Capstone Project Proposal Draft

Name of student: Roui Vinuya

Date: 2/27/2023
Teacher: Ms. Lacroix
Capstone strand I have chosen is Project strand
Proposed title for my project: Written in the Stars, a interactive story told under the
stars

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

Would it be possible to create a fully functional and entertaining video game in 40 hours?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect
to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I am planning to pursue computer science and programming. I am a big fan of stories told
through game. My life has greatly impacted by media like video games since I was a child.
One of my first ever gifts was a Nintendo Wii. I have made many connections through games
especially during the pandemic

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this

area of inquiry?

I took computer programming last semester and I studied the basics of python.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What
connections does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

I wish to be a computer programmer creating code, app, and games that can entertain and
benefit others through their walk of life.

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Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

Core Competency Reflection

Personal Awareness & Responsibility:

Strengths:

1. I understand learning takes patience and time.

When I was in grade 8, I was struggling in science. At least, it felt like I wasn’t absorbing the material. I
sat in class believing that I wasn’t learning and that I hadn’t learned anything all year. I felt like a
failure when, in reality, I was getting good grades. One day, I was sitting in class having the same
feeling come over me like a sudden realization. After a few minutes, I decided to look back and review
what I do know, what I had learned and didn’t know at the start of the year. Then I realized that I was
learning even if I didn’t understand something in the moment, I would later when I had all the pieces
to connect them to. I needed to understand that I go through life one step at a time.

2. I use a variety of strategies to manage my personal wellbeing.

I often associate the feeling of being overwhelmed with crowds. Most times, I tend to avoid them as
much as possible, like choosing to stay in the car when my family goes to Costco. However, in low
moments, even being around loved ones feel draining. In moments like these, I like to take a step back
and breathe. I would go take a long shower, a nap, or listen to music. Most times, all I need to do is
catch my breath.

Weakness:

1. I can express my needs and seek help when needed

When asking a simple clarification question, I tend to not have a problem with asking. However, the
struggle comes when a bit more time is spent helping me. I feel like a burden or embarrassed. I will
rehearse what to say in my head and will still fumble when going up to the teacher. Outside of my
school life, it is worse. When my friends need someone to talk to, I always offer my hand to hold.
However, I feel like my problems would just burden them, so I tend to not ask them for help. Once
again, when it comes to trivial matters, like for a math problem or a pencil, I am fine reaching out.
When it comes to deeper problems, it feels like these things are meant for me to hold even if I
struggle.

Social Responsibility:

Strengths:

1. I value diversity, defend human rights, advocate for others, and act ethically in all my
interactions, including online

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As a minority both racially and sexually, I understand the struggles exclusivity can bring. Being raised
my religious immigrant parents, allows me to also understand what tends to be the other side. There
are many things my parents say that they shouldn’t. However, I understand that that is how they were
raised and that they grew up in a world where they were allowed to say those things. I remind them
that words can be harmful. They are slowly learning, and I can see it. Most of my days during covid
was spent online. I used to post art to a twitter community, and I used to see a lot of harmful things.
Most times, I rather not give those people my time of day or the attention they seek.

2. I can identify and appreciate different perspectives on issues and use and evaluate
strategies to resolve problems.

I am a reserved person. However, I believe that is why I am so observant. I notice and think about
things others would not. When watching TV shows or movies, I often think of characters motives and
reasons for why they did what they did. It has made me analytical, and I now love nick-picking the
question “why”. I can take this skill and apply it when collaborating with others. When sitting down
with a team, I will be the last to add because I would rather listen and piece together other people’s
contributions before adding my two cents.

Weakness:

1. I have positive peer and intergenerational relationships

I believe my current relationships benefit and motivate me. However, I don’t seek new relationships. I
am hesitant to reach out to new people and often causes me to seem closed in. I tend to stay with
people who are similar to me in age, appearance, interest, etc.

Critical Thinking

Strengths:

1. I can analyze and critique my work and learning

Being perceptive, I can notice my flaws or shortcomings. When writing a school essay, for example, I
am able to notice when my work flows, where it doesn’t, and where I can use a better word. This
helps me improve my work to another level and makes my ideas clearer. I am able to use this skill in
many aspects of my life. In the things I create, the videos I edit, and my conversations with people.

2. I can assess my progress

A lot of times, I like to look at where I started as motivation. For example, when I look at my English
assignments from last year, I notice that my vocabulary and voice improved from when I started. I am
a better person with better skills. That realization helps me understand that I am always improving
even though I don’t realize it most times.

Weakness:

1. I can ask good quality questions, gather relevant information, and come up with well-

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 developed conclusions

I tend to find it difficult to do research because I have a difficult time understanding what is relevant. I
will overthink the quality of my work and end up adding too much information to research reports
that are irrelevant. This makes it default to understand my thoughts and my work clearly.

Creative Thinking

Strengths:

1. I can create new and unique ideas that may provide new perspectives that influence how
people think about topics

I see and understand topics differently. I also know that other people’s perspectives are different from
my own. In English class, I was called on to talk about a character. The teacher heavily hinted at the
name “Mr. Summers” and how the choice of the name impacts how we perceive the character. I said
something along the lines of “when I think of summer, I think of new beginnings, a refresh. Similar to
how the character tries to update tradition.” Apparently, no one else was able to make the connection
and they found it impressive.

2. I can use the environment around me, including others, and my unconscious mind to
generate new ideas.

I love nature. I am constantly outside, and I find both the natural and man-made world so inspiring.
When I made art that I posted online, I found that I added elements from the world around me. From
trees, to rivers, to high rise buildings. Also, the fact that there has been so much we haven’t explored
keeps me motivated and intrigued. I love to spend my time theorizing what the world has instore.
Most of my ideas are often creative and new.

