diff --git a/assets/bigimg/projectwarlock.jpg b/assets/bigimg/projectwarlock.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..bab9d625 Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/bigimg/projectwarlock.jpg differ diff --git a/content/about.md b/content/about.md index 05b0e3ea..e35f23e3 100644 --- a/content/about.md +++ b/content/about.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- title: "Hi, I’m Wouter Groeneveld" bigimg: About Me.jpg -accent: darkred +accent: purple disableComments: true --- diff --git a/content/post/2013/08/can-i-haz-happy-thoughts.md b/content/post/2013/08/can-i-haz-happy-thoughts.md index 4e3ec03f..b139686d 100644 --- a/content/post/2013/08/can-i-haz-happy-thoughts.md +++ b/content/post/2013/08/can-i-haz-happy-thoughts.md @@ -12,11 +12,6 @@ categories: - braindump tags: ['self improvement', 'journaling'] --- -
-Past new year, I stopped promising silly things to myself. “This year, I’ll for sure go jogging several times a week!” — or “This year, I’ll really get into learning another language!”. We all know how these things go. Not that I made something up on the very day, these ideas are usually carefully crafted in my sketchbook and are lingering there to be exposed and finally executed. -
- -Originally posted on [Medium](https://medium.com/writers-on-writing/6a9dbf4d8212). Past new year, I stopped promising silly things to myself. “This year, I’ll for sure go jogging several times a week!” — or “This year, I’ll really get into learning another language!”. We all know how these things go. Not that I made something up on the very day, these ideas are usually carefully crafted in my sketchbook and are lingering there to be exposed and finally executed. @@ -38,4 +33,6 @@ In my experience, mindfully going through your day and thinking about what you l So, thank you internet for all those amazing blogs and great ideas, even if it’s as simple as writing down what you liked that day. -Oh, and here’s a pro-tip: use a pencil.That way, you can write while lying down in your bed. \ No newline at end of file +Oh, and here’s a pro-tip: use a pencil.That way, you can write while lying down in your bed. + +Originally posted on [Medium](https://medium.com/writers-on-writing/6a9dbf4d8212). diff --git a/content/post/2020/06/about-perseverence.md b/content/post/2020/06/about-perseverence.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..c8930578 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/post/2020/06/about-perseverence.md @@ -0,0 +1,61 @@ +--- +title: "Project Warlock: About Perseverance" +date: '2020-06-16' +subtitle: "What happens when a game developer maintains his stubbornness." +tags: + - games +categories: + - learning +bigimg: projectwarlock.jpg +--- + +In November 2016, Polish teen game developer Jakub Cislo, by then migrated to Germany, created a kickstarter project for a retro first person dungeon crawler game called **Exitium**. It is a game dedicated to old skool FPS shooters like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. + +### From idea to vision + +Why is that so spectacular? Because Jakub is born in 1998, and never lived in the era of nineties shooters. Because Jakub should be studying math and geology in high school instead of fiddling with the Unity engine. + +![](../exitium.jpg "Exitium") + +His dad introduced him into the wonderful world of shotguns (Doom) and spellcasters (Hexen). Compared to the lacking level design of modern shooters, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Certainly inspiring enough to start learning how to create your own game - entirely from scratch - with YouTube how-to videos as his only help. + +The kickstarter [movie of Exitium](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/286837648/exitum-3d-retro-fps-rpg-shooter/description) is still online. Cislo received `€205` from 15 backers - double the amount he had hoped to scrape together to get the serious work started. + +![](../cataclysm-3d.jpg "Cataclysm 3D") + +A few years later, Exitium evolved into **Cataclysm 3D**, a revision he tried to show off to an early crowd using the Steam Greenlight platform. Sadly, he got a lot of hate because of the graphics. Mind you, this was a one-man show, and created by a stubborn teenager that was not about to give up that easily. A [Kotaku interview](https://kotaku.com/teen-developer-makes-game-inspired-by-90s-shooters-that-1829874126) revealed how he felt about being rejected by anonymous people: + +> At first, he couldn’t help but feel discouraged. All I wanted to do was just make a fun game. + +He was determined to show everyone he won't back down that easily. In an effort to bend the bad rep into positive criticism, he hired an artist, level and sound designer, and got to work - again. + +A Steam Greenlight [movie of Cataclysm 3D](https://www.gameskinny.com/0tfk4/interview-with-jakub-cislo-sole-developer-of-retro-style-fps-cataclysm-3d) is still online. It was expected to release mid 2017. A shareware version did get released - the good old fashioned way! However, fans had to wait 2 more years to actually play the polished product: **Project Warlock**. + +![](../project-warlock-1.jpg "Project Warlock 0.1") + +The revamped game of the revamped game got a publisher's attention who helped him market the game at [GOG.com](https://www.gog.com/game/project_warlock). But how do you combine your school work with creating a game and having the life of a typical teenager: parties, friends, and such? The answer is you don't: + +> Once I come home, I just go straight to my PC and start working on the game. I sleep a lot less. + +His social life took a big hit. Interviews with [Eric Barone](https://www.stardewvalley.net/faq/), the guy (another one-man show) behind _Stardew Valley_, showcase the same effect. He had to work long hours on his game while trying to maintain his day-job because well, things still have to be paid. + +![](../project-warlock-2.jpg "Project Warlock 1.0") + +After more UI polishing, the final version of the game could finally be released upon the public. And they [love how it turned out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcknq-wQn3E). It is a true homage to classic FPS shooters, an amazing feat considering Cislo's background and age. Even the original Doom level designer reached out to Jakub: + +> I woke up one morning, and I saw that there was a new comment on my Facebook fan page from John Romero himself! + +What an amazing achievement this must be: getting recognition; getting positive reviews; especially after being gunned down a couple of years before. + +### A persistent mind is a great mind + +The development story of Project Warlock grabs me by the throat because of a few things. First, it confirms what I found out about creativity: it literally is _the brew of different inputs_, the games Jakub played with his dad and that inspired him. Next, only people with high levels of _persistence_ will get that far. Others would have given up after the negative feedback, simply reverted to playing basketball on a Friday night. Lastly, _Buckshot Software_, Cislo's