PyCave Explorer Not As Far As We Would Have Liked

We didn't really get as far as we had hoped we would get for PyCaveExplorer.  If I had more time, I would really like to get the circuits working for lighting instead of just a "wander around in the dark" scenario.  I feel that I learned a lot of Python this quarter, but I didn't have enough time to implement it.  I think the main part of the problem was scope.  We tried to design a game that would be easy for us to code in Action Script 3, but we did not consider the time it would take us to learn Python.  We should really go back and look at what we could have done faster and reassess the scope of the project.  Then we can tackle the project again.

Learning Stuff

Forgot to mention this earlier in the quarter.  At the beginning of this project, I knew nothing of Python or PyGame.  Throughout the game making process I managed to learn how to execute pygame, learn the Python syntax, edit existing Python code and add my own code.  I also learned a lot about the open source community. 

The reason why I am bringing this up now, is because we are getting closer to finish the project.  Looking back, I don't know how I would be able to do this without knowing the syntax and code I know now.  I think I really learned a lot in this class.  Hopefully, we can finish the project.

PyCaveExplorer Nearing Completion

We have path finding.  We have almost have a moving player.  We have a start and end and random levels.  All that's left is to finish up the moving dynamics of the player and the "fog" in the cave.  The game should be completed tonight, now to get back to work.

Converting Stuff to Python

We now have a grid and a path finding algorithm working.  We have also have an initial grid in Python that we will work off of.  For the next couple days, we are going to try to port everything over to Python, using the same kind of logic and PyGame.  We are also rethinking our end game goals and in game mechanics, but they should fall more or less into place once we get the grid and moving player working in PyGame.

Py Cave Explorer Prototype Nearly Done

Today I finished up the grid dependencies for the cave floor.  This will allow me to use a recursive function to find a path in the cave.  With some help from Jen, I was able to solidify some of that code and begin work on the recursive function.  Soon, we will be porting the flash prototype over to python and implementing the lighting and place-able mirror functions.  So far, I have learned that proper commenting is extremely important when working in groups.  Even if the group only has two people, proper commenting could save time and help each member understand the code and the thought processes behind them.

Py Cave Explorer Game

I started to work on a new game for the OLPCs called Py Cave Explorer. My team mate, Jen Dzuiba, and I are quickly working out the game play of this new game. Our goal is to teach younger, third world country kids the fundamentals of circuits, batteries and electricity.

The basic idea of the game is that there is an explorer in a dark cave that is divided into grid spaces. The explorer has to use different powered batteries and different lengths of cable to navigate from the entrance to the exit space on the grid. We haven't quite figured out how we want to incorporate this into the game play, but we are hashing that out.

Next week, we will start on stubbing out code and setting up class definitions.

Playing With An OLPC

I was playing around with an OLPC laptop today and I find it quite interesting so far. It's cool to see how the activities on the Sugar OS are integrated into the whole system. I'm starting to delve into the code a bit as well. I will post another blog once I've looked at it more closely.

My Soft Spot for Text-Adventure Games

As technology becomes more and more advanced, the age of the closet programmer with a lone text adventure game comes to end. I happened to find Git Hub user Phyxius who was developing an educational text adventure game called "Text-Adventure" in C#. The game revolved around a typical east-west-north-south layout, with basic commands such as "examine", "take", "talk" and "inventory". However, when I started to play the game, I was mortified to find that there was no "help" command. How on Earth are players going to know what commands to type? Guess and check? RTFD? No, I say! They need a help command. It is the one standard of all text adventure games. Without it, it is just a screen with text.

I took it upon myself to help Phyxius out. I added a neat little help function into his generic class, right next to the info dispatcher (responsible for dishing out the command text). Now others who want to play the game can have a much easier time. Here's a link to the Git Hub project. Check it out: https://github.com/Phyxius/Text-Adventure

Humanitarian FOSS Class is Really Interesting

Howdy, readers. I decided to lay down my first blog post and talk about this HFOSS class that I'm in. HFOSS = Humanitarian Free (Libre) Open Source Software. I haven't made a whole bunch of games using open source, so this will be a fairly new experience for me.

So far we are planning on learning some Python. I'm looking forward to this, because I have never used Python, and everyone tells me that it is a good language to learn. Hopefully, we will make some cool games for the OLPC. Back a few years ago, I was the RIT Storyteller's main videographer for the Innovation Center (where classes for the OLPC were held), so I've had some exposure to it. But I have never programmed for it, and I hear that programming for the OLPC is much harder than programming for standard machines. I am looking forward to learning about it and trying out a new challenge.