Due Wednesday, March 19 at 8:15 PM
This assignment takes the place of the handheld project originally announced on the syllabus. We'll take up with handhelds on the next assignments (arcade games).
Project: Build a simple graphical simulation of some regular but unpredictable system such as a populated fishtank, ant farm, dance club, neighborhood bar, etc. This is not exactly a classic screen saver (see requirements for sprite interaction, #5 below), but it is a close cousin. Try to produce something that can sustain a viewer's interest for as long as possible.
Specifications:
- The project must contain at least six animated characters or elements.
In game design these are often called sprites.
- Your sprites may have
internal behaviors (in the fishtank concept, they may move their fins and other parts).
However, the sprite as a whole must traverse the stage, entering from one extreme (top, bottom, left, right) and passing completely out of view at some point.
- Since this simulation must cycle, you must reset the position and motion of your sprite once
it has left the visible area.
- While you may use timelines for internal behavior you MUST control the overall sprite movement with one or more scripts.
- Something interesting must happen when any two of your sprites collide.
- In the Notes section of your class home page briefly discuss how you have interpreted the assignment and any features of your project that give it particular distinction.
Advice: We will be going over all the necessary ActionScript required for this project on February 26.
I strongly suggest you do all your scripting before developing internal sprite behaviors. That is, build a version of your project in which you simply move ordinary graphics around. Once you are happy with that, swap the graphics for animated Movie Clips if you like. Don't waste valuable time on timeline effects--they are not the major emphasis of this assignment.
You may build a fish tank, but you could also build something else if you prefer. What would make an interesting simulation?
Think carefully about the sprite interaction requirement (#5 above). This is what differentiates your project from a simple screen saver. What might happen when two sprites intersect? Could one absorb the other? Could they merge? Could they alter their subsequent behavior?
What other media elements could you include? Sound? Type? (We haven't discussed video yet, but you're welcome to experiment.)
You may design the project either with or without a time span. The sprite behaviors may simply cycle indefinitely; or their inevitable interactions may push your simulation toward some ultimate state. Interesting projects might be made either way.
Technical:
- This project could be delivered in a very small object file (say, under 100k). However, your .swf file may be up to 1 megabyte (1000k).
Your source file (.fla) should not exceed 10 megabytes.
- Your visible area (stage) must not exceed 600 pixels in height and 800 pixels in width.
You may use any aspect ratio you like.
- Follow the same procedure as in Assignment 2 to submit your work: save your .html file as "index", and locate it, your .swf, and your .fla in your Assignment3 directory. Export an appropriate JPEG and include this graphic on your main Crow index page in place of the dummy currently installed for Assignment 3. Check to be sure the link is working. Remember that your index page must be correctly configured for your peer respondent.
