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 here, or here 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.
5. You may also find the Asteroids Part 2 slide presentation here useful, or here.
6. In addition, This sample Spaceship program helpful in understanding how the protected Floater variables affect the Spaceship's movement.
7. At the top of AsteroidsGame.pde, declare a variable of type Spaceship
8. Initialize the Spaceship as a new instance of the class
9. In draw() in AsteroidsGame.pde call the Spaceship's show() function
10. When you are happy with appearance of the Spaceship, add a public void keyPressed() function in AsteroidsGame.pde
11. 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.)
12. Add code to the draw() in AsteroidsGame.pde to move() the Spaceship
13. Finish the Star class in Star.pde
14. 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
15. Note that for full credit, you MUST include instructions on how to operate your Spaceship in the index.html file. For an example look at slides 32 & 33 in the Asteroids slide presentation here, or here

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

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're collaborating with me (chandru) and with your Paired Programming partner! Most of the work for the Spaceship class has already been done in the parent Floater class by me (your 3rd partner!).
2. In a real work environment, the Floater class would have been given to you as a Library (binary) and you would not be able to change it.
3. In this case you will be able to change it, but don't modify it! I will test it with the original version of the Floater class to verify. Your job is to extend the Floater class to "build on top of it" to make a Spaceship class.
4. To create the Spaceship class you need to write a constructor.
5. Don't declare any duplicate variables in your Spaceship class. You are inheriting all the variables you need from Floater
6. Make sure your Spaceship constructor initializes all 9 of the protected variables it inherits from Floater