Dominions 4

http://www.illwinter.com/dom4/

Very deep game.

Like Master of Magic on steroids.

I am only a few hours into the game, and so have barely scratched the surface.

Over 800 spells.

25 nations in each of three eras.

This is a game that I can explore for years.

Gilda Dungeon

http://www.gamezebo.com/2016/07/27/guild-dungeoneering-tips-cheats-strategies/

I need all the help I can get.

My graveyard is rapidly filling with the deceased.

Resin Casting

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/131855/resin-casting-cheap

Looks like a fun project.

Automatic Generation of Fantasy Role-Playing Modules

http://eldar.mathstat.uoguelph.ca/dashlock/eprints/ACG7.pdf

Features a goblin outpost as a proof of concept.

The Fantasy RPG Class Test

https://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-fantasy-rpg-class-test

Features a plethora of interesting classes.

Sentient Coprolite

When you use your favorite search engine (does anyone besides me remember when it was Dogpile?) to search for "sentient coprolite," are you (like me) amazed bordering on stupification at how few exact matches you get?

Radiance RPG

http://www.radiancerpg.com/

Interesting rules, and the players guide is a free download.

As an aside, what does RPG mean to you?

When I read or hear RPG, the first thing I think of is rocket propelled grenade, not role playing game.

Acheron

http://monstermanualsewnfrompants.blogspot.com/2012/02/planescape-scrawling-on-classics.html

Features some very interesting ideas on Acheron and several other topics.

Formians

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary4/formian.html

Humanoid ants, not to be confused with fomorians, some of the latter might have goat-like heads.

Yes, it can be confusing.

Skaven Loot Tables

http://dailyempire.guildredemund.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/RandomSkavenTrappings.pdf

Very creative loot tables.

Fantasy Character Classes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FantasyCharacterClasses

An absolute treasure trove of ideas about fantasy character classes.

Vey well done.

Zappa No Longer Plays Zappa

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/business/media/whats-in-a-name-just-ask-frank-zappas-feuding-heirs.html?

A depressing soap opera.

An Acrid Stench

"...an acrid stench so vile and incisive that his teeth felt tender in their sockets."

- Jack Vance, Cugel's Saga

Still one of my all time favorite quotes.

Sigil, City of Doors

http://thecampaign20xx.blogspot.com/2015/04/planescape-guide-to-sigil-city-of-doors.html

Fascinating look at one of my favorite fictional cities.

Fatescape

http://www.certain-death.com/fatescape.pdf

An interesting emulation of Planescape.

Aenur, the Sword of Twilight

http://www.mordheimer.com/dramatis_personae/dp_aenur.htm

I dropped him into the warband sim, and he killed about 200 opponents, mostly chaos beastmen but also a few ogres and minotaurs.

Deodanths and Yugarfs

http://underworldcleaningservice.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-monster-deodanth.html

People are so creative, but it does tend to get confusing at times with all the deodanth, tielfling, cambion, etc.

Or, how about a Yugarf?

What is a Yugarf, you say?

A Yugarf is a cross between a yugoloth and a dwarf (no, not a duergar, a real dwarf).

And yes, citation needed.

Mordheimer's Campaign Aid

http://www.mordheimer.com/downloads/resources/The_Mordheimer's_Campaign_Aid_v1.20.pdf

Entertaining descriptions of many Mordheim locations.

Warhammer Narratives

http://whfbnarratives.blogspot.com/

An active blog with tons of useful material.

Liber Malefic

http://libermalefic.blogspot.com/

Yet another interesting blog that went dormant.

Hopefully, it is just temporary.

Lizardmen

http://return-to-mordheim.blogspot.com/2012/03/lizardmen-from-jungles-of-lustria.html

Interesting Lizardman Warband list.

WyrdWars

http://www.wyrdwars.com/

Non-commercial, which is good, because I did not get into gaming just so I could be associated with some crass commercial endeavor.

Undead R Us

http://forum.nwnights.ru/uploads/rulebooks/Libris_Mortis.pdf

Sometimes I am amazed bordering on stupification when I find something like this on the interwebz.

Accursed Knowledge

http://accursedknowledge.0catch.com/

There appears to be no limit to the number of treasure troves of useful material on the web.

Trolls and Trolls

I am still struggling with the whole trolls as character (like in World of Warcraft) versus trolls as monsters (like in almost everyone else).

I need to come up with some clever contrivance where I have both, simultaneously at once (yes, I already know, Department of Redundancy Department).

At some undefined time in the far distant past, a powerful sorceress transmogrified some monster trolls into character trolls, and there have been two distinct populations ever since.

Why does it always have to come down to the intervention of a powerful sorceress?

Killershrike

http://killershrike.com/

Another treasure trove of material.

Warhammer Armies Project

http://warhammerarmiesproject.blogspot.com/

A treasure trove of material.

Marauders of Khorne

http://www.azureknight.com/mordheim/Marauders%20of%20Khorne.htm

Khorne warband for Mordheim.

Mordheim Demonologist

http://www.killershrike.com/Mordheim/HiredSwords/demonologist.aspx

Summoning demons, or even daemons, is nasty business.

What could possibly go wrong?

Mordheim Miracle Workers

http://cianty.ashtonsanders.com/mim/pdf/miracle_workers.pdf

Features several interesting priest characters for Mordheim campaigns.

Mordheim Expanded Campaign Rules

http://www.specialist-arms.com/fanatic/88ecr.pdf

Interesting ideas for an advanced campaign system.

Empire of the Dead

http://deltavector.blogspot.com/2012/07/empire-of-dead-rulebook-review-28mm-vsf.html

Skirmish game using d10.

Brink of Battle & Epic Heroes

http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com/2014/10/brink-of-battle-epic-heroes-review-by.html

Very positive review.

Warrior Heroes - Legends

http://thegaminggang.com/our_reviews/tabletop-gaming-reviews/a-legend-in-the-making-a-review-of-warrior-heroes-legends/

Skirmish fantasy miniatures game.

Open Combat

http://gavthorpe.co.uk/2014/10/15/fancy-some-open-combat-2/

A new (in 2014) skirmish wargame.

Iron & Honor

http://redturbanpress.com/product/iron-honor-core-rules/

Wargames Rules for Fantasy Skirmishes

GROMM

http://paizo.com/products/btpy8u10?GROMM-Fantasy-Skirmish-Basic-Edition-Mark-II

More interesting fantasy skirmish rules.

I want to try them all.

Armies of Arcana

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/165684/armies-arcana-review

Positive review, makes me want to try it.

D&D is a gateway to hell

http://www.tor.com/2014/08/29/summer-of-sleaze-the-exploitation-of-james-dallas-egbert-iii/

Interesting reference to Tom Hanks first leading role in a 1982 TV movie.

Rogue Trader

https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14789.phtml

Comprehensive review of Lure of the Expanse for Rogue Trader.

Very entertaining account of his own campaign.

Alternate Combat Rules

http://breeyark.org/alternate-combat-rules/

Interesting discussion of alternate combat rules compared to Chainmail.

Death in the Dark

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Dark-Universal-Soldier-System/dp/0920727107/ref=sr_1_1?

Could not find it on Goodreads, even with the ISBN.

Dungeon skirmish rules.

Hill Cantons

http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/

Interesting game blog since 2009.

One Page Fantasy Skirmish

http://www.geocities.ws/friendlyfungus/OnePageFantasySkirmish.pdf

Very simple rules.

DarkeStorme

http://conflictcornucopia.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-look-at-darkestorme.html

High Fantasy Skirmish rules.

