The War Game

Inventor	Todor Šolajić and Mila Urošević
micro:bit IDE	MakeCode Editor
Best Location	Classroom

Difficulty

Hardware	N/A
Software	Medium

Special Requirement

None

Project Overview

Are you tired of the powerful red army always winning over your troops? Well, fear no more, because we have a solution for you! The War Game is a fun 2-player game which tests your logical skills and makes the time fly by.

With one grip of your hand you can choose which move you want to make, but be careful! Each move makes you vulnerable in a different way and gives the opponent a chance to make a move in their favour. So choose wisely and most importantly have fun! We used two Spiker:bit kits with micro:bit, electrodes and cables combined with some programming skills to bring this idea to life.

Materials needed

• 2x spiker:bit kit (spiker:bit, 3x electrodes, and 1x orange cable)
• 2x micro:bit

Build Instruction

There are no required hardware components to this project.

Code

We need to make sure the players made their moves at the same time for the game to work, which is why added the sound effects and time intervals:

A big part of the game is the communication between the two micro:bits. We wanted them to register which moves the players chose, but also to react to the other player’s decision and react based on that. With this communication we were able to program the micro:bits to automatically count and display the amount of arrows each player has, as well as count their lives and display the outcome in the end

Block Code

Python

War Game

def displayAmmo(ammo: number):
    global index, x_position, y_position
    if ammo < 0:
        ammo = 0
    if ammo > 10:
        ammo = 10
    index = 0
    while index <= ammo - 1:
        if index > 4:
            x_position = index % 5
            y_position = 3
        else:
            x_position = index
            y_position = 4
        led.plot(x_position, y_position)
        index += 1

def on_received_string(receivedString):
    global life, DONE
    if receivedString == "shoot":
        if not (sentString == "shield"):
            life = life - 1
            basic.pause(500)
    elif receivedString == "reload":
        if sentString == "shoot":
            basic.pause(500)
    elif receivedString == "shield":
        pass
    elif receivedString == "BAD":
        if sentString == "shoot":
            basic.pause(500)
    elif receivedString == "DONE":
        DONE = True
        if life:
            basic.show_string("YOU WIN")
    if not (DONE):
        basic.show_number(life)
        basic.pause(500)
        basic.clear_screen()
        displayAmmo(ammo2)
        if not (life):
            basic.pause(100)
            DONE = True
            basic.clear_screen()
            radio.send_string("DONE")
            basic.show_string("YOU LOOSE")
radio.on_received_string(on_received_string)

numShiled = 0
signal = 0
DONE = False
sentString = ""
y_position = 0
x_position = 0
index = 0
life = 0
ammo2 = 0
spikerbit.start_muscle_recording()
radio.set_group(1)
displayAmmo(ammo2)
basic.pause(3000)
record_time = 500
life = 3
ammo2 = 5
allowShiled = 2
top_threshold = 200

def on_every_interval():
    global x_position, y_position, signal, ammo2, sentString, numShiled
    if not (DONE):
        x_position = 0
        y_position = 0
        if life > 0:
            base_threshold = 0
            music.play(music.tone_playable(262, music.beat(BeatFraction.HALF)),
                music.PlaybackMode.UNTIL_DONE)
            basic.pause(record_time)
            signal = spikerbit.max_signal_in_last(record_time)
            basic.clear_screen()
            # SHOOT
            # RELOAD
            # SHIELD
            if signal >= top_threshold:
                if ammo2 > 0:
                    ammo2 = ammo2 - 1
                    sentString = "shoot"
                    numShiled = 0
                    basic.show_leds("""
                        . . # . .
                        . # # # .
                        . . # . .
                        . . # . .
                        . # . # .
                        """)
                    basic.pause(500)
                    radio.send_string("shoot")
                else:
                    radio.send_string("BAD")
            elif signal == base_threshold:
                ammo2 = ammo2 + 1
                numShiled = 0
                sentString = "reload"
                basic.show_leds("""
                    . . . . #
                    . # . # #
                    # # # . #
                    . # . . #
                    . . . . #
                    """)
                basic.pause(500)
                radio.send_string("reload")
            else:
                if numShiled < allowShiled:
                    sentString = "shield"
                    numShiled = numShiled + 1
                    basic.show_leds("""
                        # . . . #
                        . # . # .
                        . . # . .
                        . # . # .
                        # . . . #
                        """)
                    basic.pause(500)
                    radio.send_string("shield")
                else:
                    radio.send_string("BAD")
loops.every_interval(9000, on_every_interval)

