computer science

Pathfinder (video game)

Pathfinder (video game) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pathfinder (video game) rather than just read about it. In short: Pathfinder is a maze shooter written by Randy Jongens for Atari 8-bit computers. It was published in 1982 by Gebelli Software.

Key takeaways

Pathfinder (video game) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pathfinder (video game) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pathfinder (video game) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pathfinder is a maze shooter written by Randy Jongens for Atari 8-bit computers. It was published in 1982 by Gebelli Software.

Gameplay

The object of Pathfinder is to clean an underground maze of canisters of radioactive waste. These canisters are scattered in the maze and can be collected on contact by the Pathfinder, controlled by the player. Complicating this, radioactive creatures will attempt to stop the player. These are: Nukes, absorbing power from nuclear waste, Phantoms, moving through walls and Minelayers moving throughout the whole level placing mines. To defend himself the player is armed with a plasma gun that can be fired in any of eight directions. If the player shoots a mine, he will start a fire, which can spread through a maze. A level is completed by removing all radioactive waste. The game has nine levels, each characterized by color changes and sometimes changes in the structure of the maze itself.

Reception The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 concluded: "It's very hard to classify this game as either good or bad. While on the one hand it appeared to be a superficial and repetitious game, many of the teens who played it enjoyed seeing half of the maze on fire and then trying to put it out."

References

External links Pathfinder at MobyGames Pathfinder can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pathfinder (video game)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pathfinder (video game) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pathfinder (video game) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pathfinder (video game) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pathfinder (video game)

In research: Pathfinder (video game) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pathfinder (video game) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pathfinder (video game) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1982 video games, Atari 8-bit computer-only games, Atari 8-bit computer games, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pathfinder (video game) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pathfinder (video game) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pathfinder (video game) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pathfinder (video game) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pathfinder (video game) in simple terms?

Pathfinder is a maze shooter written by Randy Jongens for Atari 8-bit computers. It was published in 1982 by Gebelli Software.

Why does Pathfinder (video game) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pathfinder (video game)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pathfinder (video game).