drafts folder & first DF entry

content/drafts/df-journal-i/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+---
+title: "Dwarf Fortress Journal Entry #1"
+date: 2024-09-15
+hidden: true
+searchHidden: true
+draft: true
+weight: 1
+cover:
+    image:
+    alt:
+tags: ["Play Journal"]
+---
+
+> Disclaimer: This journal entry is being uploaded a tad late, as I spent a fair amount of time troubleshooting some technical difficulties (described below) which delayed my writing of this entry.
+>
+> Please forgive my tardiness 🙏
+
+# Embarking in the Darkness 🕯️
+
+Heading to the _Bay 12 Games_ website, I downloaded a fresh (and free!) copy of **Dwarf Fortress** (hereafter DF) to my PC. I am teeming with excitement to play DF for the first time. In passing, I have overheard whispers of this game as a developer making me aware of its contributions to the procedural generation and construction-sim space. That said I am familiar with literally nothing else about DF. With my download complete, I double-clicked the executable in my downloads folder and patiently awaited the game's launch.
+
+...
+
+Nothing.
+
+Not a completely uncommon experience as a Linux user, but disappointing nonetheless. I then moved to the terminal and attempted to execute the launch script, revealing a plethora of missing packages on my machine. I rationalize to myself that this is the price I must pay for freedom 🐧. A couple of package installs later, I am finally graced with this beautiful launch screen:
+
+{{< figure src="./img/main-menu.png" align="center" caption="Dwarf Fortress launch screen" >}}
+
+(You may have noticed that this screenshot is wider than normal. This is due to the default resolution settings on my ultra-wide monitor... which is going to come back to bite me later).
+
+My initial impressions of starting the game are plagued by my newly wired UX brain noting each little difficulty and attempting to analyze how user-friendly these early menus are. My experience playing games like Minecraft tells me I am to "Create new world", where I am subsequently presented with a new menu of options to create my world.
+
+{{< figure src="./img/basic-settup.png" align="center" caption="New World Menu" >}}
+
+Do I have any idea what these options do? Nope. After briefly clicking detailed mode (thinking perhaps it would explain the details of my options to me) and finding a frightening menagerie of radio buttons and slider options, I decided to trust my gut and make some of the basic selections:
+
+Map size -> Smaller
+History Length -> 5 years
+Number of Civilizations (What are these?)-> Low
+Max Number of Sities (What are those?) -> Low
+Number of beasts (Eeek) -> ~~Very low~~ (wait I'm no coward) -> Low
+Natural Savagery (Natural what!?) -> Very Low
+Mineral Occurrence (I feel like dwarves will want minerals) -> Frequent
+
+{{< figure src="./img/go-back-go-back.png" align="center" caption="For the morbidly curious, this is what I found in detailed mode 😱" >}}
+
+Suddenly, a series of new windows flies by as my world and history are generated before me. As excited as I am, I absorb none of the information it presents to me (hopefully that wasn't too important... 😁).
+
+It is now time for me to pick my settlement location... whatever that means. I read some warnings about aquifers being dangerous, and attempted and find a dry piece of land close (but not too close) to another dwarf fortress; dwarves gotta stick together, right?
+
+After some time spent waiting for another few loading menus, I finally arrive at an adorable little ASCII world. After a little trial-and-error, I discover the keyboard and mouse commands to move about the map and begin hovering over different tiles on the map reading the descriptions of each and every little thing I come across. My first observation is that nothing is moving in the world which--after taking a little time to orient myself to my surroundings--I decide is kinda weird.
+
+### Current Objective: Make a thing happen
+
+I click through a "couple" of menus searching for any sort of help or instructions on what I should be doing. I pour myself into learning about expedition parties and try to create a party of my own to no avail. Flipping through menu after menu I am now feeling lost and disoriented as I hyper-fixate on one specific interface for a few minutes before deciding that this isn't where I'm supposed to be (This seems as good a time to mention that I do not play a ton of construction and sim games, though I am loosely familiar with the genre).
+
+A nervous glance at the clock reveals that in an hour and a half, I have not figured out how to do a single thing. 😵‍💫
+
+Desperate, I turn to YouTube to find the official dwarf fortress tutorial.
+
+{{< youtube a_oKQDSWw-s >}}
+![](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_oKQDSWw-s)
+
+I skipped through to the 6 minute mark searching for the _navigating the play-field_ section, where I discover the concept of DF "pause" and "play" modes of DF, in addition to the charming pixel art of the paid version (note to self, may be worth the $30 price tag at a later date). I skim through a couple more key sections of the tutorial (looking at things, jobs, digging), before closing it and returning to the game. At that moment, I spotted what was evidently supposed to be my indication that the game was paused.
