Python App 2: Working, animated HP bars + Working items + building my Party!

Firstly, I think I'm in a fair position now to offer some constructive criticism of the course. Although it is amazing that in the 10 years since leaving school this is the first course I have finally gotten more than a quarter through, let alone genuinely learning a programming language finally in my life, I sometimes find the lack of certainty frustrating. It would be one thing if it were a real lecture, but leaving in mistakes rather than editing them out doesn't help my own confidence in what I have learned. Especially when one or two mistakes broke the game I was working on (even more frustrating as I tend to deviate slightly, at least once making me think it was my own fault before rewatching and realising his error). It would be one thing if it was an end of video test to spot a deliberate error, but I should at least be able to trust the tutor's own code as a barometer with which to measure my own (especially for an absolute beginner).

I have turned it into somewhat of a game, where I pause the video and try to spot the error myself first, but still. It makes the learning experience needlessly difficult and harder to grasp. I don't want these words to be taken as slagging off the course, as on the other hand I enjoy the more conversational style. It means I can, generally, follow along. One other minor frustration is that he tends to have the program front and center on his recordings, wheras I would prefer either to have it only covering one one half of the screen (so I can code along with it on the other side), or to have the video tall and fill the entire screen, so I can snap it to one of the sides.

Now that is out of the way, onto what I was learning today. Firstly, I implemented some proper item usage code. Because I had already created a "charge" function (is function the right word? I get a little confused with the lingo, I mean something that works something out and comes back to you), I could use that for mp healing items too. I also replaced some of my own code with his, to do with only healing max hp/mp for elixers (rather than just healing a blanket 9999MP, which had the same effect but looked strange when the status came up as that on healing to max... It looks cleaner just having "fully restore mp".

After that, it was a kind of combined task to create animated statusbars with adding new party members. In some ways they went hand-in-hand with each other, and to my surprise it was increadiblyeasy (you just use classes, which act like a metaphorical "mould" when there is more than one of something, like characters). It was interesting seeing how to make the code cleaner by only calling a few lines of code a number of times (rather than copying and pasting that same piece of code multiple times, which is inefficient and results in a longer, and uglier, document).

It was quite a similar experience creating the hp bars. There is actually only one code for what a Name/HP/MP bar looks like... Then, for every character, it peeks at that template, and adds the character's own stats to it.  Again, it was fascinating seeing solutions to problems I'd never even considered when sat at home playing games. I mean, if I thought about it logically I'd probably imagine it look something similar, but it's cool to implement these things myself and have them do the work for me.

My one frustration was... name lengths. I wasted a great deal of time trying to figure out how to deliver a fixed 9 character field for names on the HP bar, so they are laid out in something like a table rather than all over the place (and so, when a status update is posted like "Ronius attacks for 85!" it doesn't end up appearing "Ronius    attacks for 85!". I gave up in the end... Which is maybe for the best, seeing as I want to somehow give this more of a GUI for Android and Windows (using Kivy), which will likely require an entirely different solution!

As usual, my code is available to peruse and learn from at my GitHub page.  The course I am learning from is Nick Germaine's "The Complete Python Course: Beginner to Advanced!" Available at StackSkills.

Python App 2: Adding a Magic and Game Over System

I have continued bulldozing through the course today, and my silly text RPG now has a magic system as well as a way to get a "Game Over". The application now starts straight into an enemy battle, and the played character has a limited amount of HP/MP, along with the enemy having a limited amount of HP. The application ends when either the player's hp or the enemy's hp reaches 0.

The biggest problem I'm finding is the same thing I bump into learning programming in the past: The further I go into it, the less in control I feel of the code and understanding what it does. All I have been doing mostly is copying almost verbatim the instructors code- although I do seem quick at finding typo errors when it doesn't run properly. I have also made my own changes to the program, such as making the text detailing enemy and player hp/mp stand out more, and giving different colours to the instructor (so text involving magic or MP are universally blue, for example).

I suppose these are the bugbears of learning anything unfamiliar. The thing is I know each of the systems individually and how and why they work. It's just, as a whole, I would have difficulty tracking down how or why a certain part of the code does a certain thing, without spending 30 seconds or so reading through it and remembering what each part of the code does. Still, the fact I can make little changes that work out how I want them to shows I must understand what I am coding on some level?

As usual, the code is available for study at: https://github.com/GlitchWalker/Python-RPG/

Celebrate May… Metal Gear May, That Is! (…and get drunk.)

