November Projects - Review

With Christmas right there *points*, I'm not going to set any December projects for myself.  This term at school has been gruelling, close to the hardest term I've ever had in teaching.  I have managed to get through it and get some stuff done though, so it's not all gloomy defeatism.

Physical make: Loganberry frame/trellis.  I did finally finish it and I'm looking forward to properly clearing up the workshop so I can get some more physical makes done.  The garden also needs a huge tidy-up, with cutting back and weeding.  Maybe I'll get out there over the Christmas break, but I'm not going to beat myself up if that doesn't happen.

Coding make: Turning my Silkworm tribute into an entry for the DOS Games Fall Jam.  I submitted a playable almost-level.  It was pretty disappointing from the content side - literally less than a dozen helicopter swoops and a simple boss.  From a technical side, it was much more of a success.  During the course of it, I developed a reasonably fast sprite system which could cope with large mosaic-sprites (a large sprite made up of multiple 32x32 sprites).  I also implemented SoundBlaster code with mixing of simultaneous sound effects.  Plus, I implemented a fade-in system which completely works in DosBox and partially works in PCem.

I've got too many ideas for next projects.  I'd like to try my hand at DOS raycasting for the Kajam event themed around that.  I'd also like to return to the DOS space docker and try to make a playable orbital-ship sim in mode 12h.  I also want to write a simple Nintendo DS homebrew game so I can get the pedagogy right for confident secondary-school students.  There is definite potential there.  Plus so many other things...
 
Reading: The Fall of Yugoslavia by Misha Glenny.

I did finish this book, and it is truly excellent.  It is harrowing and depressing, but also very well written.  To me, it really emphasised how poisonous nationalism can be.  A strangely poignant time to read it with Trump, Brexit, and the Ethiopian and Azerbaijan conflicts.

I am also most of the way through The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home, which so far is an excellent read.


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