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634 points david927 | 5 comments | | HN request time: 0.595s | source

What are you working on? Any new ideas that you're thinking about?
1. SeanAnderson ◴[] No.41344794[source]
I've mentioned my project a few times around HN, but might as well reiterate :)

I took some time off from work to teach myself Rust and to build a WASM colony simulation game. You've got a colony of ants, they're in a cold, foggy crater, and you help them grow and survive. The simulation runs 24/7, like a Tamagotchi, but a bit more complex, like a simplified RimWorld or Dwarf Fortress. I am hoping to design game play systems which focus on mental health, self-care, addiction, motivation, and personal growth and to use the gameplay as a means of encouraging awareness in the player.

https://github.com/MeoMix/symbiants

I haven't added any features in a while, unfortunately, but it's on my mind. For a while I was just adding whatever popped into my head, as a means of learning Rust, and I naively thought the full idea would crystallize with time, but it hasn't. So, I'm trying to take a step back and figure out how to actually make a coherent game that does justice to the mechanics I want to see in my simulation. I've spent a lot of time thinking rather than coding, but I'm optimistic that I'll get through this phase sooner or later. I will admit, though, that trying to take a novel approach with game design is overwhelming at times. That's okay, though! I'm enjoying the process of tinkering with the project and will likely continue tinkering on it for many years to come as a creative outlet for self-actualization.

replies(4): >>41345395 #>>41345502 #>>41345883 #>>41381133 #
2. taulien ◴[] No.41345395[source]
I love ant games and I love Rim World! I think its a great idea to combine those into a 24/7 game!

But I thought, its a mobile game. If it was, it would be something, that I would definitely try

3. aflukasz ◴[] No.41345502[source]
Interesting idea.

Tip for those looking for some more details on the mechanics of the self-care aspects of the game: Some details are present in the google doc linked in the repo README.

4. _dain_ ◴[] No.41345883[source]
thanks ants.

thants.

5. oldtimesnever ◴[] No.41381133[source]
> The ants are on an alien world, the user is in a satellite orbiting the planet, and the two establish a symbiotic relationship, out of necessity, as a means of terraforming the planet.

That reminds me a lot of Helliconia books trilogy. Congrats for it! I'll look for some time and give it a try.