Text-based Adventure Game

Text-based Adventure Game

1. Task requirements

   • Self-determined Criteria
     • The theme of the game is Super mario
       • Include characters from the Mario series
       • Include items and actions unique to the Super Mario series
       • Include map locations that could be found in the Mario series
     • Allow the use of synonyms for commands
       • Include the synonyms for the selection statements for commands
       • Include synonyms in the array for possible actions
   • Prescribed Criteria
     • The player begins with 3 health points
       • Create a health variable that changes depending on the user's actions
       • Display user's health through text or image
     • The player begins with no equipment but can pick up items from the map and use them
       • Create arrays for the players' backpack and the items on the map
       • Remove or add items to item arrays
       • Execute certain programs when user input is item use
     • The player begins in one of the centre squares of a 5 x 5 map grid
       • Create a map array
       • Have 25 elements in array
       • Create a player location variable and set it to 13 (or another number)
     • The map must be displayed visually, as ASCII art
       • Create array for the map display and place the ASCII art for all map positions
       • Output map display every time the player moves or asks to display the map
     • There must be at least two Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) that can be talked to
       • Create variables for NPCs
       • Output the NPCs' speech when user inputs to talk to NPCs
     • When talked to, the two NPCs will give a random game hint from a possible list of 5 hints
       • Use the random package to randomly select a hint
       • Create array for hints
       • Output randomly selected hint if user inputs to talk to NPC
     • The player can navigate the map using valid commands: north, south, east and west. Other commands will return "I do not understand"
       • Create array for list of commands
       • Update map location of user when player tries to navigate the map
       • If command is not in array for commands, output "I do not understand"
     • When the player arrives at a new location a text-based description of the location is displayed
       • If the map position of the user is updated, output description
       • Create array for the description of each map location
     • If the player tries to move outside the boundary of the map a message appears explaining that the way is blocked, and the player cannot move in that direction
       • Create array for message at the boundaries
       • Output message at boundary if the player tries to move outside of boundary
     • Have a series of events that the player must complete to finish the game
       • In the array of possible actions, place actions required to finish the game
       • Make the events have a certain order in which they must be completed, so players cannot skip events
       • Output that the player has completed the game after the player completes all events
   • Existing Solutions
     • Forest Of Lyrica (python file)
       • Pros
         • Players can navigate the map without running into software bugs
         • Items can be taken, dropped and used.
         • Displays a text description of map location, item and hints
       • Cons
         • The user inputs are limited to what the program has, hence other user inputs cannot be used
         • Only uses text to describe setting and map location
         • Help command outputs possible actions, but users would not know to input help
     • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Game - 30th Anniversary Edition
       • Pros
         • Allows use of synonyms for commands
         • Displays pictures of setting as well as text description
         • The items that the user has can always be seen.
       • Cons
         • Hints must be accessed through another webpage
         • The map cannot be visually seen
   • Constraints and limitations
     • Time
       • 6 weeks
     • Skills
       • Python
       • HTML
       • SQL
       • CSS
     • Coding environment
       • Thonny
       • Notepad++
       • SQLite

2. Developer Problem

   • User interface
     • Features
       • Text input field
     • Usability Principles
       • Effectiveness
         • The ability for the solution to satisfy the needs of the users, and the consistency of it
       • Utility
         • How useful the solution is, or how it provides all of the functionality required for the user
       • Learnability
         • How easy it is to navigate through the solution
       • Safety
         • Whether users can recover from mistakes, and how easy it is to make the mistakes
       • Accessibility
         • Whether the solution can be used by many different people, who are in different conditions
     • UI components
       • Buttons
         • To submit user's command
       • Text
         • To display game description, map, etc.
       • Images
         • For map location
   • Coding environment
     • Key algorithms
       • Commands - moving map location
       • Display map and map location
       • Commands - items
     • Development tools
       • Thonny
       • SQLite
       • Notepad++
   • Data
     • Data Storage and Retrieval
       • Flaskform
       • 'GET', 'POST'
       • Required Data
         • User command input field
           • str
       • Variables
         • Global
           • list
             • Map/blocked path/hint description
             • Map/item image
             • Item/item location/ backpack/command list
           • int
             • map location
           • str
             • game message
         • Local
           • str
             • Message displayed
             • Form input

3. Impacts

   • Economic
     • Users purchase game
       • Users spend money and company gains profit
   • Personal
     • Invest time into game
       • Spend less time on other things
   • Social
     • A community of the game is created
       • People interact with each other because they have same interests
     • People recommend game to friends
       • People talk about game with friends

4. User Problem

   • User Persona 1
     • Wants
       • A game that could be played easily
       • A simple UI that can be navigated easily
     • Needs
       • A game that could be played in free time
     • Detail
       • Grade 2 in primary school, likes games but cannot play difficult games, available games at home are too difficult