Empire of Code – Space Strategy Game from CheckIO (opens in new tab)

(checkio.org)

28 pointsminerb5010y ago28 comments

28 comments

I know it doesn't matter but it strangely bothers me that the example code defines a function's keyword arguments as kawargs.

random2834510y ago

That is the standard python convention.

https://docs.python.org/2/faq/programming.html#how-can-i-pas...

thinkt4nk10y ago

That's not what they meant. They were referring to the typo: kawargs

TeMPOraL10y ago

Since we're talking games and code: 'tptacek, I have a question for you, and you already know what it is :).

tptacek10y ago

You will perish in flames!

patio1110y ago

By which he means "Development on Starfighter's first game continues apace. It's, like every development project ever, slower than we expected it to be, and has involved some going down dead alleys as we explore how to make fun core game systems. We've got some of the core systems built and are firming up the other ones, and starting to build levels on top of them. We optimistically think folks will have a lot of fun with this when it launches, which will be when it launches -- we don't want to jinx ourselves by committing to a ship date."

1 more reply

foxpc10y ago

I do not like these types of posts when I can't actually see, try the product and it is kind of annoying since I kind of got hooked but will have to drop my email to some company that hopefully won't sell it to some ad company :(

omfgnuts10y ago

Hi! CheckiO community manager here.

We're about to begin sending invitations, just subscribe on empireofcode.com and you'll get your invitation really soon!

random2834510y ago

You responded to a complaint about the website providing insuffcient information about the game and simply asking for an email address... with no information about the game and a request for an email address.

I hope the game itself is more logical than this.

1 more reply

lukewrites10y ago

I love CheckIO and can't wait to play with this!

I'm an elementary school teacher, and this past semester I taught programming to 4th and 5th graders. We progressed through Code.org to independent Scratch projects to writing Python. Taking that last step from graphics to text/Scratch to Python was a hard one for the kids. I'd been thinking about using something like CodeCombat with them next year, but I'm excited to see if Empire of Code could be a viable option!

dbpokorny10y ago

What are your thoughts on scheme vs. python for teaching programming grades 4-8? UC Berkeley switched from SICP to (SICP - Scheme + Python) and I love both scheme and python but haven't the foggiest idea which is actually better for the student. I grew up on Simply Scheme (by Brian Harvey and Matt Wright) and SICP. In the mid 90s, python wasn't available as an option for me. After using HyperTalk '92-'95, learning Scheme was enlightening, and it was my language of choice '96-'04. Then I found python in '04, which addressed the "thicket of incompatible implementations" problems Scheme had and provided more powerful data structures (list and dict) out of the box. Python code is easier on the eyes as well; the human eye is not designed to quickly differentiate six ")" in a row from five ")" in a row.

The added syntactic readability of python comes at the cost of increased complexity of the parser, complicating the design of the meta-circular interpreter (SICP ch. 4).

The added power of the built-in data structures (list and dict) comes at the cost of increased complexity of the implementation of the built-in library, complicating the design of the explicit control evaluator (SICP ch. 5).

What are your thoughts? Is there any hope of adapting the ideas of SICP for 4th-8th graders?

WalterBright10y ago

The original Empire - http://www.classicempire.com

I had often thought of making the computer strategy pluggable, so that players could build their own bots and have them compete. It would be fun, and an enormous time waster :-)

robertfw10y ago

I grew up playing this as a kid, and I still have a copy installed. It is a simple, unassuming game, with the curious property of erasing large blocks of time from memory

WalterBright10y ago

I also keep thinking I should port it to javascript, so it can be run in a browser. Just think on those interminable waits at the airport you could be playing Empire!

bduerst10y ago

Didn't minecraft's Notch say he was going to make a space game similar to something like this?

teh_klev10y ago

I think that was 0x10c, I think he abandoned it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0x10c

crimsonalucard10y ago

I hope it's not programming puzzles tacked on to a strategy game. I much prefer the programming part to be an integral portion of the gameplay.

kauegimenes10y ago

Looks awesome! I would love to start playing the beta =)

1 more reply

XorNot10y ago

Wow, that had to be fastest and least I had to question whether I wanted to know more. Yes...Yes I do.

drew-y10y ago

Am I the only one getting an empty black screen on the signup page?

nemmonszz10y ago

No, I'm getting it too.

omfgnuts10y ago

Hi!

It's been fixed already

mesdf10y ago

When is that going to come?

yavramen10y ago

July 16

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

28 comments

WilliamMayor10y ago

I know it doesn't matter but it strangely bothers me that the example code defines a function's keyword arguments as kawargs.

random2834510y ago

That is the standard python convention.

https://docs.python.org/2/faq/programming.html#how-can-i-pas...

thinkt4nk10y ago

That's not what they meant. They were referring to the typo: kawargs

TeMPOraL10y ago

Since we're talking games and code: 'tptacek, I have a question for you, and you already know what it is :).

tptacek10y ago

You will perish in flames!

patio1110y ago

1 more reply

foxpc10y ago

omfgnuts10y ago

Hi! CheckiO community manager here.

We're about to begin sending invitations, just subscribe on empireofcode.com and you'll get your invitation really soon!

random2834510y ago

I hope the game itself is more logical than this.

1 more reply

lukewrites10y ago

I love CheckIO and can't wait to play with this!

dbpokorny10y ago

The added syntactic readability of python comes at the cost of increased complexity of the parser, complicating the design of the meta-circular interpreter (SICP ch. 4).

What are your thoughts? Is there any hope of adapting the ideas of SICP for 4th-8th graders?

WalterBright10y ago

The original Empire - http://www.classicempire.com

I had often thought of making the computer strategy pluggable, so that players could build their own bots and have them compete. It would be fun, and an enormous time waster :-)

robertfw10y ago

I grew up playing this as a kid, and I still have a copy installed. It is a simple, unassuming game, with the curious property of erasing large blocks of time from memory

WalterBright10y ago

I also keep thinking I should port it to javascript, so it can be run in a browser. Just think on those interminable waits at the airport you could be playing Empire!

bduerst10y ago

Didn't minecraft's Notch say he was going to make a space game similar to something like this?

teh_klev10y ago

I think that was 0x10c, I think he abandoned it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0x10c

crimsonalucard10y ago

I hope it's not programming puzzles tacked on to a strategy game. I much prefer the programming part to be an integral portion of the gameplay.

kauegimenes10y ago

Looks awesome! I would love to start playing the beta =)

1 more reply

XorNot10y ago

Wow, that had to be fastest and least I had to question whether I wanted to know more. Yes...Yes I do.