Programming as the ultimate game

Dusty · 2005-12-22 04:48:08

A lot of people (not here so much ;-)) think I'm pretty weird because I do programming for fun. I do it in preference to, for example, gaming. I tried to explain this to someone and came up with something that appears, right up on the surface, to be an interesting insight. Of course, its really just regurgitated information deep down, I'm sure.

In this game of programming, its you against the computer, where your goal is to make a program that compiles and runs correctly (according to Linus, if you will recall, this is how you know there are no bugs).

Now, the AI the computer uses in this game is pretty amazing compared to that used in most video games today. The computer's goal, in a way, is just to thwart you in your attempts to reach the finish line. The AI does this by doing what computers were designed to do: Computers do *exactly* what you tell them to do. The AI module (for example, gcc, javac, python, prolog, etc) takes advanage of this by taking every single one of your mistakes and using it against you.

So in essence, this is your native intelligence battling with your native stupidity. What a splendid game! Could you ask for a more suitable oponent!?

Open source development then, is the ultimate experience in network gaming. ;-)

Dusty

jellywerker · 2005-12-22 06:13:14

Interesting insights, and as far as I know, not regurgitated, but unfortunately it only appluies to those that know how to code, and others cannot play, thus the need for simple addictive games, like WoW (How I mine for fishes?!)

I really aught to crack a whip at my butt and learn php or python or ruby or something, but I can never sit down and learn it, it kinda glazes over me, I hink I would do better in a classroom, just to learn how to learn, then go from there. When I read a book I understand it, but I never realise how to apply it independant of the examples in the book.

Moo-Crumpus · 2005-12-22 07:55:36

Will try it, too, if Dusty will ever finish the 3D OPENGL IDE with all that fancy stuff, including teamspeak, chat, etc.

codemac · 2005-12-22 11:37:47

Since I've been at college, programming is a chore. Every assignment rewriting the wheel. Each professor too caught up in their own research to notice they are failing at teaching. I used to love it so much... but until I can program things that aren't all ready implemented in the C++ STL... It's gonna make me want jump on my keyboard.

Dusty · 2005-12-22 16:54:06

Yeah, I'm talking about the stuff we do for fun, open source coding and such. That crap for school just sucks. I'm in grad school now and its actually worse so far. I at least had a little time for my personal *interesting* projects as an undergrad. Now I have no time for magnum or the 3D IDE. Written in python, of course. WTF is teamspeak?

Dusty

jakob · 2005-12-22 17:25:18

a kind of skype which is mostly used during playing games like cs and so on..

. the html-"programmer" *lol*

B15HOP · 2005-12-28 18:10:28

To be honest I'm not even sure if I should go to uni to do games programming simply because I know that it's more of a hobby / vocation for me than a money grabbing, marketing exercize. Then again, I havn't coded for years...

Komodo · 2005-12-29 19:06:09

God, don't go to do games programming! Those courses are way lame! Do computer science; that way you do stuff that's related to your hobbies, gain deeper understanding of the workings behind everything you use, AND seem appealing to tech-heavy companies on the prowl for new talent.

deficite · 2005-12-29 20:08:08

Plus you'll end up with a very limited degree and knowledge base. Just suppose the games industry slows down like it did in the late 80's. If you have a CS degree then you can do something else for a while until your "dream job" (I'm not sure game development will stay your dream job after you do it, I know some very unhappy game devers).

The only coding I've ever done that wasn't purely for fun was coding a robot controller for our school's FIRST Robotics team. That's not to say I didn't have fun doing it though! Well, besides the disputes I had with the build team on whether it was truly a hardware or software issue

B15HOP · 2005-12-30 11:26:15

Actually its Computer Science majoring in Games Technology.

Komodo · 2005-12-30 11:36:07

Even so, I'd be interested to know what they study for 'game technology'...

B15HOP · 2005-12-30 11:37:42

It looks pretty legit, but it also looks like a lot of C and C++ code. I'm not sure I'm ready to be a game developer.

Komodo · 2005-12-30 11:44:58

IMO courses whose purpose are to teach you a language are a waste of time. The useful thing to know is all the theory behind software, the design techniques etc. If a course teaches you a language on the side as a learning tool, then fair enough; but otherwise it's redundant, because you can easily learn a language in your own time if you want to.

My two cents.

B15HOP · 2005-12-30 11:52:29

Yeah but its not just the language itself, more like all these different types of coding, such as game loops, controllers, AI, scripting, Direct X, OpenGL, cgi, shader languages, list goes on. Theres quite a lot involved and on top of that you have to put all this technology to good use and actually make something fun, nor just pretty graphics. From what i've seen though, people teaching themselves seem to be better than people who study. It's all about driving yourself without having a deadline to push you.

Komodo · 2005-12-30 12:01:10

B15HOP wrote:

It's all about driving yourself without having a deadline to push you.

Very much so; it's incredibly easy to label academic work as tedious and uninteresting, no matter what the subject matter, simply because it's something you HAVE to do. Teaching yourself things, if you've got the organization, is great because you can work at whatever pace you want, and always feel like you've achieved something.

Gullible Jones · 2005-12-31 00:29:13

I must ask:

Dusty wrote:

In this game of programming, its you against the computer, where your goal is to make a program that compiles and runs correctly (according to Linus, if you will recall, this is how you know there are no bugs).

I thought you know that your program is bugfree when it contains no code?

Komodo · 2005-12-31 01:33:10

...but in order to gain ranks in the game, you have to write another 100 lines of code

Arch Linux

#1 2005-12-22 04:48:08

Programming as the ultimate game

#2 2005-12-22 06:13:14

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#3 2005-12-22 07:55:36

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#4 2005-12-22 11:37:47

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#5 2005-12-22 16:54:06

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#6 2005-12-22 17:25:18

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#7 2005-12-28 18:10:28

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#8 2005-12-29 19:06:09

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#9 2005-12-29 20:08:08

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#10 2005-12-30 11:26:15

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#11 2005-12-30 11:36:07

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#12 2005-12-30 11:37:42

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#13 2005-12-30 11:44:58

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#14 2005-12-30 11:52:29

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#15 2005-12-30 12:01:10

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#16 2005-12-31 00:29:13

Re: Programming as the ultimate game

#17 2005-12-31 01:33:10

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