Inconsistent SoftwareSoftware developer, game developer. Writer of ideas.2024-01-02T16:45:00Zhttps://www.inconsistent.software/Judah Perezme@judahperez.comTop Games 20232024-01-02T16:45:00Z
2024-01-02T16:45:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/<p>Games! What a tumultuous year for games and those that were laid off. It's awful this year had so many highs and lows, and I hope everyone finds jobs doing what they want to do.</p>
<p>I ended up playing a lot of games. More games this year than any before.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/Iq1qLWeNd9-1080.avif 1080w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/Iq1qLWeNd9-1080.webp 1080w"><img title="Games played on steam." alt="Games played on steam." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/Iq1qLWeNd9-1080.png" width="1080" height="1080"></picture></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Nice
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I like Steam's end of year summary.
Not only did I try 69 games on steam, I completed 11 games. A lot of them were from 2017, so apparently that was just not a good year for finishing games.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/DJQZErozn9-1767.avif 1767w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/DJQZErozn9-1767.webp 1767w"><img title="Games played on steam deck." alt="Games played on steam deck." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/DJQZErozn9-1767.png" width="1767" height="880"></picture></p>
<p>I also picked up the OLED version of the Steam Deck. I didn't initially think it would make much of a difference, but I love it even more.
Thanks to the Deck, I tried more of the smaller games I have in my backlog. I didn't like all of them, but they are at least no longer neglected in the eternal backlog.</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>My top games for 2023!</p>
<ol>
<li>Armored Core 6</li>
<li>Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom</li>
<li>Baldur's Gate 3</li>
<li>Hi-Fi Rush</li>
<li>The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog</li>
<li>Forza Horizon 5</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="armored-core-6" tabindex="-1">Armored Core 6 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Armored Core 6 just barely beat out Tears of the Kingdom for my top game, but I had so much fun playing it.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-sad.png" alt="Foxis sad" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
The end of the chapter 1 boss is hard. I spend hours my first night trying to beat it with no success.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>The chapter one boss was definitely a tough one. It doesn't help that the first time I tried it, the game crashed on the cut scene right before the boss. Since them, I got gud. I beat all 3 ending is about... 41 hours or so. By the end, the early bosses barely gave me any trouble. What a great game.</p>
<p>My steam taste profile is apparently mechs.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/djq6CTZuWn-1016.avif 1016w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/djq6CTZuWn-1016.webp 1016w"><img title="Mechs, Mechs, Mechs, Mechs." alt="Mechs, Mechs, Mechs, Mechs." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/djq6CTZuWn-1016.png" width="1016" height="772"></picture></p>
<h3 id="legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom" tabindex="-1">Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was so good. I wasn't sure I was going to be ready for it, but I finished Breath of the Wild right before in April.
TOTK is amazing. It takes everything from Breath of the Wild and expands it. The building system to make vehicles is so creative. I'm amazed how you can seamlessly fall from the sky to the underground with no loading screens. The game is a technical marvel.</p>
<h3 id="baldur-s-gate-3" tabindex="-1">Baldur's Gate 3 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Baldur's Gate 3 is one of those top games of the decade. Unfortunately I did not play it as much as I should have, otherwise it will probably be higher on the list. It might be on next years top games list too at the rate I play it.</p>
<p>I am currently playing as a Dragonborn Wizard. I accidentally started a dark urge character because I couldn't figure out what was the custom character button. After a few hours I switched to a regular character, but it was very confusing why my character wanted to randomly kill everyone.</p>
<h3 id="hi-fi-rush" tabindex="-1">Hi-Fi Rush <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-music-jam.png" alt="Foxis music" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I love the soundtrack!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I love how over the top the action is with all the robots. The story is not bad too. The action combat to the beat is a lot of fun.</p>
<h3 id="the-murder-of-sonic-the-hedgehog" tabindex="-1">The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>What a great little game, and a surprise!</p>
<h3 id="forza-horizon-5" tabindex="-1">Forza Horizon 5 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>This is here because my friend group plays this on Tuesday's, and it's a blast to play. We have a buddy that makes custom tracks to race on. Our favorite thing is to race B Class Friendlies.</p>
<h2 id="honorable-mentions" tabindex="-1">Honorable Mentions <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>These are other games I enjoyed and want to mention.</p>
<h3 id="jusant" tabindex="-1">Jusant <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>A friend of mine played Jusant during the Steam Demo Fest, and I was intrigued. It has interesting climbing traversal mechanics and a light story.</p>
<h3 id="final-fantasy-xiv" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I'm still playing it and eagerly waiting for the next expansion, Dawntrail.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/aGueguck-J-2560.avif 2560w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/aGueguck-J-2560.webp 2560w"><img title="Kite in FF14 with his cat parasol." alt="Kite in FF14 with his cat parasol." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/aGueguck-J-2560.png" width="2560" height="1440"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Kite in FF14 with his cat parasol.</p><p></p>
<h3 id="roots-of-pacha" tabindex="-1">Roots of Pacha <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Shout out to Roots of Pacha! My friend released their game this last year, and it's great! Play it if you like farming games like Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley.</p>
<h3 id="mabinogi" tabindex="-1">Mabinogi <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I checked back on my old favorite MMO on a while, and I was hit with so much nostalgia. I don't think I really want to play it for reals again, but it's nice to see it's still active. There was a recent quality of life update, so maybe I'll check it out again next year.</p>
<h3 id="astro-s-playroom" tabindex="-1">Astro's Playroom <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>What a nice little game. I completed it 100% because my son enjoyed watching me play it.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="games-i-ve-finished" tabindex="-1">Games I've Finished! <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>Jedi: Fallen Order, Railbound, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Armored Core 6, Viewfinder, Jusant, Tacoma, Bluey: The Video Game, Astro's Playroom, Dear Esther.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>Moonlighter, Mabinogi, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, Forza Motorsport 2023, Slay the Spire, Baba is You, Backpack Battles Demo, Palia, Satisfactory.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>Octopath Traveler 1 & 2,
Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts 3,
No Man's Sky, Ni no Kuni, Doom Eternal, Dwarf Fortress, Lord of the Rings Online.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2024-01-02-top-games-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>Pyre, Doom, Dragon Quest XI, Angels with Scaly Wings, Ni no Kuni II, Loop Hero, Backbone, Prey, Red Dead Redemption 2, Disco Elysium, Alan Wake, Control, Nier: Automata, God of War, Psychonauts 2.</p>
September 2023 Recap2023-09-30T21:30:00Z
2023-09-30T21:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-09-30-september-2023-recap/<p>After Blaugust in August, I have posted nothing. Here are some highlights of the last month.</p>
<p>Blaugust ended! It was fun but as I expected, I am now content dry.</p>
<p>I'm loving Armored Core 6. Baldur's Gate 3 nearly took me, but I held strong and fell in love with AC6. I love From Software games in general and this one is near perfect. I completed my first play through and nearing the end of New Game Plus Plus. That's right, it's so good I'm playing it 3 times in a row.</p>
<p>Final Fantasy 14 is having its 10th anniversary event. I'm playing it between AC6, and I am collecting enough tomestones to get the Fat Cat Umbrella.</p>
<p>I haven't returned to Palia, although I keep meaning to. There's too many games to play.</p>
<p>What happened to Unity? I haven't been using it in a while, but now I'm tinkering with my own game engine by learning Vulkan. I was able to get it to run on my Steamdeck.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/05HnMMyN6f-2048.avif 2048w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/05HnMMyN6f-2048.webp 2048w"><img title="A textured cube on a black ground running on a Steam Deck. The cube would be spinning if this was animated." alt="A textured cube on a black ground running on a Steam Deck. The cube would be spinning if this was animated." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/05HnMMyN6f-2048.jpeg" width="2048" height="1152"></picture></p>
Blaugust 2023 Retrospective - Lessons Learned2023-09-01T03:05:00Z
2023-09-01T03:05:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-31-blaugust-2023-retrospective/<p>Wow, I wrote <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/tags/blaugust-2023/">11 articles</a> (plus this one)! Here is my post for the Lessons Learned Week for Blaugust.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/nanlxos3ua-800.avif 800w"><img title="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 calendar." alt="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 calendar." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/nanlxos3ua-800.webp" width="800" height="934"></picture></p>
<p>This was a fun experience. I was way more into it than I thought I was going to be. I was able to clear out a bunch of my drafts this month.
This event also inspired more posts I haven't gotten to yet. After this I am going to be blogging less for a while.</p>
<p>I enjoyed reading other people's blogs during the event. I grabbed the big blog roll and stuck it in my RSS reader and skimmed through all the posts each day. Going forward, I'm going to keep reading, just maybe less frequently. For lessons learned, I really like group events like this for motivation. I can write if I put my mind to it! I also learned that I just need to write and put stuff out there if I want to get better in general.</p>
<h2 id="some-stats" tabindex="-1">Some Stats <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-31-blaugust-2023-retrospective/">#</a></h2>
<p>My blog is hosted on Netlify, so I pay for basic sever-side analytics. Traffic has been pretty good for me from what I can tell.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/zwdbaBSDsD-1780.avif 1780w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/zwdbaBSDsD-1780.webp 1780w"><img title="Netlify analytics for the last 30 days." alt="Netlify analytics for the last 30 days." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/zwdbaBSDsD-1780.png" width="1780" height="1120"></picture></p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/pruu7AW7wI-625.avif 625w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/pruu7AW7wI-625.webp 625w"><img title="Netlify analytics top pages for the last 30 days." alt="Netlify analytics top pages for the last 30 days." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/pruu7AW7wI-625.png" width="625" height="1164"></picture></p>
<p>It looks like my top post was <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">Top Webcomics of All Time</a>. I wonder how long this traffic tail will be. The nice thing with blogs vs social media is that these posts should be easy to find forever and generally be relevant. My <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">Getting Started With Game Development</a> post still gets traffic from time to time, so it's worth it to me to at least try to write good stuff. I should probably make an updated version of that post because a lot has changed since 2018.</p>
<h2 id="achievements" tabindex="-1">Achievements <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-31-blaugust-2023-retrospective/">#</a></h2>
<p>I earned some <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugchievement-list/">achievements</a>! I didn't earn them all but I feel pretty good for what I did.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/Wc8DKIQs4S-811.avif 811w"><img title="Blaugust 2023 Lessons Learned Achievement" alt="Blaugust 2023 Lessons Learned Achievement" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/Wc8DKIQs4S-811.webp" width="811" height="313"></picture></p>
<h2 id="blaugust" tabindex="-1">Blaugust <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-31-blaugust-2023-retrospective/">#</a></h2>
<p>All my Blaugust 2023 info and achievements can be found on my <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/stuff/blaugust/2023/">Blaugust page</a>. All my Blaugust posts are tagged with "Blaugust 2023" which has a handy <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/tags/blaugust-2023/">list here</a>.
I'm probably going to participate next year so see you all around!</p>
Healing in Virtual Worlds - A College Anthropology Research Paper2023-08-29T15:00:00Z
2023-08-29T15:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-29-anthro-research-paper-healing-in-games/<p>I wrote this paper in my last year of college before graduating. The course was something along the lines of an anthropology class about healing rituals in cultures.</p>
<p>I originally was going to write about using games for healing, but I was deep in virtual world theory at the time, so I ended writing about healing in the context of the culture of the virtual world. Specifically, this is about Final Fantasy XIV, but it covers the general theory. For motivation, I streamed writing this on Twitch.
Viewer count was not high, but it worked, I wrote the thing.</p>
<p>Available as PDF: <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/misc/Healing-in-games-2018-research-paper.pdf" target="_blank">Healing in Virtual Worlds</a></p>
Blaugust 2023 Prompt - Games To Know Me2023-08-28T15:00:00Z
2023-08-28T15:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/<p>This prompt has been going around the other Blaugust blogs like <a href="https://casualaggro.wordpress.com/2023/08/09/10-games-to-know-me/">Casual Aggro's</a> and <a href="https://www.indiedee.com/2023/08/08/blaugust-getting-to-know-me-top-five-favorite-video-games/">Indiedee's</a>, so here's mine.</p>
<p>These are the games to know me.</p>
<p>Not long ago I made my <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">top games of all time post</a>, but this is prime Blaugust content, so I'm writing a bit more about it.</p>
<h2 id="undertale" tabindex="-1">Undertale <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>Undertale is my number one game. I played it at the right time for it resonant and stays with me to this day. I like Deltarune, but it's hard to live up to the original.</p>
<h2 id="final-fantasy-xiv" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>Final Fantasy XIV is my most played game. Shadowbringers has an amazing story and I play it a lot with friends and family. It is my favorite current MMO.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/ff14catboy.png" alt="Final Fantasy 14, Kite the Catboy"></p>
<h2 id="elden-ring-dark-souls" tabindex="-1">Elden Ring / Dark Souls <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>I've never actually finished Dark Souls 1 but it is so important to me for the style of games I enjoy. I did complete Dark Souls 2 as a Dual-wielding swordsman. Elden Ring was of course amazing mixing soulsborn gameplay with great open world design.</p>
<h2 id="mabinogi" tabindex="-1">Mabinogi <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>My all-time favorite MMO. I played this so much in high school. I loved the skill based stat system. Runescape may have been why I feel in love with MMORPGs but Mabinogi is what deepened my interest and why I love virtual worlds.</p>
<h2 id="dark-cloud-2" tabindex="-1">Dark Cloud 2 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>AAAAAAAAAHH. This game does so much and it is amazing. It has enough game systems to rival an MMORPG. The stylized art holds up for being a PS2 game. I still play it from time to time now that it's re-released for PS4.</p>
<h2 id="magic-the-gathering" tabindex="-1">Magic: The Gathering <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>I spend too much on the card game, but I enjoy player EDH/Commander. I want to design my own card game some day and MTG is a huge influence why.</p>
<h2 id="mass-effect" tabindex="-1">Mass Effect <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>I annoyed my brother so much by listening to the audio codices when I was a teenager.</p>
<h2 id="summon-night-swordcraft-story" tabindex="-1">Summon Night: Swordcraft Story <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>My favorite Game Boy Advance game. Maybe tied with Friends of Mineral Town. I loved the action combat and the story was fun.</p>
<h2 id="solatorobo-red-the-hunter" tabindex="-1">Solatorobo: Red the Hunter <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>My favorite Nintendo DS game. The music is some of my favorite game music, second to only Undertale.</p>
<h2 id="harvest-moon-story-of-seasons-friends-of-mineral-town" tabindex="-1">Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons : Friends of Mineral Town <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>Stardew Valley is good, but this game is what hooked me on the genre. None of the sequels really got me like this version did.</p>
<h2 id="pokemon" tabindex="-1">Pokémon <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-28-blaugust-2023-prompt-games-to-know-me/">#</a></h2>
<p>As a bonus, more games! Pokémon Gold and Silver were my favorite versions. I've been playing every generation since but I've only ever beat the elite four in Gen 2, 4, 8, and 9.</p>
Blaugust 2023 Prompt - 5 Facts About Me2023-08-27T16:00:00Z
2023-08-27T16:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/<p>From the <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">Blaugust prompt list</a>, <em>Tell us 5 facts about yourself</em>.</p>
<h2 id="tell-us-5-facts-about-yourself" tabindex="-1">Tell us 5 facts about yourself <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h2>
<p>Here it goes!</p>
<h3 id="i-have-a-3-year-old-toddler" tabindex="-1">I have a 3-year-old toddler <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h3>
<p>I have a child! I've been married for 6+ years and I also have 2 cats and 1 dog.</p>
<h3 id="i-make-video-games-professionally" tabindex="-1">I make video games professionally <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h3>
<p>Surprise, surprise, I make video games. I started my latest job this last year, and it's great! I've been waiting to make video games since I was 10 and started making simple ones since I was a teenager. I was working on an indie MMORPG for a while but am currently doing something else at the moment.</p>
<h3 id="dragons-dragons-dragons-dragons" tabindex="-1">Dragons, Dragons, Dragons, Dragons <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h3>
<p>I like dragons. <a href="https://ref.cookiedragons.com/dragon">The Cookie Dragon</a> came to be around 2012/2013 and has eventually become my dragon self.</p>
<h3 id="books-and-comics" tabindex="-1">Books and Comics <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h3>
<p>I love reading books and comics. Some of my favorite webcomics are <a href="https://twokinds.keenspot.com/">TwoKinds</a> and <a href="http://freefall.purrsia.com/">Freefall</a>. I've been meaning to make a full top webcomics post, but I haven't gotten around to finishing it yet.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-27-blaugust-2023-prompt-4-five-facts/">#</a></h2>
<p>This list was harder to write than I thought. Am I not that interesting? I'm very brief when I write, but I try. I think I've spent too much time microblogging in my past, but that's why I want to write more. Till next time!</p>
Blaugust 2023 Staying Motivated2023-08-26T16:00:00Z
2023-08-26T16:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-26-blaugust-2023-staying-motivated/<p>So, this is the Staying Motivated Week for Blaugust.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/nanlxos3ua-800.avif 800w"><img title="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 calendar." alt="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 calendar." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/nanlxos3ua-800.webp" width="800" height="934"></picture></p>
<p>I think I was a bit confused about the format, so I'm writing this post at the end of the week.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-think.png" alt="Foxis think" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Whoops, I probably should have written something for Creator Appreciation Week
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>Anyways, what is motivation? It's not something you can really force which is why I use it more as a boost more than anything.
Thankfully, my brain is very easy to trick with a little gamification.
I've been using Todoist, a task tracking app, for years now, so I can track what I need to do and earn some points to go up in rank.
It was a good start to build the habit since nowadays I'm ranked Grand Master with not many ranks left to chase.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/2VQaMLOBTV-1079.avif 1079w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/2VQaMLOBTV-1079.webp 1079w"><img title="Todoist karma progress at 45k points." alt="Todoist karma progress at 45k points." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/2VQaMLOBTV-1079.png" width="1079" height="715"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Only five thousand more points to rank up!</p><p></p>
<p>Usually, I set some goals for each week, whether that's working on a software project, blogging, or something else that's creative.
That is usually motivation enough because I have too many project to do and not enough time. And if I don't do it, that's okay.</p>
<p>Ultimately in my mind, it comes down to building the habits for what I want and need to do. Motivation adds that extra something that can lead to building habits.
Blaugust is a good example for giving the motivation I needed to blog more.
Once the event is over, I definitely won't be blogging as much, but now I'm going to be in the habit to at least blog once a month about things.</p>
Top Webcomics of All Time (2023 Edition)2023-08-23T15:00:00Z
2023-08-23T15:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/<p>Following up after <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">top games</a>, I want to share some of my favorite webcomics I've read over the last few years.</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://twokinds.keenspot.com/comic/1/">TwoKinds</a></li>
<li><a href="http://freefall.purrsia.com/">Freefall</a></li>
<li><a href="http://salamanstra.keenspot.com/d/20140315.html">Hunters of Salamanstra</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.sdamned.com/">Slightly Damned</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/tower-of-god/list?title_no=95&page=1">Tower of God</a></li>
</ol>
<h2 id="other-webcomics-i-like" tabindex="-1">Other Webcomics I Like <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.homestuck.com/">Homestuck</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.prequeladventure.com/2011/03/prequel-begin/">Prequel</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.yousayitfirst.com/">You Say It First</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.straysonline.com/">Strays</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/">Manly Guys Doing Manly Things</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=082712">Awkward Zombie</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.sssscomic.com/comic2.php">Stand Still, Stay Silent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/">Gunnerkrigg Court</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goblinscomic.com/">Goblins</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lackadaisy.com/comic.php">Lackadaisy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://darthsanddroids.net/">Darth and Droids</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.housepetscomic.com/">Housepets</a></li>
<li><a href="https://demoneater.thecomicseries.com/">Demon Eater</a></li>
</ol>
<p>The continuously updated page for the list can be found <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/stuff/topwebcomics">here at /stuff/topwebcomics </a></p>
<h2 id="webcomics" tabindex="-1">Webcomics <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>Around the end of high school is when I found the wonder that is independent web comics. Actually, scratch that, I was reading <a href="https://vgcats.com/">VG Cats</a> since middle school, but didn't find more until I eventually started reading Homestuck and the other MS Paint Adventure comics. Here are some of my favorites.</p>
<h3 id="twokinds" tabindex="-1">TwoKinds <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p><a href="https://twokinds.keenspot.com/comic/1/">TwoKinds</a> is my all-time favorite comic. I think I started reading it around 2011 and never stopped. I even tried to make a game based on it but have stopped working on it at the moment.</p>
<h3 id="freefall" tabindex="-1">Freefall <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p><a href="http://freefall.purrsia.com/">Freefall</a> has been going on for a long time, and it is great. It has the feel of a Sunday newspaper comic strip but with great characters and story that has been going on for year. It updates fairly regularly which is nice.</p>
<h3 id="hunters-of-salamanstra" tabindex="-1">Hunters of Salamanstra <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p><a href="http://salamanstra.keenspot.com/d/20140315.html">Hunters of Salamanstra</a> is a new comic to me and I like it a lot. The monster hunts are good and there's enough mystery and intrigue about the world to keep you hooked.</p>
<h3 id="slightly-damned" tabindex="-1">Slightly Damned <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.sdamned.com/">Slightly Damned</a> or slightly hecked is a fun story I started to read around the same time as TwoKinds. The main characters escape hell at some point and angels and demons fall in love.</p>
<h3 id="tower-of-god" tabindex="-1">Tower of God <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I started reading <a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/tower-of-god/list?title_no=95&page=1">Tower of God</a> after the anime aired, and I was hooked. The magic and tech feel pretty unique for a fantasy series. I highly recommend it.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-23-top-webcomics-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>I've read many webcomics over the years, and it's a bit sad that some of them are not around anymore. I'm thankful artists are able to make the stories they want to make, and that I get to read and enjoy them.</p>
Color Picker for Unity2023-08-20T16:00:00Z
2023-08-20T16:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-20-color-picker-for-unity/<p>Back in 2014, when the <a href="https://blog.unity.com/technology/overview-of-the-new-ui-system">Unity UI</a> was new, I had an idea to make a color picker to use in game using the new UI system. Thus, <a href="https://github.com/judah4/HSV-Color-Picker-Unity">HSV Color Picker</a> was created. Nearly 9 years later, the library has reached 500+ stars on GitHub!
It's wild to me that potentially that many people are using code I wrote in their games.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/JadeUlbKwT-1149.avif 1149w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/JadeUlbKwT-1149.webp 1149w"><img title="Color pickers showing off the different features they support." alt="Color pickers showing off the different features they support." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/JadeUlbKwT-1149.png" width="1149" height="863"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Look at all the color pickers.</p><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-yell.png" alt="Foxis yell" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
How is it 9 years already?! It doesn't feel that long ago.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<h2 id="why-i-made-it" tabindex="-1">Why I Made It <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-20-color-picker-for-unity/">#</a></h2>
<p>When the new UI system came out, I was excited. The old system worked, but had a lot of limitations and very programmer centric. The new system looked great with it's WYSIWYG editing that aligned more with Unity's visual editor and component system approach.
I was thinking about character creation and how players should be able to change the color of their hair or cloths, and there wasn't much around for doing that. I think at that time, I was also learning about some color theory and how Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) was calculated.
I <strong>also</strong> wanted to contribute to open source. Everything aligned, and I started the color picker project as an open sourced licensed project.
My main goal was to make something I can use for my game, but with the secondary goal of making a nice UI component other people can use.</p>
<h2 id="maintenance" tabindex="-1">Maintenance <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-20-color-picker-for-unity/">#</a></h2>
<p>Maintenance has not been a bad experience. Some people contributed early to help get it going, and the overall interest has kept me going with development.
There was a spike of interest during <a href="https://hacktoberfest.com/">Hacktoberfest</a> years ago, which lead to some of my own interest into the event.</p>
<p>For Unity version support, I've been keeping it current with the oldest Unity LTS version.
I accidentally dropped Unity 2018 support early, so I'm a lot more careful with the supported versions.
Luckily, there hasn't been too many breaking changes over the years, except for nested prefabs and some version changes for TextMeshPro.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-20-color-picker-for-unity/">#</a></h2>
<p>It's been a while since I really dug into the code, but I think I'm going to do a rewrite to use Scriptable Objects for the color sets at some point.
I also want to check out the <em>new, new</em> UI system and see if I can make a color picker for that.</p>
<p>Here's to more years of open source maintenance! It's probably time to check support for Unity's 2022 LTS Version.</p>
Blaugust 2023 Prompt - Earliest Memory of Core Fandoms2023-08-19T15:00:00Z
2023-08-19T15:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-19-blaugust-2023-prompt-3-core-fandoms/<p>From the <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">Blaugust prompt list</a>, <em>What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?</em>.</p>
<p>Video games! It should be no secret that I like playing video games.
If I was to name my core fandom, it would be playing video games. I love them.
I'm pretty sure I played some games before this, but one of my earliest memories of really playing, was when my family was borrowing a PlayStation 1, and I was able to play a little of Sypro the Dragon.
It was a lot of fun, even though I don't think I got very far or did well. But that memory stuck with me.
After that, some of my favorite games for a while were on the Game Boy Advance. And then later, I played a lot of MMOs.
Honestly, I don't think of it as a fandom, rather I enjoy playing games like Dark Souls and Final Fantasy 14.</p>
<p>For pop culture fandoms, my father got me into Star Wars early. We watched the original trilogy together every few months.
