Category Archives: Coursework

Networking: Team Tanks

Date: April 2016
Concept: two players operate a tank together
Team: Solo
Platform: Windows
Engine: Unity Engine

Role: Programmer

Repository: https://github.com/stuff13/TeamTanks

Extra Notes:
This was the final project for a Networking course.
The Assignment: create a networked game environment
What I developed: To add something extra, I decided to do a cross platform networked game.
A PC would act as server with two players: a player on the PC server and a player on
an iPhone using Google Cardboard.
Player 1 on the PC moved a tank around the environment and had a good clear view.
Player 2 on the iPhone using Google Cardboard moved the tank’s turret by turning the phone to look in another direction. By tapping on the screen, the player could fire a projectile into the scene.

This is a preview of Networking: Team Tanks. Read the full post (129 words, 1 image, estimated 31 secs reading time)

AI Driving

Date: December 2015
Concept: Driving around a track by AI
Team: Solo
Platform: Windows
Engine: Unreal Engine

Role: Programmer

Extra Notes:
This was the final project for an AI course.
The Assignment: create top-down 2D view of a car driving along a vertical line. Provide
input controls that allow you to shift the car right or left and use a Fuzzy Logic
Controller to control steering the car back to the vertical line.
What I developed: To add some extra challenge to my assignment, I took the 3D car driving game
sample from Unreal Engine and spliced in an AI controller in place of the input
controls. I then created the Fuzzy Logic Controller supported with automated tests (so
I could modify the FLC if needed later with confidence) and gave it to the AI Controller.

http://michaelmackinnon.com/wp-content/uploads/My-Movie.mp4
Permanent link to this post (138 words, estimated 33 secs reading time)

Legion

LEGION:
Date: May 2016
Concept: In Legion you play on one of two teams. Legion is a single consciousness made up from assimilated parts. Each consciousness adds to Legion with each assimilation brings something to Legion, allowing it to grow and become more. Legion has a singular directive, to make everything part of itself. It does not know why it does this only that it must. The rogue team consists of characters that are trying to avoid being assimilated by Legion. They need to avoid being caught at all costs. They need to outrun, outsmart and outmaneuver it if they want to remain themselves.
The game ends when either Legion has assimilated all the rogues or the game timer ends. If the game timer ends, the rogue team wins.

This is a preview of Legion. Read the full post (195 words, 3 images, estimated 47 secs reading time)

Dreams

Date: October, 2015
Development Time: 4 weeks
Concept: Dreams was a first-person, action-adventure-RPG originally designed by one of the winners of the BAFTA Young Game Designers award.

Team of 17
Platform: Windows, 1st Person
Engine: Unity Engine

Role: Producer

Extra Notes:
First term course project for Abertay University master’s students.
This game’s original concept was a BAFTA Game Concept Award (10-14 yrs) winner. Abertay was asked by BAFTA to develop the game concept further. In 5 weeks, a team of masters students who had not really worked together before were to come together to develop this game concept.
It was my job to be a producer for this team and this game.

This is a preview of Dreams. Read the full post (136 words, 5 images, estimated 33 secs reading time)