Weakness:

1. I can persevere, and understand that failure can be productive

Though I like to say I take failure lightly, I tend to react poorly. When something doesn’t come
naturally to me, I drop it. For example, learning the guitar takes time and patience. However, when it
didn’t sound like how I imagined, I gave up.

Communication:

Strengths:

1. I can listen, learn to contribute meaningfully to discussion and debate, consider different
perspectives, and build consensus.

I enjoy a good debate with my friends. When you have to spontaneously piece together an argument
against their statements or try to understand what they are saying, it’s a lot of fun for me. Like, when
we had a debate of whether iced tea is tea or a juice. It went on for a few days, with many google
searches and screaming matches.

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 2. I can work with other students to plan, inquire, and solve problems

In group projects, I know how to compromise and add to discussions. I know how to react in ways that
benefit everyone. For example, in my computer programming class, we had to build a code that
mimics a review website. Many of my teammate were not the best at putting together code, so I
offered to be the one to translate their ideas into code. I didn’t mind as I enjoyed coding and I knew
that our work would be to my standards and I wouldn’t have to fully rely on people I don’t know

Weakness:

1.I can reflect on the processes of learning and share what I have learned

Once again, I would like to look back on the work I have done. However, when it comes to reflecting
and sharing, I find it is difficult to put into words. Like when doing interim reports, I feel as if I am put
on the spot and don’t know what I have learned. I know I have improved but not specifically what.

Personal & Cultural Identity

Strengths:

1.I understand that culture is a broad concept that includes things like my geographic region,
nationality, sex/gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, language, and religion

I am a big fan of understanding different cultures. I love to learn about people’s backgrounds. When it
comes to me, I like to look and myself and imagine a certain event in my past were to change in some
way. I like to ask how it would affect me. For example, if I was an only child or if I was raised in one
place rather than always moving. The topic of culture intrigues me, and I could talk about it for hours.

2.I understand what is important to me

When you move, you lose a lot, and it is only when you lose something do you understand the true
value of it. Because I have moved away from friends, I understand the value they hold in my life. Not
only are they there to keep me company, but they make life easier to handle and my days brighter. It
is only because I lost some much do I understand that I should value what I have today.

Weakness:

1.I know my strengths and what makes me unique

I feel narcissistic to label my good traits and often find it difficult to speak of myself positively. In all
about me projects or when I have to introduce myself, I must ask others for help. Even then, I don’t
believe their words as I don’t see it in myself. I know I am skilled in certain areas, but to me there is
still so much I have to do to be seen as “good enough”

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Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to
present your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once
completed. You may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel

PPT and also a playable game on either a phone or a computer

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what
will you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced
at the end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your
proposal.

I am planning to make a story game where more of the story is unlocked when a level of a
game is completed.

The story follow a two people who meet on a park bench under the stars. One person is
studying to be astronomer who knows a lot about constellations and this person often sit at
this park bench to look up at the stars. One day another person who was having a hard day
breaks down next to the astronomer on the bench. This person is an artist. To cheer the artist,
the astronomer tell them about a constellation that they see. From that moment, the two grow
closer and eventually fall in love.

The story is told by dialog and speech bubbles. The characters are never shown and little is
known about them. Each “episode” starts with a bit a dialog between the two until a
constellation is brought up in the conversation. Then the game turns into an 8-bit 2D
adventure game. Similar to Super Mario. You play as a circular soul like character that goes
through obstacle and puzzles to collect stars. Once all the stars are collected, the player
meets another soul and that’s where the level ends and dialog resumes. The episode ends
with a picture of the constellation and the story behind it to teach the player more about it.

The souls are the same color of the character speech bubbles to symbolize who the souls
belong to. And going through the obstacles to meet the other symbolizes the connections they
are forming. Which soul you play as is dependent on which character brought up the
constellation to symbolizing that it is that person who want to form/grow a connection.

We follow the characters through their birthdays, graduation, and even the end of their
relationship. All under the stars. On the last episode, the dialog begins with the astronomer
being usually quiet. The artist notice and asks what is wrong. The astronomer says “I’m sorry”.
And then a level of the 8-bit game begins. In this level, you start the soul of the artist going
through the first level but backwards. Where every level before was played from left traveling
right, this level was going in the opposite direction. Once all the stars are collected again,

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 there is no soul to meet at the end. On all the other episodes, after the game, speech bubbles
appear on top of a night sky background with the constellation clearly shown. In this episode,
there is no dialog and this time, the night sky slowly turns to day. Leaving the ending almost
open ended.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and

skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.

A computer with access to Unity and a drawing program (ex. Adobe illustrator, Aesprite, etc).
There are a lot of step by step tutorials on YouTube made by game designs and artist that
teach beginners where to start. My first step will be going through Unity tutorials that will give
me a better idea on where I should start.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will

you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you?
What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this
project?

I could ask my computer programming teacher but I would like to reach out to video game
programmers outside of what I know. Although, as of now, I don’t know where to look.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

I might run out of time. I also know that, normally, games are made in teams. There is those
who focus on the art, those who write the story, and those who program. It might be difficult to
start from ground zero all on my own.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about
your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

It has been a dream of mine to make my own game. I am also taking big inspiration from
Angela He who has made a lot of games that my sister and I enjoy. My main inspiration is her
game call “There’s This Girl”.

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References:

Attach a REFERENCE LIST. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.
An example is provided on page 21 of your Capstone booklet.

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