[Freeciv-Dev] Re: hobby as process? (was Re: Migration)

[Raimar Falke <i-freeciv-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Dec 18, 2003 at 01:53:44AM -0800, Brandon J. Van Every wrote:
> From: Raimar Falke [mailto:i-freeciv-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> > Brandon J. Van Every wrote:
> > >
> > > Is this about process rather than results?
> >
> > Yes. You can try yourself on problems where you didn't got the
> > opportunities to tackle these in your regular job.
> 
> Why not invest one's energies into changing one's regular job?  Not
> wanting the responsibility, the risk, or the work that it would entail?
> I mean really, if you've been a database coder for umpteen years but you
> have always longed to be an AI coder, why haven't you changed your
> career?  Are you addicted to fat paychecks and lavish lifestyles or
> something?

While I want to code an AI I don't have to be a good AI coder. I may
be unable to find an job. But I may be very good at as database coder
and may even like this. There is no contradiction.

> > This may by doing
> > an AI or the task of reducting the bandwidth usage of the protocol
> > used. You can also see what certain tools are worth if you push them
> > against a non-trivial code base you know.
> 
> Ok, what *are* your tools worth?  For all these years of effort, you
> have produced: Civ II.  In C.  My tool is my wallet.  I bought Civ II:
> Test Of Time, which has better graphics than your Civ II, for $20 at
> full retail 4 years ago.  I think your tools are worth $20.

Education. Knowledge. It may turn out that this knowledge will never
yield a profit. But for a regular income you have your regular job.

> > You can learn how to spot
> > errors in your code and the code of others.
> 
> Are you young enough to still give a shit about this?  Haven't you done
> enough industrial programming already for this to have gotten old?  Of
> course I care about *preventing* errors, but certainly not how "neat" it
> is to run around debugging them.

The faster you spot them the faster you are done.

> > You can learn about
> > problems and their solutions which you normally won't touch you.
> 
> Nothing is stopping any of you from spending your entire careers
> touching them, except your own life choices.
> 
> Choose something bold for a change.  What's the boldest thing you could
> do with Freeciv?  Why be timid when there's no money on the line at all?

What is the point if Freeciv is rewritten in .NET with OpenGL and with
a FPS perspective and none of the old users like the new version? It
is possible that this new Freeciv would attract new users. But there
is no guarantee. If someone suspect that this case (new users would be
interrested in this kind of game) is likely he should create a test
balloon (read a fork) to validate this idea. You can't except that the
original developers abandon their game and user base.

> Haven't you guys ever said, "Screw this cubicle stuff, let's go
> start a game company!"

I'm not sure if I would work for a company where I work in a
cubicle.

        Raimar

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