Since my childhood, I've watched Star Wars less often, but I have been keeping up with the Disney shows. Star Wars is a series I spent a lot of time with and have a ton of fond memories of. Between the movies and video games, it was time with my dad which is probably why I like it so much.</p>
<p>I am in general a big fan of Sci-fi and Fantasy, whether it is movies, TV shows, books, or video games. Something about going to other worlds really draws me in. The creative world building really draws me in and inspires me.</p>
Blaugust 2023 Prompt - Personal Mascot2023-08-12T16:30:00Z
2023-08-12T16:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-12-blaugust-2023-prompt-2-mascot/<p>From the <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">Blaugust prompt list</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><em>If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?</em></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em>How did you get the name that you regularly go by online, and what if anything does it mean?</em></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em>Tell us about some community that you are part of and why it interests you or how it impacts you?</em></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-think.png" alt="Foxis think" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
What is a personal mascot but a fursona?
</p>
</div><p></p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="mascot" tabindex="-1">Mascot <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-12-blaugust-2023-prompt-2-mascot/">#</a></h2>
<p>All of these prompts are related to each other, so I will write about them in one blog post. What is a personal mascot other than something you want to represent and identify as yourself? On the internet, we have profile pictures and avatars with bio descriptions. Some people take it further making full character identities like fursonas, and even take it off the internet with real costumes. In my case, I identify as my dragon art, but I don't go full fursuit with it because it is, one, expensive, and two, I don't fully identity with my body in that way. I think that's called Therian when you identify as another species? Anyway, I already have a "mascot" and I recommend making one for yourself too.</p>
<img class="image-center image-sized-sm" src="https://ref.cookiedragons.com/images/2018/10_12_1judahlineless.png" alt="It's me, Foxis the Cookie Dragon" title="It's me, Foxis the Cookie Dragon">
<p></p><p class="image-caption">It's me, Foxis the Cookie Dragon</p><p></p>
<h2 id="the-name" tabindex="-1">The Name <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-12-blaugust-2023-prompt-2-mascot/">#</a></h2>
<p>I went through a few names online. First just my name with a number. Later Tythin which I eventually no longer wanted to use. When I came up with my dragon, he was originally just The Cookie Dragon with no other name. Eventually I settled on Foxis because it's unique and because I like foxes. My alt name is Kite in MMORPGs, taken directly from .HACK.</p>
<h2 id="furry-community-in-general" tabindex="-1">Furry Community In General <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-12-blaugust-2023-prompt-2-mascot/">#</a></h2>
<p>I've been online for a long time now. I really miss forums. I started reading the webcomic TwoKinds and was active on the forums for a few years, which lead me to the general Furry Fandom. I always liked the talking animals in movies, and it wasn't until later that I realized a lot of people are into it and making their own characters and art.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-tongue.png" alt="Foxis tongue" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Thanks Robin Hood
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I feel like I'm part of that broader community, but I mainly interact with a limited number of people on Discord and Social Media. Actually, I like I'm split between the game developer community and the furry fandom.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-12-blaugust-2023-prompt-2-mascot/">#</a></h2>
<p>Make yourself a mascot/fursona. It's a lot more fun to be an animal on the internet than yourself.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Rawr!
</p>
</div><p></p>
Palia Beta Thoughts2023-08-10T03:20:00Z
2023-08-10T03:20:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-09-palia-beta-thoughts/<p><a href="https://palia.com/">Palia</a> is fun! I gained access to the beta on August 3rd and have played it a bit over the last few days. Overall, my impressions are good of the game.</p>
<h2 id="some-bullet-point-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Some Bullet Point Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-09-palia-beta-thoughts/">#</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>The property building is good enough. I love plopping items everywhere.</li>
<li>How do I change my cloths?</li>
<li>Servers go down every once in a while. Not bad for a beta though.</li>
<li>Crafting timers take some time.</li>
<li>There's a Dragon Shrine!</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="more-thoughts" tabindex="-1">More Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-09-palia-beta-thoughts/">#</a></h2>
<p>I think I really like the game. Palia feels like the start of something special, and I want to play more of it.
It has a lot of the game design aspects that I wanted to try in my own game I was making, although it seems to be missing social aspects to really round it out as an MMO.
It feels like an online Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. I'm probably going to be playing this for a long time.</p>
Blaugust 2023 Prompt - Getting Into Content Creation2023-08-05T14:45:00Z
2023-08-05T14:45:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-05-blaugust-2023-prompt-1-content-creation/<p>From the <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">Blaugust prompt list</a>, <em>How did you get started in content creation</em>?</p>
<h2 id="how-did-you-get-started-in-content-creation" tabindex="-1">How did you get started in content creation? <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-05-blaugust-2023-prompt-1-content-creation/">#</a></h2>
<p>First off, I don't remember who said it, but don't call your own creative work "content". You are not a content machine, you are a creative person.</p>
<p>Anyway, I've always been making stuff. I dabbled with writing and drawing when I was young, but I always wanted to make video games.</p>
<h3 id="making-games" tabindex="-1">Making Games <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-05-blaugust-2023-prompt-1-content-creation/">#</a></h3>
<p>I started to learn 3d modeling with Blender a long time ago, but the UI was a mess and I couldn't figure it out until the big Blender 2.5 update. Eventually, I learned how to use <a href="http://www.milkshape3d.com/">Milkshape3d</a> to make 3d models. I inevitably joined a rev share project as a 3d modeler to make an MMO, but that went how they usually do.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I'm surprised the Milkshape3d website is still around. Wow!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I learned how to program in C# at the end of High School and learned Unity3d. From there, I went on to make some small games which lead to working on <a href="https://www.twokinds.online">TwoKinds Online</a> for years.</p>
<p>Nowadays, I'm working professionally at a large studio.</p>
<h3 id="youtube-and-twitch" tabindex="-1">YouTube and Twitch <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-05-blaugust-2023-prompt-1-content-creation/">#</a></h3>
<p>Alongside making games, I tried some podcasting on YouTube and live-streaming game development on Twitch. I don't remember when I started on Twitch, but I eventually made it to Affiliate after streaming off and on over the years. Streaming was fun, but also tiring, so I eventually stopped.</p>
<h3 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-05-blaugust-2023-prompt-1-content-creation/">#</a></h3>
<p>Even when I was younger, I was making up worlds and settings for simple tabletop games for my brother and I to play. I wrote and drew some comics in middle school and wrote some in-character RP journals on an MMORPG forum. It's fun to make things.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/dnXj9pWPIn-1000.avif 1000w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/dnXj9pWPIn-1000.webp 1000w"><img title="D&D campaign town map from 2011." alt="D&D campaign town map from 2011." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized-sm" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/dnXj9pWPIn-1000.jpeg" width="1000" height="1000"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">D&D campaign town map from 2011.</p><p></p>
Blaugust 2023 Introduction2023-08-02T03:30:00Z
2023-08-02T03:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-01-blaugust-2023-intro/<p>It's bloggin' time! I'm joining <a href="https://aggronaut.com/2023/07/12/blaugust-2023-is-coming/">Blaugust</a> for the first time to blog all of August!</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/0AE1-2C_Eo-1000.avif 1000w"><img title="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 logo." alt="Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 logo." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/0AE1-2C_Eo-1000.webp" width="1000" height="671"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2023 logo.</p><p></p>
<h2 id="introduction" tabindex="-1">Introduction <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-01-blaugust-2023-intro/">#</a></h2>
<p>Hello Bloggers, I am a game developer that blogs every once in a while. I like talking about tech, what games I'm playing, and whatever else that crosses my mind. I love MMORPGs and most game genres in general.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I will also be commenting here and there. Rawr!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>This is my first Blaugust and am excited to do it. I've been blogging off and on for years, so having an event that gamifies it enough for me has me hyped for writing.</p>
<h2 id="blaugust-plans" tabindex="-1">Blaugust Plans <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-01-blaugust-2023-intro/">#</a></h2>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/MXegEhQcFb-800.avif 800w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/MXegEhQcFb-800.webp 800w"><img title="Blaugust Week 1 days 30th through the 5th." alt="Blaugust Week 1 days 30th through the 5th." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/MXegEhQcFb-800.png" width="800" height="155"></picture></p>
<p>I don't know how much I'm actually going to write, but I'll start by grabbing some topics from the <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">prompt list</a>.
I want to cover these tops at the minimum and hopefully do more. The Blaugust format seems a little free-form since this is technically the "Welcome to Blaugust Week", and next week seems more for introductions. But I'm just going to write as much as I can about things and stuff, and see what happens.</p>
<h3 id="favorite-prompts" tabindex="-1">Favorite Prompts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-01-blaugust-2023-intro/">#</a></h3>
<p>The <a href="https://aggronaut.com/blaugust-prompt-list/">prompt list</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li>How did you get started in content creation?</li>
<li>If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?</li>
<li>What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?</li>
<li>Tell us 5 facts about yourself.</li>
<li>How did you get the name that you regularly go by online, and what if anything does it mean?</li>
<li>Tell us about some community that you are part of and why it interests you or how it impacts you?</li>
</ul>
<p>A few of these prompts are related to each other, so I will be combining them into a single blog post.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-think.png" alt="Foxis think" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
What is a personal mascot but a fursona?
</p>
</div><p></p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-08-01-blaugust-2023-intro/">#</a></h2>
<p>I'm excited to write more! I think I told myself I will blog more this year and Blaugust is the perfect event for that.</p>
The Return to Comic-Con 20232023-07-30T09:00:00Z
2023-07-30T09:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-07-30-return-to-comic-con/<p>After 4 years, I finally went back to Comic-Con and had a great time.</p>
<p>First to get it out of the way. Yes, Covid is not over, even if society is trying to pretend it is. It's so tiring trying to stay careful when no one else seems to care. I wore a mask the whole time I was there.</p>
<p>Returning to Comic-Con was a lot of fun after not going these last few years due to the pandemic. It feels just as big as ever, even with the writer and actor strikes going on. I ended up only going for Saturday and Sunday, but that was just enough time to see what I wanted to see. I totally could have used another day to go to panels and stuff, because there was so much there. But two days felt good for my initial return.</p>
<p>I ended up buying a new messenger bag from Modern Rugged that came with a ton of dice.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-think.png" alt="Foxis think" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I may have an addiction to plastic clicky-clackies. They are too fun to roll.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I also picked up some comic books, stickers, and a new dragon lanyard. Here are some images of my new stuff.</p>
<h2 id="pictures" tabindex="-1">Pictures <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-07-30-return-to-comic-con/">#</a></h2>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/_e3pm9GwL8-1467.avif 1467w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/_e3pm9GwL8-1467.webp 1467w"><img title="A nice leather bag to hold stuff." alt="A nice leather bag to hold stuff." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/_e3pm9GwL8-1467.jpeg" width="1467" height="875"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">A new messenger bag!</p><p></p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/OborbMTwRy-1000.avif 1000w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/OborbMTwRy-1000.webp 1000w"><img title="A lanyard with dragons on it with a matching pin." alt="A lanyard with dragons on it with a matching pin." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/OborbMTwRy-1000.jpeg" width="1000" height="1090"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Look at how cute the dragon is.</p><p></p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/1f-JkU46Il-825.avif 825w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/1f-JkU46Il-825.webp 825w"><img title="Cute Dragonite stickers." alt="Cute Dragonite stickers." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/1f-JkU46Il-825.jpeg" width="825" height="1157"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Dragonite stickers are for my son and are very cute.</p><p></p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/A7tc5yiEiN-1448.avif 1448w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/A7tc5yiEiN-1448.webp 1448w"><img title="A small dragon with coffee sticker and a dog sticker from a friend." alt="A small dragon with coffee sticker and a dog sticker from a friend." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/A7tc5yiEiN-1448.jpeg" width="1448" height="800"></picture></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I love stickers!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/5ovbhrFFL1-846.avif 846w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/5ovbhrFFL1-846.webp 846w"><img title="A cool looking comic called Beastlands." alt="A cool looking comic called Beastlands." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center image-sized" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/5ovbhrFFL1-846.jpeg" width="846" height="1301"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Beastlands - Keepers of the Kingdom comic book.</p><p></p>
<p>I was able to get a lot of good stuff. It's really hard to not buy dragon merch.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-07-30-return-to-comic-con/">#</a></h2>
<p>Comic-con was a lot of fun.
