Lab C (Black) Update for Week of Mar.22nd, 2010

Welcome to the weekly update for Lab C in the Mustard Seed Challenge!

Accomplishments for this week and for next week will be listed by table, as tasks have begun to diversify significantly. Towards the end of the blog, there is a Gantt Chart displaying the lab's progress as a whole.

Accomplishments this week:

General Lab

• Completed the Functionality Report and Design Proposal deliverable based on each team’s proposed designs develop last week.
• The newly formed programming committee’s objectives were outlined. The committee will be in charge of :
• Becoming familiar with Game Maker 8 so that the lab has access to people comfortable with the software.
• Ensure that characters and items specific to the game (i.e. grocery store food) remain constant for the entire game.
• Compile a list of food items to be used by the entire lab and create a sprite for each item. The sprites will be made available for each table.
• The weekly status update was completed by each lab.

Table C1

• Decided on a design proposal for our group that would be unique compared to other groups within our lab.
• Confirmed that idea with project management team to ensure our idea is unique.

Table C2

· Edited and compiled the final requirements report based on quantifiable testing methods.

· Developed testing procedures to test (qualitative and quantitative aspects of the software designs) the functional requirements. These test procedures were used as a benchmarking step to propose to our clients the means of measuring these quantifications.

· Developed a pseudo-code based on the functional engineering requirements. This pseudo-code will then be handed over to the programming committee to integrate each code into a bigger code supporting project conceptualization.

· Developed character story line (super cow story line) and design specifications (once again based on engineering requirements)

· Began designing game frame layouts and avatar profile sketches for each of the three mini games in our game design. Started framing a sample output dialog between the proposed program implementation and the compiler. Specifically the dialog between the character (avatar) and the end user was scripted.

· Began developing reproducible sprites to be used in the game.

Table C3

• The team learned more about and also tested several ideas with the Game Maker 5.
• The team researched and compared grocery prices and sale prices for our part of the game.
• Game software is in the process of being created.
• Updates to team ideas, level testing and level difficulties were made.

Table C4

· Designing the basic game mechanics.

· Created a flow chart for how the game will run.

· Created a spider chart of how our game works.

· Determined what game sprites are to be used in the game itself e.g. Super Cow, Items, and Background Tiles.

Table C5

· Brainstormed ideas for our game design discussed all minor details and made a flowchart entailing these.

· Wrote a pseudo-code for our game.

Table C6

• Roles and responsibilities were outline for the game.
• Photos from local grocery store were shot and collected.
• Backgrounds for the game are in the process of being photo-shopped.
• The “find and locate” element of the game went through its first test run using Game Make 8 and was successful.

Table C7

· The team had a meeting at 2:00pm on Tuesday March 23. During the meeting the team edited Functionality Report and Design Proposal. The Final changes to the report.

· The team finalized their decisions for the Tetris game. They wrote pseudo-code for the design of the Tetris level.

· The team designed the blocks for the Tetris game to look like grocery store items.

To Be Accomplished Next Week:

General Lab

• As a lab each table has been assigned to write a pseudo-code of their own portion of the game.
• The list of sprites for each food item designed and made available to the lab.
• Complete the next weekly status update.
• The lab needs to delegate people to begin developing the Open House (i.e. people to design the poster, organize the presentation).
• Representatives will need to be selected to present the lab’s design at the Open House.

Table C1

· Make the images for the backgrounds of the program.

· Get a good start on the program.

· Interface with the group that is before and after us.

· Get a good start on the final report.

Table C2

· Prepare all header files associated with the mini game development

· All compiler errors should be debugged for next week. Logic and run-time error debugging can begin at the end of next week.

· Integrate the actual program (game) component into the virtual game software. Compile all interfacing code files into a single executable file.

· Develop testing and counter checking pseudo-code. Our group decided that the testable procedure itself could be implemented as a program. This method offers a more vigorous an efficient system of conducting tests.

Table C3

• Team expects to get a clear outline of the game and a good start to completion.
• Team needs to be able to integrate our section of the game with the other groups.
• Open House needs to be complete by April 15^th.
• Details and update will be made to game to complete.

Comments:

Overall our team is behind with scheduling. Programming and game making and design are behind our schedule and must be made up this weekend with group members practicing the use of Game Maker 5 at home.

Table C4

· How food will drop and spawn for our game operation.

· How we will switch from screen to screen with the use of a mouse click.

· Determine who will create the Super Cow sprite.

· Begin testing the initial game prototype.

Table C5

· Review final report document and split up roles evenly.

· Make up a sprite list of icons.

· Synchronize with our interface team and make our programs flow from one to the next evenly.

Table C6

• The backgrounds for the game need to be completed.
• The ambience sounds, theme music and sound effects for the game need to be selected and prepare to input into the program.
• The program needs to be in the beginning stages of testing by next week.

Lab progress: