How 'Factorio' seduced Silicon Valley and me

Post by pavel_lishin » Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:16 PM UTC

ArlenBales wrote: post #331

jimnotgym wrote: post #248

I don't play computer games anymore. Factorio was the last game I played. I lost a weekend and ended up with a raging headache. Before that an MMORPG did the same A year before that it was Civilization IV, exactly the same, lost an entire weekend then never played it again. I don't think I am suited to games. Or maybe I just need more free time

Instead of binging a game over an entire weekend and burning yourself out.. slow down, just play for an hour a week. Treat it like a weekly TV episode of a currently airing show. I follow a couple television series weekly and don't fret myself for wasted time because I only spend 2 hours a week watching them. Life is all about experiences. I am sad for those who go through life without experiencing video games in mod…

Post by allannienhuis » Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:23 PM UTC

easton wrote: post #272

throwaway19972 wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't go so far as to say I'm disgusted by what others do, but I am increasingly resenting having to use my phone for myriad tasks that shouldn't require a phone in the first place. Like unlocking my apartment door. It's obviously so that someone can get a recurring cut where they would have once provided a one-time semi-permanent solution (like a key, or a notepad). I mean, maybe some of this will be blunted over…

My apartment recently moved over to “smart locks” and I immediately noped out (app is slow), choosing to memorize the codes instead. This was clearly an afterthought since about 40% of the time touches are missed when using the keypads. Why anyone wanted to unlock their door with their phone instead of tapping a fob, I’m not sure, but the only interesting feature (temp access for friends) doesn’t seem worth it.

Post by scott_w » Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:27 PM UTC

archerx wrote: post #303

scott_w wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You don’t need to make software for mass appeal. Some people, like myself, enjoy writing code but need a purpose to write code. If I don’t have a reason, or problem to solve, I can’t just sit down and start coding.

Useful does not mean mass appeal. The software I got paid the most to write is used by a handful of people on a manufacturing site and 99.9999999999% of the public will never see it. It solved a problem they had and I’m proud of it but yea it’s incredibly niche and useful to a very select few people.

Post by chasing » Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:34 PM UTC

satvikpendem wrote: post #35

I know lots of people who play Factorio but for me, I guess it just feels too much like work? Whenever I play it, I get the distinct feeling that I could instead do the same thing but productively instead, such as by contributing to my OSS projects (sometimes, maybe even for profit instead). I never got into these types of programmatic games for precisely this reason but I'd like to understand other perspectives on t…

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 » Sun, Oct 27, 2024, 3:54 PM UTC

satvikpendem wrote: post #35

I know lots of people who play Factorio but for me, I guess it just feels too much like work? Whenever I play it, I get the distinct feeling that I could instead do the same thing but productively instead, such as by contributing to my OSS projects (sometimes, maybe even for profit instead). I never got into these types of programmatic games for precisely this reason but I'd like to understand other perspectives on t…