Although, I think my favorite part of the convention was hanging out with friends afterward. Overall, it was a great time.</p>
Well Known Fursona2023-06-25T15:30:00Z
2023-06-25T15:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-06-25-well-known-fursona/<p>I was looking for stuff to put into <code>/.well-known/</code>, so I decided to add <a href="https://github.com/theHedgehog0/fursona-schema">Pyrox's Well-Known Fursona</a> for Foxis the Cookie Dragon. I even contributed to the spec!</p>
<p>Now that I'm using 11ty for my blog, it's really easy to make files where I want. I generate the well-known file and the <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters">characters page</a> with the same javascript character data file. The file is close to the fursona spec format, but has some additional fields I use for emotes.</p>
<p>Check it out at <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/.well-known/fursona">/.well-known/fursona</a>.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Hey, it's me!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<h2 id="emotes" tabindex="-1">Emotes <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-06-25-well-known-fursona/">#</a></h2>
<p>Now that I think about it, I didn't describe the data file when I made the <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-22-character-emotes-testing/">character testing post</a>. Each character has general data and a list of emotes for each supported character emotion. The images are stored relative to character, artist, and then emote name.</p>
<pre class="language-js" tabindex="0"><code class="language-js"><span class="token string-property property">"emotes"</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token punctuation">[</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token string-property property">"name"</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">"cookie"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token string-property property">"imagePath"</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">"frost/foxis-cookie.png"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token string-property property">"name"</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">"happy"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token string-property property">"imagePath"</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">"frost/foxis-happy.png"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token operator">...</span><br><span class="token punctuation">]</span></code></pre>
<p>Urls for the images are then generated relatively when specifying the character's name and mood with the <code>charEmote</code> shortcode.</p>
<pre><code>
{% charEmote "foxis", "happy", "Hey, it's me!" %}
</code></pre>
<p>This should make it easy to add another character at some point. Tears of the Kingdom really delayed this blog post so maybe I'll make a Zonaisona.</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.gabrielsimmer.com/posts/well-known-fursona/">Gabriel Simmer</a> made a nice fursona viewer, so go check it out at <a href="https://fursona.gmem.ca/">fursona.gmem.ca</a>!
You can view mine here <a href="https://fursona.gmem.ca/inconsistent.software">fursona.gmem.ca/inconsistent.software</a>.</p>
Foxis Dot Dev2023-05-07T21:30:00Z
2023-05-07T21:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-05-07-foxis-dot-dev/<p>On a whim I bought another domain, <a href="https://foxis.dev">foxis.dev</a>.</p>
<iframe src="https://dragon.style/@cookie/110317315385762916/embed" class="mastodon-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://dragon.style/embed.js" async="async"></script>
<p>I'm going to use it for more experimental dev shenanigans.</p>
<p>I've scattered my previous one-off dev stuff across all my domains without much order in the past. Honestly, I might continue doing that with <a href="https://www.judahperez.com">judahperez.com</a> and <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software">inconsistent.software</a>. But for now, I'm planning to start using <a href="https://foxis.dev">foxis.dev</a> by setting up a matrix server. Who knows what else I'll do after that.</p>
<h2 id="some-previous-shenanigans" tabindex="-1">Some Previous Shenanigans <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-05-07-foxis-dot-dev/">#</a></h2>
<p>Character References: <a href="https://ref.cookiedragons.com">ref.cookiedragons.com</a><br>
FF14 Treasure Dungeon Routes: <a href="https://ff14treasure.judahperez.com/">ff14treasure.judahperez.com</a><br>
A Request For Patrick's Parabox: <a href="https://patrickrequest.judahperez.com">patrickrequest.judahperez.com</a></p>
<p>My blog lives at yet another domain, <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software">inconsistent.software</a>. I think I own another... 5 domains?</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-sip.png" alt="Foxis sip" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
5 is an understatement.
</p>
</div><p></p>
Framework Laptop2023-04-29T16:30:00Z
2023-04-29T16:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-29-framework-laptop/<p>My previous laptop's battery was dying, so I was looking for a new laptop, and <a href="https://frame.work/">Framework</a> caught my eye.
I've never been afraid to take apart and swap out drives in my previous laptops, so I was pretty excited about getting one that was built for repairability.</p>
<p>I've had my Framework 13 for a few months now, and I love it. The <a href="https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-framework-laptop-16">newly announced gaming series</a> look nice, but I like how small and thin this thing is.
The battery life is good. It wasn't that hard to put together, and being able to pick what connector ports I have on it is so nice. I'm writing this blog post in my Framework!</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/bIMSDjS5xG-2886.avif 2886w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/bIMSDjS5xG-2886.webp 2886w"><img title="My framework laptop with 3/4 enough stickers." alt="My framework laptop with 3/4 enough stickers." loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/bIMSDjS5xG-2886.jpeg" width="2886" height="2263"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Still not enough stickers.</p><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-sad.png" alt="Foxis sad" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Some stickers I wanted to buy weren't available anymore! The only versions I could find of the <em>There is no Cloud</em> sticker were lower resolutions copies on Redbubble.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<h2 id="some-downsides" tabindex="-1">Some Downsides <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-29-framework-laptop/">#</a></h2>
<p>I had one issue, actually. When I was putting it together for the first time, I thought I plugged the keyboard connector in all the but it came loose.
I went to turn it on for the first time and nothing happened. I was afraid it was a dud, but I found the issue when I reopened it. Once I verified the keyboard was connected properly, it booted right up.</p>
<p>Okay, maybe something else thing that bugs me is the screen resolution and aspect ratio being 3:2. It is taller than the usual 16:9, which is nice initially, but games like FF14 have a hard time setting the resolution to it properly without it squashing or stretching. It is a nice screen though, and the taller resolution makes writing this really nice.</p>
<p>I also had to install a firmware update to get the trackpad to work properly. I don't think I can recommend these laptops to my non-techie family as it takes some fiddling.</p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-29-framework-laptop/">#</a></h2>
<p>10/10 would recommend for techies. I don't think I would recommend it to my parents or less techie siblings, but overall it meets my needs and then some.</p>
<p>I love my framework laptop. It can even run Final Fantasy XIV!
I ended up getting 2x USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and a USB-A port.</p>
Jekyll to 11ty: Post Permalinks2023-04-23T15:30:00Z
2023-04-23T15:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-23-jekyll-to-11ty-posts/<p>I forgot to mention how I kept the old blog post permalinks when moving from Jekyll in the <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty">Hello 11ty</a> blog post.</p>
<p>When moving from Jekyll to 11ty, I did not want my permalinks to break.
Luckily, 11ty supports explicit permalinks!
As the example, here is the Front Matter header for the markdown file for the <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">Top Games 2022</a> post.</p>
<p><code>2023-01-01-top-games-2022.md</code></p>
<pre class="language-md" tabindex="0"><code class="language-md"><span class="token front-matter-block"><span class="token punctuation">---</span><br><span class="token front-matter yaml language-yaml">title: "Top Games 2022"<br>date: 2023-01-10<br>tags:<br> - lists<br> - games<br>permalink: /lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html</span><br><span class="token punctuation">---</span></span></code></pre>
<p>It's so easy. Links don't break and setting the permalink is only required for old posts. Going forward, new posts are going to be under <code>/blog</code> without the <code>.html</code> extension.</p>
<h2 id="images" tabindex="-1">Images <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-23-jekyll-to-11ty-posts/">#</a></h2>
<p>Unfortunately, images did move location. They are no longer under <code>assets</code> but directly under <code>img</code> now.
It's a very minor thing, but I think search engines indexed the previous image locations, and are now trying to find them. I set up basic analytics on Netlify which is reporting some missing resources for images on the <code>assets</code> path.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-shrug.png" alt="Foxis shrug" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I can probably move all the images back under assets.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-screm.png" alt="Foxis screm" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
But I don't want to.
</p>
</div><p></p>
Character Emotes Testing2023-04-22T16:30:00Z
2023-04-22T16:30:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-22-character-emotes-testing/<p>I added character emote images, so now I can add emotions!</p>
<p>Honestly, I forgot I had all these when I was initially setting up the character.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I am happy!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-sad.png" alt="Foxis sad" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I am sad.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/metal/foxis-yell.png" alt="Foxis yell" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
AAHHH!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box character-box-reverse">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/frost/foxis-happy.png" alt="Foxis happy" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
I'm having a conversation with myself!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/Foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
This is the default image.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I'm having fun with this. There's also now a <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters">characters</a> page.</p>
Hello 11ty2023-04-16T21:20:00Z
2023-04-16T21:20:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/<p>Goodbye Jekyll, Hello 11ty.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/IdthKOzqFA-350.avif 350w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/IdthKOzqFA-350.webp 350w"><img title="A possum parent and two possum kids hanging from the iconic red balloon" alt="A possum parent and two possum kids hanging from the iconic red balloon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-sized-sm image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/IdthKOzqFA-350.png" width="350" height="685"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">The cute 11ty Possum.</p><p></p>
<p>I essentially spent the last week learning 11ty and finished upgrading my blog faster than I thought.
I grabbed the <a href="https://github.com/11ty/eleventy-base-blog">eleventy-base-blog</a> as the blog base and went from there.
Customizing the theme went faster than I thought it would have. I've apparently improved my CSS writing these last few years.
I'm probably going to tinker with the site headers and footers a bit more but overall I'm liking the new design.
There's even a <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/tags">tags</a> page!</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
This is fun to customize!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<h2 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/">#</a></h2>
<p>I'm really liking 11ty so far. I'm able to keep my blog pages permalinked to what they were before which is really nice.
The <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/feed.xml">RSS</a> feed generation is really easy and relative page links get generated properly for it compared to what I had to do for Jekyll.
I can probably spend another week to a month plus tinkering with it as yet another side project.</p>
<p>Now that tagging works, I'm going back and tagging previous articles with things like <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/tags/games/">games</a> and <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/tags/thoughts/">thoughts</a>.</p>
<h3 id="other-customizations" tabindex="-1">Other Customizations <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/">#</a></h3>
<p>The RSS feed was moved from /feed/feed.xml to just /feed.xml.</p>
<p>Added a footer with social media links.</p>
<p>Added <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/projects">project pages</a>.</p>
<h3 id="blog-excerpts" tabindex="-1">Blog Excerpts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/">#</a></h3>
<p>I added blog experts that show up on the post list pages like the homepage or <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog">archive</a>.</p>
<p><code>eleventy.config.js</code></p>
<pre class="language-js" tabindex="0"><code class="language-js">eleventyConfig<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">setFrontMatterParsingOptions</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token literal-property property">excerpt</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token boolean">true</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token comment">// Optional, default is "---"</span><br> <span class="token literal-property property">excerpt_separator</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">"<!-- more -->"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span><br> <span class="token literal-property property">excerpt_alias</span><span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">'feed_excerpt'</span> <span class="token comment">//for the list excerpt</span><br><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br><br> <span class="token comment">// for except rendering on the list page</span><br>eleventyConfig<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">addNunjucksFilter</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token string">"feedEncode"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token keyword">function</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token parameter">value</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token keyword">return</span> value <span class="token operator">?</span> md<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">render</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span>value<span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token operator">:</span> <span class="token string">''</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br><span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br></code></pre>
<p><code>postlist.njk</code></p>
<pre class="language-html" tabindex="0"><code class="language-html">...<br><span class="token tag"><span class="token tag"><span class="token punctuation"><</span>div</span> <span class="token attr-name">class</span><span class="token attr-value"><span class="token punctuation attr-equals">=</span><span class="token punctuation">"</span>postlist-excerpt<span class="token punctuation">"</span></span><span class="token punctuation">></span></span><br> {{ post.data.feed_excerpt | feedEncode | safe }}<br><span class="token tag"><span class="token tag"><span class="token punctuation"></</span>div</span><span class="token punctuation">></span></span></code></pre>
<p><code>The Post</code></p>
<pre class="language-html" tabindex="0"><code class="language-html">Goodbye Jekyll, Hello 11ty.<br><br><span class="token comment"><!-- more --></span></code></pre>
<h2 id="character-lorem-ipsum-testing" tabindex="-1">Character Lorem Ipsum Testing <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/">#</a></h2>
<p>Here are some test character dialog boxes using lorem ipsum. The CSS itself wasn't too difficult. The short code customization ended up like this.</p>
<p><code>eleventy.config.js</code></p>
<pre class="language-js" tabindex="0"><code class="language-js">eleventyConfig<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">addShortcode</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token string">"character"</span><span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token keyword">function</span> <span class="token function">charShortCode</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><br> <span class="token parameter">characterImageUrl<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <br> charName<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <br> text</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span> <span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token keyword">return</span> <span class="token template-string"><span class="token template-punctuation string">`</span><span class="token string"><br> <div class="character-box"><br> <img src="</span><span class="token interpolation"><span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">${</span>characterImageUrl<span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">}</span></span><span class="token string">" alt="</span><span class="token interpolation"><span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">${</span>charName<span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">}</span></span><span class="token string">" class="image-character" ><br> <p class="character-text" ><br> </span><span class="token interpolation"><span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">${</span>charName<span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">}</span></span><span class="token string">: </span><span class="token interpolation"><span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">${</span>text<span class="token interpolation-punctuation punctuation">}</span></span><span class="token string"><br> </p><br> </div><br></span><span class="token template-punctuation string">`</span></span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">}</span><span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span></code></pre>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In vulputate condimentum magna, ac iaculis justo elementum id. Nullam tortor purus, efficitur vitae magna eu, congue efficitur ligula. Suspendisse sem nisi, sodales vel orci vel, tempus ornare erat. Nam at felis condimentum, cursus mi eu, tincidunt ligula. Nunc vitae condimentum ipsum, a aliquet erat. Integer eu eleifend purus, non pulvinar metus. Nullam sagittis cursus elit vel commodo.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p></p><div class="character-box character-box-reverse">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus laoreet sit amet diam ut pharetra. Vivamus vehicula dui at lorem elementum aliquam. Cras pharetra est sed dui elementum, ac auctor purus maximus. Donec molestie leo non maximus mollis. Morbi ornare tincidunt purus scelerisque pellentesque. Nulla facilisi. Pellentesque fringilla sapien quis mi facilisis tristique. Donec vestibulum dignissim dui vehicula finibus. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Cras imperdiet augue eget diam aliquet interdum.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>There was already a small issue with the dark theme dialog box. I've never used CSS variables before, so it's learning experience.</p>
<p><picture><source type="image/avif" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/mDHpXeiPdv-1080.avif 1080w"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/mDHpXeiPdv-1080.webp 1080w"><img title="dark theme issues" alt="dark theme issues" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="image-sized-sm image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/mDHpXeiPdv-1080.jpeg" width="1080" height="1507"></picture></p>
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Dark theme character box issues pointed out by <a href="https://furry.engineer/@soatok">Soatak</a> and <a href="https://is-a.wyvern.rip/@volpeon">Volpeon</a>.</p><p></p>
<h2 id="final-thoughts" tabindex="-1">Final Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-hello-11ty/">#</a></h2>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
This is fun to test. The background color is currently Blanched Almond.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I'm hoping to have another blog post out in the next week or so. I did enjoy writing this!</p>
Furry Blogging and Identity2023-04-16T00:00:00Z
2023-04-16T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-furry-blogs/<p>I tell myself each year I should write more and this might be the year to do it! I'm inspired by Soatok's post, <a href="https://soatok.blog/2023/04/05/something-to-always-keep-in-mind/">Something To Always Keep In Mind</a>, to write down my thoughts on what I want my blog to be.</p>
<h2 id="blogging" tabindex="-1">Blogging <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-furry-blogs/">#</a></h2>
<p>I've always had trouble deciding on my writing voice. I like to write! But I usually feel very self-conscious about it and I never feel like wanting to share it. Now that blogs are on the rise again, I might as well try posting something about once a month.
