SeeingRed [he/him] @ SeeingRed @lemmygrad.ml Posts 0Comments 8Joined 2 yr. ago
Over the last few weeks I've been playing Microtopia which is a game about ants that are microprocessors/mechanical. It is a factory simulator, but the base components are the ants and production buildings.
The ants have a lifespan, so you are managing them as a resources that is also required to make more of themselves. And there are not any belts or inserters as in most games, but instead the ants act as the logistics system, the resource gathering system, and the productive system.
It's a slightly fresh take on the genre, and it was fun to learn the novel systems. However, it really could use some QOL and some options for lower graphics settings.
These sorts of games are fun for me because they allow me to solve small problems that slowly lead to complex systems. I really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment from building something complex like this.
I'm in a similar boat. I ended up getting rid of my car and a bunch of other expenses that were not bringing me joy and were a drain on me. As a result, I've been able to save a lot as a bulwark against the need to constantly perform. It doesn't help though, because I still need to go to a place I don't want to be for too many hours per day. It's not like I could survive indefinitely if I stop working.
I would like to have a kid, but can't afford to. My wife also is trying to get her career off the ground and so we are not really in the best position. I'm well off enough for our current life, but if we move to a bigger space and have to start paying for all that is required, the math doesn't math anymore.
Maybe in a few years we'll reconsider before we are too old
It really is like this. I have a friend who's family grew up in the Soviet Union, and left during the collapse (he was born after). He is vehemently against Communism, but he's also strongly against capitalism. It's a bit frustrating to talk with him because he'll agree with me right up until I start to talk strategy or historical context around the Soviet Union.
I always find it silly how humanoid robots almost never turn in a way that looks easy. They do a small shuffle and it takes multiple steps to turn 90 degrees.
I guessing that it's not a trivial problem to solve. Or maybe there are hardware limitations that don't allow human like movements. Like, maybe the hip and leg sockets are not able to make certain motions. Otherwise, it's something that could easily be solved through reinforcement learning. Maybe it's just never been a priority either.
I know that from an economic perspective, having a robot that can do a human task slowly but for less than it takes to hire a human for a proportional amount of time makes sense. And if we want to reduce mundane human working hours under socialism, it makes sense to build these sorts of robots. Especially as their abilities increase (more dexterity, better sensors, better software, etc.). Right now they feel super gimicky, but I can see the potential.
That bit at the end where the one bot charged the other bot was kind of cute.
I genuinely recommend reading the book, it won't take you that long.
Key points I got are:
- Summary of the US policy toward Russia post USSR up to present
- There is a history of NATO moving east, and also a history of US weapons testing near the border and backing out of nuclear and arms treaties.
- Preliminary integration of Ukraine military and economy prior to any admittance into NATO, effectively making them an arm of NATO without formal admission
- A bunch of other history which contextualizes things. Seriously good extra context if you are not familiar with the history.
- Ultimately, the US and NATO are far more at fault for the tensions that led to the current crisis.
The gun is a metaphor for, among other things, US backed coups. Sanctions against Cuba are another example.
This is an old meme format where the foreground character shoots the background character, then blames the flaws of the background character on something unrelated to being shot.
Goodbye Petrodollar, history will not miss you.
It's a ways to go still, but this is a promising sign.