Developing Games in Alice using Workflow

Mahmood Doroodchi and Amin Roudaky

A A WorkflowWorkflow

ActivityActivity

Software as Process A process defines the way activities are

organized, managed, measured, supported, and improved to reach a goal.

Examples of workflow analysis of real problems Sales Workflow Service Workflow

From: http://www.edrawsoft.com/Workflow-Examples.php

Sales Workflow

ServiceWorkflow

Development Steps

1. Define the game goals, main objects, scenarios, and storyboard.

2. Perform the workflow analysis on the scenarios, and create the workflow diagram of the game

3. Create the objects in the scene4. Develop the code using workflow

diagram.5. Test the software

Workflow and Games

Computer games can also be considered as processes, and consequently can be modeled using workflow.

Workflow analysis makes the visualization of the game process very simple to understand.

Workflow Analysis We first think of the game as one big process

with one activity, and then break it into more activities.

To expand an activity, we start from the entry points.

An entry point is the event which activates or triggers a process. In most cases, entry points are the results of user interactions with the game.

After indentifying the entry points, the activities that are going to be executed should all be listed and sketched in a workflow diagram.

Workflow Analysis

For every scenario, the workflow model is formed.

Later, these individual workflows are combined together based on their interaction and synchronization mechanisms.

In other words, the overall game workflow will be formed from these individual workflows.

Car Dart Game Development In this game, the player controls a car. The main goal is to let the player drive the

car into a wall of crates and knock the driver out of the front windshield.

The driver flies toward a giant dartboard, and gets stuck in it. After three tries the game ends, and the score will be shown.

Entry points

Game starts, Car starts moving Player presses right or left button Driver flies out of the car

Workflow

First World Method

Play the game sound and then call the Car to Start

Car Start

Check still driver left

Call the Count Down

Move the car forward

Game Start

Car Launch

Flail driver

Students Reflection

Two groups of students: undergrad and grad students (5 in each group)

They were requested to reflect on the effectiveness of workflow method in understanding, analyzing, and designing the game.

Students Reflection Undergrads found workflow presentation

method effective in helping them follow the game from the starting point and visualizing the entire process.

However, they were more interested in the present approach in programming with Alice which includes tutorials and predefined constructs. This was also the graduate students’ main suggestion while they all found the workflow very effective.

Conclusion

Based on this experience, we concluded that workflow is a good complementary tool to the current teaching method.

In addition, in order to make workflow effective in Alice environment, certain models or constructs needs to be available to the developer similar to the existing tutorials and constructs.

If interested in trying workflow in your classes, please Email me @ mdoroodchi@gmail.com