EXPERIMENT 1: Pure War!

DUE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 BY MIDNIGHT.

ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING: 35% (marking schedule)

EXPERIMENT 1: Pure War!


TIMETABLE: Weeks 1 - 8, 35% of final grade.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPUTING CHALLENGE: Testing the conceptual opposition between terms such as War and Peace, Real and Virtual, Entertainment and Research.
REFERENCE TEXTS: Simulation vs Narrative: Introduction to Ludology, by Gonzalo Frasca in The Video Game Theory Reader, M. Wolf and B. Perron Ed's, pg's 221 - 235,
Documentaphobia and Mixed Modes: Michael Moore's Roger and Me, by Matthew Bernstein in Documenting the Documentary: Close Readings of Documentary Film and Video, Barry Grant and Jeanette Sloniowski Ed's. pg's 397-415.
SOFTWARE: Blogger, SketchUp, Crysis Wars, Fraps, Premier, Vegas (trial).
TECHNIQUES: Blogging, Modeling, Repurposing Computer Games, Visual Scripting, Machinima, Video Editing, Documentary.
OUTPUTS: 1 x 120 second (max!) video clip, 1 x SketchUp model, 1 x Blog, 1 x Crysis Wars Mod folder containing all of the required files to "play test" your work.
PREMISE: The combination of the flowgraph, AI, rendering and physics engines in contemporary computer games with video capture devices provides an opportunity to capture and critically reflect on complex interrelationships between information, objects and space.

PROCEDURE

1. Create a FGPS Mod: call it "your student number_EXP1" (Download the FGPS installer here and see the tutorial from Julian Cromarty for advice on installation below).
2. Research Pachube to find an interesting real world sensor that you can connect conceptually to the idea of Pure War!
3. Inspired by 2 or 3 of the flowgraphs from the introductory lecture create an interactive installation that reflects the output/s of that real world sensor.
4. Use one of the following Crysis Wars environments as the space for your installation: Armada, Quarry or Steelmill. Use existing Crysis Wars assets (characters, vehicles, weapons, materials, etc) as well as at least 1 custom object. (See tutorial from Jeremiasz Sieczko for an introduction to the Flowgraph editor below).
4. Compile video captures into a custom Machinima Documentary showing the key aspects of your installation in action. Include titles and captions as necessary. Adhere to profession levels of language and presentation.

USEFUL LINKS

For beginners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXcpobiKITQ Sandbox2 Level Cookbook: Interface Overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0-zhMaecxQ CrysisWarsCreateABasicLevel.
http://doc.crymod.com/SandboxManual/
http://www.youtube.com/user/crymodportal#p/u Crymod portal on YouTube
http://www.veoh.com/list/u/crymodportal Crymod Portal on Veoh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYNRy5L0CI&feature=related SketchUpToCrysisWars
http://maxedgaming.com/tutorials/kb_categorie.php?id=10&sid=1595b26d0d9935f4772ba10fcfb1c36d at MaxedGaming.com

Flowgraph
http://youtu.be/iXKwE3YHl7k How to install the Flowgraph Plugin System, by Julian Cromarty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW9v9nL7WB4&feature=player_embedded Introduction to the Flowgraph Editor by Jeremiasz Sieczko.
http://www.crymod.com/wiki/index.php/Flowgraph_Tips_and_Tricks
http://www.crymod.com/wiki/index.php/Creating_a_Flowgraph
http://www.crymod.com/wiki/index.php/Flowgraph_Guide
http://www.crymod.com/wiki/index.php/Sample_Flowgraph

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

In addition to the overall course assessment criteria students will be assessed on the level and extent to which they engage with the criteria listed below:

THE CONCEPTUAL LINK_ Is there an interesting and well argued conceptual link between the real world sensor and the idea of Pure War?
THE CUSTOM FLOWGRAPH_ Is the custom flowgraph clearly inspired by 2 or 3 of the flowgraphs shown in the first lecture while producing the unique combination necessary to power their Physical Installation?
THE PHYSICAL INSTALLATION_ Does the Physical Installation distinctively and significantly reflect the output/s of the real world sensor from Pachube that the student has selected?
THE DOCUMENTARY FILM_ Does the students film capture one of the forms of documentary film making in a distinctive and significant way?
THE TITLES AND CAPTIONS_ Do the titles and captions make a distinctive and significant contribution to the video clips?

			Due to the large size of this presentation it has been uploaded to the BE server here: Emustore. Your user name is the letter 'u' followed by your student ID and your password is your normal BE password. Navigate to; Resources\samples\benv\benv2423 - Lowe
			Due to the large size of this presentation it has been uploaded to the BE server here: Emustore. Your user name is the letter 'u' followed by your student ID and your password is your normal BE password. Navigate to; Resources\samples\benv\benv2423 - Lowe
			Due to the large size of this presentation it has been uploaded to the BE server here: Emustore. Your user name is the letter 'u' followed by your student ID and your password is your normal BE password. Navigate to; Resources\samples\benv\benv2423 - Lowe
			Called "Advanced Flowgraph" this weeks lecture is a live demo.