<a href="https://blog.gabrielsimmer.com">Gabriel's blog</a> is another source of inspiration for wanting to write more. Check out his post about <a href="https://blog.gabrielsimmer.com/posts/use-rss/">Using RSS</a>. This blog's RSS feed can be found <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/feed.xml">here</a>.</p>
<p>I've been using Jekyll for a while because it was really easy to set up on GitHub pages, but I've since moved my blog over to be hosted by Netlify. I wondered every once in a while if I want to switch to some other system since I'm not really a big Ruby fan, but I haven't looked into it until now. So, I was planning on checking out some other static website generators like Hugo, but I ended up liking 11ty (Eleventy) immediately. So I'm switching now.
I think my website will be on 11ty by the time this is published. I don't write linearly, so by the time this is published about 20 things in this post have changed since I wrote this sentence.</p>
<h2 id="furry-identity" tabindex="-1">Furry Identity <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-furry-blogs/">#</a></h2>
<p>I mostly consider myself a furry after pondering about it for years. I have a dragon fursona I originally called The Cookie Dragon and eventually gave the name Foxis.
I maintain my own image reference website for him using Vue over at <a href="https://ref.cookiedragons.com/dragon">ref.cookiedragons.com</a>.</p>
<img class="image-sized-sm image-center" src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/furryblogs/foxis-dragon-details.png" alt="Dragon details">
<p></p><p class="image-caption">Dragon details.</p><p></p>
<p>I'm also not confident expressing myself in my daily life. There's more I can probably write here, but I don't show much furriness IRL.</p>
<!--
My furriness is something I slowely came to terms with about who I am. I knew I liked furry for quite a long time (thanks Disney). But it took me a while to want to identity as a dragon/fox/wolf/animal and to identity as part of the furry fandom.
-->
<p>Do I want to inline character dialog? I'm not sure. I already write in my own voice. I think of my dragon as a part of me but not something with its own voice separate from me. Plus, I don't think I want to mess with templates and CSS to get a whole character dialog system working.
I do like using emotes, so I might figure out something with that. 😁🐲</p>
<h3 id="here-s-a-character-sample" tabindex="-1">Here's a Character Sample <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-16-furry-blogs/">#</a></h3>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Rwarr!!
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>I'm inspired by how Xe does it on their <a href="https://xeiaso.net/blog">Blog</a> with all the characters in posts but also a crazy amount of engineering to <a href="https://xeiaso.net/blog/site-update-better-css">make it look good</a>. I guess I'm going to build something like it because I can't help myself.</p>
<p></p><div class="character-box ">
<img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/characters/foxis/foxis-dragon.jpg" alt="Foxis" class="image-character">
<p class="character-text">
<a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/characters/#foxis">Foxis</a>:
Actually, I really like books with footnotes containing additional details or lore. These could be useful for tangents and segues. I mean, rarr.
</p>
</div><p></p>
<p>Okay, maybe I can make this work.</p>
Top Games of All Time (2023 Edition)2023-04-08T00:00:00Z
2023-04-14T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/<p>I don't think I ever cataloged my favorite games so here we go!
These are my top 25 games of all time as of April 2023.</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<ol>
<li>Undertale</li>
<li>Final Fantasy XIV</li>
<li>Elden Ring / Dark Souls</li>
<li>Mabinogi</li>
<li>Dark Cloud 2</li>
<li>Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</li>
<li>TUNIC</li>
<li>Satisfactory</li>
<li>Magic: The Gathering</li>
<li>Pokemon (Gold and Silver)</li>
<li>Catan Board Game</li>
<li>Dominion Board Game</li>
<li>Animal Crossing (Series)</li>
<li>Dragon Quest XIII</li>
<li>Final Fantasy X</li>
<li>RuneScape</li>
<li>Mass Effect (Trilogy)</li>
<li>Solatorobo: Red the Hunter</li>
<li>Civilization (III-VI)</li>
<li>FTL</li>
<li>Red Dead Redemption</li>
<li>Grand Theft Auto V (and San Andreas)</li>
<li>Summon Night: Swordcraft Story</li>
<li>Dust: An Elysian Tail</li>
<li>Bastion</li>
</ol>
<p>The continuously updated page for the list can be found <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/stuff/topgames">here at /stuff/topgames </a></p>
<h2 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h2>
<p>These are my top games for both video games and board games. A lot of these are formative and foundation for the genres I like and who I am.
I have a few more games that didn't make the cut <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software/stuff/topgames">at /stuff/topgames</a>.
I know I forgot some games, so I'll be updating that page every once in a while.</p>
<p>Here are some games I want to highlight and write about.</p>
<h3 id="undertale" tabindex="-1">Undertale <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Undertale is my number one game. I played it at the right time for it resonant and stays with me to this day. I like Deltarune, but it's hard to live up to the original.</p>
<h3 id="final-fantasy-xiv" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>Final Fantasy XIV is my most played game. Shadowbringers has an amazing story and I play it a lot with friends and family. It is my favorite current MMO.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/ff14catboy.png" alt="Final Fantasy 14, Kite the Catboy"></p>
<h3 id="elden-ring-dark-souls" tabindex="-1">Elden Ring / Dark Souls <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I've never actually finished Dark Souls 1 but it is so important to me for the style of games I enjoy. I did complete Dark Souls 2 as a Dual-wielding swordsman. Elden Ring was of course amazing mixing soulsborn gameplay with great open world design.</p>
<h3 id="mabinogi" tabindex="-1">Mabinogi <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>My all-time favorite MMO. I played this so much in high school. I loved the skill based stat system. Runescape may have been why I feel in love with MMORPGs but Mabinogi is what deepened my interest and why I love virtual worlds.</p>
<h3 id="dark-cloud-2" tabindex="-1">Dark Cloud 2 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>AAAAAAAAAHH. This game does so much and it is amazing. It has enough game systems to rival an MMORPG.</p>
<h3 id="magic-the-gathering" tabindex="-1">Magic: The Gathering <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I spend too much on the card game, but I enjoy player Edh/Commander.</p>
<h3 id="mass-effect" tabindex="-1">Mass Effect <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/blog/2023-04-08-top-games-of-all-time-2023/">#</a></h3>
<p>I annoyed my brother so much by listening to the audio codices.</p>
Top Games 20222023-01-10T00:00:00Z
2023-01-10T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html<p>GAMES! What a year for games. A whole lot of releases early and a whole lot of releases late with not much in between.</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<ol>
<li>Tunic</li>
<li>Elden Ring</li>
<li>Vampire Survivors</li>
<li>Inscryption</li>
<li>Final Fantasy XIV (Again)</li>
<li>Cyberpunk 2077</li>
<li>Steamdeck</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="tunic" tabindex="-1">Tunic <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2022/tunic.600x338.jpg" alt="Tunic foxy"></p>
<p>This is such an amazing game. I really want to buy a physical version of the instruction booklet. The Dark Soulsy difficulty with the Legend of Zelda exploration is an amazing combination. The mysteries give this game so much depth and how many paths the designers hide in plain sight is shocking. I had a tough time deciding if Tunic or Elden Ring should be my game of the year, but Tunic won by being so charming. Plus foxes, I love foxes.</p>
<h2 id="elden-ring" tabindex="-1">Elden Ring <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2022/elden_ring.600x338.jpg" alt="Elden Ring"></p>
<p>This released so early in the year. I haven't played it in a while now that I'm writing this. I love the Dark Souls series and From Software made an excellent open world game on par to affecting the genre like how Breath of the Wild did. Elden Ring was so close to winning game of the year, but Tunic was too charming.</p>
<h2 id="vampire-survivors" tabindex="-1">Vampire Survivors <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2022/vampire.600x338.jpg" alt="Vampire Survivors"></p>
<p>Game of the year for playing on Steamdeck! Vampire Survivors is so well designed and being the bullet hell is so fun. My favorite weapon so far is the garlic.</p>
<h2 id="inscryption" tabindex="-1">Inscryption <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2022/inscryption.600x338.jpg" alt="Inscryption"></p>
<p>I played most of this through 2021 but finally finished it 2022 on my Steam Deck. Vague spoilers but the first act was the strongest gameplay part.</p>
<h2 id="final-fantasy-xiv-endwalker" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV : Endwalker <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/ff14catboy.png" alt="Final Fantasy 14, Kite the Catboy"></p>
<p>I need to make another screenshot... Now that we are between expansions, I've been playing less. I've never been caught up for content in an MMO before. It feels nice. The latest patches include the Island you can build up which I enjoy a lot. My WoL is on a much-needed vacation.</p>
<h2 id="cyberpunk-2077" tabindex="-1">Cyberpunk 2077 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Edgerunners the anime was so awesome I finally got around to trying the game. Turns out, the game is good after a year of bug fixes. It's not the best game ever made but the Tabletop RPG roots for the game give the world a nice depth to it. I want more stories in Night City.</p>
<h2 id="the-steamdeck" tabindex="-1">The Steamdeck!! <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2022/steam_deck_400x225.png" alt="Steamdeck"></p>
<p>Truly the year of Linux on the desktop! This device has unlocked so much of my Steam library for playing on the couch. It is 100% why I completed 6+ games in 2022.</p>
<h2 id="honorable-mentions" tabindex="-1">Honorable Mentions <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<ol>
<li>Portal 2</li>
<li>Destiny 2</li>
<li>Pokémon Violet</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="portal-2" tabindex="-1">Portal 2 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h3>
<p>The writing still holds up. 10/10.</p>
<h3 id="destiny-2" tabindex="-1">Destiny 2 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h3>
<p>Look, I'm playing Destiny again! Honestly I think I like Halo Infinite Multiplayer more but all my friends are playing Destiny again, so I am too. It's interesting thinking about how much time I've put into Destiny over the years. We just recently beat Vault of Glass, now that it's in Destiny 2, and I feel like it's 2014 again. I'm also surprised Destiny that Destiny was only 3 years old when Destiny 2 released. It probably should have been the live service platform Destiny 2 is now, and I'm expecting Destiny 2 to rebrand and drop the 2 at some point.</p>
<h3 id="pokemon-violet" tabindex="-1">Pokémon Violet <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h3>
<p>Such a fun buggy mess. I earned all 8 gym badges right before the end of the year. It's... a mess. But, a fun mess. Only Pokémon I can put 20 hours into it in a week and still want to play it. At the time of this writing, I have only 50 more Pokémon to catch to complete my Pokédex. A very solid 7/10 game.</p>
<h2 id="games-i-ve-finished" tabindex="-1">Games I've Finished! <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Tunic, Stray, Portal 2, Journey, Inscryption, Patrick's Parabox, Firewatch.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Stray, Fractured, Disco Elysium, Halo Infinite Multiplayer, Deep Rock Galactic, Sable, Deathloop, Backbone, Forza Horizon 5.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Red Dead Redemption 2, Slay the Spire, Disco Elysium, Octopath Traveler,
Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts, No Man's Sky, Ni no Kuni, Doom Eternal, Dwarf Fortress.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2023/01/11/top-games-2022.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Pyre, Doom, Dragon Quest XI, Angels with Scaly Wings, Ni no Kuni II, Loop Hero, Backbone, Prey, Deathloop.</p>
Networking for Dragon Game Framework : Observability2022-11-01T00:00:00Z
2022-11-01T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html<p>I’ve been working on <a href="https://github.com/judah4/MMO-Dragon-Game-Framwork">Dragon Game Framework (DragonGF)</a>, an MMO networking library for a while now. With it being an MMO framework, data observability needs to be good. Time to build a Unity editor window!</p>
<h2 id="collecting-data" tabindex="-1">Collecting Data <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html">#</a></h2>
<p>First I need to collect the data. <a href="https://github.com/lidgren/lidgren-network-gen3">Lidgren</a>, the networking library I use for DragonGF, has basic statistics collection, but does not have it time-sliced for trends and graphs. To go over the basic concepts of how DragonGF works, anything with networked data or that can move is known as an entity and entities have data made of components. Components are updated by the server periodically, and clients can send command requests which are much like RPCs. Events are usually one-shots sent from the server to the clients to denote actions like jumping, shooting, and deaths. Ultimately, data usage can be categorized by Entity Creation, Commands, Updates, and Events.</p>
<p>Now that these are better defined, the current time-slice I use is 1 second. Every 1 second window, I collect received and sent data into message and bytes buckets and create a new bucket every 1 second window. I want to use that historical data eventually but the current window editor only looks at the last second. For memory considerations, I’m only keeping the last few minutes at most.</p>
