Developers

What This Team Does

Developers bring the game to life by turning ideas into interactions.
They use logic, scripts, and simple systems to make the world behave the way the Storytellers describe.
Even small pieces of code can create movement, collect items, trigger sounds, or change scenes.

You do not need to know everything about coding.
You will learn to read, think, and write simple logic step-by-step.

Storyteller Dependency

All features you build must follow what the Storytellers decide.
Only create interactions, systems, or logic for things that officially exist in the game.

If Storytellers have not confirmed:
• Magic
• Enemies
• Puzzles
• Items
• Locations
• Abilities

Then developers should not build those systems yet.

Your job is to support the story, not guess what it might become.

Your Developer Scaffolding

To help you succeed, your teacher will provide:

• A mostly pre-built Godot project
• Simple example scripts
• Clear folders for art, sound, and scenes
• Sample interactions (how to collect, talk, move, or trigger events)
• A safe template scene where you can test your own changes
• Very small tasks you can complete during class without needing deep coding knowledge

Your job is to understand the code you see, make thoughtful modifications, and learn how logic works.

What Developers Are Responsible For

1. Player Movement and Controls

Basic movement will already exist, but you may adjust things like:
• Speed
• Acceleration
• Smoothing
• Interaction buttons
(We will use simple point-and-click or button-based controls so the game works on many devices.)

2. Simple Interactions

Developers will handle the logic for:
• Picking up items
• Opening doors
• Triggering dialogue or text
• Activating switches
• Entering new areas

You will be given example code and modify it as needed.

3. Scene Changes

Learning how players move between areas.
This may include:
• Forest to town
• Cave entrance to cave interior
• Room to room

4. Connecting Art and Sound

Developers help the teams by plugging in:
• Character sprites
• Tiles
• Sound effects
• Music loops

The other teams make the assets; developers make them work in-game.

5. Very Simple Systems

Depending on the Storytellers' decisions, you may build or adjust:
• A small inventory
• A simple puzzle trigger
• A one-button action
• An object that rotates, sparkles, or reacts when clicked

These will be guided by provided code snippets.

How Developers Work in Class

1. Download Godot

Each developer will download Godot on their laptop (the teacher will show how).

2. Read the Pseudocode Handout

This helps you understand code logic even before touching real Godot scripts.

3. Explore the Starter Project

The teacher will provide:
• A main scene
• A player scene
• Test objects
• A few sample scripts

You will begin by adjusting small things and seeing the effects.

4. Work on Mini Logic Tasks

During class, developers will complete very small challenges such as:
• Change how fast the player moves
• Make a sound play when an item is picked up
• Add a new object that the player can interact with
• Add a simple message/notification
• Trigger a scene change

Each task takes only a few minutes and builds confidence.

What Developers Should Not Do

To keep the workload realistic, developers should not:
• Build large systems from scratch
• Add mechanics that the Storytellers have not approved
• Write long code files alone
• Guess how something should work
• Try to design new story elements
• Manage or troubleshoot art or sound

Your focus is on small, structured tasks that keep the project working smoothly.

Developer Success Checklist

Developers are doing well if they:
• Understand the goals of each scene
• Communicate clearly with PMs
• Ask the teacher when code is confusing
• Keep scripts organized and readable
• Only build what Storytellers approve
• Test small changes often