Inspiration
Intrigued by the deep sea! The ocean and marine life occupy 70% of our planet's surface area yet we study so little about them and interact with marine life in a very limited capacity. It's not included in media like video games to a large extent, and not very common in the educational context that our game serves to achieve. Additionally, stem-focused educational systems often provide limited coverage of marine life and the deep sea. While topics like biology and environmental science may touch upon marine ecosystems, the specific exploration and study of the deep sea are often overlooked. As a result, many people grow up without a comprehensive understanding of the incredible diversity and ecological importance of the deep sea.
What it does
The game provides a competitive environment for players to complete in a multiplayer-style format while answering trivia style questions about marine life and our ocean. It presents a unique fact after each question to build upon the user's knowledge. It's purpose is to build interest and a foundation rather than thoroughly educate on marine biology.
How we built it
The game was built in python using the pygame library and a selection of copyright-free public-use images. The game makes use of basic pygame movement functionality and collision detection to detect when players choose an answer choice.
Challenges we ran into
Collision detection was initially more difficult than expected. Despite using a formula involving the font size of the answer choice's text, the program was not performing as expected. Instead, the target radius for collision was calculated using the initial x and y position of the answer choice.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
the functionality and aesthetics of the program, as well as the dopamine rush it provides with such a simple format!
What we learned
I learned a lot about the programming, organizing, and debugging process and familiarized myself with Pygame. this was my first programming project as well!
What's next for Deep Sea Schooling!
Expanding to web scraping ocean facts, remotely hosted multiplayer functionality, power-ups and more!
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