+
+{{< figure src="./img/pause.png" align="center" caption="Somehow they expected me to see this in the top right hand of my ultra-wide monitor" >}}
+
+With a press of the spacebar my world sprung to life and I watched tiny little ASCII glyphs dance across the screen.
+
+### Objective Complete: Made a thing happen
+
+The next hour of gameplay seems to fly by as I begin to dig out a modest cavern for my dwarves. As I entered into a zone state, near-completely engrossed in the game, I made note of the following observations by way of quick screen grabs and jotting down a quick scribble on a post-it note. Here are a small selection of some of my most memorable notes:
+
+### Day 1 Memos:
+
+---
+
+{{< figure src="./img/menu-gripe.png" align="center" caption="Why is this hotkey not **L**!? Should I change this keybinding? 🤔" >}}
+
+{{< figure src="./img/cant-dig.png" align="center" caption="Why can't I dig? I got them to create stairs but they won't dig anything further. Why won't my miner dwarf won't dig out a hole? 💢" >}}
+
+{{< figure src="./img/digging-at-last.png" align="center" caption="(15 min later) Update: I have discovered how to fix my dilemma! My dig selection area neglected to include the light grey tile serving as a **wall** which I assumed to be a cleared area of terrain." >}}
+
+{{< figure src="./img/tasks.png" align="center" caption="(2 min later) I have learned that I can watch dwarves that have jobs here in the task menu 👀!" >}}
+
+{{< figure src="./img/mist.png" align="center" caption="I was lucky to notice and then luckier to catch a snapshot of this little gem. I happened to watch my little lumberjack dwarf cut down a tree next to a body of water, and the cutest little ASCII splash animation played as some logs hit the water.">}}
+
+---
+
+After what started as a grueling battle with an admittedly obtuse interface, I found myself pulling myself away from my computer as I slowly fell in love with the little ASCII world before me. I leave of this week excited to play more next week and strangely a bit nervous that my dwarves will wander off on adventures without me while I'm gone. I find my bizarre desire to anthropomorphize these little glyphs on my screen absolutely fascinating.
+
+I'll leave off with one final note, and perhaps my most proud achievement from my session of play.
+
+{{< figure src="./img/farm-plot-achieved.png" align="center" caption="**_BEHOLD_**📣 my adorable lil' dwarf farm! 🧑‍🌾">}}
+
+It took me a while to figure out that I could make a plot on the sand, though I consulted my aforementioned guide to learn that I should make my farm underground.

content/drafts/df-journal-ii/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+title: "Dwarf Fortress Journal Entry #2"
+date: 2024-09-15
+searchHidden: true
+draft: true
+weight: 1
+cover:
+    image:
+    alt:
+tags: ["Play Journal"]
+---
+
+🧔⚒️💎
+Dwarf work in progress

public/index.json

@@ -1 +1 @@
-[{"content":" Play as a young scientist faced with scientific challenges across multiple oceanic ecosystems. Made in partnership with Harvard and the Penn Center for Learning Analytics. Funding provided by NSF.\nGameplay screenshot of Wake\nMy Contributions Designed pivotal story and level layout elements of the game’s introductory sequence Brought gameplay mechanics to life in Unity, implementing the game’s Shop UI, and expanding upon systems in the game’s Experiment Tanks Used in-house scripting language to bring the work of writers, designers, and developers together to implement Aqualab’s quests QA Testing using Trello and other in-house logging tools Games for Change 2024 | Best in Enviormental Impact Preview of the G4C Awards Overview\nField Day Learning Games recently recieved some recognition at the 2024 Games for Change Awards! Wake was nominated for a Silver award in the category Best in Enviormental Impact. Their other entry (developed by some good friends of mine across the office) Headlines and High Water won a Gold awards for Best in Civics. You can find both titles in the awards overview at festival.gamesforchange.org.\nLearn More About Wake ","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/wake/","summary":"An online game to teach middle school students science research practices in the Life Sciences","title":"🐳 Wake: Tales from the Aqualab"},{"content":" ⚠️ Disclaimer: MOTHER² is an unofficial, fan-made game and is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way connected with Nintendo of America, Inc., Shigesato Itoi, HAL Laboratory Inc., Nintendo Co. LTD, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.\nDevelopment footage shown is subject to change. Please support Hobonichi and Nintendo by playing EarthBound via Nintendo Switch Online.\nMe \u0026amp; MOTHER² My role in the MOTHER² development team is two fold as both a developer and UX designer. I am responsible recreating a number of the games features and additions, as well as the researching and designing improvements focused on player experience.