NEWER POSTS

Diecast #278: New Steam, Spreadsheet Games, Pretentious Games

By Shamus Posted Monday Nov 11, 2019

Filed under: Diecast 124 comments
Diecast #277: Halloween, Starbound, Manifold GardenPrevious Post
Next PostDiecast #279: Hyper Light Drifter, Superliminal, Mailbag

I notice some people would rather ask us questions in the comments rather than use the email in the header image. That’s fine and I don’t blame you for taking the path of least resistance. However, your laziness is compounded by my laziness. I usually gather up questions just before we record the show, and I rarely remember the questions that were asked in the comments a week earlier. You’re free to ask questions however you like, but I’m old and forgetful. If the question is really important to you, then you should probably email it.



Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
Diecast278

Show notes: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Diecast #278: New Steam, Spreadsheet Games, Pretentious Games”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Diecast #277: Halloween, Starbound, Manifold GardenPrevious Post
Next PostDiecast #279: Hyper Light Drifter, Superliminal, Mailbag

124 comments

 

Programming Vexations Part 9: The Problem With Engines

By Shamus Posted Thursday Nov 7, 2019

Filed under: Programming 77 comments
Programming Vexations Part 8: The Problem With LibrariesPrevious Post
Next PostProgramming Vexations Part 10: Header Files

In the previous entry I talked about the lack of game-specific types and features in C++, and how this leads to library proliferation, compatibility problems, and a massive duplication of effort. The idea was that a language designed for games ought to contain types that are common to all games. Several people argued in the comments that you shouldn’t add these sorts of things to the language itself, but rather provide them through the standard library.

This leads into a side argument over whether or not we should consider the “standard library” to be part of the language, which is one of those questions like, “Is the bun part of the hot dog?” where everyone thinks the answer is obvious, and are then horrified to discover another group of people who think the opposite answer is the obviously correct one. So then they take turns hitting each other in the face with the dictionary.

Welcome to the internet, I guess.

But since we’re here, I might as well sort this out for people who work in sensible careers rather than becoming programmers.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Programming Vexations Part 9: The Problem With Engines”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Programming Vexations Part 8: The Problem With LibrariesPrevious Post
Next PostProgramming Vexations Part 10: Header Files

77 comments

 

Music Class Part 1: LearnMonthly.com

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Nov 5, 2019

Filed under: Music 41 comments
Bad and Wrong Music Lessons: Getting CloserPrevious Post
Next PostMusic Class Part 2: My Tracks

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I signed up for a music course at LearnMonthly.com. The course was taught by Andrew Huang, who is one of my favorite YouTube creators. The class ended today. I’ve turned in my final project and I want to talk about what I learned, what I made, and what I think about the LearnMonthly service. (But not in that order.) If you stick around long enough, I’ll inflict some of my music on you.

For those of you who are new to the site: I’ve been dabbling in music for a few years. It all started with my Bad and Wrong Music lessons back in 2014. I make music digitally and I don’t play any real instruments. I’m entirely self-taught. Music is a side hobby and I have no plans – or potential – to do anything with it professionally. Even after all this time, I’m still very amateurish in my work. Maybe this means I don’t have any aptitude for music. Maybe it means I do have some aptitude but it takes a long time to get good. Maybe I’ve hit a plateau due to odd gaps in my knowledge.

In any case, I signed up for this class because I really loved the introductory lecture on YouTube and I wanted to fill in some of those knowledge gaps. As far as that goes, I got what I wanted out of the course. I’m going to complain about the website here, but I want to make it clear up front that I don’t have any problems with Huang’s lectures.

First up, let’s talk about…

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Music Class Part 1: LearnMonthly.com”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Bad and Wrong Music Lessons: Getting CloserPrevious Post
Next PostMusic Class Part 2: My Tracks

41 comments

 

Diecast #277: Halloween, Starbound, Manifold Garden

By Shamus Posted Monday Nov 4, 2019

Filed under: Diecast 44 comments
Diecast #276: Apologies, Manifold Garden, MailbagPrevious Post
Next PostDiecast #278: New Steam, Spreadsheet Games, Pretentious Games

This weekend was our twice-yearly ceremony of pointlessly messing with the clocks. I just realized I didn’t rant about it this year. Sorry about that. I’m not giving up, I’ve just got other things on my mind lately. Feel free to revisit my rant from exactly one year ago if you’re missing my usual tirade against this petty annoyance.

