operating systems plug-in tools programming for game integration rendering sound system architecture for real-time game environments and simulations tools for designers and play analysis.
Game-play elements may involve:	chance fun logic playability rules skill strategy.
Creating game prototype may involve:	bug fixing, bug databases, creating stable code bases and game tuning building flexible systems, configurable by others code review and test harnesses designing and implementing tests and incorporating feedback from quality assurance developing a comprehensive design for all missions and levels, including concept visuals developing a walkthrough for at least one mission or level developing story synopsis and scripts for each level knowledge of games as dynamic systems: applying game tuning strategies in light of feedback from actual play characteristics of a balanced game working with quality assurance and understanding play-test feedback use of appropriate tools and skills for fast, interactive development user-guide development.
Evaluating game prototype may involve:	examining and analysing the impact of decisions, after the fact: business decisions design decisions methodology and process decisions product ‘post-mortems’ reviewing actual use of resources to achieve outcomes against initial project plan and schedule.
Tests and user trials may involve play test procedures:	determining criteria for measurement of success with a given audience play testing to monitor player frustration, progress and enjoyment selecting test subjects testing game with target market and other diverse populations.