Features of a Combined Tool

With these design contexts, I've plan to design and build a game authoring tool with the following set of main elements in design:

Dynamic representation
In this tool, the choice of appropriate metaphors is a vital design decision. Visual programming can provide an ideal testing basis for the visualisation of object oriented concepts. By using iconic authoring environments, the tool will represent a program structure in a flow chart metaphor. Together with multimedia techniques especially animation, the tool will provide a way to illustrate the nature of building a program by children.

Drawing activity
The tool will include a drawing activity, where the children will draw what they intend to do and turn their intention into realization. By using drawing sketches and images as object of the program, the children will then identify the behavior of their object according to the story of the game they want to produce. They will use drawings as a creative way of expression for learning while designing a game. This activity has been explored in JiVE and proven to be a powerful way of generating simple 3D content for children.

Game workflow
The tool will provide a typical workflow on how to create a game derived from the game production pipeline of the LeGaCy tool. After drawing objects (character or background), they can be dragged from the “pictures menu” to the options menu which are either global or level properties. These options menu are responsible for elements in the game or in the related level. These elements can be programmed to perform certain actions thus exhibiting a gaming behaviour.

Rich media manipulation
Initial activities in traditional programming environments typically involve the manipulation of objects, or simple graphics. In contrast, the tool will manipulate images, animations and sound as it is done in Squeak via attribute manipulation. By giving the children the possibility to control rich media, hopefully, the tool will support programming activities that strongly correspond to their interest.