Asteroids (Part 1)

In this assignment we will start to replicate the old video game Asteroids. You will write a program that has a space ship that can be controlled by a player. You will need to write a Spaceship class as well as a Star class for the background. Your Spaceship class will extend the Floater class, a class that represents all things that float in space. Note: To complete this assignment you will be writing two classes Spaceship and Star. Do not modify the Floater class. You may find the Asteroids Part 1 slide presentation helpful in completing this assignment.

Suggested steps to complete this assignment

1. Start a new program in Processing called AsteroidsGame.
2. Copy the code in AsteroidsGame.pde into your program.
3. Open a new tab and name it Spaceship.pde. Copy the class definition from Spaceship.pde above. Do the same for Floater.pde and Star.pde.
4. Write the Spaceship constructor. Make sure you initialize all 9 of the inherited protected member variables. You may find You may find the Asteroids Part 1 slide presentation and the Spaceship design worksheet helpful. You may also find this sample Spaceship program helpful in understanding how the protected Floater variables affect the Spaceship's movement.
5. At the top of AsteroidsGame.pde, declare a variable of type Spaceship
6. Initialize the Spaceship as a new instance of the class
7. In draw() in AsteroidsGame.pde call the Spaceship's show() function
8. When you are happy with appearance of the Spaceship, add a public void keyPressed() function in AsteroidsGame.pde
9. Write code in keyPressed that allows you to control the spaceship with the keyboard. You must include the ability to turn left, turn right, accelerate, and enter "hyperspace." (There is no requirement for any fancy visual effects, hyperspace just needs to stop the ship, and give it a new random position and direction.)
10. Add code to the draw() in AsteroidsGame.pde to move() the Spaceship
11. Finish the Star class in Star.pde
12. Finally, add code to AsteroidsGame.pde that declares and initializes an array of instances of the Star class to create a number of stars in random positions

These steps are only a suggestion. Your Asteroids game doesn't have to work or act like any other. Have fun and be creative.

Requirements

• All code in the Spaceship and Star classes must be encapsulated (i.e. all members must be labeled as public or private)
• Do not write any unnecessary code in the Spaceship class that duplicates inherited code
• The Spaceship must have a hyperspace feature that stops the ship from moving, and gives it a new random position and direction
• All random numbers must be generated using Math.random()
• Do not modify any code in the Floater class
• For full credit, you MUST include instructions on how to operate your Spaceship in the index.html file. For an example look at slides 33 & 34 in the Asteroids slide presentation

Extensions

• You can smooth out the control of the ship using booleans for each key press. There is an example here
• If you have extra time and are looking for a challenge, you might try to add an animation of "rockets" that appear from the back of the ship when you accelerate, simliar to the this sample Spaceship program. The best way to do this is to override show() by copying the show() function from Floater into your Spaceship class. Then add an if statement in your Spaceship show() function right after endShape(CLOSE);. If your rockets are firing, draw additional shapes just behind your Spaceship. You can sketch out the shapes on graph paper with the ship centered at (0,0) and pointing right. The show() function will rotate and translate the rocket shapes to the correct position on the screen.

Some important things to keep in mind

1. You are collaborating! Most of the work for the Spaceship class has already been done in the Floater class. Don't change it! Your job is to extend the Floater class to "build on top of it" to make a Spaceship class.
2. To create the Spaceship class you only need to write a constructor and one or more functions to implement the hyperspace feature.
3. When you are sketching out your ship on the Spaceship design worksheet make sure the ship is centered at (0,0) and pointing to the right
4. Make sure your Spaceship constructor initializes all 9 of the protected variables it inherits from Floater

Samples of Student Work

Rameses
Claire
Johnny
Kendrick
Annika
Jason
Marvin
Timmy
David
Marc
Alexis
Alan
Jack
Erica
Wilson
Elton
Kenneth
Hannah
Joshua
Steven
Silas
Ben
Sam
Karen
Andrew
Thanawat
Jenna
Katie
Michael
Olivia
Eric
Joanna
Emily
Kirby
Dean
Ben
Maxwell
Andrea
Yev
Garvin
Aaron
Michael
Jenny
Erica
Edmund
Schuyler
Bryan
Emma
Kenny
Brandon
Nicholas
Raymond
Nathan
Steven
Brandon
Preston
Tatiana
Karen
Kyle
Michelle
Jayden
Kevin
Kyle
Lydia
Jenna
Otto
Brandon
Andrew
Darya
Felix
Elton
Robert
Skyler
Desmond
Amanda
Eric
Hannah
Kendra
Colin
Edmund
Andrew
Winfield
Jun
Steven
Conna
Hannah
Wilsom
Bryce
Eric
Maxwell
Kirby
Garvin
Aaron
Joshua
Sam
Otto
Steven
Makoi
Brandon
Kenneth
Sophie
Nicholas
Jessica
Kenny
Vivian
Conna
Janet
Emma
Katie
Nghi
Bryan
Erica
Joanna
Jonathan
Derek
Mi-Kaela

This assignment was selected as a "Nifty CS Assignment" in 2008 by Nick Parlante @ Stanford