Before a computer can represent a real-world situation, someone has to decide what the situation contains and which details matter. In this lab, you will take one particular Parcheesi game state and describe a useful computer model of it in text.
Your model should be structured enough that another person could use it as the starting point for a sketch, but there is room for reasonable choices. You are not trying to describe every rule, color, shape, or physical detail in Parcheesi.
You may use this sentence starter:
Bulleted lists work well. Try these headings:
You are ready to move on when you have enough raw material to make choices. Your list should contain both useful-looking details and some details you are unsure about.
Mark each item from your brainstorm as:
For each detail, ask:
Your filtered model should normally contain fewer details than your brainstorm. If you kept almost everything, check whether every detail really supports the purpose.
You may use bullets, short labeled sections, or a small table. One useful bullet structure is:
Another person should be able to read your text model and identify the major things, the information that belongs with each thing, and the important relationships.
Choose one characteristic you included or intentionally left out. Explain how that choice supports your purpose.
You are ready for the Sketch Model Lab when another person could use your text model to begin deciding what should become object blocks, what information belongs inside them, and what connections need to be shown.
You have produced a clear text model of a selected Parcheesi game state that identifies the modeling purpose, relevant things, selected characteristics or values, and meaningful relationships; intentionally omits unnecessary detail; and explains at least one modeling choice.
Submit your completed text model using the text-entry submission provided for this assignment.