Nina Kalinina

I haven't done any game dev in the last month. Gamedev is hard, requires loading massive context in my head, and doesn't offer immediate feedback loop with dopamine and such. Not as much as compiling stuff for vintage computers, anyways.
It also feels like very few people care about original stuff. Sharing original art rarely gets stronger reaction than sharing things that have nostalgic factor, and it feels really unfair, because original art requires far more work. But maybe that's okay too.

Yeah. You know, I have re-read the first draft of the first chapter of Cooking For My Revolutionary Friend game, a month since it was written, and I still think it's very funny. I need to get back to it.

Sep 28, 2025 at 11:22pmWeb
Show threadDavip PrestnodSep 28, 2025
@nina_kali_nina great title and theme to the game, is there actual cooking at any point. I like cooking, I imagine revolutionaries need good nutrition to keep up there revolving at a solid pace.
Show threadNina KalininaSep 28, 2025
@david_preston there is, and in fact I have to cook quite a lot IRL to do my research for the game!
Show threadDavip PrestnodSep 28, 2025
@nina_kali_nina oh nice, I have been making haggis and champ (mashed potato and spring onions burritos this week, very hearty and good for eating on the move. That is going method game dev with the cooking.
Show threadBart LouwersSep 28, 2025

@nina_kali_nina "Gamedev doesn't offer immediate feedback loop".

This makes me think of this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BES9EKK4Aw4

Coding with Notch (from Minecraft: The Story of Mojang)

YouTube
Show threadNina KalininaSep 28, 2025
@bart not that kind of feedback loop; I know I can churn out gazillion commits over a weekend to try different things. But, let's say, you're comparing alpha build 123 and alpha build 134 which were maybe two weeks apart; it can be really difficult to get the sense of progression. If anything, it can cause a sense of dread with "oh no, look at the backlog". There's very little immediate dopamine hit, it's more of a marathon
Show threadAbdur-Rahman MansoorSep 29, 2025
@nina_kali_nina Honestly graphics programming is a PITA. Osdev is easier on the brain for me, so I get it.