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> Worked: > A Texas Instruments programmable calculator. He read the manual, played with it a bit, then found out he could automate some of his homework. Then

by Mayzie 6y ago

> Worked: > A Texas Instruments programmable calculator. He read the manual, played with it a bit, then found out he could automate some of his homework. Then found out he could make simple games. Then fairly impressive games. That's pretty much how I got into programming, except rather than homework it was coding automation for a very repetitive video game I was playing at the time. Although in terms of time spent, it was a net loss as I spent more time combined programming and playing as opposed to just playing, but there was a significant net profit in terms of skills I learned which has had a far more practical and positive benefit to the real world as opposed to if I just played the video game all the time :)

rapnie 6y ago
TI99-4A long time ago. Programming a textual adventure game in Basic with my father (complete with matrix printer code printouts to make notes on). About a highrise appartment block with one unknown inhabitant being a murderer. Started with a crime scene. As player you had to find the murderer by walking around, talking to residents. You might talk to the wrong person and get killed yourself. It was the combination of the game being thrilling and exciting, combined with the notion that you could make it ever better. Adding objects, people, discussions to be had, intrige, distracting side-plots. My father had the lead in this, and in the evening he added stuff and surprises, that I could discover during the day, and then build further upon. Also I think the fact that is was text-only rather than graphical helped keep interest, where my child's fantasy filled in the imagery (we went to graphical, Donkey Kong like games, later on. A different exercise, started when my interest in programming had firmly taken root. With graphical games you work on abstractions that aren't needed in text-based games and may be less easy/appealing for kids to take the effort to grasp).

by Mayzie 6y ago

rapnie 6y ago

TI99-4A long time ago. Programming a textual adventure game in Basic with my father (complete with matrix printer code printouts to make notes on). About a highrise appartment block with one unknown inhabitant being a murderer. Started with a crime scene. As player you had to find the murderer by walking around, talking to residents. You might talk to the wrong person and get killed yourself. It was the combination of the game being thrilling and exciting, combined with the notion that you could make it ever better. Adding objects, people, discussions to be had, intrige, distracting side-plots. My father had the lead in this, and in the evening he added stuff and surprises, that I could discover during the day, and then build further upon. Also I think the fact that is was text-only rather than graphical helped keep interest, where my child's fantasy filled in the imagery (we went to graphical, Donkey Kong like games, later on. A different exercise, started when my interest in programming had firmly taken root. With graphical games you work on abstractions that aren't needed in text-based games and may be less easy/appealing for kids to take the effort to grasp).