Screeps - Game for programmers

[Xist]

If you're a programmer and you haven't tried this game, you're missing out.

http://screeps.com

TL;DR the only way to play is by writing bots. Gather resources, build a base, defend it from enemy players, and attack their bases.

All 100% automated by your own code.

It's a must try - but only if you are a programmer. Everyone else will get crushed.

If you want some good motivation to learn to code, you may also enjoy this. It won't teach you to code, but it gives you a nice reward for putting in the effort to learn.

 

[Montoya]

Ill get crushed!

 

[Xist]

I'm so addicted to this game now lol.

It is particularly interesting because the Star Citizen devs are working on super awesome AI, and this is a game that's all about writing super awesome AI.

So I can entertain myself while waiting on the SC devs to do the same thing that I'm now doing! :)

 

[B3aT]

I think the SC AI will be simpler then what users are building in there, except for the dogfight ones. As for code they are using a big framework and dont have to write much code I guess, just making decision trees and link them to animations, actions etc.

Nice game though, I bookmarked it and try to stay away from it because it may get me hook :))

 

[Printimus]

Anyone still playing this? I gotta learn javascript for my college classes sooner or later, so might as well learn it playing a game. Arnt we able to create our own servers?

 

[Radegast74]

Anyone still playing this? I gotta learn javascript for my college classes sooner or later, so might as well learn it playing a game. Arnt we able to create our own servers?

I didn't know about Screeps...here's another game to try:
https://alexnisnevich.github.io/untrusted/

disclaimer...I can't figure out what the fuck I need to do!

EDIT: YAY! I finally made it out of the first level. I used my usual coding technique, i.e., change things randomly and eventually I'll get something close to the desired result...

 

[Sraika]

I haven't actually played it, but i might give it a shot at some point.

I didn't know about Screeps...here's another game to try:
https://alexnisnevich.github.io/untrusted/

disclaimer...I can't figure out what the fuck I need to do!

EDIT: YAY! I finally made it out of the first level. I used my usual coding technique, i.e., change things randomly and eventually I'll get something close to the desired result...

Ha, this is brilliant. Good find!
EDIT: stuck on 07 since i cant remember much javascript lol

 

[Radegast74]

I haven't actually played it, but i might give it a shot at some point.

Ha, this is brilliant. Good find!
EDIT: stuck on 07 since i cant remember much javascript lol

Well, use my "monkey banging on the keyboard randomly" programming technique, and eventually you'll clear that level! lol

 

[Printimus]

this screeps game is hard but once you get your base up and running, its kinda neat watching your screeps run around doing tasks

 

[Bambooza]

Still its javascript...

 

[Printimus]

Still its javascript...

whats wrong with that?

 

[Bruce]

whats wrong with that?

well ... there are good brands of coffee and there is java ... and now - following the same pattern there is just a "script" of java ... see ?

 

[Xist]

Java is nothing like JavaScript... Other than being named after coffee.

 

[Bruce]

Java is nothing like JavaScript... Other than being named after coffee.

well .. there are some similarities (besides name), but overall serious discussion is quite difficult

 

[Printimus]

so does nobody play this game?

 

[Bambooza]

whats wrong with that?

I suppose its a fine langue. Personally I am still partial to c/c++ but that might be more to do with it was what I learned at University. Afterwards I picked up Java because it was what was in demand in my area. And I cringe every time I have to troubleshoot and bug fix anything that was written in Javascript but that has more to do with what javascript lets programs do and not necessarily a fault of the langue. It really comes down to these truths.

Dynamic types coupled with implicit type conversion.

When a programmer first creates there code only they and God knows how it works… few months down the line, only God knows.

So while Javascript is easy to write and quick for small programs when it starts getting over 10's of thousands of lines its a pain to troubleshoot due to implicit type coercion and spaghetti code that often exists due to the development process. You end up with method calls that are passed successfully many different types when the method itself was only designed for a specific type. Like passing a string and a float into a method that is suppose to simply multiple an int by an int.

While other langues like C++ pointers allow a similar mess it seems far more common in Javascript. And thus my aversion to it has nothing to do with the langue but with what people to in the langue.

 

[Printimus]

I suppose its a fine langue. Personally I am still partial to c/c++ but that might be more to do with it was what I learned at University. Afterwards I picked up Java because it was what was in demand in my area. And I cringe every time I have to troubleshoot and bug fix anything that was written in Javascript but that has more to do with what javascript lets programs do and not necessarily a fault of the langue. It really comes down to these truths.

Dynamic types coupled with implicit type conversion.

When a programmer first creates there code only they and God knows how it works… few months down the line, only God knows.

So while Javascript is easy to write and quick for small programs when it starts getting over 10's of thousands of lines its a pain to troubleshoot due to implicit type coercion and spaghetti code that often exists due to the development process. You end up with method calls that are passed successfully many different types when the method itself was only designed for a specific type. Like passing a string and a float into a method that is suppose to simply multiple an int by an int.

While other langues like C++ pointers allow a similar mess it seems far more common in Javascript. And thus my aversion to it has nothing to do with the langue but with what people to in the langue.

i am learning it because my college classes teach it for my degree in computer sciences, and i just so happened to find a game on steam that had to do with the same language that i will need to learn

 

[Sraika]

so does nobody play this game?

I'll pick it up once i get paid lol

 

[Xist]

i am learning it because my college classes teach it for my degree in computer sciences, and i just so happened to find a game on steam that had to do with the same language that i will need to learn

It's a great language. I can code proficiently in many languages. Each has it's pros and cons.

Ironically JavaScript is shit for cpu bound apps, which screeps is, but it's a game so just roll with it.

 

[Xist]

so does nobody play this game?

I played it for a few months. I was consistently among the top players.

I stopped because at a high level ultimately the challenge boiled down to fighting with their shitty VM implementation and the havoc it wreaked on a regular basis.

As I am a professional developer I get more than enough time battling issues like that in real life (and I have the luxury of being able to add more hardware whenever it's the most efficient solution, which is not allowed in the game). Thus I lost interest.

It was fun for a while tho. :slight_smile: