CPFnF:Development sprints

From EQUIS Lab Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Introduction

For the "CP Fit 'n Fun" project, we are using an AGILE process, with two-week long sprints. It is important to note that the project is composed of three parts:

  • The engine
  • The game
  • The editor

Sprints will be split into three sub-sprints, concerning each of these parts.

Sprint 1 (March 31st - April 14th 2011)

Ameer and Hamilton having to finish their courses, they don't have much time, and they will not partake in the first sprint other than helping Quentin with his work.

Editor

At the beginning of this sprint, Quentin has a working level editor using Windows forms. It can add entities to the game. During this first sprint, he will have to investigate the possibility of making a tactile-based editor:

  • Windows 7 Slate PC ? => Problem with the hard drive: going in repair => ASUS ep121 exchanged: up and running.

He will also have to add some important functionalities to the editor:

  • Save/load onto XML files => problem with coordinates: will have to decide with Ameer whether to keep pixel or "World" coordinates
  • Modify/delete entities
  • Use of a palette of entities => problem with scaling: now in XF. Investigate the possibility to have two sides of the screen (palette/level): Viewport ?

Update (April 7th): The level editor will ultimately run onto a touch screen, so Quentin will have to investigate:

  • Windows 7 Touch APIs: XNA touch API, basic gestures provided
  • Interactions for: adding/removing/changing parameters (pie menu)/rotating/resizing entities and zooming/moving camera
  • Logical interactions: provide a transducer to be able to use the editor with touch and mouse, ultimately Microsoft Surface 2

He will also have to draw a beautiful architecture diagram.

Sprint 2 (April 14th - April 28th)

The goals of sprint 2 are the following:

General Issues

  • First version of the plan for the focus group in Toronto.

Editor

  • Ability to edit the properties of entities
  • Architecture of the editor carved in stone
  • Use of the Surface SDK
  • Design of the editor user interface (sketches...)

XF

  • API refinement and refactoring

Game

  • Use of the bike in BraveHearts
  • Smooth controls in BraveHearts

Sprint 3 (April 28th - May 12th)

The goals of sprint 3 are the following:

Editor

  • Use of pie menus to add entities
  • Creation of modify entities menu
  • Cleaner use of XF for modifying entities

Meerkat

  • Input manager low/high level input handling (modifiable)
  • Client/server implementation: easier for developers to use
  • Change of repository organization: easier use
  • Documentation (architecture/API documentation/design rationale)

Sprint 4 (May 12th - May 26th)

The goals of sprint 4 are the following:

Editor

  • Categories to sort elements in pie menu
  • Refactoring with the newest architecture of Meerkat
  • Correct the problems associated with the UI: pie menus, zooming and rotating
  • Add duplicate functionality, collideswith selection

Sprint 5 (May 26th - June 9th)

Editor

  • Adapting editor to Meerkat

Game

  • Develop 2 minigames for session in Toronto 
 - Building game
 - Action game
  • Test different Controller Schemes 
 - 2 for the building game
 - 3 for the action game

Meerkat

  • Fully working in single player

Sprint 6 (June 9th - June 23rd)

Editor

  • Fully working with Meerkat
  • Compare editor with other applications for the tablet

Game

  • Building Mini-Games

Meerkat

  • Documentation in Meerkat 
 - Wiki page
 - Tutorial examples
 - API docs - (similar to javadoc)

Experimentation

  • Build games with activities for experiments
  • Adding recording of data

Long term challenges/needs

  • Distributed games with Meerkat
  • Use of Meerkat for 2nd year students

For the next Session in Toronto

  • Building game with a functional scheme
  • Focus in promoting collaboration
  • Next state of Helicopter game

Sprint 7 (June 30th - July 14th)

  • Create page and links in the EQUIS Lab Wiki

Game

  • Well defined Controller Schemes to test (at least 2 for the gamepad + 4 algorithms for bike)

Meerkat

  • Start Networking
  • Create page and links in the EQUIS Lab Wiki

Experimentation

  • Start the paper for CHI. Begin with the references/related work.
  • Experimental design document before next video conference with Holland Bloorview
  • Well defined measures
  • Well defined tasks to get the data
  • Built simple application with the tasks

Zi

  • Long term development plan for the game. Some of the things to consider: 
 - multiplayer
 - networking
 - awareness of the people
 - collaboration 
 - voice communication
 - log in
 - persistence
 - deployment
 - update mechanism
 - define machine requirements
 - content

Quentin

  • Long term development plan for the editor (consider: live interaction with the players)

Sprint 8 (July 14th - July 28th)

  • Detail the TODO list to make it look like a real project workplan

Game

  • Focus on the minigame
  • Create page and links for Liberi
  • Test the game with a group of not gamers (preferably)

Meerkat

  • Full working Networking
  • Update the page in the Wiki

Experimentation

  • Built and Tested simple applications with the tasks
  • Experimental design document
  • CHI Paper 
 - Write the references part
 - Include the description of the activities and measures

Editor

  • Figure out how to install the new equipment
  • Move the editor to the big surface

Sprint 9 (August 4th - August 18th)

  • Update the Project road map so that it focuses more in content we can test in terms of playability, fun, and exercise.

Game

  • Update page and links for Liberi
  • Test the game with a group of not gamers (preferably)

Meerkat

  • Full working Networking
  • Update the page in the Wiki

Experimentation

  • Update the applications for experimentation
  • Test the applications again
  • Finish the experimental design document
  • CHI Paper 
 - Write the references part
 - Include the description of the activities and measures
  • Think in the Responsiveness metric

Editor

  • Figure out how to install the new equipment
  • Move the editor to the big surface

Sprint 10 (August 25th - September 8th)

Game

  • Update page and links for Liberi
  • Test the game with a group of not gamers (preferably)

Meerkat

  • Full working Networking
  • Consider including persistance and the Liberi Shop
  • Update the page in the Wiki

Experimentation

  • CHI Paper 
 - Run the experiments
 - Analyse data
 - Write the related work part
 - Write the description of activities, measures, algorithms
 - Write the results

Editor

  • Keep following with the installation of the new equipment
  • Keep working on the editor for the big surface

Sprint 11 (October 13th - October 27th)

Goals for the next session at Holland Bloorview

  • Collect heart rate information with the game
  • Test ideas of distributed games with 2 people
  • What do we want to find out?
  • Collaborative building 
 - What do we need to do in the game to support this?
 - * Zoomed out view?
 - * Pick a theme for the blocks palette (set of blocks)

There is a chance that we find that the exercise activity is reduced when including collaboration, but maybe motivation can increase 

 - Test what the kids can do
 - * How do they communicate?
  • Competitive minigame 
 - Racing "Mario Kart"-like game. Punching rockets racing game?

Experimentation

  • Think of the next research question


Goals remaining attention

Game

  • Update page and links for Liberi

Meerkat

  • Full working Networking
  • Consider including persistance and the Liberi Shop
  • Update the page in the Wiki

Editor

  • Keep working on the editor for the big surface
Retrieved from "http://equis.cs.queensu.ca/wiki/index.php/CPFnF:Development_sprints"