Otherworld Fantasy Skirmish

http://www.amazon.com/Otherworld-Fantasy-Skirmish-Karl-Perrotton/dp/0993340504/ref=sr_1_1?

Could not find it on Goodreads, even with the ISBN.

Good Fantasy Skirmish Rules

http://deltavector.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-fantasy-skirmish-wargames.html

Excellent discussion of the elements of good fantasy skirmish rules, with examples from specific games.

Savage Worlds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds

Generic role-playing and miniatures rules.

Rules with No Name

http://www.amazon.com/Rules-No-Name-Fistful-Dice/dp/190154317X

Western gunfight rules.

5150 game rules

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/26855/5150

Sci-fi skirmish rules.

"easy to learn, fun to play" sounds good to me.

Some major changes to the Warband Sim

I am in the process of converting from d10 (ten-sided dice) to d100 (percentile dice).  It turns out that d10 are just too limiting in terms of range and variability.

The other big change is going to variables (e.g., self.ranged) to indicate that a character has a ranged attack rather than having to check class (this is RPG class, not OOP class, e.g., hunter).

Now I need to write a bunch of test code to verify that the changes do what I think they do.

Polemarch

http://ancientrules.blogspot.com/

This an interesting blog.

It features longer, well-written, thoughtful posts.

QILS

http://inlgames.com/

Quick Intermediate Level Skirmish.

More free rules.

Slim Mumford's Medievel Warfare Rules

http://www.soa.org.uk/joomla/publications/7-mediaevil-warfare

Free rules.

An introduction by Phil Barker.

Wargames Research Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wargames_Research_Group

Lots of interesting rules for miniatures games.

The Empire in Flames

https://www.hong-crewet.dk/Mordheim/Rules/Mord_Empire_in_Flames.pdf

A wilderness expansion for Mordheim.

Features some very entertaining flavor text.

Druids

http://basicfantasy.org/download.cgi/BF-Druid-Supplement-r4.pdf

A source of additional ideas for fleshing out druid heroes in my warband sim.

Dryads

http://www.wyrdwars.com/Wood_Elves.pdf

The Dryads make perfect henchmen for a chaos druid hero in my warband sim.

Mordheim Chaos Warbands

http://mraaktagon.com/Files/chaoswarbands.pdf

The merger of Mordheim and the old Realm of Chaos hardcovers is exactly what I am trying to do with my warband sim.

Great minds think alike.

Realm of Chaos Warband

http://thedorkage.blogspot.com/2013/03/realms-of-chaos-warband.html

A dark elf and two beastmen, it's a start.

$600 worth of melted plastic

http://tencopper.com/article/2015/09/man-burns-warhammer-army-over-age-of-sigmar/

Games Workshop is trying to be the Verizon of game companies?

Why do so many people hate Games Workshop and Verizon so much?

Turn-based RPG combat systems

http://sinisterdesign.net/6-more-ways-to-improve-turn-based-rpg-combat-systems/

Third blog post in a three part series that criticizes Dungeons & Dragons style combat, and offers many suggestions for improvement.

Well worth reading.

Open source programming toolkits for modeling table top games

http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/15369/open-source-programming-toolkits-for-modeling-table-top-games

I was surprised by the "Currently, there are none" answer.

My guess is there are many, but if they are not published anywhere, how are you supposed to find them?

I was intrigued by the BPM (business process management) and BRMS (business rules management systems) suggestions.  I will have to look for some examples in Python.

Naked guy with a rock

http://ilivewithcats.blogspot.com/2010/06/de-bellis-velitum.html

Interesting account of using the De Bellis Velitum rules.

I particularly enjoyed the naked guy with a rock.

De Bellis Velitum

http://www.wrg.me.uk/PHIL/DBV%202003.htm

As soon as I think I have seen all the interesting sets of skirmish rules, another one pops up.

Peltast

http://www.ancient.eu/Peltast/

Looks like a good character to include in the warband sim. but how many javelins does he carry?

Maybe if we are going to include wizards throwing fireballs we should not worry to much about the number of javelins.

Melee weapons in the warband sim

I am struggling with melee weapons in the warband sim.

Here is what I have so far:

NW no weapon, for example, animals like wolves, etc.
1W one-hand weapon, the default choice
2W two one-hand weapons, dual wield
2H two-handed weapon
WS one-hand weapon and shield

Effects on attributes:

NW no effect
1W no effect
2W +1 attack, +1 parry
2H +2 strength, -2 parry
WS +2 armor, +2 parry

There are obvious balance issues, needs major work.

= vs. == in Python

I continue to make this mistake every day.

I wrote so many lines of code in languages where there was only one symbol for equals that I just cannot adapt.

Chaos Spawn

http://www.kerlin.de/pic/oldhammer/warhammerchaospawn.pdf

This spawn is a lot more powerful than the spawn generated by my warband sim.

I am using The Lost and the Damned rules, so maybe they need some tweaking.

Nemesis Crown

http://cianty.ashtonsanders.com/nc/

Tons of Mordheim stuff.

28mm Skirmish Games

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/158107/28mm-skirmish-level-miniature-games-customizatione

An impressive list of games.

I was surprised by how many I had never heard of.

Mantic Deadzone

http://www.manticgames.com/games/deadzone.html

A post-apocalyptic thriller in an urban setting.

Very nice miniatures.

Wreck Age

https://philgamer.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/review-wreck-age-rpg-and-tabletop-game/

Interesting review. makes me want to try the game.

Chicago Skirmish

http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/

Yet another interesting blog that dried up.

The View from the Cheap Seats

http://www.amazon.com/The-View-Cheap-Seats-Nonfiction/dp/0062262262

The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman (coming soon, 5-31-16)

Non-fiction from one of my favorite fiction authors.

Sign me up.

No Man's Sky vs Multiverse

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoMansSkyTheGame/comments/4d4kd3/no_mans_sky_and_multiverse_my_1986_attempt_at_the/

It has all been done before?

Terminating a Python script

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/73663/terminating-a-python-script

I use:

import sys
sys.exit(0)

all the time, but I have never used:

quit()

I might have to experiment with this.

Walking the plank in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20054782/deleting-nth-element-from-a-list-python-2-7

Very interesting.

And naming variables with the names of built-in functions is stupid.

The Technology and Science of Necromancy

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/11/07/talking-dead-280717.html

Very entertaining.

Ancient Egyptian Necromancy Spells

http://shop.creepyhollows.com/product.php?productid=12365

$175 seems like a perfectly reasonable price for authentic ancient Egyptian necromancy spells.

Sort of like using an Ouija board.  Open a gate to hell.  What could possibly go wrong?

Homebrew Skirmish Rules

http://www.lloydianaspects.co.uk/

Lots of interesting material, but especially the skirmish rules.

Wargamer's Ring

http://hub.gamesntoys.org/hub/wargamers?rd=n

159 carefully chosen websites, and I want to visit every one.

Hell is Empty

http://nfs.sparknotes.com/tempest/page_30.html

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here."

Sounds like an apt description of modern society.

Random Treasure

https://ratujmywfrp2pl.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/treasure-tables.pdf

The Disgusting category is very entertaining.

d20 Random Treasure Generator

https://donjon.bin.sh/d20/treasure/

For when you have to have treasure ASAP.

Malal

https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Malal

A lot of things in the Warhammer mythos make a lot more sense if you include Malal.

Broken Legions

http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Legions-Fantasy-Skirmish-Wargames/dp/1472815130/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459522922&sr=8-1&keywords=broken+legions

I am probably going to regret it if I do not pre-order this book.

