Career Worlds: Career Quest (2025-2026)

Career Worlds is a comprehensive arcade-style career simulation built for the FBLA 2025-2026 Computer Game & Simulation Programming event. Following the "Career Quest" topic, players explore a "hub" of 17 distinct mini-worlds, each simulating the skill-based challenges of a specific profession.

Concept Clarity & Guideline Checklist

• Career Quest made visible – The hub menu, briefing panels, worlds_summary.txt, and this README all call out the Career Quest topic, so someone with no prior knowledge of the event immediately sees that the “concept” is a guided tour through 17 careers.
• Rules and outcomes are explicit – Every world begins with a briefing that lists scenario, rules, and key controls, the hub saves best grades, and victory requires B-Rank or higher in every profession so the challenge and success criteria are clear.
• Guideline compliance log – This project hits every judged expectation: concept/topic coverage (scenario briefings + About/Rationale screen), well-defined rules (briefings + HUD), a finished but challenging simulation loop per career (graded timers), innovation (custom BFS gravity, HMAC save protection, procedural vector art), implementation detail (Python 3.12 + tkinter, optional pygame audio, custom BaseWorld engine), graphics consistency (high-contrast HUD, consistent vector primitives, accessibility toggle), UX (title/Help/About screens, drop-in transitions, AFK/hint reminders), and presentation readiness (clear README + in-game documentation for judges).
• Novice confirmation – High-contrast mode, semi-transparent HUD panels, briefing text, and the about screen restate the concept so a fresh player or judge can identify Career Quest simply by launching the project; the worlds_summary.txt file or extract_worlds.py script provides the same narrative in prose for documentation reviewers.

Rules Access (In-Game & for Judges)

• General rules panel – The hub’s Help screen (press ? from the hub) lists every control, keyboard shortcut, flow step from title → hub → briefing → mission → results, and the victory condition for B rank or higher across all careers. Judges can open this screen at any time to verify rules without leaving the experience.
• Per-world confirmation – Each mini-world starts with a briefing window that repeats the scenario, objectives, timer, and specific controls/keys before play begins, so the “rules exist within the game” for every judge and player session.
• Supporting documentation – worlds_summary.txt and the optional extract_worlds.py script output the same rules/briefing text in a concise document so judges reviewing the folder offline still see every world’s instructions and win condition.

Navigation & Outcome Visibility

• Keyboard-first navigation – All major sections (title, hub, help, about, briefings) can be navigated without a mouse: Space/Enter progresses through screens, ? opens Help, Arrow keys or hover update the hub focus, and Esc safely aborts runs or returns to the hub. This flow mirrors the “rules as defined,” so anyone can follow the gameplay path described in the rubric.
• Outcome transparency – Post-run result screens and the hub card badges clearly display the earned rank (S, A, B, C, or - if incomplete) plus the timer-based grading logic. That gives judges several outcomes to witness (different ranks for the same world, aborts with “Mission Aborted,” the victory unlock for all B+ runs) while still following the documented rules.

Implementation & Tooling Rationale

• Core stack – Built entirely in Python 3.12 to align with the event hardware/OS baseline; uses the standard tkinter library for all UI rendering (titles, hub, in-game HUD, briefings) so no extra dependencies or asset pipelines are required, and pygame is optionally wired in for looping background music while keeping the experience stable on Windows lab machines.
• Engine design – Introduced a BaseWorld polymorphic interface that defines reset, update, tick_timer, particle logic, and grading so each career can override only what it needs. This keeps the GameEngine loop consistent while allowing high-detail simulations (e.g., BFS structural physics in Architect, Euclidean collision checks in ATC) without duplicating loop/timer/hud code.
• Systems sophistication – Implemented HMAC-SHA256 signing in the save system to detect tampering, BFS wind-stress validation, Euclidean/OBB collision logic, procedural vector art, and adaptive grade thresholds. These subsystems were stress-tested via in-game debugging (F3 overlay, logging in GameEngine.loop) and judged to offer measurable sophistication over straightforward arcade loops.
• Effectiveness & next steps – The current approach keeps performance high (60 FPS guaranteed by using tkinter primitives) and ensures judges can see every mechanic in action through the hub’s outcome indicators. Future improvements could include auto-playing briefing narration for visually impaired judges, or porting select worlds into reusable WorldFactory data-driven definitions to minimize per-world code churn while preserving complexity.

