anamnesis

I decided to write some mobile applications. And publish them (to introduce a certain rigor.) I plan to write 12. An arbitrary number, but one that feels right, para aprender, in order to learn. I chose to use Corona, so I could jump right in and start making stuff. I like the idea of just a canvas, a set of apis and a minimalist language (Lua, which is awesome.) It has limitations, but it also has a pretty wide swathe of a sweet spot; of things it can do well, cross platform, and these things involve interesting conceptual spaces: graphics, ai, game mechanics, physics engines, particle systems. I couldn't write a very decent business app with it, but I can work some other mojo. That’s the hypothesis. The 12 apps are both the curriculum and metrics of progress. I finished the first app this week and rolled it out to both google/android and apple play stores (an education in its own right.) It may never get more than a dozen downloads and dire reviews but I that wasn’t the p...

This is a fun little reaction test thingie. You get to shoot sheep trying to make a break for it with tranquilizer darts. I got "Bobbing Bobcat" Yay? Will have to try tomorrow after my morning coffee. (OK, afternoon coffee ;-) Reaction Test

In the following line of letters, cross out six letters so that the remaining letters, without altering their sequence, will spell a familiar English word: BSAINXLEATNTEARS

An addictive little genre that is a spinoff of a particular element in larger strategy games. These little suckers are very easy to dive into and very addictive. There, I warned you. Many variations exist, but this is the grandaddy and still the primo exemplar of the mix. It may not look like much, but it has some solid game play. The goal is to build little towers to keep the meanies from getting to the other side. The towers have different capabilities and you can drag them onto the board to construct your uber defense line. As your towers destroy meanies, you get money for more towers and tower upgrades. You can sell your towers if you want to reposition. BTW, the group ger-beans setup to submit your maps/scores to if you play the "medium" version of the game is "backer spit" (without the quotes.) Have no idea why ;-)

In the land of polished MMORPGs and media studio game production vying for 3D experiences, lie some interesting backwaters. I'm not referring to the casual gamers, although that is a significant slice of population that aren't WoW'ed by the immersive environments, rpgs and simulations; nope, that's an artform unto itself. I'm talking about something else. Something that looks like it was made by scanning pre-schoolers' doodles in a place where the object is to beat up drunken goats and battle hippies. Something called: The Kingdom of Loathing It's free, relying only on donations. But here's the interesting thing about "scale" on the internet: just the donations were enough for its creator to quit his day job and hire 6 full-time employees. They even have a virtual currency. Current exchange rate is 480,000 hunks of meat for one US dollar on ebay.

Line Rider - beta by * fsk on deviant ART Reminds me of certain sledding adventures. Especially if they add trees.

Many thanks for all the wonderful cards, novelties, calls, serenades and general enspoilment on my birthday! Had a great lunch with Brighteyes, Sonic and Mew the day before and a sumptuous breakfast out with just Brighteyes this morning. I am truly blessed. About every birthday, in particular, I like to explore something new. Mew turned me on to a new music genre called gypsy punk , lol. And I must admit it's pretty catchy. I'm listening to Gogol Bordello at the moment. Have to add this category to The Cardigans as a new find. I also decided to explore yet another genre that I'd been thinking about for a while: the adventure game. These are an interesting hybrid of storytelling and puzzle solving. They unfold like a movie, but one which you play a part in to discover what is going on. The one I picked for my first exploration is called " The Longest Journey. " (Actually, I picked the sequel, Dreamfall , but reading reviews said that you'd really have more fun ...