Fortune Hunter

Today is November 22, 2024.

Contacts

Jonathan Meschino (4th Year)

email: jmeschino@mail.rit.edu

Eric Kenvin (3rd Year)

email: eric.kenvin@mail.rit.edu

Preston Johnson (3rd Year)

email: ppj4700@g.rit.edu

David Silverman (3rd Year)

email: drs5669@g.rit.edu

News Feed

This spot is dedicated to larger news announcements.

→ 09.22.09 - Current GIT repository can be found here.

→ 10.01.09 - Watch a brief demo of our game on youtube.

→ 11.12.09 - MPG has become Mathematical Adventure: Fortune Hunter (MAFH)! This name change is permanent.

→ 11.12.09 - Fortune Hunter now has a blog!

→ 11.12.09 - Join the Fortune Hunter mailing list via Google Groups and stay up to date with our progress and news info!

Introduction

Mathematical Adventure: Fortune Hunter draws on teaching children of a global scale fourth grade mathematics through the guise of a dungeon styled adventure game. Players will be able to explore dungeons and fight fearsome battles with various monsters, each pertaining to a unique mathematical concept. The player controls a protagonist that must progress through maze-like dungeons, solve puzzles / problems, and defeat enemies in a two dimensional world. It is a single player adventure with room for ad hoc cooperative play in the future.

MAFH follows the story of Arith, a determined young researcher dedicated to finding all of the world’s best hidden secrets. One day she stumbled across a piece of blank papyrus during the time she spent studying in Egypt on a dig site. She quickly brought it to her best friend and colleague, Lytic. They were determined to find out more about this strange paper, but the two could not unearth its secrets in such a short time.

Three months later, the dig ever deeper into the earth, Arith noticed a faint glow emanating from a random pile of dirt. “What’s that over there?” she asked Lytic, who was standing nearby with his shovel. Digging it out, Lytic noticed that it was a small amulet. It let off the strangest beautiful teal glow. “Strange,” he remarked. Lytic stared deep into the light, his eyes widening as if in a trance. "Just what are you?" he questioned. The glow got even brighter and then went dim again. Now the amulet appeared to be as plain as any other stone. Confused, the two left the site to turn in for the night.

Upon bringing this find to back to their living quarters, Arith tossed it lightly on the table. It landed near the old blank papyrus that she had found months earlier. Only this time, the papyrus wasn't blank. The light seemed to be the key and filled the papyrus with teal characters and symbols. The two stared amazed at the sight. Nothing made sense. It was no language they’d ever come across before. Upon closer inspection, only one thing was certain. The image of a giant pile of treasure, larger than anything you could imagine. The other familiar symbol was an image of a human mind and mathematical symbols surrounding it. Apparently, those who desired this treasure must be intelligent and versed in the ways of math. The first leg of this treasure hunt was underway.

The next day, Arith and Lytic, found themselves in a strange place face to face with a mysterious and ancient building, relics in hand. “You wait here. I’ll go take a look around,” Arith told Lytic. “Okay. Good luck.”

Arith entered the dark and dank structure alone, not knowing what lays in wait…

Objectives

The objective of this project is to reiterate teachings of fourth grade mathematics to students in a fun and unique way, primarily through the use of creative interactive software. The project is intended to be used as supplemental material to classroom education. See Curriculum Elements for incorporated curriculum topics and Lesson Plan for a lesson plan to use in the classroom.

Terminology

There are many vocabulary terms used in this wiki and the game. They are listed here for clarification and understanding.

• Dungeon: The game world that the player is exploring which covers the lesson the student is currently on.
• PC Mode: PC Mode is when you are using the laptop with the keyboard.
• GB Mode: GB Mode is when you are using the laptop with the buttons on the monitor piece and not using the keyboard.
• HP: This represents the player's health within the game world. When it reaches 0 the player loses and their character dies.
• Power: this is a bar that starts out full for each attack and slowly diminishes until the attack is completed. When the attack is completed the amount of damage it does is based on how much was left in the power bar. Each attack does some minimum amount of damage that is increased if the power bar is not at 0.
• Damage/Dmg.: this is how much HP a character or the character's opponent loses when an attack is successful.
• Hit: This is a successful attack.
• Critical Hit: An especially effective attack that gives the student the chance to do more damage to their opponent if they solve a simple multiplication problem.
• Miss: This occurs when an attack is not successful and means the attack does 0 damage.
• Attack: This is how the player does damage, and defeats an opponent.
• Basic Attack: A move that the student can make when in battle that has a chance of either hitting the opponent, missing the opponent or producing a critical hit. It requires no math unless the student gets a critical hit.
• Fraction Attack: This is an attack which requires the player to solve a problem using fractions to perform a successful attack.
• Geometry Attack: This is an attack which requires the player to solve a problem using geometry and/or graphing ideas to perform a successful attack.
• Shop: This is where the player can purchase new equipment, and items to use in battle, in the game using the in-game currency.
• Boss: This is an especially powerful enemy which requires completion of specialized problems based around the entire lesson.
• As we get farther into development we will name different pieces of the GUI and such and define those.