With 2013 has bringing us kicking and screaming into May, now comes a little tradition in our family (well, when I say family, I mean the geeks that are my brother and I). We call it "Metal Gear May".

And this year I thought what better way to celebrate than with the Metal Beer drinking game, a combination of my two most favourite pursuits! Crack out those spirits; line-up the shots; get your beers handy; lock up your daughters! And get ready to keep on fighting... or throw up trying.

You can generally swap the player in your group however you like; but the drinks make it that more interesting for bystanders. And if you're on your own, woe to you.

METAL BEER
(If two situations happen at the same time, the effect is cumulative unless stated)

ALL GAMES
*Down 1 shot for every time a newly-stated word or concept is immediately turned into a question (e.g. "Metal Gear?", "The Patriots?", "Nerd?").
*Down 2 shots every time Metal Gear is mentioned.
*Down a shot every time "la-li-lu-le-lo" is mentioned.
*Take a shot for every bowel movement seen/heard/made.
*Down a shot every time a character previously killed off is brought back to life.

METAL GEAR SOLID
*Down 2 shots if player gives in to torture.
*Down a shot for every scene with home-erotic undertones (e.g. "Do you think love blooms on the battlefield?").
*Down a shot every time a character is pretending to be someone else.

METAL GEAR SOLID 2
*Everyone but the player downs 3 shots if he manages to pause Naked Raiden mid-combo, showing off his stump.
*The player takes a shot every time he fails in this.
*The player takes a shot every time he thinks it's funny to use R1/R2 to give a positive/negative response in a codec conversation.
*Any other person who finds this funny also takes a shot.

METAL GEAR SOLID 3
*Take a shot every time someone mentions Judo.
*Down a shot every time a leech is removed.
*Down a shot every time Snake is poisoned.

METAL GEAR SOLID 4
*Down a shot if Metal Gear Online is still in the main menu.
*Down a shot if it is the Wednesday/Sunday sale in Drebin's shop.
*Take a shot everytime Naomi changes sides.
*Take a shot for every flashback witnessed.

METAL GEAR SOLID: Peace Walker
*Take a shot every time Paz mentions "Peace".

GAME CHANGERS (Any situation you may as well down 10 shots because you're either a genius or morally questionable, 10 shots applies to all of these)
*Big Boss ranking is obtained
*You get Snake in a box with Paz
*You get Snake in a box with Master Miller
*Otacon "makes a backup" of a scantily clad female.

Please note I do not condone any kind of drinking of any kind.

Theories on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

(Originally posted as a reply to The Phantom Pain: The Unifying Theory. Thought the writing was good enough for a whole post in itself, which I'll probably edit later)


I think a line spoken to Meryl in the first of the MGS saga best summarises what we have seen in the "Solid" story so far: "The reality is no match for the legend".

More than just being different characters, I think the tales of Snake and Big Boss also fit into the catagories of The Legend and The Reality. By the end of Solid Snake's arc (MGS, MGS 2, MGS 4), we see Kojima has gone to great lengths to explain virtually everything that could possibly have been construed as supernatural (Mind Control, Telekinesis, A soul taking over another person, Hallucinations, and so on). This represents the "real", and even things that might not have needed an explanation have been tied up and fit into our world.. usually at some point involving nano machines.

In contrast, I feel the Naked Snake/Big Boss story arc (MGS 3, MGS: PO, MGS: PW, MGS V?) has, most of the time, almost gone out of it's way NOT to explain these events (The Boss' stitching flowing over her body like a Snake, the sudden change of colour of flowers following her death, Snake's "Boss Fight" with The Sorrow). I think the game indirectly hints at this by giving, not a Game Over screen, but a Time Paradox screen, occasionally even with Campbell telling you off for causing a time paradox. To me, it points to the idea that what we are seeing are not events that have actually happened, but rather a representation of those events. The legends passed down from one person to another; distilled as an interactive experience (either that we control directly, or that "someone" is experiencing as a VR mission).

I believe that the story/theme of Metal Gear Solid V is all about what happens when both of these "worlds" collide. Zero didn't just want another soldier, but an idol for the next generation. You could even take it further and say it's also about the battle of "Faith" versus "Facts"; is having an explanation for everything always the most suitable way to go forward? People lie about their loved ones to save them from the truth and to prevent harm (e.g. Snake lying to Naomi about Grey Fox's last words at the end of MGS). Conversely, has blind faith always led humanity down the best roads?

