loren schmidt
@lorenschmidt.bsky.social
i make art, mostly with computers. currently working on an open world RPG with roguelike roots and an experimental bent. cat mom. she / her or they / them.
Pinned
loren schmidt
@lorenschmidt.bsky.social
· Nov 25
i am making an open world roguelike.
i have been imagining this world for years, and i want to make this game so people can go there and live many lives in it!
the game features whole-cloth, accessible design, deep mysteries, and a meticulous generated living world.
i have been imagining this world for years, and i want to make this game so people can go there and live many lives in it!
the game features whole-cloth, accessible design, deep mysteries, and a meticulous generated living world.
working my way through NG+. i mostly do lightweight but i have been building mid-lightweight reverses with much higher max EN load (coral or VP-20C)
December 26, 2025 at 11:38 PM
working my way through NG+. i mostly do lightweight but i have been building mid-lightweight reverses with much higher max EN load (coral or VP-20C)
one of my favorite things in older Angband versions is that the spellbooks have illegible entries in them. oh how interesting! angband 3.0.0 has illegible entries in the first book, but in /different places/.
December 26, 2025 at 6:36 PM
one of my favorite things in older Angband versions is that the spellbooks have illegible entries in them. oh how interesting! angband 3.0.0 has illegible entries in the first book, but in /different places/.
today i'm playing an older version of Angband than usual: 3.0.0!
apparently there was a major magic system overhaul at this point in history, so i'd be very interested to see what it was like before this as well.
apparently there was a major magic system overhaul at this point in history, so i'd be very interested to see what it was like before this as well.
December 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM
today i'm playing an older version of Angband than usual: 3.0.0!
apparently there was a major magic system overhaul at this point in history, so i'd be very interested to see what it was like before this as well.
apparently there was a major magic system overhaul at this point in history, so i'd be very interested to see what it was like before this as well.
i could barely believe it myself, but it's real:
clicking on the link for the program now can open edge and do a bing search. this does it 100% of the time for some applications. absolutely unbelievable.
clicking on the link for the program now can open edge and do a bing search. this does it 100% of the time for some applications. absolutely unbelievable.
December 26, 2025 at 6:26 PM
i could barely believe it myself, but it's real:
clicking on the link for the program now can open edge and do a bing search. this does it 100% of the time for some applications. absolutely unbelievable.
clicking on the link for the program now can open edge and do a bing search. this does it 100% of the time for some applications. absolutely unbelievable.
yesterday, for the first time, i saw /the actual link to a program/, not the web result link, open a bing search for it. i kid you not.
Hey @microsoft.com have you considered that when I search Clip Studio Paint that means I want to open the software that is on my computer and not open Edge to do a Bing Search for Clip Studio Paint thanks :)
December 26, 2025 at 5:21 PM
yesterday, for the first time, i saw /the actual link to a program/, not the web result link, open a bing search for it. i kid you not.
why can apps in android turn your volume up if your phone is in silent mode. seriously what the fuck. instagram link just set my volume to full and blasted me and now my PTSD is flaring up. thanks.
December 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
why can apps in android turn your volume up if your phone is in silent mode. seriously what the fuck. instagram link just set my volume to full and blasted me and now my PTSD is flaring up. thanks.
Reposted by loren schmidt
It did not "go viral". It was intentionally filmed and disseminated using a network of coordinated bots, amplified by an algorithm designed to spread this kind of content quickly. This was a harassment campaign, intended to silence everyone. Call it what it is.
December 26, 2025 at 2:50 PM
It did not "go viral". It was intentionally filmed and disseminated using a network of coordinated bots, amplified by an algorithm designed to spread this kind of content quickly. This was a harassment campaign, intended to silence everyone. Call it what it is.
i think one of the biggest questions about open world RPGs is what the relationship between areas is. i'm very interested in unconventional approaches: worlds that change over time, historical events which don't center the player, growing player knowledge instead of an in-world frontier.
December 26, 2025 at 1:18 AM
i think one of the biggest questions about open world RPGs is what the relationship between areas is. i'm very interested in unconventional approaches: worlds that change over time, historical events which don't center the player, growing player knowledge instead of an in-world frontier.
i'm interested in doing some more work on the actual text terminal for my roguelike (not the custom canvas based one i already have working). some folks will want to be able to play at custom resolutions, with their own fonts, etc., and it'll be a win for accessibility (esp. screen readers).