Also: The mailbag is now empty, so if you have a question you’ve been sitting on then now is your chance. The email is in the header image.



Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
Diecast277

Show notes: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Diecast #277: Halloween, Starbound, Manifold Garden”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Diecast #276: Apologies, Manifold Garden, MailbagPrevious Post
Next PostDiecast #278: New Steam, Spreadsheet Games, Pretentious Games

44 comments

 

The Outer Worlds: We Should Do More Of This

By Bob Case Posted Saturday Nov 2, 2019

Filed under: Video Games 170 comments
Achilles and The Grognard: Chateau IrenicusPrevious Post
Next PostAchilles and The Grognard: Athkatla, City of Coin

We interrupt our Baldur’s Gate series coverage to bring you an update on a newer shiny object.


Link (YouTube)

(The above video is by Skill Up, one of Youtube’s better reviewers in my opinion)

The below isn’t really a review. If you want to read a review, there a hundred out there. Long story short: it’s good. Some are talking GOTY contender, though that’s the sort of thing people start talking about in October so we’ll see.

Instead, it’s more like a barely-organized complaining vehicle. Obsidian’s Fallout-in-SpaceYes, that description is an oversimplification, but it’s a useful one. game The Outer Worlds has been out for a little over a week now, and its existence is frustrating to me.

Not because it’s a bad game – in fact, it’s quite good, maybe even very good. My only question is, why weren’t we doing this the whole time? What I mean is that between Fallout: New Vegas and this, Obsidian has demonstrated – to my satisfaction at least – that they’re better at making Bethesda games than Bethesda is. It’s been nine years since New Vegas came out, and The Outer Worlds had (apparently) a three-year development cycle, so in a better world we could’ve had three of these by now.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “The Outer Worlds: We Should Do More Of This”

 

Bob Case MrBtongue is the Pele of complaining about videogames and will soon be the Garrincha of complaining about TV shows. You can find his Youtube channel at youtube.com/user/MrBtongue.

Achilles and The Grognard: Chateau IrenicusPrevious Post
Next PostAchilles and The Grognard: Athkatla, City of Coin

170 comments

 

What’s Inside Skinner’s Box?

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Oct 29, 2019

Filed under: Column 87 comments
Blizzard's FollyPrevious Post
Next PostThe Dumbest Cutscene

So let’s say you’re a stone-age Homo sapiens and you’re having a really bad day. You’re separated from your tribe, you’re hungry, you’re thirsty, and you’re exhausted. Nobody’s invented McDonald’s yet, so you have to forage for your food. You don’t know what vitamin C is, but you do know that for days you’ve had a powerful craving for something tart.

Then you come across a plant you’ve never seen before. Fruit is growing on it. You don’t know if it’s safe to eat, but you don’t have much of a choice. You take a bite and Woooooooooooooah. It’s got water, it’s got calories, and it’s got vitamin C. That wave of euphoria you experienced when you ate the fruit was caused by the release of dopamine in your brain


Link (YouTube)

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “What’s Inside Skinner’s Box?”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Blizzard's FollyPrevious Post
Next PostThe Dumbest Cutscene

87 comments

 

Groundskeeper Dave

By Shamus Posted Monday Oct 28, 2019

Filed under: Personal 74 comments
The New ComputerPrevious Post
Next PostWorlds Dot Com?

There’s a gag from the early seasons of the Simpsons where Groundskeeper Willie – needing to enter the school vents for reasons that aren’t worth getting into – goes to the lunch lady, tears off his shirt, and orders her to, “Grease me up woman!”. Without his shirt we can see the cantankerous but otherwise unassuming groundskeeper is absolutely ripped.

This joke always reminded me of my stepfather Dave, and vice-versa. In 1985, I was distracted from my programming by a steady thumping sound coming from just outside. I looked out the window to see Dave, shirtless, axe in hand, vigorously slamming away at a low tree stump. He’d accidentally grazed it with the mower one too many times, and he’d decided to get rid of it. I’d known him since 1983, but it wasn’t until this moment that I realized how fit my stepdad was.

Dave died yesterday, in the early hours of Sunday morning, after a long battle with emphysema. He was 68.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Groundskeeper Dave”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

The New ComputerPrevious Post
Next PostWorlds Dot Com?

74 comments

 
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