This is a good list of what not to do. Can anyone recommend what to do to make a simple game? I thought I'd give Unity a try because of the vast learning resources. Turns out it's pretty kludgy to get things done. Unreal Engine seems to have a steeper learning curve but is of somewhat better quality. I had the most fun trying to write my own OpenGL renderer in C++ but of course that's a rabbit trail off of making an actual game. What is the most productive environment for beginners?
It's great to see improvements in Emacs. Are there any developments on getting a decent terminal emulator? I use term but occasionally have to open GNOME terminal when Emacs' term can't display something properly (like ncurses-based programs).
That Sauron was evil with no redeeming qualities was the whole point. Otherwise the quest would not have been so heroic. Some of the dark races were described as deceived more than evil.
As far as female characters go, I would say Galadriel, Eowyn, and Arwen were all quite powerful and interesting.
The problem with pixel art games is they tend to emphasize style over content. Game designers should strive to make the best possible game and allow a style to emerge from that, not the other way around.
The conclusion I would draw is China, Russia, and Poland perform the best in programming challenges. The article even shows this in a quote about the greatness of Chinese programmers:
> In universities and colleges, education resources are relatively fewer in comparison with many other countries, so students have less choices in their paths to programming. Many great students end up obsessed with competitive programming since it's one of the few paths.
This was an enjoyable read. I especially appreciate the ending. At first it had a somewhat dystopian feeling in the sense that the protagonist's tastes align with whatever's trending at the moment. He's smug and superior. But in the end it was the realization that he lives in a beautiful place and the awe at seeing the sun set that brought true comfort. Nothing else in his life really works, including the meditation app.
I can think of a few problems with this philosophy right off the bat. It doesn't give us much incentive to act politely. Also the first point reminds me of Sense and Sensibility when Marianne doesn't want to share her sadness with Mrs. Jennings not because she's a people pleaser but because Mrs. Jennings is not tender or sympathetic--all she wants is a supply of gossip.
That's why I can watch trailers of new movies and feel like I've seen enough. Usually you get the gist of the plot (or lack thereof) along with plenty of spectacular scenes making the rest of the movie unnecessary.
Have you ever tried using the alt/ctrl/shift keys on the other hand side? So for Ctrl-B you would use the right-hand pinky to hit ctrl and the left-hand index finger to hit B.
That's a lot more extracurricular activity and exercise than average Chinese students get. And forget about computer games. Many students are not allowed to use a cellphone on weekdays. Once they go off to college, however, they experience the first taste of freedom and some become addicted to computer games as attested by the abundance of internet cafes near college campuses.
9 to 5 school sounds like a breeze compared to China. Kids in China are doing 7 to 7 while in middle school (with piles of homework to do during lunch break and in the evening). In high school there is no leaving campus except for once a month.
As much as I want to cheer this it leaves me with the sour thought that modern Apple robbed kids of the joys the original Apple afforded. Growing up with the Apple II+ in our home I was programming from an early age because that was the primary activity you could do with one right out of the box. Look at the loops you have to run through to unleash the power of the iPad. Developer accounts, EULAs, closed APIs. Where is the modern equivalent of computer clubs where most members could code or at least were interested?
What is the desired outcome of the experiment? Why is YC doing it and where does the money come from? These and other basic questions make me suspicious of the whole thing. It doesn't seen sustainable for YC to be giving away money without expecting anything in return. I don't want to read too much into it but my suspicion is that this is part of an effort to lobby governments. If that's so, won't the researchers be motivated to make it appear successful?
I don't mean any disrespect to the author or his team but this sounds much like Stockholm syndrome (1). I see symptoms even in many "Ask HN: Who is hiring?" posts. Yes, we work long hours but we play games at lunch. We have snacks and drinks!
I live in China and have a Laser Egg (1) in my home. It's extremely accurate, often matching the AQI reading found by online services. What I'm interested in is learning how to purify the air inside. I knew cooking was a major culprit in raising PM2.5 levels. But even when running two air purifiers sometimes the AQI just can't be lowered too much. I think it's leaky seals in the apartment. We're on the 18th floor and on a windy day can feel a huge draft from the front door and hear the wind escaping the balcony windows.
I know a few people who feel sick just playing a FPS game on a regular computer monitor for more than a few minutes. Even on a high-end system 3D environments can cause motion sickness. So I believe it will be a long time until VR technology overcomes these problems.
This is the weakest pg essay I've come across. I can think of so many counter-examples. "Stand for nothing and you'll fall for anything." It's very convenient to have a small identity with few convictions because convictions are costly. Sophie Scholl identified with anti-Nazi politics and it cost her her life. We have a word for people like her: hero.
I added Mononoki to the default comparison and found I like it best of all the san-serif fonts but overall prefer the serifs over san-serifs, particularly Anonymous Pro.
I've seen this before but have always wondered how they made the bytecode part of the game. Did they have an editor or just plot things out on paper and then test in the virtual machine?
I'm not sure the new design is a good thing because using Emacs is like entering another world. If newbies have the impression that it's just another editor like all the others with fancy websites they will be quickly disappointed. On the other hand, if they are looking for something that challenges their understanding of what an editor, or software for that matter, should be then they may be motivated to overcome more hurdles such as an archaic homepage.
I wouldn't call dependence on cars "absurd" or "insane" as the article puts it. Certainly there's room for improvement. Self-driving cars may reduce underutilization as well as fatalities. Cities could be planned better for walking, biking, and public transportation. But without car transportation I doubt the US economy, standard of living, and general sense of unlimited possibility would be what they are today.
What made Ubuntu special was making Linux and other free software easier to use. But when it became too easy they started to take away the "free" part by adding intrusive "features". It's was never a given that as a company they would try to make money that way.
I don't think it's a tragedy because if it was very popular and easy to use YouTube would likely block it. It's directly competing with their own YouTube Red. Also look at popular Linux distros like Ubuntu. As soon as they reach mass market they lose what made them special to begin with and start experimenting with advertising and so on.