December 26, 2025 at 1:08 AM
i'm interested in doing some more work on the actual text terminal for my roguelike (not the custom canvas based one i already have working). some folks will want to be able to play at custom resolutions, with their own fonts, etc., and it'll be a win for accessibility (esp. screen readers).
i'm taking a break from work today, but i'm excited about map generation right now. connections between floors, wells and lightwells, collapsed ceilings and floors. vegetation growing in higher floors where light reaches. dripping ceilings beneath bodies of water...
December 26, 2025 at 12:56 AM
i'm taking a break from work today, but i'm excited about map generation right now. connections between floors, wells and lightwells, collapsed ceilings and floors. vegetation growing in higher floors where light reaches. dripping ceilings beneath bodies of water...
playing poschengband this morning. i'm doing a water elf grey mage.
December 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
playing poschengband this morning. i'm doing a water elf grey mage.
hmm, if you use these quarter tile block combinations you could do 1:2 hex grids. walls running along angled walls are a little awkward, but if it's mostly for towns i think it could be ok.
December 25, 2025 at 2:35 PM
hmm, if you use these quarter tile block combinations you could do 1:2 hex grids. walls running along angled walls are a little awkward, but if it's mostly for towns i think it could be ok.
@steamsupport.bsky.social i noticed you banned antifascist game Horses, but are allowing open antisemitism. the arbitrary enforcement and unclear ethical standards are disconcerting to millions of people.
at this point in time i am planning not to release on your platform because of this.
at this point in time i am planning not to release on your platform because of this.
So @steampowered.com is apparently allowing blatantly antisemitic content and you should tell them not to!
Bad Goys (Silvercrest Studios) が、12/8(月)配信と発表されました。
store.steampowered.com/app/41...
store.steampowered.com/app/41...
December 25, 2025 at 2:15 PM
@steamsupport.bsky.social i noticed you banned antifascist game Horses, but are allowing open antisemitism. the arbitrary enforcement and unclear ethical standards are disconcerting to millions of people.
at this point in time i am planning not to release on your platform because of this.
at this point in time i am planning not to release on your platform because of this.
Reposted by loren schmidt
I've been working on making death and decay look more interesting. (Yes, all these shrubs have full skeletons)
December 25, 2025 at 4:51 AM
I've been working on making death and decay look more interesting. (Yes, all these shrubs have full skeletons)
in hopes that someone will benefit, i offer you: the power to make your own kettle corn.
1/2 c popcorn
2 T sugar
salt to taste
pour 1/4 c oil in pot on med-high heat. add a few kernels. when these pop, add all ingredients and cover. agitate every few seconds. stop once pops are 1-2 seconds apart
1/2 c popcorn
2 T sugar
salt to taste
pour 1/4 c oil in pot on med-high heat. add a few kernels. when these pop, add all ingredients and cover. agitate every few seconds. stop once pops are 1-2 seconds apart
December 25, 2025 at 3:04 AM
in hopes that someone will benefit, i offer you: the power to make your own kettle corn.
1/2 c popcorn
2 T sugar
salt to taste
pour 1/4 c oil in pot on med-high heat. add a few kernels. when these pop, add all ingredients and cover. agitate every few seconds. stop once pops are 1-2 seconds apart
1/2 c popcorn
2 T sugar
salt to taste
pour 1/4 c oil in pot on med-high heat. add a few kernels. when these pop, add all ingredients and cover. agitate every few seconds. stop once pops are 1-2 seconds apart
kompendium is a wonderful collection of fun, tactile, structurally creative little experiments. it's one of my favorites as well!
Small holiday miracle:
@smestorp.bsky.social just updated the 2012 Kompendium blog post with a working download link (via itch):
mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/06/komp...
Compendium of 9 (???) 1v1 local multiplayer games. One of Michael's best releases imo!
Glitch Tank is an all-timer.
@smestorp.bsky.social just updated the 2012 Kompendium blog post with a working download link (via itch):
mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/06/komp...
Compendium of 9 (???) 1v1 local multiplayer games. One of Michael's best releases imo!
Glitch Tank is an all-timer.
