Author Andrew L Ward ID:785221 Degree BSc Computer Science with Business Management Supervisor Professor Achim Jung Institution Date The University of Birmingham April 2010 School of Computer Science Abstract Andrew Ward Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Background ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Specification ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Core Features ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Additional Features ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Design ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Collision Detection.............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Storing the Game ................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Game Resolution ................................................................................................................................................................. 17 User Interface ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Use Case Diagram ................................................................................................................................................................ 21 First-Cut Class Diagram .................................................................................................................................................... 22 Implementation ........................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Overview of Completed Project .................................................................................................................................... 23 Interface .................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Final First-Cut Class Diagram ........................................................................................................................................ 26 Representing Areas ............................................................................................................................................................ 27 Foreground Items ............................................................................................................................................................... 27 Sprite Perspective ............................................................................................................................................................... 28 XML Implementation ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Saved Game File ................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Play Mode Controls ............................................................................................................................................................ 32 Walking ................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Efficient Playback ................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Threads in play mode ........................................................................................................................................................ 35 Event Creation ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Event Triggering .................................................................................................................................................................. 36 In-Game Variables .............................................................................................................................................................. 36 Message Variable Parsing ................................................................................................................................................ 37 2 | Page Abstract Andrew Ward Creating a Teleport Event ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Right Maps Panel ................................................................................................................................................................. 39 Testing .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Development Hardware ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Java Out of Memory Exceptions .................................................................................................................................... 40 Exception Handling ............................................................................................................................................................ 40 XML ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 White Box Testing ............................................................................................................................................................... 41 Black Box Testing ................................................................................................................................................................ 42 Project Management ............................................................................................................................................................... 43 Planning .................................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Design Methodology .......................................................................................................................................................... 44 Appraisal ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................. 48 References and Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................. 49 Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................. 51 HCI heuristics ....................................................................................................................................................................... 51 JPEG recompression..........................................................................................................................................................