Happy new Year!

Hi girls,

I hope you haven't been spending all this holiday studying...surely not writing here.
Just kidding, I only wanted to wish Happy New Year!


*****

On second thought, I'll use this space to recap the situation.
After last seminar we agreed to focus first on the maze:

a. creating the maze walls

b. sensing that the ball doesn't pass through the walls

[The challenge will pop up when the player reaches the door (surely being within a range will be enough for the prototype).

The challenge itself will probably be a very simple hangman.]

Don't know if you have any (good) news on this.

I'll be back in London Sunday 9, but keep me posted

Andrea

An Idea of Our Tasks....

Hi guys,

Here are some steps in programming our game. I think we can focus on one each:

1/ the maze &

a/ creating the maze walls

b/ sensing that the ball doesn't pass through the walls

2/ the door &

sensing that:

a/ the ball doesn't touch it before the challenge pops up

b/ the ball doesn't pass through without answering the question by sending the player back some steps when contact is made

3/ the challenge (spelling or what?)

a/ checking for correct or incorrect answers and scoring accordingly

b/ returning back to the game afterwards

4/ bonus objects in the maze

a/ knowing when the player has "picked up" this object, and

b/ updating the scoreboard accordingly

General Coding for:

1/ The game's external controls / commands (would we still need any?)

2/ Background music, sounds and voice-overs

3/ Combining / linking the programmed pieces above into a solid whole

I think the "General Coding" part would come towards the end of the program-wrting. As for the coding, I tried searching and it seems it won't be as easy as we think.

Equally important is the HCI part of our game. We all need to take this into consideration both in the programming, and the interface design. Should this aspect be delegated to one person? Or should it be a duty of all?

Let's start to work

Here are the problems for our game and the solutions I came up with so far
Add your comments and/or alternative, if any
**************
A-mazing.
Goal of our game is having the highest score
Points will be awarded:
- reaching the exit (the shortest the time, the biggest the score)
- picking up objects in the maze
- overcoming the challenge(s)


PROBLEM: how to reach the exit of the maze
SOLUTION: the physical object will have a fiducial that will track its position

PROBLEM: how to keep the physical object always visible
SOLUTION: the object must be held appropriately

PROBLEM: how to keep the physical object in the same position of the digital one (the physical could pass thru wall, for example)
SOLUTION: players need to be careful not to touch the (digital) walls with the physical object or they will lose one life and will have to start again from the starting point
Comment: this will also train their coordination, forcing them not to move too fast or carelessly

PROBLEM: what if the player moves the physical object while playing the challege
SOLUTION: the challenge will take place only when the player reaches the exit [door]; at that point the maze disappears and the challenge area appears

***********
So, to recap:
The player will start positioning the physical object on a [red] square in the maze.
The [red] square will be the starting point for every level.
The player needs to reach the exit [door] in the shortest time.
At the exit [door] there will be a challenge to pass.
The player can rush to the exit [door] or spend some time across the maze to pick up objects (and points).
Objects picked across the maze will give points and could be sometimes necessary to overcome the challenge at the exit [door].

Andrea

Next Meeting

Hi everyone!
Let's not forget that our next meeting's tomorrow (Wednesday), after CMT3342 class. We should conclude on really concrete presentation materials then for Friday.

Just a reminder...
Cheers!

Interaction

We can think of different interaction according to the challenges.
For example:
picking and displaying objects for Hangman;
rotating a fiducial to show the correct number;


If a player picks up a challenge the game stops until the challenge is solved.

MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT
We'll put a fiducial on a concrete object to move across the table.


[ALTERNATIVE: Or the user interacts with some commands to determine speed, position, direction]

SOUNDS

SOUNDS
Is there always a background theme?
If yes, it mustn't be intrusive

Does anything make sound or only things we can interact with?


Do sounds help, are they descriptive? (e.g., if there's danger, an alarm sounds)

Game 1 -brief description

I'll put here a short description of the game and in the following posts we can work on single aspects that can be hard or problematic.
Put your notes, suggestion, doubts, anything, in the comments.


Description
A game for children aged 5-7.
[ALTERNATIVE: for kids 7-10]

A maze seen from above (a camera projecting on a table).

In the simplest form the player only needs to get out as quick as possible.

Time constraint.


PLAYERS
For the moment one player (maybe one at a time comparing timings and/or score?)

SIZE
We need to save some space of the screen for:
-external commands
-for the score
-for the time.

MAIN GOAL
What's the main goal? (exiting the maze in a short time? scoring points?)

Welcome!

I think a welcome message is in order.

From what I see, we can upload pictures and videos, not sure about office documents.
Let's meet all here then.