Python

Initial Designs and Client Feedback: Link Here 

1. Where is the dot? - Link to Edit (Initial design)

2. Tic tac toe - Link to edit

3. Follow the dot - Link to Edit

How do we play this game:

1. Press the center button to start the game

2. Three empty circles will be placed randomly within the nine squares (one circle per row)

3. There will only be three seconds for the player to use the right and left buttons to select (with the highlighted boxes like in sketch) the square with the circle 

4. Once the highlighted square is in the same place as the circle, they will need to press the center button to select it 

5. The player will be provided three seconds (may vary depending on the stages) to complete step 3 and 4 for each row 

6. There will be a timer at the top of the screen to show the time left to complete each row

7. If the player completes the stage, the screen will change to the next step/stage

Client feedback:

• Positive: 

  • Success criteria has all requirements clients asked us

  • On track and good time management 

  • We are taking our clients advices into consideration

  • Our game can have a good impact for our clients 

  • We are communicating with our clients 

  • We have a specific product we are trying to achieve

  • We always make sure to listen to our clients

• Negative/Areas to Improve:

  • Sample design of game is not clear, add more diagrams and labels so that they are able to completely understand by next meeting 

  • Make sure to know what is available and what isn’t beforehand, since we aren’t able to add specific colors due to the settings of the device

  • Have more primary research information3

Success Criteria:

• Doesn’t require much strategy 

  • 4 out of 5 people can learn how to play the game within 5 minutes 

• Maximum size = 15cm x 8cm

• No music (can have a on and off option in settings)

• The game will be between 30 seconds up to 4 minutes long 

• Requires pressing buttons

• Easy to understand and play / Minimal learning curve

  • 8 out of 10 people said it was easy to learn and play

• Client agrees that after playing the game, they were able to calm down more and get their minds off from what they were doing before

Constraints:

Main purpose: 

• Calm someone down 

• Help them get their minds off whatever they are doing

• Small children can play to improve hand-eye coordination 

• Reducing amount of stress 

What are we going to use?

• A provided rectangular lego device (only has right, left, and center button and a screen)

• SPIKE legacy for programming the game

When are we planning to finish this?

• Finish planning by the 27th of March so that during the following days, we can focus on our e-portoflio and revision

  • Finish final design by 15th of March

Justification:
Since our client pointed out that we won’t be able to use multiple colors, we decided to change the outline of the game and how we are going to include colors to the game. In order for the player to understand what they are selecting during the game, instead of using colors for aesthetic reasons, my group decided to use colors for helping the player understand and play the game more easily. What’s more, since we realized that we only have the right, left, and center buttons on the rectangular lego device, we decided to alter the game into something different. Since the device won’t allow the player to move upwards and downwards, we will program a timer so that the player will be able to play the game more easily. What we mean by this is that the player will have three seconds for each row shown in the image above, and will need to use the right and left buttons to move the highlighted square to where the circle is placed. Once the highlighted box and the circle is in the same spot, the player will need to press the center button to select, before the three second timer ends (as explained above in the ‘how to play’ section). This will be easier for anyone to play, including small children and elderly people, where they will be able to develop their hand-eye coordination and just simply relax while moving/exercising their brains. 

The reason why we chose this design over the other two is because firstly, the tic tac toe game did not follow much of the success criterias, compared to our initial design, such as by the fact that it may take more than 4 minutes to play a single round. What’s more, since this game is popular and is a common fidget game, creating something different from games that are already familiar to people, sounded new and interesting. In addition, tic tac toe would be hard to play with only three buttons (left, right, and center) so it may not be appropriate for little children and elderly people. 

Another type of game we eliminated was the follow the dot game, and we decided not to create this game mostly because we only had a limited amount of buttons (no up or down buttons). What’s more, since the rules and the ways to play this game are more complex compared to our initial design, we thought that it would be hard for small children and/or elderly people to play. Not only that but this game would be easier to play and understand if there are multiple colors to identify different positions/points, we thought it would be better to work on a different game.