Bubble Sort

http://knowpapa.com/bs-py/

There should be some way to combine this with the Zelle graphics module to produce an interesting display.

Siri, remind me....

Heroheim

http://www.indadvendt.dk/2013/10/heroheim-all-documents-for-heroheim/

Lots of interesting additions and changes to the Mordheim rules.

Of particular interest to me:

1) no upkeep fee for hired swords.  Great minds think alike, I had already made this change in my warband sim before I read this.  Validates my change.

2) increased baseline wounds from 1 to 3 which makes characters much more durable.

Dictionary changed size during iteration

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11941817/how-to-avoid-runtimeerror-dictionary-changed-size-during-iteration-error

Yes, yes it did.

This makes my head hurt.

Delete an element from a dictionary in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5844672/delete-an-element-from-a-dictionary

Very interesting reading the various solutions.

Create a dictionary with list comprehension in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1747817/create-a-dictionary-with-list-comprehension-in-python

I continue to have trouble understanding list comprehension in Python.

No matter how many times I read code like this, it just does not stick.

Field of Glory 2.0

http://www.slitherine.com/games/FoG-2.0-POD

Historical tabletop miniatures gaming system.

There is also a digital version of the rules.

Dragon Rampant

http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Rampant-Fantasy-Wargaming-Wargames/dp/1472815718

I have always had a special interest in nameless Dark Lords looking to conquer the known world.

Ganesha Games

http://www.ganeshagames.net/

The Battlesworn system looks particularly interesting.

As the the Song of Blades and Heroes.

No Quarter

https://noquarterwargames.wordpress.com/

Free to download fantasy rules.  I have not tried them yet.  On my "to do" list.

Legarius bites the big one

http://carmensminiaturepainting.blogspot.com/2012/05/red-sun-black-moon-first-battle-report.html

Entertaining battle report using the Red Sand, Black Moon gladiator rules.

Note that the blog post title has Red Sand, but the above link has red sun.  Odd.

Descent

http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Journeys-Dark-Second-Edition/dp/1616611898

Some humorous Q & A.

Interesting discussion about the differences between 1st and 2nd editions.

I have not played either, but would like to try them both.

Mordheim Living Rulebook

http://www.thekeeponline.com/documents/MordheimLivingRulebook.pdf

Features a very interesting section on Hired Swords, including pit fighter, ogre bodyguard, halfling scout, warlock, freelancer, elf ranger, and dwarf troll slayer.

Hired Swords require a hire fee and an upkeep fee.

Have to think long and hard about how to adapt this kind of system to my warband sim.

The Garage Gamers

http://thegaragegamers.blogspot.com/

Here is an increasingly rare sight, a game blog that is still active.

Frostgrave

https://ospreypublishing.com/frostgrave

This looks like a very interesting game, an alternative to Mordheim and other games of that type.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

http://www.orderofgamers.com/wfrp-3rd-edition-is-dead-long-live-wfrp/

A fascinating history.

Fantasy Warlord

http://www.fantasywarlord.com/

A short-lived rival to Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

Fantasy Warriors by Grenadier

http://www.grenadier.it/regole/fantasy%20warriors.pdf

I own a copy of this boxed set.

Includes rules for individual characters such as leaders, champions, musicians, standard bearers, priests, soothsayers, wizards, heroes, etc.

Path to Glory, Revisited

http://www.angelfire.com/co4/thedarkgods/pathext.pdf

Tables 1 and 2 have some interesting ideas for recruiting additional characters to warbands.

Not quite sure how to convert Path to Glory Favor points to my own version of Favor points, have to experiment with it.

The Fundamental Pillars of a Combat System

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/175950/the_fundamental_pillars_of_a_.php

I have a special interest in this topic since I am trying to design a combat system for my warband sim.

Chaotopia

http://chaotopia-dave.blogspot.com/

Fascinating blog, I particularly enjoyed reading about chaos magic.

Imperial Assassin

http://www.mordheimer.com/hired_swords/hs_imperial_assassin.htm

Interesting that Imperial assassins are allowed to goof off between assignments, join warbands, get themselves killed.

The Lore of Dark Magic

http://hoodlinghole.blogspot.com/2013/11/lores-of-magic-lore-of-dark-magic.html

Good discussion of dark magic.

I really like that Doombolt with 4d6 Strength 5 hits.  Ouch.

Casualties or The Almost Dead

In the Warband sim, if a character is "killed" in a battle, after the battle there are a couple of possibilities:

1) "He's Dead, Jim!"  Yes, he really is dead, permanently removed from the sim, unless there is some kind of heroic or divine intervention, e.g. can shamans bring the dead back to life?

2) Raised as an undead, continues in warband as modified character such as ghoul, zombie, etc.

3) Recovers from wounds, but at diminished capacity. for example, loss of one point in some attribute

4) Fully recovers, restored to original condition

If the character has Favor points to spend, then he might be able to negotiate a better outcome?

Massive Fantasy Games on a Budget

http://specialfrieddice.com/UpscaledHordesOfTheThings

Very entertaining, well worth reading, more than once.

Excellent discussion of rules and miniatures.

Dexterity, Further Thoughts

If Dexterity is used for all of the following:

Number of attacks
Parry
To Hit

then it introduces a balance issue, because Dexterity has such a large cumulative effect.

Not sure what to do about this, requires a lot of careful consideration.

Rust

https://www.rust-lang.org/

Blazingly fast, which Python is not.

Dark Age

http://www.dark-age.com/Downloads/Rules/DarkAgeCoreRules2013.pdf

A post-apocalyptic thriller with very interesting back story.

Comprehensive rules.

The Fantasy Trip - Wizard

http://bluwiki.com/go/Tft-wizard

I have spent a lot more time reading and thinking about melee rules than I have magic rules.

There is a lot of work to do and this is a good starting place.

The Fantasy Trip - Melee

http://bluwiki.com/go/Tft-melee

More interesting rules, cover a lot of ground, not what I am looking for.

Hand to Hand Tactical Miniatures Rules

I have been reading a lot of rules lately.  A LOT of rules.

I have arrived at the conclusion that I should just write my own, picking and choosing from the various rulesets until I get what I want.

Consider the following attributes for melee combat:

Agility - used for dodge

Constitution - used for hit points

Dexterity - used for to hit and parry

Strength - used for damage

Toughness - used to shake off hits that would otherwise reduce hit points

Yes, I could combine agility and dexterity into one stat, but in this case, I think more variability is better.

Similarly for combining constitution and toughness into one stat.

Consider the following attributes for magic:

Intelligence for sorcery

Spirit for magic defense

Wisdom for shaman magic

Obviously will need a lot of testing.

Perfect Captain

http://perfectcaptain.50megs.com/captain.html

"... a small group of gamers with some big ideas."

Shield Breaker

http://shieldbreaker.net/

Very simple rules, maybe a little too simple for what I am looking for.

The magic rules are not at all what I am looking for.

Functional Programming

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2014/08/08/the-best-languages-for-getting-into-functional-programming/#76d6d64043fe

Haskell and Scheme.

I programmed with procedural languages for decades, I have barely gotten into OOP, how am I going to transition to functional programming?

Haskell

http://www.devalot.com/articles/2013/07/why-haskell.html

Learning Haskell seems like a daunting task, I can barely navigate Python.

Jugula review

http://www.wwpd.net/2014/09/jugula-gladiator-game-review.html

Interesting gladiator game.

