Final Report

What seemed like an easy and fun project has turned out to be surprisingly difficult and demanding, with all manner of problems, from being unable to make the shape I wanted, to needing code even my lecturer couldn't figure out. Despite all the many problems and obstacles I've encountered, I have enjoyed this project, and I think I'll come back to my game at some point and try to improve on it, as I'd quite like to finish it off because it would be nice to be able to play it.

If I was to do the project all over again, I think I'd make a different game, as the coding for this was impossible. The furthest I managed to get was making a Ghost move along one line, and whenever I tried to make it repeat it, the ghost fell straight through the floor and landed quite literally flat on it's face.


Regarding the weekly exercises, no communication was needed for this game, it did not need to contact anything external. HUDs may have been useful for letting you know how many pellets were left, etc, but I never got that far in the coding, so it was never implemented. Learning how to create a teleport was very useful, as there are three in my game, one to access the game, and two within it, and they are the only parts that currently work.

Game Description

My game is a reworked version of Pacman, more suited for Second Life and it's way of doing things. In the original game, you are able to run off the screen on one side and come back in at the other. In my game, this is represented by two teleports, each of which teleports you to the other, producing a similar effect. In the original game, you simply control Pacman, but in my version, you ARE Pacman, as a suit is provided. As in the original, you have to avoid the four Ghosts that patrol the maze, although in my game they merely travel along set paths, instead of actively chasing you. Also the same is the collecting of pellets in order to win, although my version does not include the big pellet that makes the ghosts scared.
In the original, the Cherries bonus pops up briefly, giving the player a chance to score extra points. In mine, it ends the game, and can only be collected once the player has found every pellet.

User Guide.

Assuming my game actually worked:

The avatar reaches my game by using a teleport booth, located near the lighthouse on the Island. It has a Pacman at the top of the booth, along with a message telling you it will take you to the game. On arrival at the maze, the avatar will be confronted by a large Pacman suit telling them to wear it. After putting it on and activating the game, the avatar, now 'Pacman', has to run round the maze collecting all the pellets that are dotted around. The final object to be collected is the cherries bonus-this will not be able to be 'collected' until every pellet is gone, meaning it won't vanish on contact if you still have pellets to collect. Your task will be made more difficult by Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde, the four Ghosts within the maze, who will be moving along set paths during the game. Contact with the ghosts means instantly losing the game. If Pacman manages to collect all the pellets and then get the cherries bonus, they win the game, stopping the Ghosts movement. The suit is then removed and the avatar is thrown out of the game.