GeekMan

Yeah that sounds like a good path!

I used to love advanced math, physics and game coding, so I’ve revisited the 'Landers several times over the years (a day here and there in the middle of life/emigrating/careers).

If you also Google for solutions to the 'Landers you’ll find people have done hardcore analysis and genetic algorithms!

(cough like this)

Next mission: somehow hack UE5 into CodinGame and let it sort it out.

I think it is!!

Gather food & liquids, cancel any plans tomorrow, fire it up in a browser.

Y’welcome.

To add to the list, Codingame.com

It wouldn’t be the first thing to try. Get the basics down on your own machine/environment. Try this for something additional.

CodinGame gives you the IDE and build environment in your browser, so it’s for learning/practicing/testing coding knowledge without building/deploying locally, or worrying about UI/persistence/networking etc.

It’s filled with coding puzzles and competitions. I started where they give you animated scenarios (to look like part of a game or engine), and you contribute a small, missing unit of code to complete the challenge.

You can choose from 25 languages, they encourage unit-testing, and there are global coding competitions and company outreach to top coders. I don’t wanna say they gamified it… but they did.

But once you’re comfortable with those, CodinGame lets you practice different concepts & algorithms without having to come up with the bigger systems around them.

I’ve loved it for getting back to coding after a while, tinkering with certain concepts, or trying other languages.

I’m not affiliated with it. Just loved the idea & execution. Except for Mars Lander III challenge. That can get @#$&ed.

There’s never been a better time to reference Arrested Development;

“There’s ALWAYS, money, in the Banana Stand”

“I love you, sarge!”

Upvote for The Castle reference?

I’m 45.

Dad got me started on his Intellivision (early-80’s), got my own Atari 2600, first computers C64 and Tandy 1000, then a Nintendo-everything guy until now having a Playstation, Xbox and Switch for as many rooms of the house.

These days Rocket League is the best to play during remote audio meetings, 'cause you don’t need sound and it’s 5-10mins a game, but COD, GoW, Zelda.* and Mario.* would still get a thrashing when the girlfriend’s at work.

“Can’t stop won’t stop” --Swift, T.

I actually know of a clause in a recent contract for a small, one-episode/one-line role in a new TV show, that said it gave permission to use something (I was told) that said “synthesized performances”.

Like I said the role was small, not a big-name actor/who might die soon. It was just a character who worked in a place who would’ve been seen regularly in the background. So the agent said it was their guess that the production would film the character live first, then recreate the person with A.I. after that.

The agent struck out the clause, and the production accepted it.

So could that mean they’ll do the right thing and pay the actor to come back every time they need filler? Or just won’t fill-in future scenes with that character/actor, to save paying them?

And did they intend that just for this character this time, or all the other small & background characters in that scene & beyond? Or are they just testing the waters, putting it in all contracts for any size role from now-on, just in-case?

I guess we’ll see how many agents are reading every clause buried within the sea of standard stuff.