Pandermonium

Inspiration

We were looking into possible uses of Publish-Subscribe architectures and came up with the idea of a texted base game. The server had the ability to keep track of a player's progress and could tell the story. This allowed us to branch out and explore the idea. We wanted to create a system that could allow users to easily make their own stories that they could share.

What it does

Pandermonium is a Slack bot that allows users to create text-based adventure games that they can play with friends. Adventures can be created in text files and loaded in as a map for the server. This allows anyone to create the story they want to play, and share it with their friends.

How we built it

We build the Slackbot and the backend using Stdlib. This allowed us to code the backend in Javascript, and have a server-on-demand option which is useful for scaling. We build hooks on the backend for the Slack bot to communicate with. This allowed us to split up the development of the Slackbot and the backend by creating a standard that we would use to send commands. As long as we followed it, we knew they would communicate properly. We planned out the database since the beginning so that we could allow it to evolve

Challenges we ran into

We ran into planning issues while developing the architecture that managed the Slackbot, the backend, and the database. We had a difficult time setting up the proper version of MongoDB to be used, as well as getting prototypes done on time. Another issue was being able to be working on the same problems at once. Since Stdlid works best when one account is being used, we had to find an agreement about who got to run on the server at once.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Regular, efficient, and supportive team meetings. We had a stand up meeting every hour and a half to talk about what we had accomplished, as well as what problems we were facing. We did peer programming to support and give fresh eyes to challenging errors. Not everything can go according to plan but in the face of problems, we grew together instead of falling apart.

What we learned

We learned how to use Stdlib. This made us think of the project in a different way since we had to develop the architecture of the project to fit with Stdlib's publish-subscribe architecture. We also practiced Scrum techniques that helped us get iterations of our software ready, and remove unviable features.

What's next for Pandermonium

Strong backend and a growing understanding of Stdlib could be combined to allow for a choice of inputs including Alexa, allowing for a greater range of accessibility and the opportunity ambience and it could also allow for a multiplayer experience.

Built With

• javascript
• mongodb
• python
• stdlib