Info & FAQ

Teaching and student workspaces

When does the course start and end?

This year summer game studies start on 20.5.2024 and end on 23.8.2024.

Can I participate remotely?

Yes. Most of the lessons are on video. You can participate in the launch day and any possible live lectures via Microsoft Teams.

Where on campus can I work?

There are a few classrooms reserved for the students of this course at Lapland UAS campus in Rovaniemi and Minerva building in Tornio. Ask the teachers for the room numbers.

How can I start working on campus?

Inform the teachers that you want to work on campus. This is how we track classroom usage and availability of computers on site.

How can I access the premises during summer opening hours?

In the summer when campus doors are closed, you can use your keycard to access the campus and classrooms.

Access to Lapland UAS campuses (Rovaniemi and Tornio): If you don’t have a keycard yet and you know you will need it at some point, apply for a keycard in the Tuudo mobile app.

Access to University of Lapland campus (Rovaniemi): If you don't have a keycard and you now you will need it at some point, send a request to the teachers well before midsummer.

IMPORTANT: follow the instructions regarding proper card usage and alarms on campus. Any unnecessary checks by the security company will be billed from the person causing the false alarm.

Computers and software

What is required from my computer?

First, make sure you have the administrator rights to the computer you use! Unreal Engine system requirements can be found here: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/Basics/RecommendedSpecifications/index.html. True GPU requirements are determined by the size and graphical style of your project.

Can I use a Mac?

Yes. UE 5.1 works on M1/M2 machines, although some features are unavailable. If your project requires full Apple hardware support, ask teachers for help

How can I check the specifications of my computer?

Windows: In the left-hand menu of File Explorer, right click “This PC” and choose “Properties”. In the opening window you can see the CPU model and amount of available RAM. To check the model of your GPU, check “Related settings” in the same window and choose “Device manager”. In the Device Manager window click on “Display adapters”, this will show you the GPU model.

Mac: Open Apple menu and choose “About This Mac”. In the opening window you can check the CPU and GPU models and the amount of available RAM.

How can I gain access to required software?

Unreal Engine and Blender can be downloaded and used for free. Adobe Creative Cloud and other subscription-based software can be used on campus with school computers. If you’re participating remotely, we recommend using your personal software licenses, but remote desktops are also available. Ask teachers for more information.

What if I have a computer problem me or my team cannot solve?

Send a Teams message or pop in during a specific meeting for questions, we’ll sort it out.

Can I use my personal Google Drive / One Drive / Dropbox etc. for file sharing with my team?

Any and all files that are part of the final game are shared through Git version control. This is to make sure you have a backup in case something goes wrong. Moreover, teachers monitor group activity through version control logs, and the more frequently groups make commits, the better we can see your progress.

If you want to share e.g. working files of 2D art that will not be included in the final game project, you can use any file sharing method you like. Just make sure everyone in your group can gain access to the files you’ve shared.

Can I use Unity (or other game engines) instead of Unreal Engine?

No. This course is designed for Unreal Engine only.

Can I use Clip Studio Paint, GIMP, Inkscape, Corel Draw etc. for asset production?

Yes, you can, but note that we might not be able to provide full support for you in case of problems. Video tutorials and live lectures are prepared using specific software, but if you want to use other software and are proficient enough with it, this is possible. You can ask for help with any problems, but we might not be able to help with every software. Also, make sure your team members use your work files if needed, and that final assets are compatible with Unreal Engine.

Attendance

When do I have to attend lectures etc.?

All team members need to be present in sprint reviews every other Friday. Check review schedules in Moodle workspace. If you can’t be present at a sprint review, inform the teachers in advance.

Every Wednesday the teachers will contact all teams between 10:00-14:00. Try to be available through Microsoft Teams during this time.

Some lectures are held live via Microsoft Teams. Attending every lecture is not mandatory, but we strongly recommend attending all lectures you can. All live lectures will also be recorded so that they can be viewed later.

What is a question meeting?

Question meeting is a Teams meeting at 14:00-16:00 every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, plus every other Friday when there is no sprint review. You can join the ongoing meeting at any time to ask questions related to the course or your project.

How often does the group meet independently?

The groups can arrange the amount and schedule of their meetings themselves. We strongly recommend that the entire team meets at least once a week, but generally the more often the team meets, the better the internal communication.

Using the game and assets made during the course

Can I publish and sell the game made on the course or assets from it e.g. a 3D model?

If you used any software provided by the school, they are licensed under an education license that does not permit selling your game or any parts of it.

Can I share the game for free?

You can share the game yourself to your friends, but if you want to make the game public, check what the software licenses allow.

Can I use the game and game videos in my portfolio?

You have the right to use anything you made yourself in your portfolio. If you want to include something that other group members have contributed to, make sure they are okay with it. In this case it is fair to mention other contributors.

Will the teachers share the game to others after the course?

Nothing is shared without consent from the team. Every team makes a trailer video and an executable file of their game and we ask permission to share those two. We hope to get your permission especially to share the trailers publicly, as they are an excellent display of students’ skills