Game Mechanics

Controls / Input (default)

Setup the XO monitor so it is rotated 180* and fold it back down into the XO. Players will then utilize the directional pad and four buttons located on either side of the monitor for game input. This configuration is known as GB mode. The directional pad on the left of the monitor is used for movement and to change the cursor position when player input is necessary. The check mark button to the right of the monitor acts as a select tool. The circle, square, and X buttons will vary depending on the activity / situation at hand and will be defined during.

Controls / Input (optional)

Setup the XO monitor so it is open, with the keyboard to its front. Players will then utilize the keyboard and touchpad for game input. This configuration is known as PC mode. The touchpad, up, right, down, left keys, and W, A, S, D keys are used for movement. Players can point and click on on-screen elements to interact using the touchpad or simply move using the abovementioned keys. The keyboard is used when player input is necessary. The enter / return key acts as a select tool. Other keyboard functions will vary depending on the activity / situation at hand and will be defined during.

Menu Systems

This game is primarily menu driven. As such there are many different available options.

Main Menu

The purpose of the main menu is to allow the player to begin or exit the game as well as change or alter options and game play settings, and view an in-game tutorial. The tutorial consists of material to be covered before playing the game and provides a shortened walkthrough of basic game mechanics.

The new game option starts a new game from the first level.

The continue option directs the player to the continue menu (see below). The player will be able to view their class stats from here so they may see how well their classmates are doing in the game, as well as their current game progress.

The options menu will allow the player to change various game options.

The close game option will exit the activity on the XO, returning the user to their home screen.

Finally, the credits option will roll the credits for the game.

Pause

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Continue

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Game Over

The game over menu is merely a screen that will tell the player their game has ended, should they choose to quit after being asked whether or not to continue.

Stats / Inventory

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Combat Menu

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Shop Menu

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Player Movement / Traveling

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Environment Interaction

Shop

The player can access the shop any time not in battle during the game by pressing the O (circle) button. Once in the shop, the player can select an item by using the directional pad or by clicking on it. They will then be able to select a quantity in the same fashion. However, it is up to the player to input how much they are willing to pay for items and up to the player whether or not to accept deals on the merchant’s end. The idea behind this is to simulate real world scenarios. The merchant will occasionally intend to provide the player a bad deal as well.

HUD - Heads Up Display

Conceptual First Person Perspective Model

Game Elements

Enemies

Goblin, Orc, and Wizard Concepts

Boss Enemies

In progress...

Items

In progress...

Education

Classroom Application

This game will be used to assist with math topics taught in the classroom and will be excellent reinforcement material.

Please visit our Lesson Plan page to get a lesson plan to use in your classroom.

Curriculum Elements

This game covers elements of the fourth grade math curriculum currently in use at Boston, MA, USA. The complete listing of the curriculum is available here: Full Curriculum Framework.

The following topics are covered in this game activity.