<pre class="language-csharp" tabindex="0"><code class="language-csharp"><span class="token keyword">public</span> <span class="token return-type class-name"><span class="token keyword">void</span></span> <span class="token function">RecordMessage</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span><span class="token class-name"><span class="token keyword">int</span></span> id<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token class-name"><span class="token keyword">int</span></span> bytes<span class="token punctuation">,</span> <span class="token class-name">DataStat</span> stat<span class="token punctuation">)</span><br><span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token class-name"><span class="token keyword">var</span></span> timeSlice <span class="token operator">=</span> _timeSlices<span class="token punctuation">[</span><span class="token number">0</span><span class="token punctuation">]</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">switch</span> <span class="token punctuation">(</span>stat<span class="token punctuation">)</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">{</span><br> <span class="token keyword">case</span> DataStat<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Command<span class="token punctuation">:</span><br> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">RecordMessage</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span>id<span class="token punctuation">,</span> bytes<span class="token punctuation">,</span> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Commands<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">break</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">case</span> DataStat<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Event<span class="token punctuation">:</span><br> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">RecordMessage</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span>id<span class="token punctuation">,</span> bytes<span class="token punctuation">,</span> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Events<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">break</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">case</span> DataStat<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Update<span class="token punctuation">:</span><br> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">RecordMessage</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span>id<span class="token punctuation">,</span> bytes<span class="token punctuation">,</span> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Updates<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">break</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">case</span> DataStat<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Entity<span class="token punctuation">:</span><br> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span><span class="token function">RecordMessage</span><span class="token punctuation">(</span>id<span class="token punctuation">,</span> bytes<span class="token punctuation">,</span> timeSlice<span class="token punctuation">.</span>Entities<span class="token punctuation">)</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token keyword">break</span><span class="token punctuation">;</span><br> <span class="token punctuation">}</span><br><span class="token punctuation">}</span></code></pre>
<p>This can probably be improved later with more arrays but it will do by now.</p>
<h2 id="displaying-the-data" tabindex="-1">Displaying the Data <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Now that the data is organized by type and timeslice, let’s display it!Unfortunately Unity does not have a built-in table view for editor windows but they do have examples on how to use the <a href="https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/TreeViewAPI.html">tree view</a>. The newer UI Elements that use xml might have a table but I am not familiar with how that works yet, so I am using the older IMGUI editor window.</p>
<p>For data visualization, we need to be able to select the server or client, and select Commands, Events, Updates, Entities, or a total Summary of each. Commands, Updates, and Events, will visualize by component type so we will be able to optimize each component as necessary. We can conveniently run the server and client at the same time in the editor so grabbing the relevant connections and adding them to the dropdowns is relatively easy.</p>
<h3 id="some-time-later" tabindex="-1">Some Time Later <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/networking2022/dataUsagesDragongf.jpg" alt="Dragon GF Networking Statistics Unity Editor Window"></p>
<p>Tada, we can observe the networking data now! And, uh oh… We are using way too much. We are currently at 21 KB/s (kilobytes per second) for updating positions which we need to lower. I'm not familiar with what the target should be but I would like to get it down to 10 KB/s which is... 80 kilobits per second for about 50-100 moving entities.</p>
<div>
<iframe class="center-image" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DIGikQJzYqY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</div>
<p>I'm not entirely sure what the data target is but I see but I've seen 256 kilobits per second over on <a href="https://www.gafferongames.com/post/state_synchronization/">Glenn Fiedler's blog</a>. That is... 32 KB/s. The lower we get the position and rotation usage, the more players and things we can have.</p>
<h2 id="why-is-position-data-so-high" tabindex="-1">Why is Position Data so High? <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Let's look at the data payload for Position. We currently have a Position as 3 doubles (64 bit floats) to represent a very large potential game space which we send updates for at 10 Hz (10 every second). Each message contains a byte for message type, 4 bytes for the entity id, and 2 bytes for the component id. If we add it all together, each message is 8+8+8+1+4+2 = 31 bytes, plus a little more overhead. At 10 Hz, that is 310 bytes per second per moving entity. With just 100 moving entities, that's 31 Kilobytes per second for only position.</p>
<h3 id="how-do-we-lower-position-usage" tabindex="-1">How do we lower position usage? <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2022/11/01/networking-observability-part1.html">#</a></h3>
<p>Next up, I will cover what I did to lower location data usage by switching to fixed point decimals.</p>
Inconsistent Site Rebrand2022-10-18T00:00:00Z
2022-10-18T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/intro/update/2022/10/18/hello-inconsistent.html<p>Hello! I'm Judah and I'm rebranding my personal blog to <a href="https://www.inconsistent.software">www.inconsistent.software</a> from <a href="https://www.judahperez.com">www.judahperez.com</a>.</p>
<p>I've owned this domain for a long time and have always wanted to get into more technical writing, but my writing and open source contributions have always been haphazard and inconsistent, so I figured it's time to use the url. I'm currently writing about my networking experience with <a href="https://github.com/judah4/MMO-Dragon-Game-Framwork">DragonGF</a> and hope to write more. We will see. I should also write about how I feel about Hacktoberfest.</p>
<p>Anyways,<br>
My game stuff is <a href="https://www.cookiedragon.games">here</a> and my GitHub stuff is <a href="https://github.com/judah4">here</a>.</p>
Music Decades2022-06-22T00:00:00Z
2022-06-22T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/06/22/music-decades.html<p>Not sure if there are actual decade names for music but I’m making up my own! I personally like to name and classify things so this is an inane exercise to make me feel old.</p>
<h2 id="the-names" tabindex="-1">The Names <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/06/22/music-decades.html">#</a></h2>
<ul>
<li>The Before Times</li>
<li>Classic 70s</li>
<li>Old Skool 80s</li>
<li>Nostalgic 90s</li>
<li>Throwback 00s</li>
</ul>
<p>Being born in the 90s, I can't come up with any other name for them other than Nostalgic. Coming up with a name for the 80s is tough, but Old Skool feels right. The 2000s are old, but not too old, so Throwback feels appropriate. We just left the 10s, so I don’t have a name for them yet and anything before is the before times.</p>
Top Games 20212022-04-25T00:00:00Z
2022-04-25T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html<p>GAMES! Wow, I posted this late.I did not play as many new games last year as I normally do. Most of my time went to Final Fantasy XIV...</p>
<h1 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h1>
<ol>
<li>Death's Door</li>
<li>DELTARUNE Chapter 2</li>
<li>Final Fantasy XIV (Again)</li>
<li>MTG Arena (Again)</li>
</ol>
<h1 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h1>
<h2 id="death-s-door" tabindex="-1">Death's Door <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Death's Door blew me away. The characters are charming and the gameplay has good depth. I wouldn't exactly call it a Zeldalike but it was definitely in the style of Link to the Past or Link's Awakening. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good Hack n Slash.</p>
<h2 id="deltarune-chapter-2" tabindex="-1">DELTARUNE Chapter 2 <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Honestly surprised this dropped last year. It was amazing and the soundtrack was real good too. I don't think it wows me as much as Undertale did but the episodic nature should give it a real satisfying end if they do it right.</p>
<h2 id="final-fantasy-xiv-endwalker" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV : Endwalker <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h2>
<p>This shouldn't be a surprise. My wife and I finished Shadowbringers last year and were super hyped for Endwalker and it delivered. The culmination of the the stories they've been building for years where done extraordinarily well. I'm not sure how they are going to top it.
Post story, I've been slowly leveling up characters and drifting away to other games. At the time I am writing this, the 6.1 patch dropped and it pulled me back almost immediately. It's such a good game.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/ff14catboy.png" alt="Final Fantasy 14, Kite the Catboy"></p>
<h2 id="mtg-arena" tabindex="-1">MTG Arena <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h2>
<p>I play this more than I should. Favorite color is Blue. I've been a playing a lot more Commander lately so my time on MTG Arena has gone down.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/mtgarena.PNG" alt="Mtg Arena"></p>
<h1 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Spelunky 2, Spellbreak, Changed, Sparkles & Gems, Scavengers, Loop Hero, 5D Chess, Samurai Gunn 2, Albion Online, Boyfriend Dungeon, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, VRChat, New World</p>
<h1 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Red Dead Redemption 2, Slay the Spire, Disco Elysium, Octopath Traveler,
Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts, No Man's Sky, Ni no Kuni, Inscryption.</p>
<h1 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2022/04/26/top-games-2021.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Pyre, Doom, Dragon Quest XI, Angels with Scaly Wings, Ni no Kuni II, Loop Hero.</p>
Top Games 20202021-02-25T00:00:00Z
2021-02-25T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html<p>Wow, what a year. Looking back, I didn't play too many new games, or at least games that stood out to me as my game of the year. I played Among Us and Fall Guys and while they were good, they were not my best. Heck, I could add Hades again to my top games.</p>
<p>Not sure why but this article is taking me forever to write, all the way until February. Here's to writing more in the new year.</p>
<p>Anyways, here are my top games I played last year.</p>
<h1 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h1>
<ol>
<li>Satisfactory</li>
<li>Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Remaster</li>
<li>Animal Crossing</li>
<li>Final Fantasy XIV</li>
<li>MTG Arena</li>
</ol>
<h1 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h1>
<h2 id="satisfactory" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/526870/Satisfactory/">Satisfactory</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/satisfactory.jpg" alt="Satisfactory"></p>
<p>I really shouldn't play Factorio but this scratches that same itch. I played Satisfactory early in 2020, in the before times, and loved it.
Making conveyor belts cover the map is so satisfying. I was not organized, or did much planning so the conveyor belts went everywhere and the stacks grew higher and higher. My factory is opened wall, multiple stories, and a hot mess.</p>
<h2 id="tony-hawk-s-pro-skater-1-2-remaster" tabindex="-1">Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Remaster <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/tonyhawk.webp" alt="Tony Hawk"></p>
<p>I didn't know now much nostalgia I had for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater until I played the remake and, wow, it's good. I hope they add THPS 3 maps to it eventually.</p>
<h2 id="animal-crossing" tabindex="-1">Animal Crossing <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/animalcrossing.jpg" alt="Animal Crossing"></p>
<p>Animal Crossing made April bearable. I stopped after a few months but was a good escape. My wife and I both had our own islands and different fruit so we starting exchanging as soon as we could.</p>
<h2 id="final-fantasy-xiv" tabindex="-1">Final Fantasy XIV <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/ff14catboy.png" alt="Final Fantasy 14, Kite the Catboy"></p>
<p>Just completed Heavensward. Dragons 🐉💖</p>
<p>I've been playing off and on for years and is my current MMORPG of choice. Can't wait to get to Shadowbringers!</p>
<p>These last few months I've been expanding my classes so I can now tank with Dark Knight at level 51. I'm having a tough time deciding on a main DPS class since there are so many. I do like Dragoon, you know, because of dragons.</p>
<h2 id="mtg-arena" tabindex="-1">MTG Arena <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h2>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2020/mtgarena.PNG" alt="Mtg Arena"></p>
<p>Way cheaper than physical card Magic: The Gathering. I made a pretty fun Standard Dimir Rogue Mill Deck and made it up the ranks pretty far. The ranks are Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Mythic, resetting monthly. I made it up to Diamond in December which was pretty nice. I didn't think I was that good at Magic but MTG Arena makes it really easy to play and adjust. I don't know how much play time I put into this game but it's probably my top played. Just one more match.</p>
<h1 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Hades, Outer Wilds, Spiderman, Death Stranding,
Teardown, Among Us, Fall Guys, Disc Room, Cloudpunk, Minecraft, Sea of Theives, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,
OPus Magnum, GRIS, Temtem, Destiny 2, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, Kine, Ooblets, Bugsnax,
Minecraft.</p>
<h1 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Red Dead Redemption 2, Slay the Spire, Disco Elysium, Octopath Traveler,
Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts, No Man's Sky, Ni no Kuni.</p>
<h1 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2021/02/25/top-games-2020.html">#</a></h1>
<p>Pyre, Doom, Dragon Quest XI, Angels with Scaly Wings, Ni no Kuni II.</p>
Top 5 Games 20192019-12-31T00:00:00Z
2019-12-31T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html<p>Wow, this year had a lot of good games come out!
