q_andrew

These issues are definitely real and need to be fixed. However, I do think that the URP/shadergraph pipeline has been unfairly maligned -- I've gotten some great results with very few bugs using HDRP as a solo dev (granted, the target platform is PC and it's running on a newer non-preview release). I made this game exclusively with shadergraph and HDRP deferred rendering and it runs quite well -- https://youtu.be/Vwu7gTVgDzo

Not anymore, thankfully.

To add to the list, Unity changed their policy on console development 6 days ago, and didn't tell anyone or even give an explanation (this article was written after a few developers noticed it in the license by chance). Whether or not it was a good choice is almost overshadowed by the lack of disclosure or transparency.

I did not notice this until after posting, but the xkcd fan wiki is still tracking the predictions: https://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/887:_Future_Timeline

I believe the same company owns a decent amount of train stations and routes. The skytree was a way to get more traffic to a less-traveled station, and it worked like a charm. I'm willing to bet that the other observation decks serve a similar purpose.

The term "metaverse" is so ill-defined and buzzwordy. I doubt that anything considered a metaverse would come from such a closed-system approach that Facebook is so fixed on.

I find solarpunk really interesting. On one hand, it's the most "fresh" aesthetic of futurism we've seen since cyberpunk. On the other hand, most of this architecture isn't environmentally sustainable at all -- the massive amounts of water and energy it takes to keep trees alive on a rooftop is antithetical to an "eco city".

The artists appear to be inspired by fad concept renderings for sky-garden towers that were never built:

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/renderings-vs-reality...

Blender is slowly making its way into the public consciousness. There are people who I wouldn't ever expect to be aware of any 3D program who seem to understand what blender does and is used for. Its reputation on platforms like youtube is breaking into mainstream discourse.

This is funny because modern Lubbock is an exact antithesis of what the article praises as good city planning.

For those who are interested in similar discourse, I recommend these cities skylines videos from youtube user donoteat01:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvUByM-fZk&list=PLwkSQD3vqK...

They are sarcastic tutorials on how to worsen your Skylines cities enough to qualify as a realistic North American metro area. If the mic quality bothers you, skip to the newer videos.

This is my go-to podcast for background noise at work. I recommend their episode on Gulf State vanity projects, it's my favorite one (it is also quite long).

I think local US politics would benefit from a publicized lottery system that rewards random voters.

Unfortunately this probably won't be changing any time soon. Similar to the movie industry in CA, execs see game developers as totally replaceable, because they kind of are. There are so many people who are extremely passionate about making games, that they will jump after any opportunity, even when they know it isn't paying what it should. The only thing that might bring about some kind of reform is a union or a change in US/CA/UK labor laws.

Yes. After the Vietnam war, real footage of violence left the public zeitgeist. Liveleak hosted videos that showed what life was really like when you listened to the guy who was trying to recruit you into the U.S. Army.

Was any person or institution archiving liveleak videos? Even just for the sake of law enforcement or journalistic documentation, I hope there is a way of accessing this content. I'm sure there's a lot of unprocessed history in those shut down servers.

Also, it's too bad this doesn't go before 1980, because I'd love to see how the Mt St Helens eruption affected the landscape around it (I know there are pictures, but google maps makes it feel more hands-on)

The growth of Dubai is crazy, as well as most major Chinese cities. What are some interesting, less obvious things to look at with this feature?

Considering the emphasis on real time data in MSFS, I'm surprised that shipping data wasn't already used to place ships in the game map.

In many situations, you are right. For instance, the five-over-ones being built in basically every city in the US exist because of a regulation loophole for building wooden structures (that constructing a fireproof barrier between two wooden structures allows you to build large, multi-story apartments with it). They are infamous for burning down during construction because they don't have sprinkler systems yet: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-13/why-ameri...

Cross-laminated timber has a "char layer" that keeps the other layers from burning through, and is even known for withstanding higher temperatures than steel: https://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/crosslam-timber-...

Laminated wood basically doesn't combust, so the fire hazard is comparable to most modern construction materials. Also, the way it's processed makes it extremely structurally sound.

Snow Crash is parody literature, but the fantasy is built around very good predictions about the future. He coined the word "avatar" for virtual characters, and the book contains a direct inspiration for google maps.

Say what you want about Stephenson's writing, but he definitely has a knack for understanding concepts before they enter the public consciousness.

I remember when a character started rambling paragraphs about Van Eck Phreaking in Cryptonomicon, it was immediately obvious that this would become a plot device later in the book.

This program would be great for art classes! Showed the zine maker to my girlfriend who is an art teacher, she loves it. She regrets already teaching zines this year.

This is awesome. You should be proud!

I had the opportunity to see one of these flowers bloom in 2018. It's quite phenomenal and I hope they can stay away from extinction through the next millenia.

I'm making an atmospheric exploration game about nostalgic liminal spaces.

lim·i·nal

adjective:

    1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.
    2. occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

https://q-andrew.itch.io/anemoiapolis

Glad I'm not the only one that likes procedural cities!

The author of this article is in far more pain than I have ever experienced. I will, however, try to pitch in because I have had chronic intestinal issues and I've found a few hacks to make it feel better.

For me it helps to consider how many people have had it worse. It's cynical, I know, but knowing that diarrhea killed more people than guns in the USA civil war is comforting. The Union soldier who died squatting over a pit while cannons boom and flies descend makes me remember how comfortable my climate-controlled bathroom is.

Another thing I've learned is to not feel guilty when I've abandoned whatever I was up to before the pain started. I'm lucky to have a partner who is very forgiving when we are traveling or doing leisure activities and I have to rush to the nearest bathroom. It's not your fault that you're not doing what you were supposed to be doing. Don't hesitate to curse your maladies for interrupting your life. It feels good to stick it to the man, even when the man is your own digestive system.

Crossing my fingers hoping this happens in the US, then I look at how many places that don't even have sidewalks (let alone bike lanes) and remember why cars are the only way to get anywhere here...