Checkers PBL Project

Introduction:

In this PBL I will be creating a replica of checkers on scratch. I spent a pretty long mulling it over on how I should approach this project. While checkers is not as hard as chess, it's still not very easy to code. There are rules the players must follow and things only players could do when certain conditions are met. It's up to the players to know the rules and follow them.

Driving Question: Can players follow rules even on the internet?

With this question in mind, I decided to make a checkers game that requires two players and doesn't automatically follow the rules of the game for you. Normally chess programs make it so that you can't cheat and forces players to follow the rules. But in this case, I don't want that, so I have to start from scratch.

The final result is something I am satisfied with it as it fits both the criteria I had in mind and all it needs is some field testing to answer my question. I let a few people try, mainly family members, and overall people can still follow the rules but the times that they don't are when they are losing or in a bad mood. For example, my parents didn't cheat until my mom won three times in a row and my dad ended up cheating. As for my cousins they would end up cheating after only losing once. Maybe the older you get the more tolerance you have to wanting revenge.

Investigation Questions

1. What are the requirements for making chess on scratch?

All you need is basic/decent understanding of how to properly use block code, little artistic skills, and scratch program.

2. How to get scratch?

Scratch isn't something you install, it's a website that you can go to (Scratch.mit.edu). Just make an account and your all set! But if you don't feel like coding don't worry! You can also go see other people's games and try them out for yourself.

3. How does it work?

Well in a short explanation, people switch turns by pressing space bar. This changes a variable from purple to red or vice versa. Using this the code makes it so that when the variable changes to purple only the purple disc can capture the red disc.

4. How to try the chess game?

Here: Simple Checkers on Scratch (mit.edu)

Procedure

1. Create an account on scratch.

2. start a new project.

3. Make disc and board.

4. Code the turn switching and the capturing.

5. Code invalid move penalty.

6. Code win mechanic.

7. Publish Game.