Implemented Curriculum Framework

NUMBER SENSE AND OPERATIONS
4.N.3	Demonstrate an understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as parts of a collection, and as locations on the number line.
4.N.4	Select, use, and explain models to relate common fractions and mixed numbers (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/12, and 11/2), find equivalent fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals, and order fractions.
4.N.5	Identify and generate equivalent forms of common decimals and fractions less than one whole (halves, quarters, fifths, and tenths).
4.N.6	Exhibit an understanding of the base ten number system by reading, naming, and writing decimals between 0 and 1 up to the hundredths.
4.N.9	Select, use, and explain the commutative, associative, and identity properties of operations on whole numbers in problem situations, e.g., 37 x 46 = 46 x 37, (5 x 7) x 2 = 5 x (7 x 2).
4.N.11	Know multiplication facts through 12 x 12 and related division facts. Use these facts to solve related multiplication problems and compute related problems, e.g., 3 x 5 is related to 30 x 50, 300 x 5, and 30 x 500.
4.N.12	Add and subtract (up to five-digit numbers) and multiply (up to three digits by two digits) accurately and efficiently.
4.N.14	Demonstrate in the classroom an understanding of and the ability to use the conventional algorithms for addition and subtraction (up to five-digit numbers), and multiplication (up to three digits by two digits).
GEOMETRY
4.G.1	Compare and analyze attributes and other features (e.g., number of sides, faces, corners, right angles, diagonals, and symmetry) of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes.
4.G.3	Recognize similar figures.
4.G.4	Identify angles as acute, right, or obtuse.
4.G.7	Describe and apply techniques such as reflections (flips), rotations (turns), and translations (slides) for determining if two shapes are congruent.
4.G.9	Predict and validate the results of partitioning, folding, and combining two- and three-dimensional shapes.
MEASUREMENT
4.M.2	Carry out simple unit conversions within a system of measurement, e.g., hours to minutes, cents to dollars, yards to feet or inches, etc.

Game Progression

In progress...

Critical Path

In progress...

Developer's Section

Meet the Team

Jonathan Meschino (4th Year Student @ RIT)

Eric Kenvin (3rd Year Student @ RIT)

Preston Johnson (3rd Year Student @ RIT)

David Silverman (3rd Year Student @ RIT)

Interested in joining our development team? Contact us for more information.

Consultants

Mel Chua (Red Hat)

Sebastian Dziallas (Sugar on a Stick)

We appreciate all of your help and suggestions. Thank you!

Meetings

Developer meetings:

Where: Game Design Labs - Building/Room No. 70-2500 @ RIT

When: 5-8pm Thursdays

6-8pm Saturdays (TBA - only if needed that week)

Meeting times and locations are subject to change as needed. For more information, contact someone on the Team.

Milestones

Today is November 22, 2024.

• denotes topic

→ denotes subtopic of above-listed topic

Precursor (September 6 - September 26)

• familiarize with OLPC XOs

• familiarize with open source community

• familiarize with git versioning

• familiarize with python

Week 1 (September 27 - October 3)

• mess with GB mode

• set up and familiarize new git repository

• class structure

• review python

• familiarize with pygame

• cannibalize!

Week 2 (October 4 - October 10)

• work on prototyping of tougher game elements

• create class structure

• begin coding world (map)

Week 3 (October 11 - October 17)

• begin coding travel system

→ ability to move from room to room

• begin coding combat system

→ get the 'combat stage' set up for functionality

• work on placeholder graphics to be loaded into game

Week 4 & Week 5 (October 18 - October 31)

• finish travel system

→ debug any issues or conflicts

→ text notifications of choices

→ polish it off to fully working

• finish combat system

→ have exchange of turns

→ menu that works for choices

→ text notification for choices

→ basic battle is functional from start to finish

• switch between travel and combat system from main world

Week 6 (November 1 - November 7)

• begin working on GUI and Menu systems

→ set up in game

→ make functional

Week 7 (November 8 - November 14)

• work on actual graphics (sets) and load them into game (replace placeholders)

• finish off all primary projects to ensure one play through of one level can happen start to finish

• game design documentation!

→ extremely detailed account of current project and future goals/ directions.

• work on data recognition

→ this is updating the topics around the players level of familiarity with a given topic. make sure older topics are still rotated in for reiteration.

• additional features:

→ student vs class progress, class vs class progress - data analysis

→ multiple levels

→ multiple graphic sets (region based)

→ possible alternate game modes

Week 8+ (November 14 +)

• TESTING!

• KEEP TESTING AND ADDING CONTENT

Future Development

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Progression

- Input read from handheld mode

- Preliminary GUI coding:

 Full GUI with placeholder images
 Text field with scrolling text
 Image swapping for traversal with placeholder images

- Dungeon

 Reads list of rooms from text file
 Forms dungeon using this list

- Traversal

 Player can traverse a dungeon set up from the text file
 Placeholder graphics used
 Player's viewpoint changes when they enter a room

- Battle

 Basic class hierarchy finished

- Shop

 Conceptual stage

- Graphics

 Placeholder images for rooms

- Sound

 'Door opening' SFX.

Bugs/ Fixes

Not yet. Will release a working version upon completion.

Game Suggestions

- Have the players defeat monsters and solve puzzles by solving math questions

- Have a small on-screen map to help players navigate through the dungeon