Fast Math Skill Function

General:

Fast Math is a game designed to help kids get better at math while having fun. Alexa is integrated with a personalized interaction system to provide the best user experience.

The inspiration is provided by Joshua, the main code and level design are implemented by me -- Joe, and effects are added by Jasper.

Game Settings:

Level Design:

Primarily, the skill has been divided into five levels:
Level 1: Simple addition and subtraction
Level 2: Simple multiplication and division
Level 3: Level 1 combined with Level 2
Level 4: Simple addition and subtraction with decimals
Level 5: Multiplication and addition with decimals

At the beginning when I tried to make simple decimal additions/subtractions and multiplications/divisions, I found that AMAZON.NUMBER does not support decimal answers.

So although the questions include decimals, I have made sure that there is no decimal answers at all. Choosing what the questions are like is also completely random. There is an approximately equal chance of getting different combinations of additions/subtractions or multiplications/divisions.

There have also been ensured that no division by zero would occur.

Game Modes:

The game includes three basic modes: Survival, Practice and Challenger.

Basic Function:

    When user is in any of the mode, he or she is free to say “Quit Mode” or “Cancel” at any time to quit the current game mode. However, a known bug is that even though I have set up in the sample utterances that saying “Quit” can also quit the mode, Alexa would just return an error report. My guess is that the key word “Quit” is also used in some kind of Alexa internal programs, like AMAZON.CancelIntent, so that prevents me from accessing the key word from outside. Please be aware that user would not be able to switch between different modes when they are currently in one mode, unless he or she chooses to quit that mode.
    User can also say “I don’t know” at any time when they are in any of the three modes. Alexa would tell the user what question he or she misses and conducts subsequent actions depending on what mode user is playing in, but not for the last question missed in the Survival mode.
    ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND that every time when choosing a mode, Alexa would introduce the mode in full length, and then you HAD BETTER listen all the way through her introduction and MUST say “Continue” or “Begin” to officially enter the mode. Otherwise, it may result in bugs with real echo dot usage. Below is detailed explanation for each mode.

Survival

    Invocation method: Invoked by saying “Survival” or “Survival mode” when Alexa asked user to choose mode. To enter the mode, you must say continue after Alexa finished her introduction.
    Mode Description: Survival mode, despite its name, from my perspective, is the most challenging mode of all three. In survival mode, users will be challenged with questions according to the level they are in. Users would start at level one and are able to advance to the next level only if they get five questions correct and so on and so forth.
    Users will only have eight seconds to submit their answers (which is the time that Alexa would time out automatically, the only way I can think of to make a time limit).
    If they have beaten five levels, they will beat the game. Alexa will post a congratulation note and return to the main menu. If they get, however, five questions wrong, either by saying the wrong answer or telling Alexa “I don’t know, ” the survival mode would propose the ending message, automatically end the mode ato return to the main menu.

CAN_DOs and CAN_NOT_DOs:
Time Limit: Yes
Wrong Answer Penalty: Yes
I don’t know: Yes -- With one question wrong penalty
Repeat Question: No -- With one question wrong penalty (Exceeded time)
Ask to select level: No
Auto end mode when finished: Yes

Practice

    Invocation method: Invoked by saying “Practice” or “Practice mode” when Alexa asked user to choose mode. To enter the mode, you must say continue after Alexa finished her introduction.
    Mode Description: Practice mode, as its name suggests, is the most relaxing and least intensive mode of the three.
    The mode will ask the player to choose from the five modes (level five is still incomplete) at first and stays in that mode until the user asks to change the level or exits the mode.
    Player is able to switch level of questions by saying “Level X” at any time. Once they do that, Alexa will send out an message reminding users that they have changed the mode. Player is also able to ask Alexa to repeat the question by saying “Repeat” or “Repeat Question” or even “What?” whenever he or she wants in the mode.
    There is no wrong answer penalty or time limit. User can enjoy themselves in this mode as long as they wish.

CAN_DOs and CAN_NOT_DOs:
Time Limit: No
Wrong Answer Penalty: No
I don’t know: Yes
Repeat Question: Yes
Ask to select level:Yes -- Necessary, at the beginning of the mode
Auto end mode when finished: No -- Can only orally command Alexa to quit the mode

Challenger

    Invocation method: Invoked by saying “Challenger” or “Challenger mode” when Alexa asked user to choose mode. To enter the mode, you must say continue after Alexa finished her introduction.
    Mode Description: Challenger mode is more like a “Quick Play” mode as a lot of games have. It does not take much time and patience like survival mode and is not as relaxing as practice mode.
    The mode will ask the player to select from ranges of five levels (Level five is still incomplete) by saying structured sentences like “Level A to Level B” at the beginning. A can be the same as B, which means that player chooses to play in the same level all along, but A can never be bigger than B, or Alexa will return a message reminding the user that the choice is invalid. The selection will not change as long as the user is still in the mode. It will only reset when user has exited the mode.
    Players will be asked to answer random question selected from the mode range they choose. There is an equal chance of getting all levels in the range. It is a perfect mode for players searching for challenges and diversity at the same time.
    Player is free to ask Alexa to repeat the question without receiving a wrong answer penalty in this mode.     On the other hand, if player gets ONE question wrong, the quick play, or challenger, mode will end automatically, and Alexa will return to the main menu.

CAN_DOs and CAN_NOT_DOs:
Time Limit: No
Wrong Answer Penalty: Yes -- Game Over
I don’t know: Yes -- Game Over
Repeat Question: Yes
Ask to select level: Yes -- Necessary, at the beginning of the mode to select a range. Range can not be changed again all through that specific playing session.
Auto end mode when finished: Yes

Built With

• java