SAGA Review

http://deltavector.blogspot.com/2012/11/saga-28mm-dark-ages-rulebook-review.html

"... a good intro to Ancients/Dark Ages gaming."

Agreed, but not exactly what I am looking for.

Savage Worlds Showdown

https://www.peginc.com/store/savage-worlds-showdown-2/

Miniatures Rules for all Genres

Interesting rules, cover a lot of ground. but not exactly what I am looking for.

The Dice Must Flow

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1542971/dice-must-flow-space-biff-review

This review makes me want to take a serious look at this game.

I am a huge fan of Dune (the original book, not the sequels, not the movies).

Havoc: Tactical Miniature Warfare

http://www.amazon.com/Havoc-Tactical-Miniature-Brent-Spivey/dp/0984303707

Could not find it on Goodreads, even usiing the ISBN.

Necromunda

http://www.poisonousmonkeys.co.uk/Necromunda/Necromunda_Docs/Necromunda_Rulebook.pdf

The Necromunda rules are highly regarded, recommended for beginners, etc.

They are the right scale for what I want but they just don't work the way my brain works.

It looks like I am going to have to pick and choose from several systems and craft my own rules.

Agility vs. Dexterity

http://www.torilmud.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=162

I think I want to use:

Agility for dodge

Dexterity for to hit & parry

Turn Based Combat System

https://github.com/evennia/evennia/wiki/Turn-based-Combat-System

Features Python code.

Path to Glory

http://www.minishoppa.com/snotling/PathToGlory.pdf

The "Rules for Fighting with Chaos Warbands" is a wee bit misleading because these rules are for managing chaos warbands.

Interesting, usable rules but not for the actual combat itself.

Ancient Battles

http://members.efn.org/~fred_m/Warhammer%20Ancient%20Battles%20-%20Rulebook.pdf

Interesting rules but based on unit vs. unit.

To hit chart is weapon skill vs. weapon skill.

Wound chart is strength vs. toughness.

Chaos Warbands

The reason that I am looking at gladiator and similar rules is that I am trying to write a sim (yes, a sim, not a game) abut chaos warbands.

I like the Warhammer Fantasy Battle rules, but they are optimized for combat between units.

I feel they need more than a little tweaking to be optimized for one-on-one combat, which is what my agent-based sim will use.

Also, in the current version, I am using d10s (ten-sided dice).

I like the way d10s give more range and variability than d6s.

Gladiator Combat

http://www.amazon.com/Gladiators-Realistic-Simulation-Gladiatorial-Combat/dp/B000JYMNPM

Could not find it on Goodreads or in the MCFLS.

Very simple rules

http://dominowriting.com/SimpleMinisRevised.pdf

Very simple, in fact, a little too simple.

Yes, I know, I am being picky but I know what I want.

Fast Play Gladiator Rules

http://www.rebelpublishing.net/pdfs/Are_You_Not_Entertained.pdf

These are interesting rules, but not exactly what I am looking for.

I need fast, simple (but not too simple) one-on-one melee rules.

Mina's Fresh Cardboard

https://minasfreshcardboard.wordpress.com/

Lots of game reviews.

Haulers

I implemented the vector math in the Haulers program (written in Python).

It was easier than I thought.

Now it is a neat little sim where freight haulers happily travel from space station to space station.

It uses the Zelle graphics package.

Tons of fun learning Python this way.

A vector class in pure Python

https://gist.github.com/mcleonard/5351452

Very generous of the author to share this.

Creating Variables from String Names

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36157294/creating-variables-from-string-names

I like the idea of using a dictionary.

Also, I originally found this discussion via browsing.  Then, when I searched for it using the exact words in the title, I got no hit for it.  What is up with that?

Python Vector

http://noobtuts.com/python/vector

This is exactly what I need.  The example of a monster moving toward a player is very similar to my freight hauler moving toward a space station.

Word Ladder

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_ladder

Invented by Lewis Carroll.

Makes an interesting Python project as follows:

http://interactivepython.org/runestone/static/pythonds/Graphs/BuildingtheWordLadderGraph.html

Market Share

http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/23422/how-do-i-calculate-market-share-in-an-economic-simulation

I will have to experiment with this in my 4x game.

Python progression path

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2573135/python-progression-path-from-apprentice-to-guru

This discussion contains a treasure trove of advice and resources.  I have a long way to go.

On the Incompatibility of Two Conjectures Concerning Primes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Hardy%E2%80%93Littlewood_conjecture

Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.

Discrete Structures in Python

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~ganesh/misc/2100NEWbook.pdf

I continue to be amazed bordering on stupification by the amount of excellent free stuff available online.

False or 18.2

https://www.passeidireto.com/arquivo/972084/practical-programming---an-introduction-to-computer-science-using-python--v2009-/23

>>> False or 18.2
18.2

in 2009, the answer was 18.199999999999999, which in some ways, was more interesting.

2 vs. True

>>> 2 == True
False
>>> bool(2)
True


Things like this make Python an interesting language.

Space Engine

http://en.spaceengine.org/

Of all the things I have seen recently, this is the one that most makes me wish I had a working Windows machine.

This makes No Man's Sky seem less impressive than the hype.

Reverse a string in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/931092/reverse-a-string-in-python

I particularly like the very Pythonic [::-1].

Build New Games

http://buildnewgames.com/

Yet another website that was publishing awesome content and then went dormant.

Thea

http://explorminate.net/2016/03/21/thea-the-awakening-giants-qa/

Thea was already interesting, now this new DLC makes it even more interesting.

I sure wish I could find more hours in the day so I could explore Thea.

How To Build a Game

http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/creative/game-design/how-to-build-a-game-in-a-week-from-scratch-with-no-budget-r2259

This was an interesting project.

Maybe someday I can try it.

Buggy Python Code

https://www.toptal.com/python/top-10-mistakes-that-python-programmers-make

Yes, some very esoteric features of Python can be confusing.  I know so little about Python that I do not make some of these mistakes because I do not even know that some of these features exist.

Mistake #0 = Being a Python programmer

Siri, remind me to take another look at Swift, Apple's new language.

How do I create a list of objects and reference them individually?

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/comments/4b82tc/how_do_i_create_a_list_of_objects_and_reference/

I have been searching for something like this for months.  Literally, months.

I came across this by accident while browsing the subreddit.

And when I search for the title listed above, I get no hits for it.  Why is that?

Godot Engine

http://godotengine.org/

The best little engine that nobody ever heard of?

Siri, remind me to experiment with it.

10,000 hours

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3027564/asides/scientists-debunk-the-myth-that-10000-hours-of-practice-makes-you-an-expert

I can offer my own anecdotal evidence on this.

Since 1972 (FORTRAN), I have more than 10,000 hours in as a computer programmer, and I am no expert.

Missing list in Python

# missing list

colors = ["red", "green", "blue", "violet", "yellow", "orange", "purple"]
print colors # prints list as above
colors.sort()
print colors # prints sorted list
sorted_colors = colors.sort()
print sorted_colors # prints None
print colors.sort() # prints None

Wow, just wow.  Counter-intuitive.  Not the way my brain works.

Biggest Choke in NCAA history

http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/18/11265176/middle-tennessee-state-upset-michigan-state-ncaa-tournament-march-madness

Should I admit that I am a MSU alum?

Collision Detection

http://devmag.org.za/2009/04/13/basic-collision-detection-in-2d-part-1/

I am experimenting with the Zelle graphics module.  I coded up a little program that has colored balls bouncing around the screen.  They bounce off the walls but happily ignore each other.  I would like to implement some kind of primitive collision detection so that they bounce off each other.

