• Why might using multiple Inclined Planes be more effective than just one? Multiple inclined planes are more effective than just one because the more planes the less complicated to make the ball reach something farther has to be. With one plane you'd have to manipulate it a lot so it'd reach the bucket but with multiple planes it's much simpler and more effective with time. Just copy and paste then move it, and there you have a functional travel system for the ball.

• How does turning snapping on or off affect the way you build and test your level? Turning the snapping off was most helpful for me because it allowed me to be able to move the object around freely, to any direction I like without any restrictions. If the ball was a tiny bit off, I could move the inclined plane a tiny bit to make it actually go into the bucket. 

• What did you learn about problem-solving when your first setup didn’t work as expected? I learned that you can't rush this type of thing, and it's always going to take multiple tries to get the product you want. It took me a lot of tries to get it right, but with patience I got what I wanted even though it took me the whole class period, it was worth it. I prefer quality over speed. 

• Why does the distance from the fulcrum change how much force a weight applies to the lever? It changes how much force a weight applies to a lever  because the more the object is closer the the fulcrum it doesn't lift as well. Placing the object farther will make it have more of a reaction to being lifted.

• How does scaling a weight affect the outcome compared to moving it closer or farther from the fulcrum? Scaling the weight affects the outcome more then just moving the object because with weight you get more of a reaction; yes, moving the object around with make an reaction too but when you scale it to be larger or smaller, the outcome is more prominent. 

• In what ways can customizing materials be useful for both design and gameplay in a project? Customizing your materials will affect and be useful in future projects because in gameplay, texture is one of the most important aspect in design. Texture can tell a story, and not only that most players expect to see texture and different material in the world. It sort of expands and gives your player an idea of what type of environment they're in.

• How does changing the shape or sharpness of the Wedge affect the result compared to just moving it? Changing the shape of the Wedge affects the result by creating different results then just moving it would. Let's say for the watermelon simulation, moving the wedge left or right would change what side it would cut or how much of the side it would cut. Simply thickening the wedge will change how much its sliced, but it will stay in place and be cut equally.

• What did you learn about controlling chaos when working with multiple watermelons and buckets? I learned you have to postition the melons a certain way, sometimes even strategically to insure all the melons get through the glass. It was actually a bit challenging but when I shifted the melons size and position, I finally had it.

• In what ways can experimenting with physics in UE5 help you think differently about solving problems in real life? It can make you rethink about how an object reactions to gravity based on size, weight, and where it's placed. I like to think of UE5 as an example if you can't quite picture how the object in question would fall or roll, since UE5 has realistic physics.

• How did adjusting the Lazy Susan’s size or rotation rate affect where the ball ended up? What does this teach you about precision in design? It effected where the ball ended up because it really depended on how fast it hit it, and how much cheese was on it. I'm sure you could do it with less cheese, but for me I found it easier with more. Precision is very important, because the goal is for the ball to go into the bucket. You have to take your time and review to get it exactly right. This might take multiple times, but as said before, precision is important.

• Why might adding sound effects improve a Rube Goldberg machine or a game level? Think about both the player’s experience and the designer’s goals. It improves the players experience and level by basically signalling you did the task right and it also gives the player a sense of doing something correct. Sound effects and music is key for a great game.

•  Why is it important to leave a gap between the pulley basket and other objects when setting up a chain reaction? Leaving a gap was important so the pulley wouldn't be stuck on objects. If it does hit or touch the object, it'll be set off without even having the desired piece being put in the basket. For gameplay, that might be seen as a mistake or bug, so it's always important to space the pulley from the object.

• How does changing the rotation or position of the pulley affect the outcome of the machine? Changing the rotation or position of the pulley affects the outcome of the machine because if you change the rotation to hit the desired object, it actually works. I've had to change the direction of the boot multiple times, but the basket was easier. That being said, changing the rotation of the basket can make it aiser for the domino to fall in.

• If you were to redesign today’s pulley setup for maximum reliability, what would you change and why? I don't think I would change anything because it's already functional, and if it's functional it should be fine. 

