Scratch link game: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/840528268
-Well, this was fun!
When I first started this scratch game journey, I didn’t think I was going to go that far when it came to the technical skills required to use the software. But, as I continued to practice and learn from the constant mistakes, I was able to put together the final gameplay. It sure wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly fun.
What scared me the most was receiving feedback from my peers and random strangers in the library. No one wants to hear how much you suck at coding, yet it’s necessary for improvement, so I had to force myself. Luckily the feedback wasn’t really negative but constructive. They pointed out how the game could be fun by increasing the balloon drop speed to make the game more competitive. They also highlighted that I didn’t have a game over screen. Honestly, that was the hardest part to figure out at the beginning. Lastly, one of the reviewers suggested some background music as well.
I took all that and edited the game code as best as I could to make it more fun. I discovered how to make speed loops that would increase the balloons every 10 seconds until they reached the 30s mark. I learned this from one of the class workshops. I then figured out how to add background music on a loop by watching some youtube videos. Soon after, I realized that by copying the same background music and increasing its sound speed, I could make it play more rushed as the game speed increases, giving a “hurry up” feeling. And finally, I figured out the Game Over screen without having to redo my entire code (previously I was having a recoding issue). I created a new background sprite and set it up so that when the balloons touch the Spike sprite, the Game Over screen would pop up and stop the game. I jumped like a little kid with excitement. It took me over three days with the help of my little sister. Apparently, she had used code before for a robotics class… I was impressed and grateful.
In any case, I am extremely happy and proud of the final outcome. At first, I felt frustrated and didn’t really want to participate in this project, but eventually I became invested, and finding solutions to my game problems kept me motivated. I wish I had spent more time learning the logic behind the Scratch software so that I could make better edits. At times, I couldn’t figure out why my piece of code wasn’t executing, so I would delete it and create a different code instead. Someone pro would understand why the code is not working and make simple adjustments. Regardless, I am content with what I created, given the little skills I learned. I can now appreciate all those programmers who spend months and years building websites, apps, and sophisticated games. I don’t have the patience for that! So kudos to them.
-Thanks again for being part of my journey! Until next time.