development company, is the anti-team compared to 10 million production studios dishing out Call of Duty iterations yearly. + +Prof. Pieter J. van Strien wrote in his book [The Creative Genius](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29483721-het-creatieve-genie) about the hard labors of love of Faraday, Einstein, Darwin, and Newton. Not a single one of those would have made it without perseverance and a lot of failures. You have to be able to convert failures into learning moments, and eventually success. However, that success might come within a few years, or within ten years, as was the case for German philosopher Kant. Jakub Cislo is cut from the same cloth: + +> I have too many ideas to take a break, and I want to improve upon myself. I really want to get the best out of me. + +To me, Project Warlock is a touching example of **perseverance**. I hope I can live up to it when thinking about my own projects. When I sometimes lose interest, ambition, motivation, or everything at once: I just have to pick up the controller and replay Project Warlock. + +The next day, I'll get back to work. + diff --git a/content/post/_index.md b/content/post/_index.md index 4f8e7aa8..03c9ee68 100644 --- a/content/post/_index.md +++ b/content/post/_index.md @@ -1,14 +1,10 @@ --- -title: Freshly Baked Posts +title: Freshly Baked Thoughts icontag: book --- > No Art and Science serve alone;
Patience must in the work be shown. Goethe -A continuous pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons is called "Lifelong learning" - and for me, it is called "**Brain Baking**". I discovered that in order for me to teach and inspire others, I first had to teach and inspire myself. You are looking at the result of that work. - -I mainly write about the following topics: {{< popular-categories >}}. - -Besides these posts, I also write about retro PC/Handheld gaming and bread baking on sister websites of Brain Baking: [Jefklak's Retro Codex](https://jefklakscodex.com) and [Red Zuurdesem](https://redzuurdesem.be), respectively. +A continuous pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons is called "Lifelong learning" - also known as "**Brain Baking**". I discovered that in order for me to teach and inspire others, I first had to teach and inspire myself. You are looking at the result of that work. Not finding what you're looking for? [Browse the archives](/tags). diff --git a/content/tags/_index.md b/content/tags/_index.md index a0d12097..b37582c0 100644 --- a/content/tags/_index.md +++ b/content/tags/_index.md @@ -51,5 +51,6 @@ I also write about retro PC/Handheld gaming and actual _bread baking_ on sister ### By tag +The following tags are the most used in my writing: {{< popular-categories >}}. -Behold a list of alphabetically sorted tags used in every article on this very website. Related articles share a set of tags. \ No newline at end of file +Behold a list of alphabetically sorted tags used in every article on this very website. Related articles share a set of tags. diff --git a/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.jpg b/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..496a01b4 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.jpg differ diff --git a/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.png b/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000..6fb6c655 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/post/2020/06/cataclysm-3d.png differ diff --git a/static/post/2020/06/exitium.jpg b/static/post/2020/06/exitium.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..20397f61 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/post/2020/06/exitium.jpg differ diff --git a/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-1.jpg b/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-1.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..2d5a5e24 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-1.jpg differ diff --git a/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-2.jpg b/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-2.jpg new file mode 100644 index 00000000..edc303b7 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/post/2020/06/project-warlock-2.jpg differ diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_bootstrap-nav.sass b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_bootstrap-nav.sass index a02766aa..061490c7 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_bootstrap-nav.sass +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_bootstrap-nav.sass @@ -29,9 +29,12 @@ nav margin-bottom: 0 border-top: 5px solid var(--accent) + a + border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(243, 243, 243, 0.8) !important + a:hover - background-color: #e7e7e7 - text-decoration: none + border-bottom: 1px solid $grey !important + .navbar-nav margin: 7.5px -15px diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_brainbaking.sass b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_brainbaking.sass index 14b7631f..2b320725 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_brainbaking.sass +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_brainbaking.sass @@ -43,12 +43,9 @@ a:link, a:visited, a text-decoration: none &:hover - text-decoration: underline + border-bottom: 1px solid $grey color: $grey -nav - a:hover - text-decoration: none !important h4 a font-weight: normal @@ -80,7 +77,7 @@ main margin: 0 !important a - text-decoration: underline !important + border-bottom: 1px solid var(--accent) &.post article > p:first-of-type::first-letter, &.essays article > p:first-of-type::first-letter @@ -125,6 +122,11 @@ kbd border-radius: 3px -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25) box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25) + white-space: nowrap + + &:hover + color: $grey + border: 1px solid $grey #skiptocontent z-index: 100 diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_icons.sass b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_icons.sass index 13b8d1a7..872aad37 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_icons.sass +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/assets/sass/_icons.sass @@ -27,8 +27,12 @@ main width: 16px !important height: 16px !important + &-gray + color: #999 + &-text @extend %icon-in-text + &-float @extend %icon-in-text float: left diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/list.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/list.html index 0c42903a..bcaf5ae9 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/list.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/list.html @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ {{ partial "header" . }} {{ partial "bigimg" . }} - +
{{ if .Title }} diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/single.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/single.html index 10cbe4a4..69cb33af 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/single.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/single.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ {{ partial "bigimg" . }} {{ partial "single-header" . }} +

diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html index 7dc218a9..c987c85d 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/taxonomy.html @@ -12,29 +12,7 @@ {{ range .Pages.GroupByDate "Jan" }}

{{ .Key }}

- -
    - {{ range .Pages.ByDate.Reverse }} -
  • - {{ .Date.Format ("02") }} -
    -

    - {{ .Title }} -

    - {{ .Params.subtitle }} -
    - {{ if isset .Params "tags" }} -
    - - {{ range .Params.tags }} - {{ . }} - {{ end }} -
    - {{ end }} -
    • - {{ end }} -
- + {{ partial "list-ul" . }} {{ end }} {{ end }} diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/terms.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/terms.html index 4febff4d..6c62b875 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/terms.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/_default/terms.html @@ -1,6 +1,7 @@ {{ partial "header" . }} {{ partial "bigimg" . }} +
diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/header.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/header.html index ef08b16f..783dc382 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/header.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/header.html @@ -55,4 +55,4 @@ - + diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/icons.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/icons.html index 7ea1896e..8962060f 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/icons.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/icons.html @@ -45,5 +45,8 @@ - + + + + diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/list-ul.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/list-ul.html index 4d760eb8..3f8a1fa7 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/list-ul.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/list-ul.html @@ -9,14 +9,21 @@ {{ .Params.subtitle }} - {{ if isset .Params "tags" }} -
-   +
+ {{ if isset .Params "categories" }} + + {{ range .Params.categories }} + {{ . }} + {{ end }} +   + {{ end }} + {{ if isset .Params "tags" }} +   {{ range .Params.tags }} {{ . }} {{ end }} -
- {{ end }} + {{ end }} +
{{ end }} diff --git a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/single-header.html b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/single-header.html index 966aea01..b6d0a40c 100644 --- a/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/single-header.html +++ b/themes/brainbaking-minimal/layouts/partials/single-header.html @@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ {{ .Date.Format (.Site.Params.dateFormat | default "2 January 2006") }} {{ end }} + {{ if isset .Params "categories" }} +  |  + + + + + {{ range .Params.categories }} + {{ . }} + {{ end }} + + {{ end }} {{ if (not .Params.disableComments) }}  |