Chess and specifically learning chess strategy changed the way I look at programming problems and problems in general dramatically.
How did You learn about chess strategy?
Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
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Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#12I’m surprised nobody has mentioned factorio. Easily my favourite game and right up HN’s alley.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#13I’m surprised nobody has mentioned factorio. Easily my favourite game and right up HN’s alley.
Factorio does a great job of modelling some failure modes of scaling systems.
For example, your train bus smelting depot is fantastic until you suddenly realise you have train throughput issues and need to completely rethink your rail architecture to keep up.
A word of caution, it's called 'cracktorio' for a reason: it scratches a certain kind of itch in a certain kind of brain troublingly well.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#14Poker
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#15"Tactical" squad based competitive games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Played at the high levels, are all about setting up an action plan, executing it the most efficient way possible, quickly reacting to a deadly yet highly rational opponent, and changing the plan as the situation evolves to prevail.
In fact, most competitive games in the professional scene are played on a strategical level, such as MOBAs.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#16Starcraft II, any of the Microsoft Age of Empires/Mythology series. Total Annihilation. Hearts of Iron III/IV - All pretty much made me the man I am today. I know I've surpassed the 10,000 hour mark I am reluctant to admit.
I’m surprised you left out Warzone2100! The (superior) open source TA equivalent
What’s wrong with Spring RTS?
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#17Railroad Tycoon 2. It models companies reasonably well, and really helped me understand sales vs profit vs cash. I am now an accountant.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#18Chess and specifically learning chess strategy changed the way I look at programming problems and problems in general dramatically.
I've had pretty much the opposite experience. I tried to get better at chess and I managed to push to a rating of 1800 on lichess rapid. After that I felt like my natural ability had come to its limit and the only way left to improve was by memorising a lot of positions. And, of course, memorising an endgame table doesn't help you solve any other problems.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#19Starcraft 2 is definately that. Getting good at it pushes you to actively manage your attention span so you can multitask most effectively while making reads and predictions on the opponent.
Re: Ask HN: Strategy games that positively push your cognitive boundaries?
#20I’m surprised nobody has mentioned factorio. Easily my favourite game and right up HN’s alley.
And its (currently) combat-free sibling Dyson Sphere Program ( https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366540/Dyson_Sphere_Prog... ) which is still "early access" but I couldn't tell you the last time I experienced any kind of bug while playing it
For me, the lack of enemies makes the game purely about scale and overcoming "bad luck" with resource allocations on the starting planet and local star system, without having to make hard choices about siphoning off resources to defend against critters
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Speaking of hard choices, I'll also submit Banished ( https://store.steampowered.com/app/242920/Banished/ ) for consideration in the "games that altered the way I think" category. I gained a lot of sympathy for project management after playing that game because it's (mostly?) about prioritizing assignment of people who could be doing any number of jobs, but which of them are the most urgent and advance the goals of the group?
It's actually that "yikes, too close to reality" that makes me not play Banished very often (similar to the Zachtronics games mentioned elsewhere in the comments) but unquestionably I think they're good games and change thinking patterns