Why do I own historyofpants.com? I own a lot of stupid URLs.
I know you’ll hate me for saying this, but Python is a mess. I love programming in Python, but holy crap-a-reno is dealing with all the modules a pain-in-the-ass-a-who. Then python 3 came out. Now I have a complete mess of modules on my machine. I have some modules that are system wide and others that are install just for me. I have no idea how it got so screwed up. It’s probably that my Mac is 6 years old and it’s just been a slow module death. I’d love to wipe it all clean and start over. I think that would just make it worse.
I’m sure there is some logic behind it, and I’m sure all the python pros are laughing, but getting python working for the average user is nuts. I’m trying to walk some people through it now and it’s just impossible.
Back by court order, it’s the Last Thimbleweed Park Post + 1.
Today, David and I chat about the new Delores game.
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Succumbing to overwhelming requests, we’ve decide to record a special Delores podcast.
Also realizing that we’re really bad at figuring out what to say, we’ve decided to make it a AMA podcast. But it’s not just me doing it, so it more “us”, so it’s really a AUA podcast. And when I say “anything” I really mean anything about the new Delores game. So, I guess it’s really a AUAAD podcast. Kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it.
Anyway…
Post your questions in the comments thread and Sat at 11am (PDT) we’ll gather the best of the best and answer them and post the podcast on Monday. Please try and keep the questions about the new Delores game and not general TWP questions.
COMMENTS are now closed while I gather up all the questions.
Much like when TWP launched, people have been asking for right-click to skip dialog in Delores. I’ve really pushed back on doing this for one reason: It’s too damn easy.
During the TWP playtests, I watch players right-click to skip dialog so fast that it didn’t even register something came on the screen. Then a bit later they would be confused. I’d ask some questions and it was clear that the dialog was never even seen.
The problem with right-click is that the right/left-button twitch is so ingrained that the moment text flashed on the screen players would instinctively right-click like they were playing a round of Jeopardy. Most of the time they wouldn’t even notice they were doing it.
This isn’t matter of me being a prima donna about players not reading my glorious dialog, this is about players not reading any dialog, being confused, and inevitably blaming the game (my therapist keep reminding me that there is a line between me and the game).
If you have ever watched someone playtest something you’ve done, you will know the feeling.
While players can skip dialog with the PERIOD key it’s not as automatic as right-click. Just that small separation helps a great deal.
All that said, you can middle-click to skip dialog, but it’s not as instinctually ingrained as right-click. Even skipping dialog on controllers isn’t as pavlovian as right-click.
You can add rightClickSkipsDialog: 1 to your Prefs.json file (finding that is an exercise left up to the reader) and happily skip as much dialog as you want. It is good for speed runners, or the 10th time player, but it’s hell on new players.
Like in TWP right-click only skips dialog in cut-scenes and other situations where input (the cursor) is off.
I’m looking for a good Linux laptop. I’ve hunted around (probably not in the right places) and found a few I like, but then I go to buy them and they all come with Windows. I’ve had several bad experiences with trying to install Linux, flashing boot roms, plugging in USB drives, etc, etc. I just want to buy a laptop that already has Linux. Is this possible? I want a very small and light weight laptop, but I want it to run real Linux, not a silly Chrome book or the like.
Does such a thing exist? I was pointed to System76 but the laptop looks very bulky. I want something smaller.
P.S. I don’t know if it’s still true, but there was a time when it cost retailers more (due to MS contracts) the ship a computer WITHOUT Windows than with.
UPDATE: I’m getting a Dell XPS 13. Thanks for all your feedback.
By Ron Gilbert
As I write this on the 9th day of May in the year of 2020 the Pandemic is far from over. Different people deal with isolation, fear, social distancing and hoarding toilet paper differently. I built a game. It helped keep me sane.
As I mentioned back in March, I began rewriting the Thimbleweed Park engine with no real goal in mind, it just seemed like something to do and I had a few ideas about UI I wanted to explore.
What began as a way to waste time, turned into a fun little game prototype. A little over a month ago David Fox came on, then Robert, Katerina, and Octavi jumped on to help. The game was built almost entirely from existing art, sounds and music from Thimbleweed Park, more of a remixing into a new game that can be seen as an addendum to Thimbleweed Park. It is not a sequel.
We hope you enjoy it, it’s complete FREE on Steam and the Epic Store. A strange little game for the strange and stressful times we find ourselves in.
Did I mention it’s FREE.
Stay safe and I hope this little game helps, even a little.
In the coming weeks I’ll be posting more about the new engine and how it’s different and hopefully better.
I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.
As a fairly extreme introvert, all this stay-at-home social distancing isn’t much change for me. Most restaurants are offering “no contact” delivery where they place the food at your door, ring the doorbell, then leave. I like this. I hope this practice continues after the apocalypse.