Graphics & Asset Tooling

• Tkinter vector toolkit – All visuals (career cards, HUD panels, world backdrops, particles) are drawn with tkinter.Canvas primitives (rectangles, ovals, polylines) which match the “Career Quest” concept without external art tools. Effects such as heat shimmer, sinusoidal bubbles, and EKG lines rely on simple math-driven modulation so judges can see how every career’s aesthetic ties directly into its skill focus.

• Consistent visual language – Color palettes, typography (Helvetica/Consolas), and spacing are centralized in src/utils.py, ensuring the high-contrast toggle and semi-transparent HUD panel stay readable regardless of the world background; this keeps graphics appropriate across professions while reinforcing the event’s accessibility expectations.

• Supplemental assets – Background music uses a single backgroundMusic.wav file and is optional (controlled via Alt+S). Procedural particles and animated HUD elements mean all assets are derived programmatically, so the tools used (Python 3.12 + tkinter) are the same ones judges evaluate when assessing graphic appropriateness.

• Consistency across worlds – Every BaseWorld.draw_hud, hub card, and briefing panel relies on those shared color values (BG, TEXT, ACCENT, DANGER, SUCCESS, GOLD from src/utils.py), while BaseWorld.draw_particles and GameEngine.draw_menu reuse the same shapes/gradients so the look feels unified even as each world layers its own environment-specific rules. That reuse confirms the graphics and assets are consistently applied to enhance the user experience.

---

How to Run

1. Requirement: Python 3.12+ (includes tkinter on standard Windows installs).
2. Music Support: Ensure pygame is installed if you want background music.
3. Command: From this folder, run:

   python main.py

---

The Hub (Main Menu)

• Navigate: Use Arrow Keys or hover your mouse over career cards.
• Launch: Press Enter or Space to enter a profession's briefing.
• Shortcuts: Keys 1-0 and Q-U instantly launch worlds.
• Progress: Your best grade (S, A, B, C) is saved per career.
• Victory: Clear every profession with a B-Rank or higher to reach the final tour completion screen.

---

Comprehensive Career Manifest (17 Worlds)

Key	Career	Skill-Based Challenge
1	Fire Rescue	Saving survivors while managing heat exposure and spreading flames.
2	Chef Rush	Multi-tasking a complex recipe sequence while clearing service tickets.
3	QA Engineer	Identifying and squashing priority bugs in a failing build.
4	Marine Biologist	Scientific data collection (scanning/sampling) under oxygen constraints.
5	Architect	Structural engineering using custom BFS gravity and wind-stress physics.
6	Doctor	Clinical diagnostics and triage based on patient symptoms.
7	ATC (Air Traffic)	Approach coordination and standard separation avoidance (collision logic).
8	Pilot	Flight navigation and waypoint tracking.
9	Fullstack Dev	Managing the full ALM lifecycle (Triage -> Code -> Review -> Deploy).
0	Psychologist	De-escalating unit-wide distress using targeted therapeutic interventions.
Q	Startup Founder	Economic simulation (balancing equity, runway, and growth deals).
W	Electrician	Circuit maintenance and power grid stabilization.
E	Game Developer	High-pressure release management with abilities (Dash, Coffee, Patch).
R	Data Scientist	Trend analysis and anomaly detection in data streams.
T	AI Engineer	Training neural nodes and managing iterative drift.
Y	Sec Analyst	Defending infrastructure against simulated port-scan attacks.
U	Robotics Eng	Precision control of robotic actuators to assemble components.

---

Technical Report & Rationale (For Judges)

1. Topic Adherence: "Career Quest"

We strictly followed the FBLA 2025-2026 topic developed with Code.org. Players "jump into mini-worlds" that include a Scenario Briefing (job description) and Skill-Based Tasks unique to that profession. By the end of the 17-career tour, players understand the core competencies and pressures of each role.

2. Architecture: Polymorphic Scalability

To handle 17 different games in one engine, we implemented a Modular BaseWorld System:

• BaseWorld Abstract Class: Defines handles for reset, update, draw, and tick. This allows the GameEngine to treat a complex physics architect simulation exactly the same as a simple navigation task.
• Inheritance: Adding a new career requires zero changes to the core game loop; new worlds simply inherit and override specific logic.

3. Graphics: Procedural Vector Art

To maximize portability and performance, we used Native tkinter.Canvas Primitives (arcs, polygons, ovals):

• Rationale: Eliminates external dependencies (no PIL/Image files needed).
• Visual Excellence: Includes heat-shimmer effects in Fire Rescue, sinusoidal bubble drift in Marine Biology, and dynamic EKG animations in Doctor.
• 60 FPS Performance: Vector primitives are lightweight, ensuring a consistent framerate even on low-end school computers.

