Assignment 3: XNA

CMSC 491G/691G, Fall 2007

Due Thursday, October 11, 2007

Assignment

For this assignment you will re-implement your artillery game from Assignment 1 in C# using Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express. This toolkit runs on both Windows and the XBox 360. Our XBox lab is not ready yet, but with luck, by the end of the semester you will be able to also download your games to the XBoxes in the lab. If you have an XBox 360 already, you can get a Creators Club Membership (for about $100), which will allow you to download your project to your XBox. Note that this is not required for the assigment, you only need to have it running in Windows.

You will need access to a Windows box with the ability to install C#, XNA and appropriate service packs. If you do not, let me know and I'll make arrangements for you to have access to one. Setup instructions and a wide range of samples can be found here: creators.xna.com/Education/GettingStarted.aspx

691G students

In addition to your basic game, every object in your scene must use custom shaders.

What to turn in

You will submit your work to a cvs repository on the gl.umbc.edu systems. Submit a few sample screen shots, along with your project source only. I do not want your intermediate build files, executables, or other stuff I can get or build myself. Do include necessary texture or model files. I should be able to check out your CVS directory remotely on a Windows machine with XNA, build it, and run your game. I recommend checking in working or partially working files early and often.

Also, check in a readme.txt file telling me

  1. What external resources did you use. In this case, if you used specific examples or tutorials, you should also tell me which ones.
  2. How does this assignment differ from your Assignment 1?
  3. If your assignment includes custom shaders, describe them.
  4. Is there anything else I should notice?

If you need your quota increased (now, or at any time during the semester), let me know.