I believe this idea fits nicely with the fear of an "always on" society, and also the idea of information control from MGS2. Is what we see really the truth? Or is it censored to show someone elses truth? The gear on Snake's back from the phantom pain also suggests interference from Psycho Mantis. Could those shackles represent the same kind of control as the puppet strings from MGS4? Could this whole experience be Big Boss rejecting these implanted memories? Or this be the conclusion of a social experiment, like Raiden's story in MGS2, from Kojima to us to decide what is actually real?

Pirate News Top Three - 25/02/2013

In a new daily feature, a daily summary of the top news in the 4 areas I cover in this blog: Pirates, Green, Gaming and Politics. In this first post? Pirates!

Just as a quick summary; the Pirate Posts will feature issues on technology, media, copyright, and the politics of these issues. Under no circumstances does this blog link to or condone pirate activities; it is my personal belief that, although copyright law needs reforming, one should always obey whatever the current laws are. For free music, film and software, choose only those freebies for which the copyright holder has given permission to download freely. A good start would be Frostclick, Frostwire's sister site, which includes only legal free downloads. If you are caught knowingly breaking the law, you deserve any penalty you get!

 1. Live Chat With Your Pirate In Parliament!

If you are a member of the European Union (or even if you are just interested) and willing to listen in Nordic at times, join your Pirate Party MEP for a live chat every Thursday at 17:30 in the UK (18:30 CET). The first of these was held in the Thursday just gone, with such fascinating insights as how lobbyists tried to trick MEPs into softening Data Protection laws for consumers. I wonder if any of our mainstream parties would be so open and direct with it's constituents!

Main Article by The Pirate Times: What Would You Ask A Pirate MEP?

2. Nintendo Wants Websites Blocked

Each year companies get to submit a list of proposals to the US government on how they could improve copywrong enforcement across the world, known as the Special 301 Report. Included in Nintendo's letter are such reccomendations as adding China, Spain, and Brazil (among others) to the USA's watchlist; publicizing raids and other sanctions to increase awareness; and giving stronger penalties to copyright infringers as well as taking to court more high-profile infringers. Nintendo's operating income has been around 37.3 Billion Yen (around £270 million) each year.

Main Article by TorrentFreak: Nintendo Wants To Hunt Game Pirates And Block Websites

3. Firefox Launch OS At Mobile World Congress

Mozilla has "Unleashed The Fox"; those attending the Mobile World Congress will be able to experience Firefox OS and The Fox firsthand. This is an interesting development, as it marks the first mainstream Mobile OS entirely created by a not-for-profit organisation. It will be interesting to see how it fares against Google's Android, which has already cornered most of the mobile market. Although Android is mostly Open Source, it is developed by it's for-profit parents Google.

Main Article by The Mozilla Blog: Moblizing Mozilla: Blazing Your Own Path

Final Fantasy XIII: Key Facts Review

Final Fantasy XIII is like a supermodel; astoundingly beautiful but with little substance.

Gameplay: The intention of Square Enix with Final Fantasy XIII was to strip away much of the complexity in order for the game to appeal to a new, younger audience. In a sense you could say they were successful. You now only control one character in battle, and the game does much of the actual "strategy" for you using what is called the "Paradigm" system. This controls the abilities available to other characters, similar to how the class system worked on Final Fantasy 5. For me the nail in the coffin, and in a sense what also appears to be the whole direction of the game, is the "Auto-Battle" menu item for your main character. Apart from the occasional time you need to micro-manage, you don't even need to think about strategy besides the paradigm anymore! The simplification is also reflected in the "exploration" of the world environment. By exploration I mean, of course, a linear path going from A to B via C (the odd enemy) with your reward being D (usually a cut-scene). Lather, rinse, repeat. Maybe this really is bringing the game to the barebones of what actually makes an RPG game fun, but for me I didn't feel grounded in a real world inhabited by people effected by real events. And as if to make more of a mockery of previous games and their fans, a huge explorable area is tacked on in the last quarter of the game, which bears little relation to the rest of the story or it's world. When in a conversation it came up that the game gets better towards the end, I don't consider playing 40+ hours to get to the best bits a plus points. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting the interactivity or freedom of Skyrim in a Japanese RPG. Indeed, in a JRPG what I look for is a more linear story with a non-customisable but completely relatable main character, as part of a wider world and storyline with a clear beginning, middle and end. But this isn't so much a game as an interactive movie. And I feel like I'm playing for 40 hours before I can finally get to a "World Map" for the first time.

