4 ms·

> Some call it "Programming: The Game". This is actually why I haven't bought it (yet). When I have the urge to program something, I think I'd rather put that

> Some call it "Programming: The Game". This is actually why I haven't bought it (yet). When I have the urge to program something, I think I'd rather put that towards building something real than playing Factorio.

scrollaway 8y ago
Give it a shot. It's different enough from programming. It'll tickle the "how do I solve this" circuitry. It's a puzzle game in many ways.
Q6T46nT668w6i3m 8y ago
I usually agree, but while it certainly feels like programming it does so in an entirely theoretical environment where both concurrency and parallelism is nearly infinite. I think that makes it feel different enough.
- therein 8y ago
  Might as well grab an FPGA. :)
none_to_remain 8y ago
Sometime I think a game is too much like work, and it reflects poorly on the game. Too much grind, tedious... Factorio for me is too much like work, except I think it's a fine game, I just already often spend my day making systems to put things on queues and take them off queues, trying to keep the queues from getting full or empty...
- santoriv 8y ago
  Exactly my experience. I feel like I'm doing DevOps automation when playing Factorio. Since I get paid hourly for my normal work .... I started wondering, "Wait, why am I not just working right now? Same thing except I get paid......" It should be called something like "Jenkins: The Game". I actually had a similar experience with Space Chem. It was fun until I realized I was playing "Procedural Spaghetti Code: The Game." I wish there was a "Functional Programming: The Game"
  - egypturnash 8y ago
    If you need a side project, prototyping "Functional Programming: The Game" sounds like a pretty good one.
fishtoaster 8y ago
I love factorio because it's the most like programming without actually being programming. Opus Magnum is a game in a similar vein that came highly recommended, but I never got _that_ into because it _is_ actually programming: there's an instruction set that you program visually. Factorio, on the other hand, is closer to an RTS. Except whenever you find yourself doing something tedious, you can just put in a little more work to automate it and never have to do it again. It's the automation aspect of programming, but no actual programming.
- XorNot 8y ago
  This. My mind was blown when I realised that the initially hard to make grabber arm could be just put in a factory and suddenly I'd have an endless supply of grabber arms forever.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
laythea 8y ago
I'm the same. I love it but it does involve mental work to achieve, and would rather spend the efforts into something real.
db48x 8y ago
It's different enough from actual programming that your subconscious can keep working on your real programming while you play. Be warned however, that your subconscious can keep working on your factory while you work...

scrollaway 8y ago

Give it a shot. It's different enough from programming. It'll tickle the "how do I solve this" circuitry. It's a puzzle game in many ways.

Q6T46nT668w6i3m 8y ago

I usually agree, but while it certainly feels like programming it does so in an entirely theoretical environment where both concurrency and parallelism is nearly infinite. I think that makes it feel different enough.

therein 8y ago
Might as well grab an FPGA. :)

none_to_remain 8y ago

Sometime I think a game is too much like work, and it reflects poorly on the game. Too much grind, tedious... Factorio for me is too much like work, except I think it's a fine game, I just already often spend my day making systems to put things on queues and take them off queues, trying to keep the queues from getting full or empty...

santoriv 8y ago
Exactly my experience. I feel like I'm doing DevOps automation when playing Factorio. Since I get paid hourly for my normal work .... I started wondering, "Wait, why am I not just working right now? Same thing except I get paid......" It should be called something like "Jenkins: The Game". I actually had a similar experience with Space Chem. It was fun until I realized I was playing "Procedural Spaghetti Code: The Game." I wish there was a "Functional Programming: The Game"
- egypturnash 8y ago
  If you need a side project, prototyping "Functional Programming: The Game" sounds like a pretty good one.

fishtoaster 8y ago

I love factorio because it's the most like programming without actually being programming. Opus Magnum is a game in a similar vein that came highly recommended, but I never got _that_ into because it _is_ actually programming: there's an instruction set that you program visually. Factorio, on the other hand, is closer to an RTS. Except whenever you find yourself doing something tedious, you can just put in a little more work to automate it and never have to do it again. It's the automation aspect of programming, but no actual programming.

XorNot 8y ago
This. My mind was blown when I realised that the initially hard to make grabber arm could be just put in a factory and suddenly I'd have an endless supply of grabber arms forever.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

laythea 8y ago

I'm the same. I love it but it does involve mental work to achieve, and would rather spend the efforts into something real.

db48x 8y ago

It's different enough from actual programming that your subconscious can keep working on your real programming while you play. Be warned however, that your subconscious can keep working on your factory while you work...