Tag: for future reference

slimetony:

nicejewishguy:

auttoton:

breaaak:

slimetony:

slimetony:

lets make a videogame how hard can it be

nevermind you have to know shit about computers

hey!! sorry to hijack this post, but there are a bunch of ways you can make videogames without knowing shit about computers!! 

for starters, there’s Twine, which is fucking great for making all kinds of interactive experiences (it’s what Crystal Warrior Ke$ha was made in so you KNOW it’s good) at all skill levels (i picked it up and made a game in two minutes a few nights ago)

if you want a bit more involved experience there’s Inform 7 which is a simple language for text-based adventure games that reads like slightly-weird English and also relatively easy to learn

you can do some pretty fucking cool stuff with Unity (my personal engine of choice) but you may need to dig a bit farther to get at the good stuff. there’s lots of really good presets though (i made an entire game just mixing and matching pre-existing templates and adding in my own art, won an award at a game jam for that one) and if you want help the community’s pretty dang friendly from what i’ve seen!

this is just a taste of what’s out there from what i’ve seen, but there’s so many cool resources out there. if anyone wants help getting started, i’m around to give you a leg up on making something in the coolest, most unexplored art medium around!

I’m addin’ to this post because lowering the barrier to entry for making games is super important to me!!!! If y’all have any questions about making games, you’re welcome to come and ask! I made this list a while back with some friends, so it has some of the programs John already mentioned.

2D Editors:

GameMaker : Potential for pure drag-and-drop “programming”. It is recommended to read-up on the program’s functions to make good use of it. Good for prototyping. Uses its own language called Game Maker Language (GML) that is similar to a C language (e.g. C++ or C#). For both Mac and PC; free version available.

Construct2 : Drag and drop level editor that uses an “If-Then” event sheet structure for programming. Good for prototyping and for beginners. For PC; free version available.

GameSalad : Drag and drop with no code requirement. Good for programming. For both Mac and PC; free version available.

Solpeo : HTML5 based game engine for 2D and isometric game development. Some programming knowledge needed. Platforms supported: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer 9+. Free version available.

Stencyl : Drag and Drop “programming,” templates you can edit the variables/values for.

Scratch : Lego-block-style coding platform by MIT; totally free and a great intro to thinking in code. Very kid-friendly and comes with a community site. Browser version available.

3D Editors:

Unity : 3D editor that creates 3D games. Can build games for browser, as an app, or for mobile devices (iOS and Android). For both Mac and PC; free version available.

UDK (Unreal Development Kit) : Full-fledged, highly advanced editor. Features a complete set of tools that go from level design to visual scripting to cut-scene creation. Uses it’s own programming language called Unreal Script that can be arranged with Kismet, a visual code editor. For Mac and PC; free.

2D Art/Animation Software:

GIMP : Free photo editing and digital painting software.

Easy Paint Tool SAI : Free digital painting software with a UI similar to Photoshop.

Mischief : Free digital painting software with an endless canvas.

3D Art/Animation Software:

Sculptris : From the company that created Zbrush, this free software is ideal for beginning 3D sculptors.

Maya : Animation, VFX, lighting, and rendering software.

Magical Voxel : Voxel Art (3D Pixel Art). Very intuitive and quick to pick up.

SketchUp :  Architectural modeling software, great for creating 3D environments and buildings. Free version available.

Text-Based Games:

Twine : Create interactive text stories using Twine’s visual map system that links your game together. Easy to learn and use. End result is browser-based. For Mac and PC; free.

Quest : Interactive text stories that you can build in-browser.

Ren’Py : Create visual novels using a modified version of Python that reads like a combination of stage directions and a CYOA novel. For PC, Mac, and Linux; free.

Audio Resources/Editors:

Indie Game Music : This site offers free indie music with no need to worry about royalties or licenses.

Audacity : A free, open-source, cross-platform sound editor that allows you to record and arrange sound.

Super Flash Bros. : This site allows you to record theremin-like (8bit) sounds and export them as .wav files for your games.

FL Studio : Free music composition software.

Miscellaneous Tools:

Donjon RPG Tools : Randomly generates maps, items, XP, etc.

W3Schools : Web-code tutorial database: HTML, CSS, Javascript+.

Debut Video Capture : Video screen capture to record Let’s Play videos, showcase your game on Youtube, etc.

Korsakow : Free tool for creating interactive and database films.

Processing : Flexible programming language used for visual and interactive artworks and simulations.

From Student to Designer, Part 2 : Tips for making a well-rounded, solid portfolio

Places to Publish/Share:

Itch.io : Platform for self-publishing games

Philome.la : Place to share Twine Games

@slimetony how does it feel to have your shitpost be turned into a helpful resource

It feels like a betrayal of every tenant of humor I subscribe to. Helping people is an alien concept to me. It makes me upset.

college note taking 101: how i take notes and use them to study for exams

briellestudies:

in lecture:

  • i like to take quick/shorthand notes because i think learning to discriminate between what is and isn’t important material is a good skill to have so i’m not drowning in useless information when it’s time to study for a midterm or final.
  • i like to bring my ipad and use the notability app. it’s easier for me to just carry an ipad mini and stylus than it is for me to lug around a heavy notebook/binder and several pens/pencils.
    • if the professor makes lecture slides available to students online (via a class website), i like to download them onto notability and annotate them as the professor goes along. that way, i can focus more on what the professor is saying and less on merely writing everything down.
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    • if lecture slides aren’t available, i type out my notes as i find it faster than handwriting them.