Graphics: Hands down, this is the best part. The graphics are simply stunning, especially for a multi-platform game. Square Enix aimed to create a game that looked as good at the recent Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. Character animation is fluid; the environments are highly detailed and with very decent effects. I also have not seen a graphical glitch through the entire game. Graphically, the game does everything it can to draw you into the world.

Sound: Besides the title screen music and the battle theme, the soundtrack for this game feels uninspired. This is pretty disappointing for a series which prided itself for the quality of its music. Tunes don't really feel like they are going anywhere; they are slow, and have a real anti-climatic feel to them. An even bigger knee in the bollocks (and yet more representative of the "populist" direction of the series) is the fact the main theme of the game was changed in English additions to some crap from a Leona Lewis album. Advertising for the game apparently point to her being a huge fan of it. She seems almost as in awe of the graphics as I was, so it must be legit! I can't understate enough how much something like switching a theme song for "localised" markets can have on the affect of the game. It damages the (in this game somewhat limited) build up of the game's soundtrack. Voice acting is also disappointing- they seemed to forgotten the lessons learnt from Final Fantasy XII and it's amazing voice talent to go back a step with miserable-sounding actors. And if I have to hear Vanille one more time, I swear it will mean the end to my TV.

Overall: If you can get it for £5, and you are a serious, serious fan of the old games and just have to buy this, then get it. For every other fan of the series, the experience will probably be too depressing. You'd be better off getting Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within on Blu Ray while downloading the free game Progress Quest, a far superior RPG that requires no user input at all! Almost like FFXIII.

Mega Content Taken Down

Kim Dotcom, former owner of MegaUpload and also owner of the newly created file locker website Mega, has revealed that the recent flurry of DCMA takedown notices originated from non other than the Mega site itself.  This was the result of an independent search engine for the site not having a valid takedown procedure for rights holders claiming ownership of files aggregated on the search page.

As a safety measure, the many hundreds of files already indexed by the search engine have been taken down on the Mega site, including many that are legally hosted. It looks like Dotcom is taking legal issues far more seriously in order to prevent a repeat of the shutdown of his MegaUpload site last year.

Full Article on TorrentFreak: https://torrentfreak.com/kim-dotcom-mega-search-engines-have-to-play-by-the-rules-130201/

Grand Theft Auto 4: Key Facts Review

GTA4 is a Modern Classic; still as playable and fun as when it was first released.

Gameplay: This is one of the few games that is easy to pick up and play at any time, whether you want to be drawn into storyline and missions/side missions or whether you want to just fire it up and go on a murdering spree. The controls are responsive, with an innovative aiming system (where auto-aim locks onto the middle of an enemy's body, leaving it to you to aim for their head, legs, groin etc) and fun driving. The cars handle more realistically than the arcade controls of the previous games, which initially leaves you feeling like you're driving a bus. Stick with it though and you'll very quickly be able to weave flawlessly in and out of traffic.

Graphics: For a game towards the end of the honeymoon period of the PS3, this is absolutely gorgeous. The amount of detail in the environment, cars and inhabitants is pretty amazing. Unlike previous games, your vehicle now reacts directly to collisions, rather than showing the same damage model regardless of where the car was hit. Graphical glitches are very, very few and far between, and don't detract from the overall feel of the game.

Sound: Although the GTA series has many strongpoints, by far its strongest ally has always been the sound and music. Real DJs offer up music you would most likely have listened to in 2008, on a variety of different radio stations. The scripts of the call-in and debate shows are truly hilarious, poking fun at just about every section of American Culture, from liberal to conservative and everything in between. This is particularly ironic considering this is a game developed by Rockstar North in Scotland!

Multiplayer: For the first time in a Rockstar North-developed GTA, online multiplayer is available. This covers all the basics with deathmatch and team deathmatch, along with fantastic themed games such as "Cops and Robbers", where Robbers need to escape the city whilst cops need to kill the criminals. Another interesting mode is free mode, where you and a bunch of people can just go around the city causing havoc or generally doing what you want. It is often fun to enter this mode when you're just messing about in the game, as it gives that social element to digital anarchy.

Overall: If you don't own this game, then where on the planet have you been hiding? This is exceptionally well made and one of the first truly "blockbuster" games. For many hours of fun for the rest of your life, this is an amazing investment.

Get it now!