The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City • Hacker News Board

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#21

Post by stratospark » Mon, May 17, 2010, 1:54 AM UTC

harshpotatoes wrote: post #11

The city reminds me of the Caves of Steel from Isaac Asimov. There are no roads in Magnasanti, only hyper efficient subways. The population density is extreme, nearly seven million people piled into such a small area, every building is like a sky scraper from Manhattan. And did anybody else notice how every building is a historical landmark? All utilities are shipped in from neighbors. This city is precariously hangi…

Try "The Concentration City" by J.G. Ballard. Fire and brimstone may be a lesser hell.

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#22

Post by jimbokun » Mon, May 17, 2010, 2:16 AM UTC

aharrison wrote: post #13

I am truly in awe. It routinely amazes me the lengths to which many people go to in their chosen domain. Some people choose physics, or medicine. Some people choose Rubiks cubes, train sets, or Sim City. I find it hard in my day to day life to decide I will work on something for three years to truly and utterly dominate it. Especially something such as Sim City. I would say that I wish this gentleman had worked on cu…

"Of course, this guy is an architecture major, so maybe we will see that same level of skill, dedication, and attention to detail come out in the real world."

God help us.

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#23

Post by [deleted] » Mon, May 17, 2010, 4:03 AM UTC

aharrison wrote: post #13

I am truly in awe. It routinely amazes me the lengths to which many people go to in their chosen domain. Some people choose physics, or medicine. Some people choose Rubiks cubes, train sets, or Sim City. I find it hard in my day to day life to decide I will work on something for three years to truly and utterly dominate it. Especially something such as Sim City. I would say that I wish this gentleman had worked on cu…

[deleted]

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#24

Post by mkramlich » Mon, May 17, 2010, 4:06 AM UTC

not another Steve Jobs thread. sheesh!

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#25

Post by access_denied » Mon, May 17, 2010, 4:46 AM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #5

jimmyjim wrote: post #3

Can anyone explain to those who've never played Sim City before what exactly it is that is so remarkable about the video?

He basically found a way to build a more populous city (presumably) than anyone else, ever. He also found a pattern that seems to keep the city crime-free and educated with full employment and no apparent pollution. This would take quite an investment of time without using any cheats. Obviously the video is pure melodrama though.

> Obviously the video is pure melodrama though.

I found it fitting. (The perfect city with the highest population evar!)

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#26

Post by maxwin » Mon, May 17, 2010, 5:08 AM UTC

He is not a "totalitarian Buddhist". The fact the he borrowed the concept of Buddhist Wheel of life doesn't make him "totalitarian". The topic is misleading,inconsiderate, ignorant and offensive.

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#27

Post by jcw » Mon, May 17, 2010, 5:30 AM UTC

Reminds me of the interesting ways the SNES Sim City has been exploited: http://incise.org/advanced-sim-city-strategies.html

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#28

Post by jp_sc » Mon, May 17, 2010, 5:31 AM UTC

maxwin wrote: post #26

He is not a "totalitarian Buddhist". The fact the he borrowed the concept of Buddhist Wheel of life doesn't make him "totalitarian". The topic is misleading,inconsiderate, ignorant and offensive.

"No one considers challenging the system by physical means since a hyper-efficient police state keeps them in line"

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#29

Post by ThomPete » Mon, May 17, 2010, 7:36 AM UTC

eli_s wrote: post #8

Groxx wrote: post #2

Interesting article, if a little heavy in possible-subtext, and I loved the video from the very first time I saw it. Favorite quote by the creator: As for The Sims, I enjoyed that too, although sims usually turn insane and die horribly under my hands after a few minutes. Dx xD

my favorite quote: 'If anyone’s wondering, I am not autistic, or a savant, nor suffer from OCD, or suffer from any other form of clinical mental disease or illness for that matter.' hehe sounds a bit defensive to me ;)

Or simple observant of how other people might look at this.

Re: The Totalitarian Buddhist Who Beat Sim City

#30

Post by derefr » Mon, May 17, 2010, 7:37 AM UTC

derefr wrote: post #15

harshpotatoes wrote: post #11

The city reminds me of the Caves of Steel from Isaac Asimov. There are no roads in Magnasanti, only hyper efficient subways. The population density is extreme, nearly seven million people piled into such a small area, every building is like a sky scraper from Manhattan. And did anybody else notice how every building is a historical landmark? All utilities are shipped in from neighbors. This city is precariously hangi…

The word is "decadence."

(EDIT: I didn't mean to make the above sound mean or anything—your description is both precise and accurate.

"Decadence", in the sociopolitical usage, is simply the word which also refers exactly to the concept you have described—perfection that "is precariously hanging on the edge of destruction": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decadence, and specifically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decadence#Leninism, for the sense in which this city was created while striving to "win" a game like SimCity, which keeps score through profit from taxes.)