•  Why do you think the screw is considered a simple machine, and how does it change motion compared to the other machines you’ve used? It's considered a simple machine because it doesn't take much to make it work on how you want it to work. All you really have to do is change the size of the slide/ramp, and change the speed of the screw. It only takes two parts as well. 

• When extending a Spline ramp, what trade-offs do you notice between making the path smooth versus precise? Making it smooth looks good, but making it precise makes it actually work good. When the orange comes down on the smooth ramp, it could easily fall off or slide off when coming down. Not only that but when the orange comes down to hit the dominoes, it can completely miss the dominoes. Extending the spline to be precise, you won't have any of these problems. 

• How could combining Splines, Screws, and Dominos allow for more creative chain reactions than using them separately? Combining them can make so many possibilities of chain reactions, especially in the space that we're working in. When using them separately, it's a bit more boring and I'd even say a bit more challenging to create a CREATIVE chain reaction. Yes, with dominoes you can set it to different patterns and what not, but setting up the other objects would most likely create a boring chain reaction. 

• Choose one of the five terms we started INTRODUCTION lesson with, and write a paragraph that shows what you now understand about it. Use your own words, and include an example from the lesson if you can.

• • • Gameplay

    • Graphics and Visuals

    • Sound and Music

    • Story and Narrative

    • Replay Value

Story and Narrative are what make a gameplay  because it engages the player, and gives them a purpose to be playing the game. Like a book,  a good narrative uses characters and plot twist to keep its viewer hooked on what happens next. The difference is that in a game, your the one making the choices that drive the story forward. For example, having a plot line where the Main Character is trapped somewhere and they have to fight to get out will motivate the player to get better at the game to figure out what comes next after this plot line. It's a matter of curiosity and personal connection to the game when you're the one making the choices to, again, discover more of the story. It almost always leaves an impact on the person playing, especially if the narrative has many characters you can interact with, creating personal bonds. 

• How can simple mechanics lead to complex gameplay? Simple mechanics are the foundation of complex gameplay. Complex gameplay is a result of taking those simple mechanics and using them in (usually) high-pressure tasks or problems the player faces. In Rocket League, the idea of hitting a ball into a goal is simple mechanics, but it becomes complex when you add boosts, ranks, multiple players, and the fact you can jump in the game. 

• Why is it useful to understand game mechanics when analyzing or reviewing a game? It's useful to understand mechanics when analyzing or reviewing a game because once you know the mechanics, you don't review in bad faith. What I mean by that is just giving a nonsense review such as "I didn't like it." Knowing how the game works can not only give your review credibility, but it also can be used to criticize what can be improved or left out. With this, as well, you can compare it to other games that have similar mechanics. 

• Choose one of the four terms we started the FAIRNESS lesson with, and write a paragraph that shows what you now understand about it. Use your own words, and include an example from the lesson if you can.

• Symmetry & Balance

• Risk vs. Reward

• Player Behavior & Cheating

• Unintended Imbalance

Player Behavior and cheating refers to how people interact within the rules of the game and how some will try to break them. Sometimes rules aren't broken to cheat but the players actions are still considered by others to be cheating. Whether it be exploiting, or using strategy to get easy wins, cheating ruins the experience for everyone, even the people on the same team of the cheater. For example, a player known as SpawnTrapX would spawn-kill people, not being fair to his team nor the opponents. Though Overwatch doesn't have rules against spawn-killing, socially this would be cheating because it doesn't give other players a chance and is an easy way to win. 

• Write a paragraph that shows what you now understand about this term. Include examples of how the term is used in a game of your choosing.

The same thing could be said for Roblox, especially in combat games. The more frequent cheating system is teaming in games where it's free for all. Teaming is a major issue in games like Murder Mystery, where everyone is supposed to fend for themselves. Most of the time, the two teamers will be murder or the sheriff, of course the murder doesn't kill their friends and the sheriff guards the gun, not killing the murderer. This robs the chance of other players winning the game, or being able to play at that. Camping is also a form of cheating, again, robbing the chance of others winning instead of just the murderer. Recently, a fighting game just added clans/teams to the game because the teaming got so bad. Though there are many cheaters, and there will always be cheaters in games, there are a good amount of players who play fair.