I didn't even play half of the games I wanted to... but anyways, here are my favorite games for the year!</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h2>
<ol start="0">
<li>Dicey Dungeons</li>
<li>Manifold Garden</li>
<li>Pokémon Sword</li>
<li>Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy</li>
<li>Hades</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h2>
<h3 id="dicey-dungeons" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/861540/Dicey_Dungeons/">Dicey Dungeons</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2019/dicey.jpg" alt="dicey"></p>
<p>Ever since last year, I've been more into chiptune music.
This game has a great soundtrack from Chipzel which is what first drew me into the game.
The dungeon diving with dice is a lot of fun,
and each character adds their own changes to the gameplay. I did not become bored of it, even with my short attention span.
The music, the art, the gameplay all make for a very fun game that I highly recommend.</p>
<h3 id="manifold-garden" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://manifold.garden/">Manifold Garden</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2019/manifold.jpg" alt="manifold"></p>
<p>I've been following the development of this game for years and it's finally out!
The game's visual effects look good and inverting the world for the first time was amazing.
This game is the M. C. Escher stairs in video game form and it is fun.
The puzzles mixing non-euclidean space and water flows were my personal favorites.</p>
<h3 id="pokemon-sword" tabindex="-1">Pokémon Sword <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2019/sword.jpg" alt="sword"></p>
<p>I think I haven't finished a Pokémon game since Generation 4. I fell off at the end of Gen 6 and somewhere in the middle of Gen 7.
I finished Sword in about 27 hours and I had a great time playing it.
The wilderness area is a really good addition for the game and is now where I spend most of my post-game time.</p>
<p>As someone who never finishes Pokémon games, I'm fine with the missing national Pokédex.
I am sad I can't import my Lycanroc from Pokémon Sun, but the new regional Pokémon have captured my heart and mind.</p>
<h3 id="phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy" tabindex="-1">Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2019/edgeworth.jpg" alt="edgeworth"></p>
<p>This was my first time playing Phoenix Wright and it makes me wish I played it years ago!
The characters are great, the courtroom drama is tense, and I always feel like I'm winning cases by a hair.
I still have more to play but it's definitely one of the best games I played this year.</p>
<h3 id="hades" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/">Hades</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2019/hades.jpg" alt="hades"></p>
<p>Hades continues the tradition of being a super game from Supergiant Games.
The characters, gameplay, and music make this an amazing game to play.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Donut County, Return of the Obra Dinn, Baba is You, Transistor, Hades,
Angels with Scaly Wings, Titanfall 2, Yoku's Adventure, Pokemon Sword, Cadence of Hyrule, Subnatica,
Springfalls, Destiny 2, Halo: Reach, A Short Hike, Celeste, Untitled Goose Game, Dragon Quest XI</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h2>
<p>All those PS4 exclusives, Battlefield 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, Slay the Spire, Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, Octopath Traveler,
Divinity Original Sin 2, Pine, Kingdom Hearts</p>
<h2 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2019/12/31/top-games-2019.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Pyre, Doom, Spyro the Dragon, The Last Guardian</p>
Make it Work, Make it Right, Make it Fast2019-08-22T00:00:00Z
2019-08-22T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html<p>My favorite development saying and design principle.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/makeit/whiteboardwords.jpg" alt="make it work"></p>
<ol>
<li>Make it work.</li>
<li>Make it right.</li>
<li>Make it fast.</li>
</ol>
<h6>(and also "I are engineer", a saying from a professor I had.)</h6>
<p>Apparently it's attributed to Kent Beck? I don't know were I found it, but it covers how I create my software and games.
I'm writing this in reference to my video game work, so it's going to reference fun and play.</p>
<h2 id="1-make-it-work" tabindex="-1">1. Make it Work <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html">#</a></h2>
<p>This is usually the prototyping or alpha stage. I try concepts and making this fun and playable. It's usually rough but it's suppose to be a proof of concept.
This is where games made at game jams usually stay at. Quick implementations, dirty hacks, and messy prototypes to get it working.
This is usually the funnest part of a project, throwing it together and having it do what you want it to do.</p>
<h2 id="2-make-it-right" tabindex="-1">2. Make it Right <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Getting it working usually means it's not well architected, unless you really know what you're doing.
Making it right usually means refactoring to make the code readable, applying better design patterns, fixing all those weird bugs, and more.
Sometimes, the behaviors are faked to get it working!</p>
<p>This is an example of what I need to make right for my game, TwoKinds Online.
I added new tree chopping and rock hitting mechanics so that players can collect wood and rocks.
It fakes the server side checks, so there's no limit on the number of resources available, and you can hit the same tree forever.
Making it right means I need to finish the implementation, and make it so the trees have a set number of wood you can collect, controlled by the server side.
I will probably go into more depth how the system works in a later blog post.</p>
<h2 id="3-make-it-fast" tabindex="-1">3. Make it Fast <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html">#</a></h2>
<p>The most important part. Once it works right, it still may not be fast.
Making things right, in general, should make everything run better, but the goal there is to make it easier to update, maintain, and add more later.
This is where we return back to hacks to speed up things.
Even with the right frameworks, there's speed issues, and it's only after cleaning up the implementation the cause can be found and properly dealt with.
Pre-mature optimization is bad because it can lead to a lot of wasted work, make it harder to add things later, and can be fixing a symptom, not a cause of an issue.</p>
<h2 id="optimization" tabindex="-1">Optimization <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html">#</a></h2>
<p>What lead to this blog post was a question about what is game optimization.
A lot of games are released as buggy messes, and that is usually due to tight schedules and not enough time to to clean up and speed up the the game code.
For games, speed matters a lot because games have to process and render many times a second.
First implementations are usually done in a quick and naive way, the make it work step.
After a bit of testing and implementing other related systems, we can take a step back and see there are improvements we can do.
This is optimizing, the make it right and make it fast steps.</p>
<p>There's a lot of design patterns and principles to help improve quality, but sometimes you have to get it working first.
What's nice is, some chunks of the code/game can be in different stages of the process, especially if the systems are independent from each other.</p>
<h2 id="conclusion" tabindex="-1">Conclusion <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/2019/08/22/make-it-work.html">#</a></h2>
<p>My code usually starts as a mess and I have to iterate over it a few times.
I am very much for prototype first and using code as a scratch pad to try things.
More structure is probably required in the future but this is a good process if you need to make some thing quickly.
Just get it to work. And then improve on it.</p>
Using Git with Game Development2019-01-21T00:00:00Z
2019-01-21T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html<p>Source control can be daunting but it is pretty important for sharing with others and backing up to prevent data loss.
I will cover installing git on a windows environment, using online repositories (repos) and getting a Unity game setup with git.</p>
<h2 id="git-and-what-it-does" tabindex="-1">Git and What it Does <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Pulled from the <a href="https://git-scm.com">site</a>, "Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency."
There are other version control systems like subversion but Git is the most popular and widespread.</p>
<h2 id="online-git-projects" tabindex="-1">Online Git Projects <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h2>
<p>You will want a place to push your projects to so check out these online resources.</p>
<h3 id="github" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://github.com/">Github</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>The most popular online git management website. There are a lot of open source projects hosted here and a good place to collaborate with others.</p>
<ul>
<li>Free public repos.</li>
<li>Limited private repos.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="gitlab" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://gitlab.com/">Gitlab</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>Gitlab has many of the same features of Github.</p>
<ul>
<li>Easy to manage private organizations and repos.</li>
<li>Lots of CI/CD tooling.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="others" tabindex="-1">Others <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitbucket.org/product">Bitbucket</a> Part of the Atlassian suite.</li>
<li><a href="https://gitea.io/en-us/">Gitea</a> Light and can be self hosted.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="setup-and-visual-git-editors" tabindex="-1">Setup and Visual Git Editors <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h2>
<p>For windows, we can grab the download right from the git website. <a href="https://git-scm.com/download/win">https://git-scm.com/download/win</a></p>
<p>Following the instructions, it will setup defaults and access to git from the command line.
This is the usual way to use git, but I personally use visual editors for commiting and pushing to remote repos.
Once the install is done, you should be able to open the command line or powershell and type in <code>git --version</code> and get something like
<code>git version 2.19.0.windows.1</code>.
There is a lot of documentation so if you plan on using the command line, <a href="https://git-scm.com/docs">read up</a>.</p>
<h3 id="visual-editors" tabindex="-1">Visual editors <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>I personally use a visual editor. I do have to revert to the commands every once in a while to fix things, but for the most part I use visual GUIs.</p>
<h4 id="gitkraken" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://www.gitkraken.com/git-client">Gitkraken</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>My preferred git editor. It has a lot of features that I like and is usually fast.
The free version limits you to one account email and name versus the pro version.
Profiles are handy so you can commit with your personal or work email.
It has a yearly subscription for the pro features, so keep that in mind if you plan on using it.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/gk-merge-edit.gif" alt="gitkraken"></p>
<h4 id="sourcetree" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/">SourceTree</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>I haven't used it in a while but SourceTree handles git projects well and is free.
Also by Atlassian, it integrates well with BitBucket.
My main issue with it is it slows down with larger projects or at least it use to.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/hero-mac-screenshot.png" alt="source tree"></p>
<h4 id="sublime-merge" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://www.sublimemerge.com/">Sublime Merge</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>Sublime Merge is new as of October 2018 and is very good. It's free to try and then a flat $99 for a perpetual license.
The only downside for my usage is it does not have a tree view of file changes and instead shows all changes in a flat list.
It's not bad if you keep your changes down to a few files, but at this point I'm accustomed to browsing changes by their folder structure.</p>
<p>Super fast and powerful. Check it out if you use or like Sublime Text.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/sublimemerge2.gif" alt="sublime merge"></p>
<h4 id="github-desktop" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://desktop.github.com/">Github Desktop</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>Provided by <a href="https://github.com/">Github</a>, a simpler visual git editor.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/github-desktop-screenshot-windows.png" alt="github desktop"></p>
<h2 id="unity-project-setup" tabindex="-1">Unity Project Setup <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h2>
<p>We are starting with these assumptions.</p>
<ul>
<li>You have a Github account</li>
<li>You have a version of Unity installed.</li>
<li>You have git installed. We will be using Gitkraken with <a href="https://support.gitkraken.com/integrations/github/">Github connected</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>We will setup projects two ways. Repo first or existing Unity project first.</p>
<h3 id="1-new-unity-project-and-repo" tabindex="-1">1. New Unity Project and Repo <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>To start, we are going to create an empty Github project. On the top right of the page there should be a plus button where you can hit <a href="https://github.com/new">new repository</a>.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-new.PNG" alt="new repo setup"></p>
<p>Once you have the project setup in Github, clone in using your git tool. Here, in GitKraken, we have Github connected so it can list your projects and ask you where to download it to.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-clone.PNG" alt="repo clone"></p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-clone2.PNG" alt="repo clone github"></p>
<p>Once it's ready, it may ask you to initialize the repo. This happens if you did not setup a readme file on Github. Go ahead and do it.</p>
<p>Next up, we are going to create a unity project in the repo. Go ahead and select the folder to create it in.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/unity-new.PNG" alt="new unity project"></p>
<p>This will create the unity project one folder level in the git repo folder. In order to have it at the same level as the git repo, you will need to setup the unity project before connecting to the Github remote.</p>
<p>Now, before we commit these files, we need to add a <code>.gitignore</code>. There are a lot of extra files unity uses that clog up our repo and makes downloading it slow.
