Log from #Classroom on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 8PM EST: “Programming In Psionics”, hosted by Aerys:
[20:04] <Aerys> So today we are discussing programming in psionics
[20:05] <Aerys> Programming is basically adding a trait/ability to a construct/thoughform/psi ball/ energy thingy
[20:05] <Aerys> Tonight I will be discussing 3 ways to do this: Visualasation, Tactile Visualasation, and plain old intent
[20:06] <Aerys> So I will be starting with visualasation
[20:07] <Aerys> Visualasation is a technique in programming where the psion/mage visualizes the trait/ability going into the construct
[20:09] <Aerys> The simplest method in my opinion is to simply imagine a drop down list on the construct(like a right click) and use check marks for all abilities you will like(side note: You cannot program things you cannot do by yourself so if you cant do pk then you will not be able to suddenly do it)
[20:09] <Aerys> There are many variations on this technique that I will be going over but first any questions?
[20:10] <Aerys> I’ll take that silence as a no
[20:11] <Aerys> One variation that C# programmers will like is imagining the construct as a windows form and that you can add buttons or checkmarks etc. and double clicking them and putting your intent there
[20:13] <Aerys> Another one for COD players is to imagine the construct as a new class and adding all of the abilities/traits as you would like you were making a class. So the ability to drill or shoot lasers could be your primary weapon and the ability to regenerate could be seen as the secondary
[20:13] <Aerys> One benefit to this is there are finally no limits to the things you could add 😉
[20:14] <Aerys> Any questions now?
[20:15] <Aerys> Ok now I guess I will be moving onto tactile visualasation
[20:15] * Ryunaker gives a soft chuckle. “Interesting to see the C# programmer reference.”
[20:16] <Aerys> Tactile visualasation is something i reccomend for novices because of the amount of time it takes to put into it
[20:16] <DragonAtma> it’s certainly doable.
[20:16] <Aerys> