Welcome to your 3D Computer Games Design course

Welcome to your MSc 3D computer Games Design course!

We look forward to meeting you and to ensure you can get familiarised with how things work here, we will cover some information that will help you in this process.

Your staff team

We want to make sure you know some of our team before you arrive. Hopefully this will help you recognise us and ensure you know who you can contact if you need any additional help and guidance.

David Edwards

Course Director

Dave is an experienced technical artist and academic. He teaches on many of the earlier levels of the Games Art degree, using his expertise in 3D character and environment art, 3D scripting, and level design in the Unreal Engine.

David's profile

First activity

During the start of a semester your modules will cover the module documentation, show you where information for lecture content, supporting tutorials and where to submit work is located.

For each module your Module Leader will cover the outline of what to expect each week and you can view this in your Module Handbook ahead of the first lecture (available on Blackboard).

We try to keep a focus initially on planning out your assignment in a logical manner consistent with how you would want to think or approach project work in a studio.

After this initial time period you will be looking to have started and making good progress on your work with the expectation to keep a development log on your module’s forum page each week from the first week.

Course delivery

You scheduled sessions (available on the Beacon app) are a mixture of Lectures, Seminars, Workshops and guided Development Support.

Each of our sessions are split between the relevant pathway to your skill set. You will receive a form to fill in for the Course which lets us know what your skill are is (E.g. Artist or Designer) and we will use this to make sure your timetable reflects the correct pathway. If you are unsure, please contact your Award leader Daniel Webster (daniel.webster@staffs.ac.uk).

Your Course is built around the premise of refining and improving your existing skills. AS we do not look to teach you the fundamentals found at an Undergraduate level, there may be a good deal of self-learning required if your skills are a bit behind or if you are transferring skills from parallel industries. You will however always be able to reach out for support during the sessions or via e-mail, Teams meetings or face to face meetings if needed.

You will largely be focus on creating or working on practical assignments however as this is a Masters Course you do need to demonstrate your ability to research and to prototype, with written reports, improve or develop your portfolio and present your idea as well as the development of your project work.

We have on site all the Hardware and Software you need for your assignments and are expected to use them if you do not have the capability or access to be able to complete you work from your student address. You can find which labs are available via the Beacon App.

During a Semester you will have Formative submission points to provide a health check of your work so far and address any issues with your assignment work ahead of the final deadlines. This differs from general feedback with is handled module to module but usually in the form of in class feedback, forum feedback or if you request specific feedback from your tutors. You are always encouraged to ask for feedback and not to view it as pestering as we want to see your produce your best possible work.

Contact with staff via e-mail/ Teams/ In person Office meeting are typically available between 9am to 5pm, but please allow for 3-5 working days for a reply as staff do have alternating workloads each week.

Equipment and software

We’ll be using the following software on all of our awards:

Unreal Engine
Unity
Autodesk Suite
Adobe Photoshop, Premiere & After Effects
Microsoft Office

Much of the software you’ll be using is free or discounted to students with a valid University e-mail address. The above packages are available in our labs but if you wish to have access to them on your own PC the recommended specification is below.

Suggested Hardware specs

Minimum 8GB RAM, recommended 16 GB RAM

Minimum i5 Intel CPU, recommended i7 Intel CPU

Minimum NVidia GTX 970/ 2080 Recommended for UE5 projects / Ray Tracing

Minimum 1 TB HDD

Recommended Graphics Tablets

Depending on which modules you take you’ll have varying amounts of 3D Modelling & Texturing as Core Modules. We strongly recommend that you buy an Art Tablet so you can get used to using one. It is suggested that you purchase at the very least a Wacom Intuos Small.

Download free software

Before you arrive

Making sure you are familiar with the core software is a good idea. But you should also look to broaden your overall knowledge and understanding of the Entertainment Industry:

If you are looking for an excuse to buy some games, here’s one. It would be a great idea for you to experience as many types of games as possible to help build up your reference of both visual and mechanical stereotypes in games.

First Person Shooters

Hunt Showdown
Rainbow Six Siege
Valorant
Quake 1,2,3
Doom 1,2,3
Apex Legends
Halo 5
Shadow Warrior
Call of Duty Modern Warfare

Real Time Strategy

Company of Heroes 2
Total War (there are quite few)
Age of Empires 2
Warcraft 3
Starcraft II
Command and Conquer Red Alert 2
Rise of Nations
Planetary Annihilation Titans

Fighters

Tekken
Marvel vs Capcom
Killer Instinct
Soul Calibur
Dead or Alive

Role play :

Elden Ring
KOTOR 1 & 2
Horizon Zero Dawn
Fallout 4
Planescape Tournament
Pokemon Lets Go
Dungeon Crawler
Torch Light 2
Diablo 3
Gauntlet

Sports

FIFA
Rocket League
NBA 2K
Virtua Tennis

Platformers

Rayman
Super Mario Odyssey
Crash Bandicoot
Spyro trilogy

Racing

Forza
Gran Turismo
Grid

Arcade

Pong
Pacman
Metal Slug
Golden Axe
Altered Beast
Turtles in Time

Board and Card Games

Age of Wanders
Smash Up
Chaos of the Old World
Incan Gold
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride
Race for the Galaxy
Munchkin
Magic: The Gathering

Don’t get lost playing: -

MMORPGs

World Of Warcraft
Runescape
Black Dessert
Elite Dangerous
FFXIV
World of Tanks

Books for Designers

Art of Games Design a Book of Lenses
The Hows and Whys of Level Design
Architectural Approach to Level Design
Game Feel
Challenges for Games Designers
Advanced Games Design a Systems Approach
Game Mechanics: Advanced Games Design

Below is a list of books for you to lose yourself in

• Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

• Gateway - Frederik Pohl

• American Psycho - Brett Easton-Ellis

• Mort - Terry Pratchett

• The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt

• Geek Love - Katherine Dunn

• The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

• Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers - Grant Naylor

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

These are available in the Library, but you can get them on Amazon or other good online book shops.

Below you will find a list of essential films, ranging in style, genre, and subject matter, some of which are available to watch in full on our Library collection or on YouTube, Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Take this opportunity to broaden your horizons, gain a different perspective, open your mind and be inspired.

Alien (1979)
Terminator 2 (1991)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Spirited Away (2001)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Dredd (2012)
Arrival (2016)
High Fidelity (2000)
Fargo (1996)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
They Live (1988)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
The Wrestler (2008)
The Green Mile (1999)
Trainspotting (1996)
Sin City (2005)
Tron (1982)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Jaws (197S1975)
The Fountain (2006)
Heat (1995)
The Warriors (1979)
Robocop (1987)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Battle Royale (2000)
Interstellar (2014)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Moon (2009)
Juno (2007)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Lord of the Rings - Extended Edition Trilogy (2001-3)
Watchmen - Directors Cut (2009)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Crimson Tide (1995)
Mad Max Fury Road (2015)

There are a lot of fantastic YouTube Channels that would be worth signing up for prior to joining us, here are a few to get you started.

youtube.com/c/Gdconf/videos

youtube.com/c/UnrealEngine/videos

youtube.com/user/3dsMaxHowTos/videos

youtube.com/c/MarkBrownGMT/videos

youtube.com/user/Unity3D

Social groups

There are multiple clubs and societies at Staffordshire University.

Games students will find the following interesting:

Game Development Society:

Digital Arts Society:

www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/cas/

The Video Game Union:

www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/staffsvgs/

For more options, please visit:

www.staffsunion.com/getinvolved/clubsandsocieties/

Academic skills

Whether you're joining us from school or college, or you're returning to education after some time away, everyone can benefit from the Academic Study Skills resources provided by the University library.

The Academic Skills team is here to support you throughout your academic journey and to help you gain the skills you need to reach your full potential. They can assist with academic reading and writing skills, give advice on how best to plan assignments, and help improve your time management.

The library's Academic Skills Guides offer the key information to make studying easier and give a comprehensive guide to the learning resources and services we offer.

Staffs CampusConnect

Staffs CampusConnect is our student-led community app for new students. Connect with other people from your course, hometown or country, and even those with similar interests.

To register, please ensure you use your Applicant ID (Student Number) that you received in your offer letter, and the email address you used in your application to us.

Register for CampusConnect

Welcome website

Our welcome website will provide you the link to your new student life. It's all about how you find your place at university, including everything from how to meet friends, feel confident in doing your academic work, being a member of your Student Union and getting involved in Union Societies, Academic Societies, Sports, Volunteering or representing your peers in your School.

Part of this Welcome Week - we have an exciting program of University and course level activities planned for you for your first week in September. We are also building an extended program for you to join a series of events throughout the first half of the autumn term. Further details will be shared with you via the Welcome website and Students' Union pages over the coming weeks.

Welcome website

Campus map

Use our campus map to familiarise yourself with our campus before you arrive.

Campus map (PDF)

Check your email

Please make sure you check your personal email account regularly over the next few weeks. We will be sending you lots of information about Welcome Week.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further assistance and we look forward to welcoming you to the campus in September.

Best Wishes,
Alex Jackson

a.jackson@staffs.ac.uk