Head over to <a href="https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/Unity.gitignore">this page</a> and create a <code>.gitignore</code> file in the unity project folder.</p>
<h4 id="before" tabindex="-1">Before <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-count.PNG" alt="repo changes count"></p>
<h4 id="after" tabindex="-1">After <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-count2.PNG" alt="repo changes count after .gitignore"></p>
<p>Now that we have the files we want, we need to commit our changes and push to the remote.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/unity-commit.gif" alt="unity commit gif"></p>
<p><code>git commit --message Basic unity setup.</code></p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/unity-push.gif" alt="unity push gif"></p>
<p><code>git push</code></p>
<p>Now that you pushed your code, your repo should look something like this.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-fin.PNG" alt="unity repo push complete"></p>
<p>Now that you have source control remember to commit and push often!</p>
<h3 id="2-existing-unity-project" tabindex="-1">2. Existing Unity Project <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>It is mostly the same if you are just starting with source control and have an existing project.</p>
<p>Take your existing unity project and open up GitKraken. We will need to init the git project.
There are ways to setup the remote while initializing but we will add the remote ourselves.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-init.PNG" alt="unity repo push complete"></p>
<p>Go ahead and add the Unity <code>.gitignore</code> provided in the drop down or head over to <a href="https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/Unity.gitignore">this page</a> and create a <code>.gitignore</code> file in the unity project folder.</p>
<p>With your <code>.gitignore</code>, your changed files should look like this and not include folders like <code>Library</code> or <code>Temp</code>.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-count2.PNG" alt="repo changes count after .gitignore"></p>
<p>Commit.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/unity-commit.gif" alt="unity commit gif"></p>
<p>And now to setup the remote.</p>
<p>We are going to create an empty Github project. There should be a plus button where you can hit <a href="https://github.com/new">new repository</a> on the top right of the Github page.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-new.PNG" alt="new repo setup"></p>
<p><strong>Do not</strong> check the initialize repo with readme. You will have to force push overwriting that content.</p>
<p>Now you should have an empty git repo online. Grab the git url. Mine, for example, is <code>https://github.com/judah4/unity-game-project2.git</code>.
On the left of Gitkraken, there is a remote list. Press the <code>+</code> and add the new Github remote.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/repo-remote.PNG" alt="repo changes count after .gitignore"></p>
<p>It may ask you to authenticate with Github. This page should help with connecting. <a href="https://support.gitkraken.com/integrations/github/">https://support.gitkraken.com/integrations/github/</a></p>
<p>Now that you have a remote, push and share with others!</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/gitgamedev/unity-steps/unity-push.gif" alt="unity push gif"></p>
<h3 id="other-unity-tips" tabindex="-1">Other Unity Tips <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2019/01/21/using-git-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Don't work on the same scene as other people. They never merge properly.</li>
<li>Don't upgrade unity versions right away for an existing project.</li>
<li>Use and abuse the <a href="https://assetstore.unity.com/">asset store</a>.</li>
<li>Enjoy making games!</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>If you want to support me and trying out Gitkraken, join through my referral link. <a href="https://www.gitkraken.com/invite/3pkBJSRn">https://www.gitkraken.com/invite/3pkBJSRn</a></p>
Top 5 Games 20182018-12-30T00:00:00Z
2018-12-30T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html<p>My top games this year. Not necessarily when they were released but when I played them. This list is not exactly 5 games anyways.
I don't think I played many of the super popular games this year, at least I'm not remembering them. What even came out this year?</p>
<p>I listen to a lot of music and game soundtracks so my rankings will also include how often I listen to the soundtracks.</p>
<h2 id="the-list" tabindex="-1">The List <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h2>
<ol start="0">
<li>Just Shapes & Beats</li>
<li>DELTARUNE</li>
<li>Ni no Kuni II</li>
<li>DOOM (2016)</li>
<li>Nintendo (Splatoon 2, BotW, Pokemon Let's go)</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="thoughts" tabindex="-1">Thoughts <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h2>
<h3 id="just-shapes-and-beats" tabindex="-1"><a href="http://www.justshapesandbeats.com/">Just Shapes & Beats</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Soundtrack: Weekly listening.</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2018/shapes.jpg" alt="shapes"></p>
<p>This one actually surprised me. I was looking forward to playing Just Shapes & Beats for a while ever since I found the website (http://www.justshapesandbeats.com/).
Initially, I wasn't big on the music since it's not normally my style, but now I mix in songs from the soundtrack nearly daily.
Lots of fun chiptune to listen to. I wish the game was longer but it's actually a lot of music already and they added more recently.</p>
<h3 id="deltarune" tabindex="-1"><a href="https://www.deltarune.com/">DELTARUNE</a> <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Soundtrack: Daily listening.</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2018/delta.png" alt="deltarune"></p>
<p>DELTARUNE, the Undertale sequel/prequel/spin-off from Toby Fox. Speaking of music, Deltarune is now on my daily music listening along side the Undertale music.</p>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2018/music-me.png" alt="so much music"></p>
<p>The story was fun, the characters are great. When I finished playing Undertale I really wanted more and now Deltarune scratches that itch. Undertale is probably my number one favorite game so Deltarune even being half as good is amazing.
I'm not sure yet if it stands on it's own just yet but my playthough of it was very enjoyable.</p>
<p>I really hope Toby Fox continues it.</p>
<h3 id="ni-no-kuni-ii" tabindex="-1">Ni no Kuni II <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Soundtrack: Good</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2018/ninokuni.jpg" alt="ni no kuni"></p>
<p>Almost forgot this came out this year! Wow, this has been a long year. I really love the art style and Studio Ghibli influence.
I'm really bad at finishing game so this one is also in the keep meaning to finish pile. I played a bit of the first one and enjoy it and now that the second one is on PC I can fully play it (at least until I forget and it falls into the never ending backlog).
The story is just a little cheesy but I like the whimsical of it.</p>
<h3 id="doom-2016" tabindex="-1">DOOM (2016) <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Soundtrack : Monthly listening.</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://www.inconsistent.software/img/posts/top2018/doom.jpg" alt="doom"></p>
<p>Finally got around to playing this after 2 years. Looking forward to DOOM Eternal whenever that comes out. I also listen to this soundtrack every once in a while.
I really like music.</p>
<h3 id="nintendo-games" tabindex="-1">Nintendo Games <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Soundtrack: Good</li>
</ul>
<p>I picked up a switch this year and enjoyed a ton of Nintendo. Played BotW finally and loved it. Played Splatoon 2 and it was excellent.</p>
<p>Still in the middle of Pokemon Let's go Eevee.
I never actually played through Red and Blue so finally doing so in a spin off is pretty fun.
Not sure which is worse though, beating up wild animals to level up or capturing them all and sending them off to the professor for science.</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-played-and-liked" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Played and Liked <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Final Fantasy XV, Monster Hunter: World, Slime Rancher, World's Adrift, Enter the Gungeon, Tooth and Tail, Project: Gorgon, Owlboy,
Getting Over it, Assassin's Creed</p>
<h2 id="other-games-i-keep-meaning-to-play" tabindex="-1">Other Games I Keep Meaning to Play <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Donut County, Pyre, All those PS4 exclusives, Celeste, Battlefield One, Return of the Obra Dinn</p>
<h2 id="other-games-started-that-i-keep-meaning-to-finish" tabindex="-1">Other Games Started That I Keep Meaning to Finish <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/lists/2018/12/30/top-games-2018.html">#</a></h2>
<p>Transistor, Prey</p>
Getting Started With Game Development2018-09-22T00:00:00Z
2018-09-22T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html<p>Hello! I've been doing game development for while now and people have asked how to start.
There are many ways to get into game development so here is my advice to learn to program video games.</p>
<p>First off, if you are brand new to programming, I highly suggest <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisDeLeon">Chris DeLeon's</a> free Udemy course found at <a href="http://code-your-first-game.com">code-your-first-game.com</a>.
It is well structured and will walk you though making a breakout game with javascript that can be played in your browser right away.</p>
<p>I personally use Unity3d for making games. There are many engines out there and a lot of them are good but I prefer using unity.
If you want to make games, do not make your own engine. You will spend all your time making an engine and not a game. Of course, making an engine is a great learning experience but don't expect to get anything done soon with it.
Make a game engine if you want to dive deeper into how games work, otherwise use an existing engine if you want to make a game.</p>
<h4 id="here-is-a-list-of-some-popular-engines" tabindex="-1">Here is a list of some popular engines. <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p><a href="https://unity3d.com/">Unity3d</a> - My engine of choice, a good general purpose engine. Program with C# and has visual scripting packages in the giant Unity Asset Store.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/what-is-unreal-engine-4">Unreal</a> - Probably the best looking out of the box free game engine. Code in C++ or Blueprints, their visual scripting interface.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker">Game Maker Studio</a> - A great and easy to use 2D engine. If you want to make 2d games, focus on an engine that specifically does 2D instead of a generalized one.</p>
<p>There are many more engines I might try to cover some time but these are some of the bigger ones you might want to try. The rest of the resources here are going to be for Unity3d.</p>
<h3 id="online-tutorials" tabindex="-1">Online Tutorials <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>A good place to start using unity is to check out the <a href="https://unity3d.com/learn">learn section</a> and <a href="https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials">tutorials</a>.
The classic starting tutorial is the <a href="https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/roll-ball-tutorial">Roll-a-ball tutorial</a>.
There are also the <a href="https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/2d-game-kit">2D Game Kit</a> and <a href="https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/3d-game-kit">3D Game Kit</a> with a lot of game ready assets to use.</p>
<h3 id="video-tutorials" tabindex="-1">Video Tutorials <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>Brackeys has a great <a href="https://youtu.be/IlKaB1etrik">learning unity tutorial</a> and other goodies on his channel found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbK_tjZ2OrIZFBvU6CCMiA">here</a>.
Once you have the basics, he has an <a href="https://youtu.be/nu5nyrB9U_o">rpg tutorial</a> in parallel with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtyQOKKmrMVaKuRXz02jbQ">Sebastian Lague</a> making <a href="https://youtu.be/NGn_gSfYwVw">3d assets</a>.</p>
<h3 id="more-resources" tabindex="-1">More Resources <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h3>
<p>One of my favorite programming books is <a href="http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/">Game Programming Patterns</a>. It is available free online but I bought the book to thumb through.</p>
<p>Find local groups! There are gamedev groups on <a href="https://www.meetup.com/">Meetup</a> and local <a href="https://www.igda.org">IGDA</a> chapters everywhere. You might even want to start one if there is very little currently in your area.
Join gamejams, online and local. Every few months there is <a href="https://ldjam.com/">Ludum Dare</a> and every January there is <a href="https://globalgamejam.org/">Global Game Jam</a>. Game Jams are great for working in groups and learning with others.</p>
<p>The best way I learn is through practice. Read books, work and tweak tutorials, join local groups, and just keep at it. You don't have to be a good programmer to make a great game.
It does take time though. Practice and get good.</p>
<p>Now tutorials are great to start but I'm sure you want to make your own games.
Make a <a href="https://vitalzigns.itch.io/gdd">game design document</a> to plan everything for your game and use tools like <a href="https://trello.com/">Trello</a> or <a href="https://hacknplan.com/">HacknPlan</a> for task management.
Your games should start small but you will want to make it larger and work with other people. Writing it down lets you share your idea with others and plan before you write a lot of spaghetti code.</p>
<h4 id="scope" tabindex="-1">Scope <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>Once you get to designing your own games, start small. Game development is easy to get into right now so it's easy to think of the grand dream game but it is still very hard to complete something. Start small, and build your way up to larger and larger games.</p>
<p>Don't be like me and try to make an MMORPG solo. It takes a long time and you probably won't finish. But instead, make a small game in a week, then in a month, then in a few months and so on.
Completing and shipping games is an important skill that many developers unfortunately don't learn quickly.
Finishing and publishing a game is a huge sign that you have what it takes to make games.
However, never forget that dream game. Keep it in the back of your mind, so that when you are ready you can attempt it. Let it drive you.</p>
<h4 id="publishing" tabindex="-1">Publishing <a class="header-anchor" href="https://www.inconsistent.software/programming/tutorials/2018/09/22/getting-started-with-gamedev.html">#</a></h4>
<p>Finally, once you have something working, post it online! Sites like <a href="https://itch.io">Itch.io</a> and <a href="https://gamejolt.com/">Gamejolt</a> are great places and easy to post your games where other can find and play.
You don't even need to complete the game, just get something working and upload it and share it with friends.</p>
<p>There is also steam but that has an upfront cost and should probably be the last place you publish. Wait until you have something more complete that you are proud of.</p>
<hr>
<p>You can see my game stuff at <a href="https://www.cookiedragon.games">www.cookiedragon.games</a></p>
Hello World2018-09-21T00:00:00Z
2018-09-21T00:00:00Z
https://www.inconsistent.software/intro/update/2018/09/21/hello-world.html<p>Hello! I'm Judah and I'm trying out something new for my blog.</p>
<p>I do a lot of software development. Lots. I do asp.net development for my day job and video game development with Unity3d in the evenings.
I'm not sure how much I'll be writing blogs here, but I'll see. I have some ideas.</p>
<p>My game stuff is <a href="https://www.cookiedragon.games">here</a><br>
My GitHub stuff is <a href="https://github.com/judah4">here</a></p>