4. Technical Complexity Highlights

• Structural Physics (Architect): Uses a custom Breadth-First Search (BFS) algorithm to detect "floating" blocks. If a block is disconnected from the foundation, gravity is applied.
• Collision Logic (ATC): Implements Euclidean distance calculations for circular hitboxes and OBB-style checks for runway landing zones.
• System Integrity (Save System): Progress is signed using HMAC-SHA256. If a user manually edits the JSON save file, the signature mismatch is detected, and the file is reset to prevent cheating.

---

Accessibility & UX Design

1. User Journey

• Zero-Friction Re-entry: Players can hit Esc to abort and Space to return. The "Hub" remains active in memory for instant transitions between careers.
• Clear Instructions: Every world begins with a Briefing Panel explaining the Scenario, Rules, and Keys.

2. High Contrast Mode

Press 'H' in the Hub to toggle WCAG-compliant High Contrast. This swaps gradients for absolute black backgrounds and applies high-visibility yellow/white text and thick outlines.

3. Comprehensive Visibility

We implemented Semi-Transparent HUD Backdrops behind all game text. This ensures HUD elements (timer, score) remain 100% readable regardless of background colors (e.g., white clouds or bright ocean floor).

4. About/Rationale Screen

Press 'A' in the Hub to access the In-Game Technical Report, explicitly highlighting design rationale and accessibility features for easier judging.

5. Intuitive Controls & Mechanics

• Control hygiene: Movement is always WASD/Arrow keys, with Space/Enter for interaction and Esc to exit, so every mini-world reuses the same input vocabulary, making transitions seamless. The hub adds context hints (Enter to start, hints panel) and ? displays the full control list for judges.
• Mechanics clarity: Briefings list objective steps (collect/rescue, match interventions, route tickets) and corresponding keys, the HUD tracks timer/score/alerts, and result screens explain ranks; those same mechanics are rendered in code via BaseWorld.update + tick_timer, ensuring what judges read is what they play, which enhances UX by reducing cognitive friction.

The About/Rationale panel restates the design rationale, calling out the polymorphic BaseWorld architecture, particle-driven visuals, and save-integrity safeguards; it also mirrors the user journey (hub → briefing → world → result) so judges can follow the flow they just witnessed, and it lists every accessibility feature (high-contrast toggle, keyboard-first control, readable HUD) to confirm those requirements were intentionally designed.

5. Sensory Design

• Color & contrast: Default gradients transition smoothly across the hub while ensuring content remains distinguishable; the high-contrast toggle swaps to black/yellow with clear outlines so every textual element still meets WCAG guidelines.
• Background & typography: 3D-inspired shapes, tinted gradients, and consistent Helvetica/Consolas choices keep the visual atmosphere tied to the “career focus” narrative while maintaining readability on every screen.
• Sound & design cohesion: Optional backgroundMusic.wav gives judges an immersive audio layer that they can toggle with Alt+S, while particles and motion cues (sparks, bubbles, floating HUD glows) reinforce each career’s identity without overwhelming the controls.

---

Game Rules Documentation (Key Worlds)

World 1: Firefighter Rescue

• Objective: Rescue 5 survivors (free them by staying near, then carry to the red door).
• Hazard: Flames drain the timer 3x faster and spread randomly. High heat resets your position.

World 2: Chef Rush

• Objective: Complete a 4-step recipe at highlighted stations.
• Mechanic: Progress bars fill while on-station; clearing "Expedite Tickets" at the pass window adds time.

World 5: Architect

• Objective: Build an Eco-Library on a budget ($1,000) that survives a 10s wind test.
• Rules: Must include an Eco-Roof. Wind drag increases with height. BFS validates structural connection to ground.

World 0: Psychologist

• Objective: Stabilize 4 patients using Grounding (1), Breathing (2), Reflection (3), or Reframing (4).
• Logic: Match the intervention to the patient's "Cue words". Mismatched interventions spike distress and fail the session.

---

Notes for Judges

• 110/110 Goal: This project intentionally targets every point on the Rating Sheet.
• Implementation: No external libraries/engines were used (Pure Python Standard Library).
• Originality: Every mechanic, from the wind-drag simulation to the ALM ticket flow, was custom built for this event.

Developed by Srihan Yeleswarapu | 2025-2026 Competitive Event Entry