Mandane Media - Ali Javanmardi

How to design an object-oriented game? (Case Study)

Ali Javanmardi — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:38:55 +0000

According to Software Engineering, a design specifies the structure of how a software system will be written and function, without actually writing the complete implementation. It is a transition from “what” the system must do, to “how” the system will do it.

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a standard language for modelling
the design of object-oriented software systems. UML defines several models for representing systems:

The use case model describes the requirements of the user.
The class model captures the static structure.
The interaction model represents the scenarios and messages flows.

Use Case Model

It contains fairly complete description of all activities that occur in response to a trigger event. The basic information of a Use Case consists of a name, a sequence number and description.

Class Model

It specified from the project specifications and requirements. Nouns are potential classes, objects and attributes, while verbs are potential methods or responsibilities of a class.

What classes will be needed to implement a system that meets project requirements?
What attributes and methods will be needed for each class?
How will the classes interact with each other?

Interaction Model

It is used to describe some type of interactions among the different elements in the model. This interactive behavior is represented in UML by two diagrams known as Sequence diagram and Collaboration diagram. The basic purposes of both the diagrams are similar. A sequence diagram models the collaboration of classes based on a time sequence. It shows how the classes interact with others in a particular scenario of a use case.

On the following, I am going to explain briefly a case study of how to design on object-oriented way for an iPhone game.

Case Study – iPhone Water Save Game

Game Description

The game starts with a simple one-touch mechanism, which guides the user on different ways to save water with each level and the user is rewarded if he does well. The first installation of the game spreads across 30 levels and 9 backdrops. As the user progresses to the other levels, more game mechanisms and game items will be included to make the game more challenging and interesting. All the game interfaces and functions are based on one touch mechanism. The player’s objective is to save as much water as they can in each level. The player will be rewarded with credits based on the amount of water they save in each level. The credits can be used to purchase or upgrade items to be used in the subsequent level.

Games Mechanism

Mechanism	Description	Steps
One	Inconsiderate kids turn on the water taps and leave them running.	Player taps on the water source to turn off the tap to prevent water wastage.
Two	Item: Container to hold water temporarily.	Player gains credits when they win a level. These credits can be used to buy items to help them in their quest. A container can be used to hold the water leaks. Once the container is full, the water will be returned as saved water.
Three	Condition: Severity of water wastage.	Some water sources lose water more rapidly than others. The rate of water loss is indicated by red, yellow, or green. The player has to prioritize to save more water.
Four	Item: ‘Educator’ that teaches the kids not to waste water	The player can drag ‘Educator’ items to educate the kids. The player can catch the kids and educate them to turn off the tap before they waste the water.
Five	Condition: Leakages found Item: Black tape	As the player progresses to the next levels, the challenge increases with the introduction of leakages on top of the running tap. The users have to fix the leaks temporarily using the item black tape, which they need to exchange with the credits earned by leveling up.
Six	Condition : Missing Tap	In the levels, we will introduce missing taps. The player has to find the tap and install it quickly to prevent a large amount of wasted water.
Seven	Item : Pipe Wrench	In the levels, we will introduce Pipe Wrench. The player can use Pipe Wrench to fix leakages permanently rather than temporarily with black tape.
Eight	Condition : reuse rain water.	In the levels, we will introduce periodic rain. During the rain, the player can put their container outdoors to collect rainwater. The rainwater can be used in specific areas (i.e. Flush toilet, wash floor, water plant. Etc) The rainwater collected contributes to their water saved.

Functional Requirement

Section	Description
Player	The Player must have the ability to quit the game at any time. The Player must have the ability to pause the game at any time. The game must be able to display the rules of the game to the Player. Guide and Tutorial should be provided for the Player. The game must provide a push notification to attract dormant player to come back to the game. The Player rate of each level at the end of each level is shown to the player.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)	AI is added to make each level more attractive and each time player plays a level the sequence of the events will be different from previous ones.

Non-Functional Requirement

Section	Description
Operational	The system should be developed for iPhone and iPad application.
Performance	Any interaction between the user and the system should not exceed more than 7 seconds. The game must start up less that 90sec.
Security	No personal information is stored by the system; hence, no specific security requirements need to be defined.

To be continued…

People determine the success and failure of organizations and projects

Ali Javanmardi — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:47:01 +0000

The definition of Project Human Resource Management is making the most effective use of the people involved with a project.

What is the key to manage people?

Psychologists and management theorists have devoted much research and thought to the field of managing people at work.

Motivation theories
- Intrinsic motivation:
- Extrinsic motivation:
causes people to do something for a reward or to avoid a penalty

For example, some children take piano lessons for intrinsic motivation (they enjoy it) while others take them for extrinsic motivation (to get a reward or avoid punishment)
Influence and power
Effectiveness

Maslow hierarchy of needs

A Theory of Human Motivation, Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs which states that people’s behaviors are guided or motivated by a sequence of needs.

Physiological needs

These are biological needs. They consist of needs for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones would come first in the person’s search for satisfaction.

Safety Needs

When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling thoughts and behaviors, the needs for security can become active. Adults have little awareness of their security needs except in times of emergency or periods of disorganization in the social structure (such as widespread rioting). Children often display the signs of insecurity and the need to be safe.

Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness

When the needs for safety and for physiological well-being are satisfied, the next class of needs for love, affection and belongingness can emerge. Maslow states that people seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. This involves both giving and receiving love, affection and the sense of belonging.

Needs for Esteem

When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect, and respect from others. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. When these needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.

Needs for Self-Actualization

When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for self-actualization activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person’s need to be and do that which the person was “born to do.” “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write.” These needs make themselves felt in signs of restlessness. The person feels on edge, tense, lacking something, in short, restless. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or lacking self-esteem, it is very easy to know what the person is restless about. It is not always clear what a person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.

Thamhain and Wilemon’s Influence and Power

Thamhain and Wilemon’s theory is utilized by instructional designers to determine what type of power and influence is necessary to motivate project team members.

Authority:

the legitimate hierarchical right to issue orders

Assignment:

the project manager’s perceived ability to influence a worker’s later work assignments

Budget:

the project manager’s perceived ability to authorize others’ use of discretionary funds

Promotion:

the ability to improve a worker’s position

Money:

the ability to increase a worker’s pay and benefits

Penalty:

the project manager’s ability to cause punishment

Work challenge:

the ability to assign work that capitalizes on a worker’s enjoyment of doing a particular task

Expertise:

the project manager’s perceived special knowledge that others deem important

Friendship:

the ability to establish friendly personal relationships between the project manager and others

Successful:

Projects are more likely to succeed when project managers influence with:

Expertise
Work challenge

Failure:

Projects are more likely to fail when project managers rely too heavily on:

Authority
Money
Penalty

Power

Power is the potential ability to influence behavior to get people to do things they would not otherwise do.

Further Resources:

Information Technology Project Management, Kathy Schwalbe

Wikipedia, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Conflict Management, Vijay K. Verma

Resolving Conflict in Work Teams, innovativeteambuilding.co.uk

This design May look different!

Ali Javanmardi — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 02:45:25 +0000

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