Rough plan:

Apr 4, 2023 - Start programming the game and research any skills we may use

Apr 6, 2023 - Continue programming and check with teacher if we are unsure (also check with client if we are on track and this is what they want)

Apr 11, 2023 - Figure out scoring system and how to create it the main page (outline of game screen)

Apr 13, 2023 - Include menu system if time allows

(We will figure out other “due dates” while we work on programming)

Apr 17, 2023 - Find a way to randomly select a pixel box and light it up and a way to select and light up pixels by using the right and left buttons (split between partners)

Apr 19, 2023 - Use time to figure out and check with partner if we are on track

Apr 21, 2023 - Use time to figure out and check with partner if we are on track

Apr 24 - 28, 2023 - Will not be coming to school and able to work on it 

May 1, 2023 - Finalize the programming (add the two parts together - selecting at random and selecting by using the buttons)

May 3, 2023 - Finalize the programming 

What skills have I learned?

Some of the skills I've learned throughout this unit (until now):

• How to print words

• How to loop funtions

  • How to repeat codes

• Converting number and strings to its equivalent integer (int)

• How to input specific words/statements

• How to create 'if statements'

How will this help us? Benefit us?

• Simple and basic steps

• Creating/starting a programming function (first step)

• lead us to learning new programs

What else do we need to do? Need to learn?

• Learning to use python functions for moving images from one place to another

• Make an image appear and disappear

• How to change colors of a certain area 

Product Reflection in e-portfolio:

Testing method:

For our testing method, we decided to collect feedback by creating a google form, consisting of multiple questions: [1. Is this game easy to understand and play? Is the learning curve minimal?, 2. Does this game require strategy?, 3. Do you think people be able to learn how to play within 5 minutes?, 4. Is the device smaller than 15cm x 8cm?, 5. Is there any music?, Can the game be played between 30 seconds to 4 minutes?, 6. Does this game require any physical interaction, such as pressing buttons?, 7, Do you think this would be suitable for break times (school, work places, etc.)? Will this help someone get their minds off from what they were doing before and calm down?, 8. Any advice?]. These questions all are based on the success criterias and in order to get evaluated from another perspective, our group thought that it would be important to ask these questions directly to the 8th graders (client feedback). In addition, we gave out our product to our 'clients' and led them through the process of playing the game first in order to understand how to play. This somewhat showed how much time they took to memorize the rules of the game (which varied but was around a minute to two minutes) and provided us with some data. The images above show the results we got from the 8th grade students and some students from our class, which shows that most of our criterias were met. 

Results from Feedback Form:

The most common feedback we got was that we could have included more functions and programmed the game so that it would have a time limit and/or a scoring system. This is something we should have worked on and this is because the 'game' we programmed is not properly finished, as there is no ending of the game and is continuous unless the device is put down. Although this may not be problem for our target clients where they will be playing this game during short breaks, if we are still marketing anyone, it may have been better to incorporate a time limit and/or a scoring system. 

Another comment was that there could have been music. Since some types of music helps relax people and can entertain people during breaks, we did not include music to our game due to the fact that our client did not want any music. But one solution that may help solve both issues is to have a on and off system for music, where users who prefer to have music on can turn it on, while people who want to silently relax can keep the music off. 

The third feedback we got was about including more colors, specifically changing the color of the selected pixel box (which is controlled by the right and left buttons) since the users would be able to know which lit up pixel to control in the start. Since we used a device that did not have this function, we were not able to incorporate this function but if we had another chance to recreate this game with a more advanced device, including multiple colors (especially seperating colors of the randomly selected pixel boxes and the boxes that are controlled by the right and left buttons) so that the players will have an easier and more entertaining time to spend with the game. 

The last comment we got was that if the buttons were more easier to press, then the game could have been better and more professional. This is something that has to do with the default state of the device so that there is not much to do regarding this issue, but one solution may be to program so that the buttons can react to the pressing motion quicker. 

Comparing with Criteria A:

Compared to the impact on the choices from Criteria A, there are many aspects that have been changed. First talking about what was kept the same, we were able to incorporate the use of buttons where hand-eye coordination would be required. This is an important factor of the game since it will help improve their hand-eye coordination skills which is used in daily life, through playing a fun and entertaining game. It can also benefit small children by learning how to use their vision and muscles to complete tasks (which is used when: writing, drawing, tying shoelaces, catching balls, and more). Driving, typing on keyboard, and using phones are some ways older people (young adults and adults) and means that improving one's hand-eye coordination through playing our game can benefit people of different ages. One of the changes we made was that although we were planning to incorporate a short introduction at the start of the game (possibly have a backstory of the game and breifly explain how the game is played), since time did not allow us to program and include this, this was something we had to get rid of from our plan throughout the journey of creating our game.