Adventure Project
September 26, 2007
In this project, you will be creating an interactive hypertext story. These kinds of stories are sometimes known as Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) because of the popular book series with that title. You will create your story in PowerPoint. The plot of the story is up to you, but there are several requirements designed to help you learn more about the advanced features of PowerPoint.
Before you start, read the Wikipedia entry on CYOA, particularly the section about Format. This will help you understand the range of options that you have — there are many, many possibilities!
Requirements
- Include at least four slides with a decision (where clicking one choice or another will lead to different slides) and at least five reachable endings. These choices should be activated by an Action Button (on the Slide Show menu) or by a Hyperlink (on the Insert menu).
- Have at least 15 slides total, but no more than 50 slides total.
- All slides in your story should get their “look” (background, font, color, etc) from a custom Slide Master. If you need multiple different “looks”, create multiple Masters. Don’t go crazy. Make the look of your presentation match the feeling of your story.
- No text boxes, except those that exist on the Master. Inserting lots of extra text boxes on slides is a bad habit!
- You may not use any pictures, photographs, or clip art in your story. Instead, use the Drawing Toolbar and AutoShapes to add visual elements as appropriate. Every ending must have some kind of visual element.
- At least one of your endings should have an Action Button that hyperlinks to a web page. Your choice of web page should make sense based on the story and the ending!
- All slides except decisions or endings should have a Slide Transition, and should advance on mouse click and also automatically advance after 45 seconds if the reader does not click.
- Endings and decisions should neither advance on mouse click nor automatically.
- All slides that require the reader to make a decision should have their Slide Transition set so that it will not advance on mouse click. The Hyperlink or Action Button should be the only way to get to a different slide.
Due Date
Your file must be dropped off by the end of the day on Wednesday, 10/3/07.
Tips
- It is possible to change the color of hyperlinked text, but it is not possible to remove the underline from the link.
- If you don’t want to include bullet points in your text, edit the Slide Master to remove them. You should also display the rulers and adjust the indentation in order to make things look neat.
- Use a diagram or map to stay organized. You can look at this map of Third Planet from Altair as an example of a very complex story. Another example is this hand-drawn map of Night of a Thousand Boyfriends. Yours won’t necessarily be this complicated, but the idea of using a diagram can still be helpful.
Map Project Reflection
September 21, 2007
You will be writing a one-page summary of your experiences constructing and refining game level maps in Sauerbraten. Your paper should be in a complete form and stand on its own. That is,
it should not include the below questions or question numbers, nor
should you assume that the reader knows the
questions. There is no need to answer these questions in this order –
instead, answer them within a structure for your paper that makes sense to you. You
will be evaluated on completeness in addressing all of the questions,
on the effort and creativity you put into your level, and on the
overall quality of the organization and writing of your paper.
If your map was played by the class, answer these questions:
1. What was it like to have 20-30 people playing on your map? How did you feel?
2. Did you change or want to change your map based on feedback you got?
3. How did the feedback you gave others change, if at all, after your map was played?
If your map was not played by the class, answer these questions:
1. What differences were there between the maps that came with the game and the maps created by your classmates?
2. How did playing other people’s levels affect your own creation process?
3. Did you want other people to play your map? Why or why not?
Everyone answer these questions:
1. What influences or inspirations did you draw from in creating your map?
2. If you were describing your map to someone, what aspects would you emphasize?
3. How has your understanding of video game maps changed from the work we did?
Share your paper with me on Google Docs (titled “Map Project Reflection”). Be sure you note what the file name of your map is, and if we didn’t play your map in class also email me the .ogz file.
Due: Monday, September 24th, 8:00 am.
The Rise of Democratic Ideals
September 19, 2007
You are creating a timeline and a PowerPoint for Mr. Phelps, and he has given you the events to research and questions to answer. In case you don’t have the handout, here they are:
1. Direct Democracy in Greece (508 B.C.- 404 B.C.)
a. What is direct democracy and how did it work in ancient Greece?
b. Who could vote?
c. How was Greek government organized at that time (branches of government)?2.The Roman Republic (509 B.C.- 27 B.C.)
a. What is a republic?
b. How did Rome change from a kingdom to a republic?
c. Who were Patricians and Plebians and what rights did they have?
d. What were the 12 Tables and what did they establish?
e. How was Rome’s republican government organized?3. The Renaissance (1300 A.D.- 1500)
a. What was the Renaissance?
b. How did Renaissance thinkers and writers, and individualism contribute to the rise of democratic thought?4. The Magna Carta
a. What was the Magna Carta? Where and when was it signed?
b. Why was it created and who did it directly effect?
c. Why is it important to the rise of democracy?5. The Enlightenment (1600-1789)
a. What was the Enlightenment?
b. Who were some of the main Enlightenment thinkers?
c. How did the Enlightenment contribute to the rise of democracy?6. The American Revolution (1775-1781)
a. How was the revolution inspired by the Enlightenment?
b. What system of government did the revolution establish in America and how is it organized?
You will be graded in his class on your history work and understanding of the above concepts. In my class, you will be graded on your computer work and understanding of the technology.
PowerPoint Requirements
The PowerPoint must have…
1. a title slide that uses the Title Slide Layout.
2. one slide for each event and question from Mr. Phelps. (Should be 25 slides total.)
3. at least one Creative Commons-licensed image for each of the six events.
4. a citation (including the URL) correctly giving credit for each image.
5. a custom Slide Master and Title Master for the presentation, applied to the appropriate slides.
6. an Animation Scheme applied to the whole presentation.
7. at least one Custom Animation in each of the six events (or their questions), including one of each of the types: Entrance, Emphasis, and Exit.
8. at least one Organization Chart inserted in an answer to a question.
9. a Slide Transition for each slide that introduces an event, set to advance the slide on mouse click and also to advance it automatically after 20 seconds (if the presenter doesn’t click).
The project is due at the end of the day on Tuesday, 9/25/07.
Map Feedback
September 17, 2007
1. Did you encounter any bugs? (Places you get stuck, textures that looked wrong, etc.)
2. Does this map give any particular kind of player an advantage or disadvantage?
3. What do you think is the best strategy for winning on this map?
4. Did you experience any frustrations while playing?
5. What was the most enjoyable aspect of this map?
6. What suggestions for improvement do you have for this map?
Band Presentation
September 8, 2007
If you need instructions, get the PDF here: BandPresentation.pdf
Due: Wednesday, 9/5/07 at the end of class.
