Roadmap

Current Release: Initial Player-Facing Demo (v0.8.0) #

For summaries of current and past releases, see the Changelog.

While low on content, the point was to develop functioning core features that could be reused in future content, and to develop infrastructure and backend systems to enable faster and more effective development in the future.

Next Major Release: Early Arithmetic Demo (v0.9.0?) #

Overview #

The priority is content coverage for a small range of topics in basic arithmetic. This will include more levels, more pims, and new mechanics connecting different pims to each other. This will demonstrate level progression across topics. The continuously expanding tree of levels covering more and more of mathematics will begin growing.

New content will be selected to prioritize the development of multiple different level types and features over a large quantity of levels. This means content creation will still be slow and gradual while attention is mostly focused on developing the backend.

Equally important will be to set up a sustainable and effective organization for future development. This will include streamlining the contribution process, documenting the reasoning for design decisions, documenting the theory more completely, documenting how to make new content, and more.

For aesthetics and theming, there will be improved pim graphics and a greater variety of backgrounds. But besides that, the graphics will stay mostly the same. Graphics and audio work should be done focusing on mockups for how the game will look and sound like in the future, but this mostly won’t be added yet.

I will start moving away from programming to focus more on design and documentation work. That means that new content and features will likely keep the same gradual pace instead of accelerating, unless more programmers come in.

Features #

• “Trial” levels that require consecutive completion
• “Arcade” levels that go on indefinitely
• “Example” levels that auto-complete
• (0/3?) More goal-mechanics to enable more types of levels

Content #

• Grid-Tracking pim
• (0/48) Grid-Tracking levels
• (More content to be determined)

Design #

• (0/10?) Make design-specs for a lot more pims and levels, including beyond this release

Aesthetics #

• (0/5?) Decent graphics for every pim
• (2/8?) Unique backgrounds for every topic

Infrastructure #

• Document workflow for creating content
• Lots of design documentation
• Much theory documentation
• Bonus: Begin upgrading parts of this website

Later #

Future development will depend entirely on having enough funding and contributions. Continuing to make Super Practica alone and without pay will not be a viable plan due to how large its scope is.

Eventual Release: v1.0 #

Version 1.0 will be something that I could recommend as approximating “the optimal method of learning mathematics”. Its content coverage will include a main line of arithmetic from counting to pre-algebra and some topics of number theory.

The progression will advance not only to more advanced arithmetic, but also to simulations where the arithmetic is applied.—That is, to Super Practica B.

The priority is to complete a full line of progression through Super Practica A, B, and C. This means that it will make mathematics easily playable, it will simulate some problem-domains in which mathematics is used, and it will have a reliable level-progression to make expertise acquirable just by playing the game.

This line of progression being completed will enable the empirical framework of testing and iterative redesign to begin to function. In preparation for this release, some empirical testing should be done to see if Super Practica actually works or if it will need a major redesign.

It will have more than stock graphics. That Super Practica should look nice is very important.

Distant Future #

From here we will be able to develop Super Practica to perfect the playability, playthruability, efficiency, and essential accuracy of its existing content. We will be able to branch out to cover arithmetic more completely. And we will try to progress to Algebra and Geometry, if this turns out to be viable.