Siri, remind me to work on this.

Edit:

I am amazed bordering on stupification that I was able to implement a crude version of collision detection.  Let's be honest, this is not a serious physics engine, but the balls do bounce off each other, which is all I really wanted.

Add key to dictionary in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1024847/add-key-to-a-dictionary-in-python

This interesting.  I use Python dictionaries all the time but I have yet to add a key to a dictionary.

In every case so far, I just create a dictionary and then use it without modifying it further.

I will try to use the preferred method when I do add a key.

Creating Class Instances Dynamically in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20320024/creating-class-instances-dynamically-in-python

Very interesting discussion.

I use what is described as "ugly" here.

The only thing I can say is that it works, and I cannot figure out how to do it any better.

This discussion focuses so narrowly on CSV that I cannot translate it to my situation without a lot of further work.

range vs. xrange

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/94935/what-is-the-difference-between-range-and-xrange-functions-in-python-2-x

Interesting discussion from 7 years ago.

I have to admit that I did not know the difference.

FTL

http://explorminate.net/2016/03/18/firday-excursion-ftl/

Sounds like a very fun game.

If I ever master Python (that is, never), then maybe I will find time to play it.

Johnny Lin

https://www.lulu.com/shop/view-cart.ep

Could not find his book on Goodreads, even using the ISBN.

Jessica McKellar

http://web.mit.edu/jesstess/

A hands-on introduction to Python for beginner programmers.

And she should know, since she is a Director of the Python Software Foundation.

interesting Python features: arguments

https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/controlflow.html

Siri, remind me to explore this further.

i = 5

def f(arg=i):
    print arg

i = 6
f()

prints 5 instead of 6.

Python "with" statement

http://preshing.com/20110920/the-python-with-statement-by-example/

Yet another feature of Python that I have not yet used.

Python sys.exit()

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9426045/difference-between-exit0-and-exit1-in-python

Yet another feature that I need to experiment with.

Cardinal, Ordinal, and Nominal Numbers

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0875618.html

I think I might be starting to understand this.  Maybe.

Why does Python range not include the last number?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4504662/why-does-rangestart-end-not-include-end

Not sure that I fully understand this but I am gradually learning to cope.

Why numbering should start at zero

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/ewd08xx/EWD831.PDF

FORTRAN was my first computer language, so that explains why I have had trouble with this ever since.

Python Imaging Library

http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/

Widely used in Python 2.x code.

Maybe once I get caught up on a million other projects, then I can dive into it.

Siri, remind me....

Zelle Python graphics

http://anh.cs.luc.edu/python/hands-on/3.1/handsonHtml/graphics.html

A tutorial on the use of the Zelle Python graphics package.

Limited capabilities, but easy to use.

Zetcode

http://zetcode.com/

Tutorials and e-books, including Python.

I am particularly interested in the new book on Tkinter programming.

Functional Programming

https://docs.python.org/2/howto/functional.html

After reading this, I find it unlikely that I will ever be a Haskell programmer.

eval() is evil

http://nedbatchelder.com/blog/201206/eval_really_is_dangerous.html

I will try to avoid the use of eval().

NumPy

http://www.numpy.org/

Siri, remind me when/if I ever learn basic Python that I should dive into libraries like NumPy.

Why can't I copy and paste Python code from PDF files?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12184304/if-pdf-copypaste-gives-garbage-text-what-is-wrong-with-the-pdf-source-code

This is really annoying.

For small snippets of code, it is faster to type them in rather than jump through all the hoops to convert PDF to plain text.

Python in Neuroscience

https://books.google.com/books/about/Python_in_Neuroscience.html?id=AQjmCgAAQBAJ&hl=en

Could not find it on Goodreads, even using the ISBN.

One million darts

http://niallohiggins.com/2007/07/05/monte-carlo-simulation-in-python-1/

I think I can actually do this.

Chi-square Tutorial

http://www.radford.edu/~rsheehy/Gen_flash/Tutorials/Chi-Square_tutorial/x2-tut.htm

Siri, put this on my to-do list.

Write my own chi-square Python code without relying on NumPy, SciPy, and all the other pies.

Chi-squared Python

http://astropython.blogspot.com/2012/02/computing-chi-squared-and-reduced-chi.html

Does anyone besides me remember when we did chi-squared calculations with a slide rule?

Now, we cannot do them without relying on libraries.

Python Tutor

http://jeffknupp.com/

Maybe I need a Python tutor?

Saying Goodbye to Python

http://www.ianbicking.org/blog/2014/02/saying-goodbye-to-python.html

Well written, thoughtful.

I was surprised by the negative comments.

Introduction to Simulation

http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/156/PLN/SimIntro.pdf

This is exactly what I need, a good starting point.

The Devil Framework

https://www.python.org/about/success/devil/

They were Perl programmers, but switched to Python.

User Menus

http://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/65305/making-user-menus-in-a-text-based-game

An interesting discussion of user menus.

I need to implement some of this.

Eleven Lines of Python

http://iamtrask.github.io/2015/07/12/basic-python-network/

Very interesting exploration of neural networks.

Uses NumPy.

Sierpinski

http://codegolf.stackexchange.com/questions/6281/draw-a-sierpinski-triangle

The Python (90 chars) entry is interesting but glacially slow.

UltraCorps

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/10407/ultracorps-boardgame-isnt

I am amazed bordering on stupification that this game has been out for so long and that I never heard of it until today.

Which makes me wonder how many other interesting games are hidden away in hard to find places.

The Early History of Text Adventures

http://bluzeandmuse.com/final_site/adventure_history.html

Features some good anecdotes.

Make Your Own Text Adventure with Python

https://leanpub.com/pythontextadventure

I would love to make my own text adventures.

Conway's Game of Life in Python

http://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/40886/conways-game-of-life-in-python

"This is excellent code for a Python novice."

All the more reason that I should study this code in detail.

2048 game in Python

http://www.thetaranights.com/make-a-2048-game-in-python/

I am not particularly interested in the 2048 game, but I am very interested in the Python code.

Maximum recursion depth

http://pythontips.com/2013/08/31/fixing-error-maximum-recursion-depth-reached/

This is interesting.

#1 I have yet to get this error, which I think means that I have not done enough recursion.

# 2 It seems like this is fixing the symptom instead of fixing the problem.

Like so many other things in Python, I will have to experiment with it.

Edit (3-18-2016):

I got this error for the first time today.

I put the name of a sub-class where the name of a class should go, thereby creating a recursion where none was intended.

Neopythonic

http://neopythonic.blogspot.com/

Yet another excellent blog that has been abandoned, or has gone dormant, or ....

Linked list in Python

https://www.codefellows.org/blog/implementing-a-singly-linked-list-in-python

Here is yet another code example that I should experiment with.

Planar Conquest

http://www.pockettactics.com/reviews/review-planar-conquest/

As a possible successor to Master of Magic, this looks like a fun game.

Should I buy a new iPad, since it will not run on my iPad 2?

Or should I wait for the PS4 version, since I want to buy a PS4 so I can play No Man's Sky?

Tough decisions.

The Star Citizen Economy

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/13128-The-Star-Citizen-Economy

An absolute treasure trove of ideas about creating an in-game economy.

Use of "global" keyword in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4693120/use-of-global-keyword-in-python

Yet another interesting discussion of global variables.

A Likable Zombie

https://unsolicitedtwocents.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/a-likable-zombie-solves-crimes/

This sounds like my kind of series.

