Homework

• In your own words, write down a definition for a Variable and a Loop.
• Invent a brand-new variable for your virtual pet project (e.g., PetBoredom, PetHygiene, or PetStinky).
  1. State what your variable’s name is.
  2. Decide if it should start at 0 (getting worse as it goes up) or 100 (getting worse as it goes down).
  3. Explain what exact number threshold means your pet is in danger of dying.

• Explain what a Graphical User Interface (GUI) is and what a computer code block like when this sprite clicked does when a user interacts with it.
• Look back at the custom variable you invented for Homework 1. On paper or inside Scratch, design a new “Care Item” sprite that the user can click on to help your pet (e.g., if your variable was PetBoredom, your care item could be a Ball sprite; if it was PetHygiene, it could be a Soap sprite).
  • Draw a sketch or take a screenshot of your care item sprite, and write a simple script that resets your custom variable back to its safe state when clicked.

• In game design, what does UX (User Experience) mean? Explain why it is bad UX to force a player to only look at changing variable numbers on a screen, and how making a pet speak text improves the game.
• Create a brand-new List data structure for your custom variable from Homework 1 and 2 (e.g., if your pet is bored, create a list called BoredTalk). Write out a list of at least 5 creative, different things your pet could say to tell the user it wants to play or be cleaned that could be part of this list.