Video Game Design and Coding · PLECK lesson

PLECK lesson 3 · suggested week 1, day 3

Iterate a paper prototype

Objective. Use evidence to improve a rule instead of adding features blindly.

Godot Engine Standard desktop editor 4.7.2-stable, GDScript (Godot 4), Compatibility renderer. Headless Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf passed 106 assertions on the supplied scaffolds, including malformed JSON saves. Audio used the Dummy driver and a synthetic WAV, not a speaker. The visual editor, browser export, and signed-in submission were not tested. The desk still does not run a student's own upload.

About 55 minutes. The due date is chosen by a parent.

Rules, decisions, feedback, consent and an offline workspace

Suggested pace: Recall and predict 5 min; Read instruction and scaffold 12 min; Build or design the assigned artifact 25 min; Run acceptance tests 8 min; Explain and checkpoint 5 min.

Materials: Paper and pencil or a private text document, Local course folder and prior checkpoint, No paid assets or public account required.

Comes after VGC-L002.

A prototype is a cheap way to test one design question. It does not need finished art. Play Paper Courier twice with the same starting energy and note which choices actually matter. If the fast move is always best, try adding one blocked square that forces a safe approach. Change only one rule, then replay. Record observations rather than saying merely “fun” or “bad”: for example, the player paused at square four because the fast-move rule was unclear.

Worked example

A tiny paper model: start with position 1 and energy 2. A safe move adds one position without changing energy. State is written before and after an action, so another person can replay it.

Iterate a paper prototype — evidence task

  1. 1. Run two baseline plays and record turn counts and one confusing moment.
  2. 2. Change one rule and run two more plays using the same board.

Deliverable. Before/after rules and a four-play comparison table.

Acceptance checks

Understanding question. What can you conclude if you change three rules at once?

Submit readable text or photos/scans of each numbered design page. Audio explanation may supplement a diagram or text, not replace requested artifacts.

If this is still shaky. Use a paper token, six squares and a single delivery goal. Say each rule aloud before adding another. Start with the first assigned task and re-run its acceptance test before adding the remaining feature.

Optional extra. Compare two different rule choices without adding more components. Document one changed parameter, your prediction, and the observed effect; optional, not required for completion.

Name ____________________ Date ____________________