SpaceRescue (function game)

1. Write the sentence code – or
2. just press "Play".

Activate the Java window and press the F2 key on your keyboard.

The SpaceRescue game works with sentence functions.

You may choose a sentence set or a specific sentence by typing its code, e.g. SMEA143. In that case you may not register your result. The sentence sets are SMEA, SMEB ja SMEC.

The sentence becomes visible. The bad octopuses are watching the words. Your goal is to rescue the sentence constituents and give them names. The game has three phases.

You start out with five jet fighters which you can steer with the arrow keys. You can shoot at the octopuses with laser if you press the space key. You are supposed to shoot down all octopuses watching the words which belong to the same constituent. If you shoot against an octopus which does not belong to the constituent in question, all the octopuses will shoot at you and try to destroy your jet fighter.You then have to move your fighter in order to protect it.

When you have rescued a sentence constituent, you send a rescue ship on order to rescue it. You only have 10 rescue ships. If you send a rescue ship too early (before you have freed a whole phrase) the octopuses may destroy the rescue ship.

When you have rescued a sentence constituent, you must choose the appropriate function (subject, verbal etc.) - the list is at the right margin of the game. You move upward with the A key, and downward with the D key. When you have marked the function, you press the S key.

If you have chosen the right function, the rescue ship flies off with the sentence constituent and puts it in the right place, together with the function. The sentence contituent turns green.

If you have chosen the wrong function, the octopuses will attack you and destroy your green shield. Each sentence constituent you have rescued has two red shields - one above and one under the constituent. This means that you have two possibilities for choosing the right function. If you make the wrong choice twice, the rescue ship will be destroyed. Then the computer shows the right function, and the constituent turns red.

• arrows used to move the rescue ship.
• space bar used to shoot with the laser.
• A ("Ascend"): move up to the right function.
• D("Descend"): move down to the right function.
• S("Send"): send the right function with the rescue ship.
• R("Rescue"): send the rescue ship.

You get 10 point for each word you have associated with the right sentence function. When the whole sentence is assigned to appropriate functions, the amount of points is doubled. If you try to include words not associated with the constituent in question, you lose 5 points. The octopuses may shoot at you if you err. Move the fighter with the arrows so that the octopuses do not hit you.

When you are done, you may press R and get a new sentence. Then the rescue ship will send the completed sentence out in space and bring you a new sentence instead.

On the Game menu you may stop the game by choosing "Stop Game". The game results are shown via "Highscore". You can choose this function only before you start playing, or after you are done.

On the Settings menu you may turn off the sound, or turn it on again, with the "Sound effects" option.

Instructions are found under the Help menu under "Introduction". You may also choose "Tutorial" and get just that.

We use the following sentence functions:

We use the following embedded functions:

If you want to learn more about syntactic functions: Syntactic functions

... or you may want to practice: syntactic tree building

VISL SpaceRescue link