Final Project Idea

What excites you?

Something that I find enjoyable with coding is the element of creativity. It allows the coder to to create applications like drawing functions or games which can incorporate user input. I enjoyed the class assignment where we tried to build turtle programs and I could see them evolve as I went.

What info will help you decide?

Initially, I was debating between the two final project options. I’m interested in archives, which was initially the reason that I took this class. I think a data processing project would be useful for my future career trajectory. However, the main factor that I’m considering is which type of program I could conceivably complete successfully in the allotted time. I had a lot of trouble on the data processing assignment, so that leads me to lean more in the direction of a turtle program. However, in the future I’d like to spend more time revising the data processing assignment, and improve my familiarity with that area of coding.

What project will you pick?

I think ultimately, I’m going to choose a turtle project for the final assignment.

Initial ideas:

I’m not quite sure what type of game that I will do for the final project, but I was inspired by some of the older retro games that I played as a kid. I was thinking something along the lines of block breaker type of game, which could incorporate user input to hit different colored blocks, which would each have a different point value. It could start out slow with one ball then add in more, which could increase in speed. At the end of the three levels, there would be a display of the number of blocks that were hit and the total score.

As a coding newbie, I want to pick something that’s attainable for me within the timeframe. If this idea turns out to be too simple, I was thinking I could add in additional bonus items to hit for extra points, or another element to add complexity.

Work plan:

Week 1: Review the turtle materials and create the design of the game with the included features

Week 2: Create a rough iteration of the game, such as the setup, the background, movement, and score features

Week 3: Continue to expand on the game, such as the extra levels, and fix any bugs; make note of all of the steps taken to be included in the final reflection

Week 4: Work on debugging the program, adding any final elements, and complete the final reflection on the process