Simple Console Roguelike Game

http://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/42203/simple-console-roguelike-game

I like the Pythonic alternative to the long chain of elif statements.

How to Write a Text Adventure in Python

http://letstalkdata.com/2014/08/how-to-write-a-text-adventure-in-python/

Yet another fun project that I should find time for.

Python Text Based Game Display

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12658779/python-text-based-game-display

Yes, better to clear the screen before drawing, rather than immediately after drawing.

Basic Terminal Apps

http://introtopython.org/terminal_apps.html

I learned about the sleep() function.

Battleship

http://thelivingpearl.com/2014/02/17/the-game-of-battleships-in-python/

I will have to experiment with it.

GC III: Mercenaries

http://explorminate.net/2016/03/10/galactic-civilizations-iii-mercenaries-review/

Positive review, I greatly enjoyed reading it.

Would love to play some GC III but I do not have a working Windows machine.

Maybe I should get one.

Hidden Features of Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/101268/hidden-features-of-python

Some fascinating features.

I found the discussion of enumeration particularly interesting.

Simulating Evolutionary Games

http://econpapers.repec.org/article/jasjasssj/2008-8-2.htm

Features a helpful review of Python and a very interesting discussion of agent based simulation.

Well worth reading, more than once.

Trigger Warning

Trigger Warning (2015) by Neil Gaiman

Terrific collection of stories.  Some seriously disturbed and disturbing stories.

Would be hard for me to pick a favorite from so many excellent stories.

But....

I would like to read several novel-length works on the adventures of the protagonist in "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains..."

I was very disappointed when I reached the end of the book, I just wanted to go on and on, reading those amazing stories.

Big Game Theory

http://www.big-game-theory.com/

Interesting blog, but only one post so far in 2016.

Barghest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barghest

I did see a large dark shape one night.

Tom Otter

http://www.saxilbyhistory.org/tom_otter.html

A gruesome bit of history, if true.

Fascinating fiction, otherwise.

Stagnant 4X Genre

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/07/how-to-fix-the-4x/

Interesting opinion piece.  I do not agree with him, but worth reading.

The author got ripped on the Explorminate Steam forum.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/explorminate/discussions/0/412448792368070608/

Nate, in particular, got in some solid punches.

sys.argv in Python

http://www.pythonforbeginners.com/system/python-sys-argv

If I learn about something like this every day, will I get there eventually?

Dear Game Developers....

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MatiasKindermann/20160308/267525/Dear_Game_Developers_Twitchers_YouTubers_and_Bloggers_please_read_this.php

I am a blogger, so I read it.  Interesting read, and I feel his pain, but it does not apply to me because I am not looking for free keys.

Edit: fixed link

Design Your Own Game

http://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/04/04/design-your-own-game/

Of the 7,  GamePress looks like the one that best fits my interests.

Edit: But of course GamePress is not currently available.

Starscape

http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/coding-a-custom-sequence-generator-to-render-a-starscape--gamedev-6500

I sure wish this was in Python instead of Java.

Yes, as per the comment in the above link, I should be able to translate the whole thing into Python.

And maybe some day I will be able to do that.  Very far in the future.

Random Map Generation

http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/31241/random-map-generation

Lots of good information in this discussion.

There is a nice graph of biomes per temperature and precipitation.

Even includes plate tectonics!  Wow!

Maps and Mazes in Python

https://29a.ch/2009/9/7/generating-maps-mazes-with-python

The Python code runs without error, but does not print anything.

It gives me a starting point, which is all I wanted anyway.

Edit: Figured it out.  He enters arguments when he runs the script from the command line.  Not how I would do it, especially without comments.  Good because I learned about sys.argv, which I should have known about already.

Word boundaries in regular expressions

https://developmentality.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/python-gotcha-word-boundaries-in-regular-expressions/

I have not tried to do this yet, so I was unaware of the problem.

Dictionaries in Python

https://developmentality.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/three-ways-of-creating-dictionaries-in-python/

I particularly enjoyed the comment, "This is not ideal, however, as it involves an explicit iterator, and is starting to look like Java."

Mersenne Twister

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mersenne_Twister

Widely used for RNG.

Features an interesting Python implementation.

Not cryptographically secure but probably good enough for hobbyist programming.

Yet another discontinued blog

http://jeremyosborne.com/

Yet another excellent blog, discontinued.

He got a new job at a new company and never posted again.

What led me to his blog was my interest in Procedural World Generation.

Perlin Noise Generator

http://code.activestate.com/recipes/578470-perlin-noise-generator/

First, I have to find the PIL module.

Spiritual Successor to Diablo 2

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/1047/view/reviews/load/430/A-Stellar-ARPG-Set-in-a-Dark-Gritty-Steampunk-World.html/

Makes me wish I had a Windows machine.

No Man's Sky Explorer's Edition

http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/03/no-mans-sky-explorers-edition-merchandise/

Well worth $150.

The SimBlob Project

http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/games.html

An interesting and ambitious project.  I would be thrilled to accomplish as much.

Using Python

http://usingpython.com/

This looks like a valuable resource.

I spent a little time browsing around and had fun, but I want to spend a lot more time there.

Random numbers seeds

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32692158/random-choice-returns-same-value-at-the-same-second-how-does-one-avoid-it

Features an interesting discussion of random number seeds.

In my own hobbyist use of the Python random number generator, I have not encountered these types of problems, but I would very much like to so some statistical analysis of the internal structure of samples of random numbers.

In particular, I want to write a sim comparing two processes of generating Soylent Green.

Bugs per lines of code

http://www.mayerdan.com/ruby/2012/11/11/bugs-per-line-of-code-ratio/

Very interesting.

When I was young (a very long time ago), the industry average was one bug per line of code BEFORE in-house testing.

Remember, this was before the Internet was invented, and before Microsoft released Windows.

When I was in high school (again....), I could type 30 words a minute error free.

Now, I cannot type a single line of code without a typo.

Plotting elevation maps

http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/116319/plotting-elevation-maps-and-shaded-relief-images-from-latitude-longitude-and-e

Lots of interesting material in this discussion, but what I really need is some more introductory tutorial Python code before I jump into all these third party libraries.

Python Random Map Generation with Perlin Noise

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17779480/python-random-map-generation-with-perlin-noise

Features an odd little snippet of Python code.  I will have a play with it.  It is at least a starting point for investigation.

PCG

http://pcg.wikidot.com/

Procedural Content Generation.

Would love to do some, even if it was very primitive.

Crude prototypes.

Dungeon League blog

http://www.dungeonleague.com/

Yet another excellent blog that is discontinued.

The solution is called properties!

http://www.python-course.eu/python3_properties.php

I have a lot to learn.

When to use a Class or just define functions?

https://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2003-June/023512.html

It was a little confusing, but I do not think that it had anything to do with wine.

A* in Python

http://www.redblobgames.com/pathfinding/a-star/implementation.html

I really must experiment with this.

Gnomoria

https://stoove.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/a-review-of-gnomoria/

Dwarf Fortress with gnomes?

Egypt Civilization

http://www.cgmagonline.com/2016/03/03/new-game-aims-historical-egyptian-accuracy/

This looks like it could be a lot of fun.

Maia

http://maiagame.com/

Dwarf Fortress in space?

Repeated Demise, and Reincarnation

https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Symposia/Spring/2006/SS-06-08/SS06-08-003.pdf

I made an honest attempt at reading this paper.  I think I might have to admit to myself that I have neither the educational background nor the intellectual horsepower to appreciate the finer points.