• Why is mood and atmosphere important in games? Mood and atmosphere are what make the player feel something. It signals how the player should feel in the scene, and greatly impacts your game more when the mood and atmosphere correlates to your game's story. A strong atmosphere makes the player forget they are just playing a game or looking at a screen and makes them feel like they are quite literally there connecting emotionally with the world you built. 

• How is it different from game mechanics? Game mechanics are simply just there to make the game work. Jumping, hitting, doing quests, and systems don't create a mood or vibe to them. However, atmosphere and mood refers to the overall emotion created by the environment. Music, lighting, and details in the gameplay effect this 

• Write a paragraph that shows what you now understand about this term. Include examples of how the term is used in a game of your choosing.

In Roblox, since there are a lot of games, I'll be choosing one of the most popular ones. An excellent example of mood would be a Roblox game called "Doors". The atmosphere is built using dim, flickering lights, a narrow field of vision, random creaks, and  an eerie ambience  to keep the player alert and anxious. Even if there were no monsters, it still had an unnerving vibe, letting the player know they should be scared of something. This is very different from a game like "Adopt Me!" Which has cheerful, upbeat music along with its high-saturated color and brightness to make players feel happy and safe. The places have a more simple and bouncy structure and include kid-friendly items unlike "Doors" which have weapons and broken structures in it. While both of these games have the same mechanic of walking and interacting with objects, their atmospheres create two completely different experiences. 

• Why do we need collision objects? Why can't the computer just use the static meshes to handle collisions? We need collision objects for things such as obstacle courses and to just be able to walk across something. Sometimes the meshes don't have collisions on them, so it's important to double check. The reason why the computer doesn't automatically do it is because it's expensive since the computer has to run a frame every single time something new happens in the game whether it be just turning the camera or a character subtly moving.

• What was the hardest part to understand about collision detection? It wasn't that hard for me to understand, as the video creator explained it well. I didn't understand at first because it seemed easy from a non-platform developer perspective to just put the automatic collision direction in but now that he's explained it, it makes sense. 

• What do you think is important to create player immersion when designing a part of a level using static islands? It’s important to create player immersion when designing a level with static islands because it makes your player more interested and if islands sit still, it can make your world feel boring and empty. 

• What was most challenging with creating the animations for the moving islands? The most challenging part for me is trying to make it look good while also making sure the player can move through it smoothly. When I was testing it, on the second island if you jump too far you will fall off. I kept that part of design to kind of create a challenge to be more careful when jumping from island to island.    

If you had more time to work on the animations, what would you do to improve and make them more interesting? I personally think the islands are fine now, but to make it more challenging I would probably add mini islands. Maybe some that don't move so you have to stop and wait in-between the islands moving. 

• Can you think of any other powerups that you would like to add to your game? I would like to add a speed boost, a magnetic boost for coins and gems, a double jump  and an invincibility shield for later harder levels. 

• Why do you think players can find it satisfying to collect things like coins? Players find it satisfying to collect coins because collecting things in games usually means rewards like buying upgrades or items. The sound design when collecting a coin also makes players feel like they've achieved something, adding to the satisfaction of collecting coins.

• How could we improve the level to make it even more satisfying to collect coins? I could improve the level by adding a store or a point system for collecting the coins. I was thinking I should put a certain amount of coins you have to collect, and the points vary on how many you collect (collecting more than the goal means more points, and less just means less.)

• Why do we store the information about having the key in the Game Mode instead of in the door or the player? The key makes more sense because it's the one being used in this situation. Storing it in the player or door would be a bit tricky to deal with because if the player resets, the data might be lost. 

• What was the hardest part to understand when building the key and connecting it to the door?  For me, mostly looking at it is confusing and finding the right code to make everything work. I understand the simplicity of it but if I had to do that on my own, I would be lost.

• Why is it better practice to keep the logic for updating the timer inside the HUD instead of directly in the Game Mode?  The HUD shows the timer, so updating it would kind of be like updating the visual part of the timer. 

• What challenges did you face when creating a new event from scratch in the HUD, and how did you solve them? I didn't face many challenges, it was pretty simple to me but the only problem I had was the key image lighting up. It worked at first but then stopped. I tried redoing the code over and over but it didn't seem to work. Everything else did.