Js

War Game

function displayAmmo (ammo: number) {
    if (ammo < 0) {
        ammo = 0
    }
    if (ammo > 10) {
        ammo = 10
    }
    index = 0
    while (index <= ammo - 1) {
        if (index > 4) {
            x_position = index % 5
            y_position = 3
        } else {
            x_position = index
            y_position = 4
        }
        led.plot(x_position, y_position)
        index += 1
    }
}
radio.onReceivedString(function (receivedString) {
    if (receivedString == "shoot") {
        if (!(sentString == "shield")) {
            life = life - 1
            basic.pause(500)
        }
    } else if (receivedString == "reload") {
        if (sentString == "shoot") {
            basic.pause(500)
        }
    } else if (receivedString == "shield") {
      
    } else if (receivedString == "BAD") {
        if (sentString == "shoot") {
            basic.pause(500)
        }
    } else if (receivedString == "DONE") {
        DONE = true
        if (life) {
            basic.showString("YOU WIN")
        }
    }
    if (!(DONE)) {
        basic.showNumber(life)
        basic.pause(500)
        basic.clearScreen()
        displayAmmo(ammo)
        if (!(life)) {
            basic.pause(100)
            DONE = true
            basic.clearScreen()
            radio.sendString("DONE")
            basic.showString("YOU LOOSE")
        }
    }
})
let numShiled = 0
let signal = 0
let DONE = false
let sentString = ""
let y_position = 0
let x_position = 0
let index = 0
let life = 0
let ammo = 0
spikerbit.startMuscleRecording()
radio.setGroup(1)
displayAmmo(ammo)
basic.pause(3000)
let record_time = 500
life = 3
ammo = 5
let allowShiled = 2
let top_threshold = 200
loops.everyInterval(9000, function () {
    if (!(DONE)) {
        x_position = 0
        y_position = 0
        if (life > 0) {
            let base_threshold = 0
            music.play(music.tonePlayable(262, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half)), music.PlaybackMode.UntilDone)
            basic.pause(record_time)
            signal = spikerbit.maxSignalInLast(record_time)
            basic.clearScreen()
            // SHOOT
            // RELOAD
            // SHIELD
            if (signal >= top_threshold) {
                if (ammo > 0) {
                    ammo = ammo - 1
                    sentString = "shoot"
                    numShiled = 0
                    basic.showLeds(`
                        . . # . .
                        . # # # .
                        . . # . .
                        . . # . .
                        . # . # .
                        `)
                    basic.pause(500)
                    radio.sendString("shoot")
                } else {
                    radio.sendString("BAD")
                }
            } else if (signal == base_threshold) {
                ammo = ammo + 1
                numShiled = 0
                sentString = "reload"
                basic.showLeds(`
                    . . . . #
                    . # . # #
                    # # # . #
                    . # . . #
                    . . . . #
                    `)
                basic.pause(500)
                radio.sendString("reload")
            } else {
                if (numShiled < allowShiled) {
                    sentString = "shield"
                    numShiled = numShiled + 1
                    basic.showLeds(`
                        # . . . #
                        . # . # .
                        . . # . .
                        . # . # .
                        # . . . #
                        `)
                    basic.pause(500)
                    radio.sendString("shield")
                } else {
                    radio.sendString("BAD")
                }
            }
        }
    }
})

Operating Instructions

First, turn both micro:bits on at the same time.

Going forward, every 9 seconds, players have a designated time window to select an action, shoot (attack), shield (defend), or reload, based on their arm movement as detected by EMG signals:

• Shoot: Flex arm strong and quick
• Shield: Weakly and slowly flex arm
• Reload: Do nothing, hold arm still with no movement.

The game will continue until one player loses all life points.

tip

It takes a practice to get used the correct strength to perform each operation Use above as reference and make sure to practice before you compete !!

Additional Rules

Each player starts with 5 ammo and 3 life points.

Continuous shielding is limited to two consecutive uses; after two uses, the player must choose a different action (shoot or reload), or the shield action will be considered invalid.