Unit tests in Python

http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/writing/tests/

I have to get more serious about unit tests.

Why use tuples?

https://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2001-September/008888.html

I keep asking myself this question, and for me, the short answer is, "I don't.""

So far, I have always used a list or a dictionary.

Problem Solving

https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/courses/compsci105ssc/resources/ProblemSolvingwithAlgorithmsandDataStructures.pdf

Features an excellent review of Python.

BirdyBot

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvyNIESj7eKbkIdarZL-0ww

I very much enjoy the Dwarf Fortress and Thea: The Awakening episodes.

Booze, Bards, and Ballads

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/dwarf-fortress/

Makes an already interesting game sound even more interesting.

Dwarf Fortress

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/02/dwarf-fortress-ten-hours-with-the-most-inscrutable-video-game-of-all-time/

Maybe the most entertaining computer game review I have ever read.

He wants Swift to be your first language

http://www.aaronblock.com/thoughts/2015/8/21/why-i-want-swift-to-be-your-first-language

I am waffling on whether or not to switch from Python to Swift.

How Do You Simulate an Economy?

http://spacesimcentral.com/ssc/topic/2925-how-do-you-simulate-an-economy/

Excellent discussion, I would like to read a lot more like this.

Simulation Programming with Python

 http://users.iems.northwestern.edu/~nelsonb/IEMS435/PythonSim.pdf

Features a case study: service center simulation.

Supply, Demand and Market Microstructure

http://meandering-through-mathematics.blogspot.com/2011/08/supply-demand-and-market-microstructure.html

Very interesting model using apple buyers and sellers, implemented with Python.

I want to try some variations on this theme.

Tutorial on agent-based modelling and simulation

http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/ABMTutorial.MacalNorth.JOS2010.pdf

Well worth reading.

Simulating Ancient Societies

http://libarts.wsu.edu/anthro/pdf/Kohler%20et%20al.%20SciAm.pdf

They used agent based modeling to analyze why the Anasazi departed the four corners region.

I particularly like the shout-out to Java (remember, this is 2005) for enabling researchers.

Simulating Littoral Trade

http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/5/1/5

A fascinating case study using agent based modeling to study the transition from Etruscan wine to Greek wine in Gaul (starting around 600BC).

If I could implement something like this in Python, I would be ecstatic.

How the Python Ate the Turtle

https://simulatingcomplexity.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/how-the-python-eat-the-turtle/

The author makes the case for Python.

He convinced me, but I am hardly an unbiased observer.

Programming Dynamic Models in Python

http://computationallegalstudies.com/2009/10/11/programming-dynamic-models-in-python/

Uses a simple Susceptible - Infected - Recovered (SIR) model.

I am very interested in adapting this approach for other projects.

Ships in YA4XSG

Ships in YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game)

Smallest to Largest

Fast Attack Craft (fighter, fighter/bomber, bomber)
Corvette
Frigate
Destroyer
Cruiser
Battleship
Carrier
Dreadnought
Super Dreadnought
Death Star or Star Fortress or something

Warlock 2

http://explorminate.net/2016/02/29/monday-modness-warlock-2-renaissance-mod/

I was already interested in this game, and reading about this mod increases my interest.

Forgotten Knowledge of the Exiled

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=244988604

Features a deity wheel, where life opposes death, etc.

Rage vs pestilence is similar to Khorne vs. Nurgle in Warhammer lore.

I need to modify this to my own version.

Star Traders 4X Empires

http://www.pockettactics.com/reviews/review-star-traders-4x/

Very mixed review.  I would like to try the game.

Graywalkers Purgatory

http://www.graywalkers.com/

Another very interesting game, possible release 3rd quarter 2016?

Star Traders 2

http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31294

I am looking forward to the release, Summer 2016.

Massive Chalice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Chalice

It is interesting to note that same-sex marriages were not in the original game design, but were added at the request of kickstarter backers.

Dominions 4

http://www.illwinter.com/dom4/

This looks like a very interesting game.  It got a lot of positive reviews.  I want to play this.

Starbase Orion

http://www.pockettactics.com/news/how-starbase-orion-came-out-on-top/

Highly regarded 4X game that I have never tried.

Have to correct that deficiency.

Global and local variables in Python

http://www.python-course.eu/global_vs_local_variables.php

I need to think long and hard about this.

I am not using global variables to their full advantage.

Discussion of Game Design Ideas

http://explorminate.net/2016/02/08/monday-modness-pandora/comment-page-1/

The comments section in the above link features an excellent discussion of game design ideas.

The comments by Cadfan in particular are very good.

Well worth reading, more than once.

Terra Mystica

http://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-71240ZMG-Terra-Mystica/dp/B00APPE4HK

A plethora of positive reviews for this game.

I would like to try it.

Remnants of the Precursors

http://www.pretendstudios.com/

Formerly JavaMOO.

I am very much looking forward to playing this game.

River, Brooke, and Picabo

The hero name generator in YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game) contains 422 first names.

The random number generator in Python selects the same first name twice in a row with a frequency that I find infuriating.

Clash Royale

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/MichailKatkoff/20160224/266403/Clash_Royale__Deconstructing_Supercells_Next_Billion_Dollar_Game.php

Fascinating analysis of one of the next big money makers.

Destined to replace the Kate Upton / Arnold Schwarzenegger games?

X3 Terran Conflict

http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/29/x3-terran-conflict-review?page=1

I should have played it when it was released in 2008.

Evochron Mercenary

http://www.pcgamer.com/evochron-mercenary-review/

This looks like an interesting game.

"Slow-burning but compelling" appeals to me.

Game Design Documentation

http://gamedesigntools.blogspot.com/2010/10/game-design-documentation.html

"A concept borrowed from film production."

DarkBASIC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DarkBASIC

I regret that I did not get into DarkBASIC in 2000.  It would have been a lot of fun.

Polyversal

http://www.polyversal-game.com/

Polyversal 6mm sci-fi miniatures game, now on Kickstarter.

Looks like a cool system.

He Went Indie

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/MaximeBeaudoin/20160125/264180/Why_I_Quit_my_Dream_Job_at_Ubisoft.php

Fascinating essay.

Designing and Implementing e-Market Games

http://cscourse.essex.ac.uk/cig/2005/papers/p1040.pdf

Discusses an example game, the Computer Market Game, where agents assemble PCs for clients.

Algorithmic Game Theory

http://freecomputerbooks.com/Algorithmic-Game-Theory.html

Hundreds of pages of excellent background reading.

An Agent-based Simulation of Double-Auction Markets

ftp://ftp.cs.utoronto.ca/na/reports/Guo-05.msc.pdf

Figure 4.2 features pseudo code for an artificial agent.

Maybe someday I can implement it in Python.

Skyward Collapse

http://www.cultofmac.com/228785/grab-five-bucks-and-play-skyward-collapse-a-4x-strategy-god-game-that-fights-back/

This looks like an interesting game.

Maybe if I take a break from YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game), I can play it.

Agent-based Models in Python

https://www.binpress.com/tutorial/introduction-to-agentbased-models-an-implementation-of-schelling-model-in-python/144

Python is used for a social science case study.

Agent-based Models

http://www.turingfinance.com/agent-based-computational-economic-models/

Interesting background reading on computational models.

Mesa

https://pypi.python.org/pypi/Mesa/

Agent-based modeling in Python.

Basic crawler in Python

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14405997/python-monte-carlo-simulation-loop

For when you have to get from A to B.

Monte Carlo Simulation in Python

https://pythonprogramming.net/monte-carlo-simulator-python/

Reinforces my ideas about why I do not gamble.