Kompendium
This is an album of nine 2-player local-multiplayer games: Exuberant Struggle , March Eternal , Ora et Labora , Twilight Beacon , Capricio...
mightyvision.blogspot.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:52 AM
kompendium is a wonderful collection of fun, tactile, structurally creative little experiments. it's one of my favorites as well!
Reposted by loren schmidt
i was watching Parajanov's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" and thinking something similar. Parajanov's work is specifically about his three homelands. the costumes and rituals are real. it's set in a real village. there's a score based on both then-modern atonal and Hutsul folk songs.
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
December 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
i was watching Parajanov's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" and thinking something similar. Parajanov's work is specifically about his three homelands. the costumes and rituals are real. it's set in a real village. there's a score based on both then-modern atonal and Hutsul folk songs.
snowflakes
(four state totalistic hex grid cellular automata)
(four state totalistic hex grid cellular automata)
December 25, 2025 at 1:25 AM
snowflakes
(four state totalistic hex grid cellular automata)
(four state totalistic hex grid cellular automata)
til that Ester Krumbachová, one of the stars of Daisies, was also an artist and directed a single film called "The Murder of Mr. Devil" and immediately got put on a proscribed artists list and i'm so excited to watch it.
December 24, 2025 at 11:17 PM
til that Ester Krumbachová, one of the stars of Daisies, was also an artist and directed a single film called "The Murder of Mr. Devil" and immediately got put on a proscribed artists list and i'm so excited to watch it.
i was watching Parajanov's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" and thinking something similar. Parajanov's work is specifically about his three homelands. the costumes and rituals are real. it's set in a real village. there's a score based on both then-modern atonal and Hutsul folk songs.
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
December 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
i was watching Parajanov's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" and thinking something similar. Parajanov's work is specifically about his three homelands. the costumes and rituals are real. it's set in a real village. there's a score based on both then-modern atonal and Hutsul folk songs.
has anyone who uses mame in linux had issues with .ini files not saving? i suspect it's permissions. it /has/ saved correctly but when i relaunched it last time it was throwing errors.
December 24, 2025 at 4:32 AM
has anyone who uses mame in linux had issues with .ini files not saving? i suspect it's permissions. it /has/ saved correctly but when i relaunched it last time it was throwing errors.
i'm (successfully) doing a sleep schedule reset using low dose melanin in the evenings, but until it sets in i'm relatively groggy in the mornings. can't wait to get off it and have my days back.
December 24, 2025 at 4:31 AM
i'm (successfully) doing a sleep schedule reset using low dose melanin in the evenings, but until it sets in i'm relatively groggy in the mornings. can't wait to get off it and have my days back.
ok so i cannot figure out how to do this in the GUI and now i am crying into the linux terminal.
how do you copy all the things in a folder to another folder? /cp won't copy contents, and cp -r makes a copy of the folder. and i just want the contents.
how do you copy all the things in a folder to another folder? /cp won't copy contents, and cp -r makes a copy of the folder. and i just want the contents.
December 24, 2025 at 2:50 AM
ok so i cannot figure out how to do this in the GUI and now i am crying into the linux terminal.
how do you copy all the things in a folder to another folder? /cp won't copy contents, and cp -r makes a copy of the folder. and i just want the contents.
how do you copy all the things in a folder to another folder? /cp won't copy contents, and cp -r makes a copy of the folder. and i just want the contents.
one thing i've been thinking about stock hypercapitalist sci fi settings lately is that while the best of them are critiques of capitalism or nation states, most of them are still subject to capitalism's terrible dream: infinite growth is real, and progress can eat the stars.
and so i wonder...
and so i wonder...
December 24, 2025 at 2:39 AM
one thing i've been thinking about stock hypercapitalist sci fi settings lately is that while the best of them are critiques of capitalism or nation states, most of them are still subject to capitalism's terrible dream: infinite growth is real, and progress can eat the stars.
and so i wonder...
and so i wonder...
Reposted by loren schmidt
i got to rant about LLM chatbots in games + my fears about the dead future that tech oligarchs want for all of us, alongside some very clever + thoughtful folks. thanks so much @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving me the space & time to articulate all of this
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:34 PM
i got to rant about LLM chatbots in games + my fears about the dead future that tech oligarchs want for all of us, alongside some very clever + thoughtful folks. thanks so much @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving me the space & time to articulate all of this