From Test-Scratch-Wiki
Most Scratch projects can be categorized into one or more project types. Project creation is the main point of Scratch, so their types are important as well. On the Scratch website, the main project types are games, animations, simulations, music, art, and stories.
Main Types
Most projects on the Scratch website fall under the following categories (See here for a full list):
Animations
- Main article: Animation Projects
Animations are a popular type of project made by Scratchers. They consist of a varying number of costumes played back and forth in rapid succession to create a movie or something to that effect. They have been made to represent day-to-day life, fantasy stories, comedies, and much more.
These projects commonly reach the Front Page, giving most animators a loyal following.
Games
- Main article: Game Projects
Games are the most common project type. Because of Scratch's large field of possibilities, many classics and such have been recreated — from Pacman to Mario, or from racing tracks to scavenger hunts. These also are popular, giving skilled programmers a large group of fans. These projects take up most of the Front Page, and are one of the most viewed.
Simulations
- Main article: Simulation Projects
Simulations are rather rare[factually inaccurate?], but are of high quality. There have been physics, weather, gravity, 3D simulations — almost everything has been created, including odder simulations that relate to snowflakes, cannons, bubbles, rotation — despite the small amount of simulations, they vary greatly.
Some common themes are Operating Systems or engines.
Music
- Main article: Music Projects
The music that Scratch encourages most of all is the type that has been created with only the sound blocks. Scratch utilizes the MIDI sound bank installed on a system allowing users to play up to 128 instruments, which allows users to play notes with theme while adjusting the volume and tempo.
Another variation of music is simply importing a song and uploading it. This act has had much controversy,[citation needed] because it requires little or no skill to do.
Art
- Main article: Art Projects
One of the main purposes of Scratch was for users to create their own games, stories, and interactive art. Most art has been interactive in the past, but a recent trend in non-interactive art projects were noticed by the Scratch Team; though an unexpected trend, such projects have been accepted.[1] Many complicated artworks reach the front page, and their artists usually reach fame and popularity. There is much controversy surrounding art projects in Scratch, a lot of Scratchers complain that they are a waste of space, since they do not contain any actual programming. While this can be supported by Scratch's nature as a programming language, many Scratchers are still open to the new style of scratch art.
Stories
- Main article: Story Projects
These projects are very rare, as most of them fit into the Animation category. The remaining ones are usually interactive, such as an adventure. But some stories are very different, such as many costumes/backdrops displaying a book.
Other Types
Some other common types that do not have their own category are as follows:
Tutorials
- Main article: Tutorial Projects
Tutorial Projects teach how to do something. Common tutorials teach scrolling scripts, velocity scripts, art tips, and much more. The Scratch Design Studio released a Studio encouraging Scratchers to create tutorials.
Remix
- Main article: Remix
A Scratch remix is a project that starts with a different project. It is then edited, and then shared. Remixes can be made from anything — there are even projects created for other people to remix (such as a platforming base or meme).
Remix Chains
- Main article: Remix#Remix Chains
Operating Systems
- Main article: Operating System
A Scratch Operating System is usually a fake mockup operating system. Some have the ability to import apps and data, as well as the ability to create, save, and delete files of different types, stored in lists.
Programming Languages
- Main article: Programming Language
Some Scratchers create their own programming languages within Scratch. They are often simplistic as advanced interpreters need Recursion to be efficient.
There are also some parsers that interpret code from real-life programming languages, such as XML parsers.
Advertisements
Some projects are used as advertisements for other projects, studios, users, forum related issues and non-Scratch related items. Special advertisements called teasers advertise an upcoming project to build up excitement for them. They usually include sample gameplay or screenshots.
Spam
Spam projects are projects that are of no use whatsoever, and are deliberately designed to either be inappropriate or useless and space-wasting.
Clutter
- Main article: Clutter
Clutter projects are designed to integrate with other projects. For example, multiple projects could hold multiple levels, and the player must accomplish older levels before being directed to newer, harder ones.
Three Dimensional Projects
- Main article: Three Dimensional Projects
Three-dimensional projects, otherwise known as 3D, is a challenge to make in Scratch, since Scratch does not actually provide 3D tools. However, an impressive number of 3D projects, ranging from wireframes to filled objects have been created with Scratch. The introduction of the "run without screen refresh" custom blocks' option has allowed 3D rendering to perform faster.
Sprite Packs
A Sprite Pack is a type of project that contains many sprites or costumes. They can be from clipped video games, created with paint editors like GIMP, or hand drawn, and are sometimes animated. They are useful for game-makers who are not very good at art.
Sprite packs often have a theme, for example, a user might make a "Space" sprite pack with spaceships, planets, and aliens are sprites.
Creative Characters Camp encouraged users to create sprite packs.
Who's That Scratcher?
Who's That Scratcher projects are games, usually part of a series, where you guess what Scratcher is described in the project using comments. They generally have a famous Scratcher in them. They became popular around June 2011.[citation needed] They usually have a unique name from others. There have been multiple variations.
Screamer
- Main article: Screamer
A Screamer which shows an animation, then suddenly breaks off and shows a scary picture to frighten a viewer. These are generally fun, but sometimes the scary picture is very gross or distressing. If this is the case, the project should be reported.
Script Poem
A Script Poem is a story or message told with a script consisting of existing blocks and often custom blocks made by editing Scratch 1.4's Squeak source.
Petitions
Some users have created petitions in order to make something true and encourage users to remix and sign it. Examples included to stop SOPA and PIPA[2] or bullying.[3]
Some petitions may result in flaming and drama due to some drama-stirring topics it supports.