\n🎊 New Year New Trailer! MOTHER²\u0026rsquo;s screen resolution has been enlarged to be able to view more of the game world! This was a highly-requested change that we were fortunately able to accommodate. Overworld and battle UI has been adjusted accordingly.\nYou can buy items from any shop in bulk. A counter will display and allows the player to buy multiple items, assuming you have inventory space and are able to afford them.\n🚲 Bikes are back!️ This time all party members are eventually able to use them via a momentum-based system! This works well in conjunction with the running mechanic. As an added bonus, bikes are able to be delivered straight to you by calling Punk-Sure, the bike shop.\nPlus, many more returning and new features are in the works\u0026hellip; 🎁\n2023 Mother Direct Trailer Come Follow Us! ","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/mothersquared/","summary":"An upcoming fan remake of the sleeper hit SNES game, EarthBound.","title":"🌏️ MOTHER²"},{"content":"Performance day approaches for our Musical Maestro! Anxious for his big performance, the Maestro attempts to use his magical prowess to call upon an ancient spell to enchant his concert\u0026hellip;\nTo his dismay, something went dreadfully wrong, unleashing a wicked Phantom upon the audience!\nNow the Maestro must set things right and demonstrate his mastery of the mystic modes.\nPlay Now! Created for Bigmode Game Jam 2023\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/modemash/","summary":"An arcade-style brawler themed around the musical modes created for the 2023 Mode Jam","title":"🎼 ModeMash!"},{"content":"Do you have what it takes to achieve happiness and leave a legacy for horseflies to come?\nUse your chest to keep items safe, and try to help your descendants find their way to happiness!\nPlay Now! Created for the 2022 Ludum Dare Jam\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/notimetohorsefly/","summary":"A top-down, rogue-lite, puzzle game set in the lifespan of a horsefly created for the 2022 Ludum Dare","title":"🪰 No Time to Horsefly"},{"content":"\r👋 Hello there! I’m Xander\nI am a lifelong, self-driven learner and problem solver I have been professionally developing games for the last two years, and recreationally my entire life. I graduated the University of Wisconsin—Madison with a Bachelors in Computer Science and three certificates in Game Design, Digital Art, and Professional Japanese Comunication.\nI am proficient in a diverse range of full-stack toolchains targeting game and web development. I am frequently found in international fan games, hackathons, and game jams, expressing my passion for applied games and FOSS.\nI achieved the rank of Eagle Scout before graduating high school and continued developing my leadership skills guiding competitive e-sports teams to compete at the national level and igniting passion in STEM teaching kids ages K-12.\nLearn more about my projects in the Games tab up above\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/whoami/","summary":"Learn more about who I am and what I am about! 😊","title":"whoami"}]
+[{"content":" Play as a young scientist faced with scientific challenges across multiple oceanic ecosystems. Made in partnership with Harvard and the Penn Center for Learning Analytics. Funding provided by NSF.\nGameplay screenshot of Wake\nMy Contributions Designed pivotal story and level layout elements of the game’s introductory sequence Brought gameplay mechanics to life in Unity, implementing the game’s Shop UI, and expanding upon systems in the game’s Experiment Tanks Used in-house scripting language to bring the work of writers, designers, and developers together to implement Aqualab’s quests QA Testing using Trello and other in-house logging tools Games for Change 2024 | Best in Enviormental Impact Preview of the G4C Awards Overview\nField Day Learning Games recently recieved some recognition at the 2024 Games for Change Awards! Wake was nominated for a Silver award in the category Best in Enviormental Impact. Their other entry (developed by some good friends of mine across the office) Headlines and High Water won a Gold awards for Best in Civics. You can find both titles in the awards overview at festival.gamesforchange.org.\nLearn More About Wake ","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/wake/","summary":"An online game to teach middle school students science research practices in the Life Sciences","title":"🐳 Wake: Tales from the Aqualab"},{"content":" ⚠️ Disclaimer: MOTHER² is an unofficial, fan-made game and is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way connected with Nintendo of America, Inc., Shigesato Itoi, HAL Laboratory Inc., Nintendo Co. LTD, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.\nDevelopment footage shown is subject to change. Please support Hobonichi and Nintendo by playing EarthBound via Nintendo Switch Online.\nMe \u0026amp; MOTHER² My role in the MOTHER² development team is two fold as both a developer and UX designer. I am responsible recreating a number of the games features and additions, as well as the researching and designing improvements focused on player experience.