CortexForge; AI Dungeon 2; Ninvaders
Programming note: Your friendly neighborhood hrbrmstr is in “travel mode” and “work offsite” mode starting tomorrow. This does not mean no Drops, but it may make the delivery schedule a bit more erratic, and I may miss more than a Wednesday Drop. While there’s not much room in the work offsite schedule, ping me if you’re in D.C. and I may be able to break away.
Work’s been a slog the past couple weeks and I’ve been blowing off steam, occasionally, playing Mass Effect 2 when the frustration level runs high. But, I’m not always in front of the big screen where that is set up, and have an affinity for terminal and/or text-based games.
So, today we all take a break with three distractions that will hopefully also take your mind off of IRL for a bit.
TL;DR
(This is an AI-generated summary of today’s Drop using Ollama + llama 3.2 and a custom prompt.)
CortexForge is a terminal-based game that challenges players with mind-bending puzzles and lateral thinking exercises, playable by running Docker images (https://github.com/pointless-code/cortex-forge)
AI Dungeon 2 is an innovative text-based adventure game that uses AI to create unique, interactive storytelling experiences, where players can choose from various scenarios and input actions in natural language (https://arnicas.substack.com/i/45814087/tech-distraction)
Ninvaders is a command-line version of the classic arcade game Space Invaders, playable by typing ninvaders in your terminal, with gameplay mimicking the original but with some limitations (https://ninvaders.sourceforge.net/)
CortexForge
CortexForge is an intriguing terminal-based game designed to challenge players with mind-bending puzzles and lateral thinking exercises. The game will 100% stretch your mental capabilities and test your wit in unique ways. It’s dirt simple to get started, provided you have Docker:
docker pull pointlesscode/cortex-forge:latestdocker run -it pointlesscode/cortex-forge
The game generates a unique username for each player, and to continue a previous session, you can use your auto-generated username:
docker run -e username=your-auto-generated-username pointlesscode/cortex-forge
Achievements can be viewed online at a specific URL using your username.
I can fully confirm the “need for lateral thinking” and will be glad when some hint sites pop up.
AI Dungeon 2
You are Fred, a detective living in Chicago. You have a pistol and a police badge. You enter the forest where you believe the criminal you’re searching for fled to. Suddenly A faint snap of a twig echoes through the trees, stopping you in your tracks. Your senses heighten, all your training as a detective kicking in. You draw your pistol, holding it with a firm grip as you scan the dense undergrowth. The forest is eerily silent, the usual sounds of birds and small creatures conspicuously absent.
A shadowy figure darts behind a tree up ahead.
Lynn introduced AI Dungeon in TITAA #7, back in 2020, and her newsletter is one of the bestest sources for fun gaming distractions.
AI Dungeon 2 is a pretty innovative text-based adventure game that uses AI to create unique, interactive storytelling experiences. Players are immersed in dynamic narratives that respond directly to our input. We can choose from various predefined scenarios:
mystery
apocalyptic
cyberpunk
zombies
fantasy
archive
or craft your own custom setting. By inputting actions and dialogue in natural language, the game generates AI-driven responses that adapt to your choices, making each adventure truly one-of-a-kind.
The technology behind AI Dungeon is rooted in advanced natural language processing. Initially powered by GPT-3, the game now employs its own proprietary AI models. These models continuously improve through machine learning and user feedback, enhancing the quality and responsiveness of the storytelling.
Among its key features, AI Dungeon offers nigh unlimited possibilities. The AI can generate virtually any scenario or outcome you can imagine. It includes a multiplayer mode, letting us collaborate with mates on shared adventures. The game also enables world creation, so you can design and share custom game worlds with others. Additionally, it incorporates AI art generation, letting you visualize scenes and characters with AI-generated images to complement the text-based narrative.
All the games operate on a freemium business model. While the basic version is available for free, premium subscriptions offer advanced features and remove ads, providing an enhanced gaming experience for subscribers.
I’ve managed to keep “Fred” alive in a “mystery” scenario, and they’re still on the hunt for their suspect . The interactions with the AI-generated storyline have been pretty fun/engaging.
Ninvaders
Ninvaders is a command-line version of the classic arcade game Space Invaders, bringing the nostalgic alien-shooting action to your terminal. It can be easily installed on most Linux distributions using package managers:
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install ninvaders
Fedora: sudo dnf install ninvaders
Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S ninvaders
macOS folks can Homebrew it.
Once installed, you can launch the game by simply typing ninvaders in your terminal. The gameplay closely mimics the original Space Invaders:
You control a horizontally moving laser cannon at the bottom of the screen.
Your goal is to defeat waves of descending aliens.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move your ship.
Press the space bar to fire at the aliens.
The game ends if the aliens reach the bottom of the screen.
One notable limitation of Ninvaders is that you cannot move and fire simultaneously, which may require some adjustment if you’re used to modern gaming controls.
FIN
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https://dailydrop.hrbrmstr.dev/2024/10/04/drop-540-2024-10-04-friday-fun/
