2BlairHacks_4: RPG Clicker Simulator

Player can input name
First decision players make- each one has a direct effect on the outcome
Art by Ethan
Players have lots of decisions they can make
Art by Trevor
The final decision players make -
At the end, the player and their team are shown on the screen along with any awards won.

Inspiration

Being rookies at the competition, we came having no idea what we had to do. We started by talking to other people who had done hackathons before. These talks gave us the idea to do a project that would be challenging for us but doable. We came across the idea for a story based game while speaking with one of our "roommates" and decided that a simulation of the hackathon would be a great way to preserve memories of the experience.

What it does

Our software simulates the hour to hour life of a student at BlairHacks_4. It separates actions into 3 categories: food, social, and hacking. Selecting more choices on the hacking path gives the player the option to win best hack, and selecting choices on the social path gives the player the option to win Blammo. The food section may be the most important part of hackathon, because it requires a careful balance. Eating too much food will give the player food poisoning, and if the player does not eat enough then they will starve. Special events will appear to the character throughout their time at BlairHacks which simulate actual events that we encountered throughout the 24 hours.

How we built it

The program was built using Java. The GUI was built using the JavaFX library. The code was the product of extensive deliberation between team members. An integral component of the program was a dynamic scene generator that could be called to create various sections of our GUI. Between the night of the first day and the dawn of the next day, the software underwent massive overhauls as errors were amended as they were found.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges we ran into was programming with multiple people at once. Coordinating the work and organizing the code was a challenge during the first few hours but we were soon able to find a method to divide the workload and specialize in what we were best at - Jonathan worked on the GUI, Abhi worked on the back-end, and Trevor and Ethan worked on the story and art. In addition, all members of the team gave input about the direction we took with our hack.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were unsure about what we would do, and none of us are masters at coding. One of us is great at python, one is great at java, and the other had no clue what they were doing. Throughout the hackathon, we worked together to delegate work so that people were working in their strongest fields. We all also learned more about coding with JavaFX. We came to the hackathon with our main goals being learning and having fun, and we can confidently say we accomplished both of those. All of us will leave with a new talent or skill and the desire to learn more.

What we learned

Abhi - I learned more about Java and object-oriented programming. I also learned about coordinating work in a group and managing expectations and time. The entire experience has made me want to learn Java and work on programming throughout the year so that I will be better prepared for next year.

Trevor - I came here with almost no knowledge about programming. Thanks to the patient assistance of Abhi and Jonathan, I was able to pick up some basic programming skills. I also learned about time management. Our group did not expect to get a lot done, but because we worked so efficiently on Friday night, we were able to go above our personal expectations, thanks to the efficiency of our team and work effort skills that all of us ascertained.

Ethan- I learned how to communicate with others on a coding project and how each part a group member takes makes a difference. Trevor couldn’t code but he could write the story. I couldn’t program with Java but I could draw cool art. This also gave me a real life simulation on how hard it is to pull an all nighter on a project. This experience will motivate me to do my work on time when I get to college. Overall, I had fun, and learned many important life skills I can use in the future.

Jonathan - I learned about creating a GUI with Java. Having little experience beyond creating simple single-pane projects, I expanded my knowledge in my experience with Java and practiced utilizing object-oriented programming.

What's next for BlairHacks_4: RPG Clicker Simulator

We only spent 24 hours on this project, and with more time and deliberation we can definitely polish it and add more features. Some that come to mind are images and graphics for all parts of the game, more dynamic gameplay with minigames and other mechanics, and more GUI elements. When we return next year, we will have picked up new programming skills throughout the year, which will help us work together as a team and accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves.

Code Code pt. 2