Midterm week before Spring Break

 This week has been hectic with midterms and huge point assignments. I had one midterm today that had my brain tired for hours. I have another exam tomorrow, and a 100 point journal assignment which I know will take me all day, but it will make me enjoy spring break more. This week I have just been aware of the feedback I received on my proposal; I put it in a document to go back and make the changes. In terms of the research project, I downloaded the unity file version that josh made the batmon game with, so I start adding things and downloading the material I need. I have started looking at assets in the asset store within unity and searching for programs to create sprites or things like cactuses, rocks, and other background materials I need for my game level. I have looked through tutorials for help in maneuvering the unity program. I have also started to write ideas for what I want the game to have. As of now, I want to find a way to include a small note-like page before the game starts with very brief but informative information on my chosen bat for the reader to get to know the bat before playing the game. The game level will be focused on my chosen bat and the user will pass the level by avoiding the correct predators, obstacles, using echolocation to feed, and the right places to rooster. Basically, this week has been about beginning to be comfortable with the unity platform and planning the game specifications since last week was all research. Not much time was spent on getting to know the platform. 

Research Proposal and research progress

 This week, I spent time researching on the bat that will be my focus for the game level. I picked Townsend's big-eared bat, the scientific name for it is Corynorhinus townsendii. This bat in particular interested me because I have never seen a big-eared bat I am used to seeing the typical bats on television and shows that are usually black or dark brown, with small pointy ears, and a big nose or mouth. The bat I chose is the opposite, it has long ears that when extended can reach to be about half of its body length and they have pale gray or brown fur. They have a similar habitat to other bats, caves. The Townsend bat is native to Arizona and throughout the western united states. Surprisingly, they can fly 6 to 13 miles per hour. They do have predators but are hard to be captured because when they fly they are really good at dodging, hovering, and landing perfectly to get upside down and sleep. An article I was reading mentioned that humans have trouble capturing this type of bat because of how smart they are at dodging objects and flying so well. I thought it was how hard it is to capture them. No one truly knows how beneficial bats can be for the ecosystem and humans, which I hope is proven in my presentation as much as I can and the game itself. 

 image is from https://www.lcrmscp.gov/species/pale_townsend_big_eared.html 

Game development cycle and bat research

 This week, I made a PowerPoint on the game development cycle, a slide for each stage, and each stage's key outcome. Phillip, Josh, and I met this week for our weekly meeting, and we discussed what research we have to begin for our individual papers. We have to research information on bats, know everything we can about them, the importance of bats' education, and how they benefit the environment. I have found some articles on different bats, their habitats, bats native to Arizona, and the importance of educating the youth on bats. Bats have a terrible reputation with the public when, in reality, they are very beneficial. I have yet to read through them and take notes. I also have to develop a research question by next week to begin the research for my paper. I have to make my research question on bats and all the information I have collected. 

gamedevelopmentcyclepdf.pdf

Batmon game research

 Josh and I decided I will try to complete a level for the Batmon game. I have so far created the unity account for the platform we will be using to develop the game. This week has been mainly research on game development life cycles, how video games are made in 2D and how we can use them to motivate students. The game development life cycle is a tricky one. It starts at initiation, which is deciding the type of game the developer wishes to make. Next comes the pre-production phase, where it can be a handwritten kind of outline on how it will look and work. After the pre-production phase comes the production phase, where the essential elements as well as source code and programming is done for the game. From what I have read the production phase can take a while. After production comes the testing phase, to see if there are any bugs, and if so to fix them. Although, if there are are a lot of errors in the testing phase it can bring us back to the pre-production phase. After the testing phase is successful, the beta phase comes next.The beta phase is like the testing phase as it is mainly reviewers testing it and seeing if there are more ways to improve it or bugs the developer has missed. Finally, comes the release phase the final phase in the cycle. In the release phase, the cycle is not exactly complete as there could be additions added onto the game, more bug fixing, and then there has to be advertising and management of the game. 

Image from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Proposed-GDLC-model-It-consists-of-6-development-phases-Production-cycle-consists_fig2_271548605