at home:

  • once i’m home, i take out my ipad and copy down my lecture notes into a specified notebook for that class, explain everything more thoroughly, make them neater, and organize them in a way that makes more sense to me (as opposed to copying them down exactly as how they were presented in lecture).
  • i like to use lots of colors, highlighters, and etc. and make them as pretty as possible so i actually want to use them to study from in the future.
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integrating reading notes:

  • normally, what professors will do is assign reading from a textbook and base their lectures around the reading (or have the reading be based on the lectures). usually exams/tests will rely mostly on what was said in lecture instead of in the reading and this is partly because they overlap so much. what the professor says in lecture, you should consider the “important points” in your reading. sometimes, though, there are things in the reading that seem important and weren’t mentioned in lecture.
    • what i’ll do if this is the case is take post-its, write the piece of information down, and stick the post-it in my notebook in the corresponding section (i.e. where it fits best with my notes)
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      • i like this method as opposed to taking notes directly in my textbook or having a separate notebook for only reading notes because 1) i’ve consistently found that reading material is not as heavily focused on in tests as lecture material and 2) i like to have all of my information in one place

using my notes to study:

  • when an exam is coming up, what i like to do is take all of the information in my notebook and condense it into a study guide that i can use to study from.
    • the format of my study guide varies depending on the class and which type of study guide and method of studying i think will help me best. my study guides range from flash cards to mind maps to sheets of paper with a bunch of condensed information.
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    • if i come across a concept on my study guide that i can’t completely explain to myself/don’t fully understand, that’s when i’ll look back in my notebook for a better and fuller explanation of it.
  • i also like to give myself some time before an exam to completely read through my notebook and look at all the notes i’ve taken (not just what i have on my study guide) because i think it’s a good refresher of all of the lecture and reading material and all of the information will be brought forward in my mind.

[* a few of you have asked me for a advice on note taking: how i take notes, methods i use, how i study from them, and etc. i hope this post was helpful to you! feel free to message me if you have any other questions. happy studying! ^_^]

Academic Writing Resources

nimblesnotebook:

General:

Introductions:

Body Paragraphs:

Topic Sentences:

Conclusions:

Thesis Statements:

Citing:

Argumentative Essays:

Writing About Poetry:

Expository Essays:

Research Papers:

College Application Essays:

Narrative Essays:

SYNONYMS FOR WORDS COMMONLY USED IN STUDENTS’ WRITINGS

writeworld:

by larae.net

  • Amazing– incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary
  • Anger– enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden
  • Angry– mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed
  • Answer– reply, respond, retort, acknowledge
  • Ask– question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz
  • Awful– dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant
  • Bad– evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable
  • Beautiful – pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling
  • Begin – start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate
  • Big – enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous
  • Brave – courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome
  • Break – fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize
  • Bright – shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual
  • Calm – quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof
  • Come – approach, advance, near, arrive, reach
  • Cool – chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid
  • Crooked – bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag
  • Cry – shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl
  • Cut – gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce
  • Dangerous – perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe
  • Dark – shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad
  • Decide – determine, settle, choose, resolve
  • Definite – certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious
  • Delicious – savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite
  • Describe – portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record
  • Destroy – ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish
  • Difference – disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility
  • Do – execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain
  • Dull – boring, tiring,, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary
  • Eager – keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to
  • End – stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance
  • Enjoy – appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like
  • Explain – elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for
  • Fair – just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest
  • Fall – drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble
  • False – fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious
  • Famous – well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious
  • Fast – quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash
  • Fat – stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine
  • Fear – fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension
  • Fly – soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise
  • Funny – humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly
  • Get – acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage
  • Go – recede, depart, fade, disappear, move, travel, proceed
  • Good – excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying
  • Great – noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty
  • Gross – improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low
  • Happy – pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed
  • Hate – despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate
  • Have – hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy
  • Help – aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet
  • Hide – conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil
  • Hurry – rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle
  • Hurt – damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain
  • Idea – thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief
  • Important – necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known
  • Interesting – fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing
  • Keep – hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support
  • Kill – slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish
  • Lazy – indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish
  • Little – tiny, small, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute
  • Look – gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore
  • Love – like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor
  • Make – create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get
  • Mark – label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate
  • Mischievous – prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive
  • Move – plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge
  • Moody – temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy
  • Neat – clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely
  • New – fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent
  • Old – feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct
  • Part – portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment
  • Place – space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state
  • Plan – plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint
  • Popular – well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current
  • Predicament – quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam
  • Put – place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build
  • Quiet – silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful
  • Right – correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair
  • Run – race, speed, hurry, hasten, sprint, dash, rush, escape, elope, flee
  • Say/Tell – inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute
  • Scared – afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive
  • Show – display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose
  • Slow – unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack
  • Stop – cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, end, finish, quit
  • Story – tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir
  • Strange – odd, peculiar, unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, queer, weird, outlandish, curious, unique, exclusive, irregular
  • Take – hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume
  • Tell – disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat
  • Think – judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate
  • Trouble – distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort
  • True – accurate, right, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch
  • Ugly – hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome
  • Unhappy – miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad
  • Use – employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise
  • Wrong – incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable