I transferred the applet over to the website. The URL is: http://www.hev.utulsa.edu/challengex/HybridHyjinx/

Fixed DNS Problems

I fixed my DNS problems, so www.optimize-life.net/challengex and so forth should work again now. If they're ever not working, it's most likely because lanauth logged out the box, in which case just let me know and I'll log it back in. Soon, I'll have the applet on the TU website, but we're still going to have to go through my box (Megatron, if you were wondering) for SVN. I don't see any way around that.

Meeting Report, 12/14

Agenda

We have a second meeting with our customer, Dr. Patton. The meeting went for about 30 minutes and here’s what we did:

• Demonstrate prototype

• Feedback: Dr. Patton thinks the game is pretty good so far.

• Discuss next steps: store, style of graphic. We discussed the idea of having body shop inside the game. Dr. Patton also like that idea

• Music: the current background music is annoying after awhile. We will need to have an option where user can change the volume, turn off, or change to a different track.

• Trivia questions: Dr. Patton will provide us with more trivia questions in the type of true false. There might be some fill in the blank question.

• GM Stock image, access permission to shared space. Amanda should have access to the ChallengeX folder inside shared space. Also, we got access to the TU ChallengeX host where we can upload our game up now. One thing we forgot is to ask for a student access to the real ChallengeX website to get stock images.



Tasks (to be done over the break)



Amanda

• Work on the store idea of the game

• Might do some coding with Kien to integrate the new graphic

Kristina

• Find better background music, sound effect

Austin

• Improve the game logic and data compression

• Implement saved game system

• Implement backend for administrators to update the questions.

Kien

• Request the mysql database account (in progress)

• Redesign the interface, make everything consistent





Have a wonderful vacation everyone!





 

Meeting Report, 12/7

We moved our meeting from 2pm to 6pm due to some conflict.

Here's what we did:

. Updated the architecture diagram for the presentation tomorrow
. Created the background template for the presentation
. Fixed a few more bugs and spelling inside the applet

Here's what we need to do:

Austin:
. Change all the text to: Maiandra GD font
. Do the coin animation at the final screen

Amanda, Christina:
. Finish the powerpoint slideshow

Kien:
. Help Amanda with last minute fix.


Next meeting:
Monday, 11pm at Kep M6 to go over the presentation

 

Meeting Report, 12/7

TODO:

(Austin)
Fix timer bug (correct answer doesn't reset time).
Exit button on question screen.
Add story screen - text box and "play" button.
Change score into money.

(Kien)
Remove all text and buttons from the images.
Standard logo image (small banner format).

(K and Amanda)
Story / instructions text

Next meeting: Sunday @ 2:00.

Main Screen

The first image is my idea whether we should have a side bar that will have hints and other stats.

The last image I used my own picture so we don't have to worry about copyright for that one.










Here are some of the Main Screen for the game...I'll upload as soon as I created a new one.

Meeting Report 11/29

Discussed GUI layout. Established timeline for prototype.

Timeline:
Images/Sounds by Tue Dec 5 - Post on blog, if possible.
Alpha completed by Wed Dec 6.
Meeting Thursday Dec 7 @ 2:00 in M6. Will demonstrate prototype, begin bug testing.

Images:
Background images, title image.

Sounds:
Correct answer, incorrect answer, exit?, music?

Meeting Report 11/26

Accomplished: Use Case Diagram, Class Diagram, Architecture Diagram

Todo:
Amanda & Kristina:
Vision Document
Name Document
UseCase Document
Get trivia questions from Dr. Patton.

Austin:
Class Diagram Document

Kien:
Architecture Document

Document will be in the repository.

Please have this material in by Monday night.

Next meeting: Wednesday 2:00, M6. Will discuss programming assignments.

Subversion and Linux Box

I put together a Linux box out of some spare parts, and now have Subversion running on it. To access the repository, you just need TortoiseSVN (for Windows; you'll need the subversion client and the GUI of your choice for Linux - more here). After installing Tortoise, you can just right-click and hit "checkout".

The URL of the repository is: http://www.optimize-life.net/svn/challengex .

There's a simple README file in there for now, if you want to test your access.

Unfortunately, it has public read/write access right now. I can change that, if you guys think it's necessary, but it takes some work.

If you guys have any problems or questions, give me a buzz - AustinM271 on AIM.

Java Applet Resources

Swing
Applets

Methodology Article

Awhile back I came across an article on gamasutra about game design software methodologies; I thought it was a useful read.

The article gives a brief introduction to Scrum as a game design methodology. While I don't think Scrum as a whole is what we need (daily meetings are overkill, for example), some of its elements would be great for our project. Things like emphasis on the entire team working together, "vertical slices" as intermediate deliverables, frequent customer meetings for feedback, short work cycles, and the fact that it's an iterative process could be easily worked into a methodology.

I'm not entirely sure we're supposed to have a formalized methodology (although I seem to remember hearing that we're supposed to stick to a methodology at some point), and I'm not sure whose job it would be to run it (probably Amanda's, but again I don't know). Just throwing this one out there in case.

Version Control

So, I am supposed to initiate version control. Austin pointed me toward Subversion, I like it and I think it would help, but I also don't have a linux server set up...easily fixed, however my box at home is wholly unreliable. So, we could either set it up on someone else's machine or for this project just do a manual version control, post the code on an ftp or something and post the changes on the blog, or do the same through email. Let me know what you guys think so I can get started on that.

-K

Dr. Patton Meeting

The meeting is scheduled for after the SWE meeting on Wednesday. That roughly correlates to 1pm, most likely in her office. I agree with Kien about the web page...if thats part of our project. That is one of the things I'm asking Dr. Patton. So far I'm going to ask what exactly we are doing for the site, whether we are doing the entire thing or just the game. I'm going to ask about the rules of the competition and any restrictions she requires. Then I figure we'll discuss what exactly she is looking for and present any more concrete ideas we have. If you guys have time, I'd like you to send me some ideas on what the game itself should be like...i.e. a who wants to be a millionaire style, where in the world is carmen sandiego style, or like Austin suggested another kind of game with trivia thrown in. We need more fleshed out ideas like these for Dr. Patton to see. So...if would be awesome if you guys could send me some before wednesday morning so I can type it up and have them ready for the meeting.

-Kristina

Update:

Goal:

• Use GM logo and GM related marketing
• Do the game, not the website
• Reduce energy and fuel emission
• Attract as many as K-12 students as possible
• Teacher can use the game as educational resource

Ideas:

• Pimp my ride (reward)
• Who wants to be a millionaire
• Beat the Geeks
• Car building theme
  

Team Role

Prototype due: 11/28/2006
Final due: 12/11/2006


Project Lead: Amanda Strickler
Senior Programmer: Austin McDonald
Senior Analyst: Kristina Pyles
Architecture: Kien Pham