Jump Autopsy
Compare two supplied jumps phase by phase, with real measurements and a reproducible method, and explain why they feel different.
Due: 12 March 2027 · Weight: 20%
The brief#
Two jumps, same field, same character. What, precisely, is different?
You don’t need your own game to run this comparison — the Jump Lab link above loads the two supplied jumps for you: the Floaty preset as Jump A and the Precise preset as Jump B, both in immediate mode. That’s the whole point of doing this in the browser rather than asking you to bring footage: the two jumps you’re autopsying are one click away, not something you have to reconstruct from a video.
A good autopsy doesn’t just say Jump A feels floatier. It says how much floatier, measured in world units and seconds, and it connects that difference back to a specific number in the settings rather than a vibe. Two students should be able to run the same two presets, follow your method section, and land on the same table.
What you submit#
A single document — markdown or PDF, your choice — containing:
- Measurement table. Height, displacement and airtime for at least three trials of each jump, plus each jump’s average.
- Phase annotation. For each jump, a short description of what’s happening in each of the four phases (anticipation and landing can be qualitative; takeoff and flight should cite your measured numbers).
- Method. The preset, mode, and number of trials for each jump — enough detail that a marker could reproduce your table from scratch.
- Explanation. A paragraph on why the two jumps differ, in terms of which parameter (gravity, launch speed, or both) the Floaty and Precise presets set differently, and how that produces the measured gap.
Evaluation weighs accuracy, reproducibility and interpretation — this brief is not a drawing exercise, and a rougher sketch with a correct, reproducible table beats a polished one with invented numbers.
The spec
The brief poses the problem and leaves room for a response. The spec is the fixed part: what a marker checks. Some lines can be checked mechanically; the rest call for judgement.
- both supplied jumps are run at least three times each in the Jump Lab and every reported number is copied from the trial, not estimated
- all four phases (anticipation, takeoff, flight, landing) are identified for both jumps; anticipation and landing are described qualitatively, since neither is a number the lab reports before week 7
- the written explanation names gravity and/or launch speed as the cause of the measured difference, referencing the actual numbers rather than restating that "one feels heavier"
- the method section states the preset, mode and number of trials clearly enough that a marker could reproduce your table
How it is marked
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Measurement accuracy and reproducible method | 40% |
| Phase annotation | 25% |
| Interpretation of the difference | 35% |