Description:
On the first line (wherever the cursor starts), I am able to type code and the space bar works. After hitting return and starting a new line, the space bar stops working on the new line. Returning to the previous line, the space bar works.
After that, with each new line, the space bar will sometimes work and sometimes not work. I tried entering in a number of lines and couldn’t establish a static pattern. I.e.: sometimes I would go three lines without a problem. Then the next two lines would not allow me to add spaces. In each case, the space bar either works on a line of it does not. By that I mean that it will not work anywhere where on line 3 and will work across line 4.
We have disabled spaces on the first several levels, because too many players were trying to put spaces, which always messes up the code (spaces shouldn’t be needed for those levels). However, spaces still work in comments. At least, that’s the intent.
Are you seeing inconsistent behavior that doesn’t match?
Are you seeing inconsistent behavior that doesn’t match?
Yes. It looks like spaces are disabled on some lines and not on others. I’ll post a screen shot when I have a moment.
The other issue with disabling spaces is that it kills the “replay-ability” of certain levels when you want to try beating them using more advanced programming techniques.
Likewise, I noticed that on some levels you also don’t allow the sample code to be deleted. Again, that totally makes sense for beginners. But that makes it difficult to try different solutions using more advanced equipment and lessons learned on later levels.
While I didn’t notice the “spacebar issue” I was also annoyed by that. I didn’t even think it could be better for newbies. It is quite buggy when trying stuff, which could also be potentially bad for newbies… But it looks like a good effort to try and see if it will.
In any case, I would have guessed a better plan would be just adding very descriptive errors and warnings, to give players a taste what it is like to code in the real world: read the errors and warnings!
You haven’t seen the horrors we have seen during in-person school playtesting visits. Trying to rely on players reading error messages and instructions in the first few levels is like hoping that your one-year-old will decide whether something tastes good before trying to swallow it.
I can enable it for Kounter Kithwise and Crawlways of Kithgard, though, since those now tend to be played again later after people have gotten a subscription.
