Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Game architecture may include:
networked, persistent games, including massively multi-player online (MMO) games, such as:
World of Warcraft
Second Life implemented in a client (PC), server architecture using web-based protocols
networked proprietary console game architectures implemented on hardware, such as:
PlayStation
Xbox
Wii
Nintendo
iPod Touch
Zone 40
where game state is persisted between sessions
non-networked persistent games.
System implementation requirements may include:
games that persist current game state and consequently must manage an authoritative store of state data using a client-server architecture
non-networked stand-alone games that persist game state between sessions.
Database architecture may include:
client-server based architectures that use:
relational database management systems
object-oriented database management systems.
Data model may include:
Chen Entity relationship diagrams
Crow’s Foot entity relationship diagrams
data dictionaries
object data models
relational data models.
Game artefacts may include:
characters
maps
objects, weaponry, machinery and prizes
players
regions, geographical locations and game servers.
Game-design requirements may include:
design rules and limitations
level customisations and game level design
level definitions
level progression requirements
play rules.
Entity relationships may include:
assessed and implemented cardinality requirements
assessed and implemented connectivity requirements
consideration of degree of normalisation of tables and referential integrity constraints
consideration of entity integrity constraints.
Input and output workload may include estimates of:
index read, modify and rebuild rates
number of database transaction log entries generated
number of random disk read writes
number of sequential disk read writes.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
interpret a conceptual database model and create a physical database design from the conceptual model
create a database that allows for the persistence of state data for a computer game
evaluate and improve the performance of a database built to support a computer game.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
computer aided software engineering and modelling tools
relational or object-oriented database management system
performance testing and analysis software for the selected database management system
game architecture specifications
game design and requirements documentation
client or server hardware and networking infrastructure sufficient to simulate the game architecture specifications
appropriate learning and assessment support when required
modified equipment for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
written or verbal evaluation of knowledge of data modelling techniques
written or verbal evaluation of knowledge of scripting languages, such as SQL and LINQ
evaluation of the implementation of a conceptual model as a physical model
review of a database created to support a computer game
review of a database performance measurement process and evaluation techniques.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.