Commodity Trading Simulation

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b56a/c8938933d6a23ca33247504c4090d133d447.pdf

Uses AB3D, the subject of a 2007 technical report at the University of Michigan.

Interesting background reading, but not of much practical use for my own purposes.

Autonomous Agents

http://www-lia.deis.unibo.it/corsi/2007-2008/SMA-LS/papers/4/agentorprogram.pdf

Scholarly paper on autonomous agents.  Well worth reading.

Interesting to note that computers viruses are a subtype of autonomous agent.

Ro, Bo, and Buffy

Ro, Bo, and Buffy

Ro = Ensign Ro Laren, ST:TNG, one of my favorite fictional characters
Bo = Bo Derek or Little Bo Beep
Buffy = The Vampire Slayer, I never saw an episode

In YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game), there are characters called heroes, who benefit the galaxy as a whole, as opposed to champions, who benefit individual empires.

The names of these characters are selected randomly from a list.

In the most recent version (1n), this is a representative roster of heroes:

Sophia
Deirdre
Shannon
Bernadette
Melanie
Consuela
Ashley
Ellen
Mabel
Marcia

Pure luck that on this run there were no duplicates.

Surnames are generated via a combination of words that take the form of Ravenfeather, Brightdawn, etc.

Careful observers will note that all the hero names are female.

Contrariwise, all champions are male.

Energy Resources of the Earth

Truth in advertising = this blog post is not about energy resources of the earth.

Why the title?  It was the name of a college course I took in a previous life, fun class, I really enjoyed it.

What is this really about?  Energy resources in YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game).

So far, I have:

fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, tar sands)
solar
nuclear (the dirty kind)
fusion
anti-matter

Each system has a rating for fossil fuels, some don't have any, some have a lot.  Petroleum has to be refined before use, so you have to build refineries.

Fuel is also required for nukes, it can be mined (e.g., uranium ore)

The real reason to research anti-matter is to develop warheads for missiles so that when Gene Luck Pickerd and his buddies show up on your doorstep, you can put some serious hurt on them.  Anti-matter energy is just a side bonus.

R vs. Python

http://www.kdnuggets.com/2015/05/r-vs-python-data-science.html

Maybe (if I ever learn Python), I can learn R next.

Games for People Who Don't Play Games

http://www.thespace.org/news/view/games-for-people-who-dont-play-games

I am particularly interested in the 10 second game by legendary game maker Ana Anthropy.

Some very strange games

http://forestambassador.com/

Features some very strange games.

Like well off the edge of the bell curve.

Religion in YA4XSG

Religion in YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game)

So far, religion is undifferentiated, there is just one generic religion.

Eventually, I want to include a plethora of religions, including but not limited to:

Life
Death and/or Decay
Elemental, such as Earth, Wind, Fire, Water
Cthulhu-esque old gods
Chaos Gods or Ruinous Powers
derived from pantheons such as Egyptian, Greek, Norse, etc.

I am particularly interested in diametrically opposed deities such as Life vs. Death.

Twilight Imperium, 3rd edition

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/twilight-imperium-3rd-edition/

Seems pricey but you get a lot (200 miniatures).

Would love to get it.

Stardrive 2

http://www.stardrivegame.com/

Another successor to Master of Orion.

I really should try it.

Star System Governors

In YA4XSG (Yet Another 4X Space Game), each star system can have a governor.

I am experimenting with a deck of governor cards.  Shuffle the deck.  Draw 3 cards.  Choose one as the system governor, shuffle the other two back into the deck.

Some of the possible choices:

explorer (increases chance for find by system scouts)
trader (increases trade revenue for system)
industrialist (increases factory production in system)
research scientist (increases tech research by labs in system)
field marshall (trains extra ground troops each turn)
diplomat (increases gains from system diplomacy)
miner (increases output of mines in system)
agriculturist (increases food production in system)
archbishop (increases production and research at temples)
archmage (increases production and research at wizard towers)
admiral (produces extra system fleet unit each turn)
terraformer (bonus to terraforming in system)
medical doctor (bonus to population growth rate)
economist (can squeeze more credits out of the system economy)
archeologist (extra digs on previously explored ruins)
inquisitor (protects system from cultists)
efficiency expert (reduces waste)

Note: The game is a 4x set in space, but the theme is a hybrid of fantasy and science fiction, with the emphasis on FICTION.

10 websites

http://www.developersfeed.com/top-10-websites-for-game-development/

Features some very good websites.

50 websites

http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/50-essential-websites-every-aspiring-gaming-professional-should-know

A couple of points:

1) I am interested in 50 websites for hobbyist game designers, but until I find those, this is a pretty good starting list.

2) Several of the websites on this list are no longer active.  This is part of a larger phenomenon that many other people have commented on.  Several factors at work: not enough hours in the day, unwillingness to share, disillusionment, etc.

YA4XSG

YA4XSG

Yet Another 4X Space Game

4X?  Yes, you know, eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate.

Set in space, like Master of Orion.

I am trying to write a console game in python, that means no graphics.

I should have started blogging about it long ago, but better late than never.

Currently working on heroes vs. champions.  Champions are empire-wide, granting bonuses to whatever their specialty is, for example, research.  Heroes are galaxy-wide, granting bonuses to whatever their specialty is, for example, research.

Currently, there are nine computer controlled empires vying for control of the galaxy, plus trying to fend off attacks by xenos coming in from outside the galaxy.

I was up to 8,000 star systems and 400 turns, but currently I am running 2,000 systems for 100 turns, the former was just too slow.

The game also features "agents" sort of loosely modeled after the rogue traders in Warhammer 40k.  And I mean very loosely, since I cannot find my copy of the Rogue Trader  rule book, and almost no usable information is available online.  Right now running a maximum of 2,000 agents.  And they spend too much time killing each other, and too much time getting killed by xenos.  Something must be done, Serge.  Heroes and champions have names but the agents are just anonymous numbers.

Building Decision Trees in Python

http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/python/2006/02/09/ai_decision_trees.html

The next time I am trying to market the most marvelous widget ever known, I will try to  implement this.

Decision Tree vs. Behavior Tree

http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/51693/decision-tree-vs-behavior-tree

Very interesting distinction.

Whiskey Barrel Studios

http://whiskeybarrelstudios.com/

Features an active gamedev blog, which seems to be a rarity these days.

Some thoughts

http://www.lukewrites.com/coding/thoughts-codecademy-learn-python-hard-way

Thoughts are good.  I like thoughts.

How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkCSpy.pdf

I try to think but nothing happens.

Game Design Concepts

https://learn.canvas.net/courses/3

I am amazed bordering on stupification (yes, I know) that material like this is available for free on the intertubes (yes, again).

Behavior Trees for AI

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/ChrisSimpson/20140717/221339/Behavior_trees_for_AI_How_they_work.php

I need to implement something like this in my Python 5x game (insert clever title here), because the current model of mostly RNG is not satisfactory.

BazaarBot

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/1fldav/bazaarbot_an_opensource_economics_engine/

Very interesting implementation.  Lots of potential in this approach.

Emergent Economies for Role Playing Games

https://larc.unt.edu/techreports/LARC-2010-03.pdf

Fascinating look at a model for a virtual economy.

I definitely want to implement something like this in Python.

A Curious Course on Coroutines and Concurrency

http://www.dabeaz.com/coroutines/

I was able to replicate a trivially simple generator function.

Duck Typing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_typing

Somewhat alarming that I just learned of this.