\n🎊 New Year New Trailer! MOTHER²\u0026rsquo;s screen resolution has been enlarged to be able to view more of the game world! This was a highly-requested change that we were fortunately able to accommodate. Overworld and battle UI has been adjusted accordingly.\nYou can buy items from any shop in bulk. A counter will display and allows the player to buy multiple items, assuming you have inventory space and are able to afford them.\n🚲 Bikes are back!️ This time all party members are eventually able to use them via a momentum-based system! This works well in conjunction with the running mechanic. As an added bonus, bikes are able to be delivered straight to you by calling Punk-Sure, the bike shop.\nPlus, many more returning and new features are in the works\u0026hellip; 🎁\n2023 Mother Direct Trailer Come Follow Us! ","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/mothersquared/","summary":"An upcoming fan remake of the sleeper hit SNES game, EarthBound.","title":"🌏️ MOTHER²"},{"content":"Performance day approaches for our Musical Maestro! Anxious for his big performance, the Maestro attempts to use his magical prowess to call upon an ancient spell to enchant his concert\u0026hellip;\nTo his dismay, something went dreadfully wrong, unleashing a wicked Phantom upon the audience!\nNow the Maestro must set things right and demonstrate his mastery of the mystic modes.\nPlay Now! Created for Bigmode Game Jam 2023\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/modemash/","summary":"An arcade-style brawler themed around the musical modes created for the 2023 Mode Jam","title":"🎼 ModeMash!"},{"content":"Do you have what it takes to achieve happiness and leave a legacy for horseflies to come?\nUse your chest to keep items safe, and try to help your descendants find their way to happiness!\nPlay Now! Created for the 2022 Ludum Dare Jam\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/games/notimetohorsefly/","summary":"A top-down, rogue-lite, puzzle game set in the lifespan of a horsefly created for the 2022 Ludum Dare","title":"🪰 No Time to Horsefly"},{"content":"\r👋 Hello there! I’m Xander\nI am a lifelong, self-driven learner and problem solver 👤 I have been professionally developing games for the last two years, and recreationally my entire life. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Madison with a bachelor\u0026rsquo;s degree in computer science and three certificates (minors) in game design, digital art, and professional Japanese communication.\n🧑‍💻 I am proficient in various full-stack toolchains targeting game and web development. I am frequently found in international fan games, hackathons, and game jams, expressing my passion for applied games and FOSS.\n🎓 I was recently a developer at Field Day Learning Games where I worked on titles such as Wake: Tales from the Aqualab. Last year I completed a graduate certificate capstone in User Experience Design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I also worked part-time at Maydm Inc, a non-profit here in Madison providing girls and youth of color in grades 6 -12 with the skills, experiences, and connections to pursue careers in STEM. I am currently pursuing a master\u0026rsquo;s degree in Design, Informal, and Creative Education exploring the use of new technologies and media in the service of learning and human growth.\n🕹️ I am a lifelong, self-driven learner and problem-solver. Come chat with me about any type of game you like to play.\nLearn more about my projects in the Games tab up above\n","permalink":"//localhost:1313/whoami/","summary":"Learn more about who I am and what I am about! 😊","title":"whoami"}]

public/index.xml

@@ -6,8 +6,17 @@
     <description>Recent content on XanderGrab</description>
     <generator>Hugo -- 0.132.1</generator>
     <language>en-us</language>
-    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
+    <lastBuildDate>Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
     <atom:link href="//localhost:1313/index.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
+    <item>
+      <title>Dwarf Fortress Journal Entry #1</title>
+      <link>//localhost:1313/blog/df-journal-i/</link>
+      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
+      <guid>//localhost:1313/blog/df-journal-i/</guid>
+      <description>Disclaimer: This journal entry is being uploaded a tad late, as I spent a fair amount of time troubleshooting some technical difficulties (described below) which delayed my writing of this entry.
+Please forgive my tardiness 🙏
+Embarking in the Darkness 🕯️ Heading to the Bay 12 Games website, I downloaded a fresh (and free!) copy of Dwarf Fortress (hereafter DF) to my PC. I am teeming with excitement to play DF for the first time.</description>
+    </item>
     <item>
       <title>Case Study: Beginning User Research for a Fan Game</title>
       <link>//localhost:1313/blog/madux/madux-fall/</link>