ICS 111 was my introduction into the world of coding. As someone who was not able to take any classes related to computer science all throughout my time at Kauai High School, college was my first chance to experience what it means to code. Needless to say, I was more than excited to learn and try my hand at creating something out of nothing. Once I got the basics of Java code down, our first major coding project was to create a game that focuses on one object, and how it interacts with both movable and immovable objects.
The creativity allowed for the assignment was limitless. I decided to make a car object that the player will control using the WASD keys on the keyboard to be able to turn, accelerate, and reverse. In terms of immovable objects that the car could not move through and other objects that the car may interact with, I chose city buildings as the immovable objects and food icons as the latter. The project planning was nothing less of a great time, I was motivated, I was eager, and I was way over my head.
My biggest problem with this project was my own creative ambitions wanting to do more than I knew about Java to create a fun game. After the honeymoon phase that the planning brought, it was during the implementation and creation of the source code that got me stressed out. I wanted to be able to allow the players to drift the car, to have enemies chase after the player, and so on. During the creation of the project, it was a very humbling experience to stick to what I know, yet also strive to know more. The end product of this assignment was still something that I am still proud of as my first coding project.
You can see my humbling experience here. This is me revisiting my first experience.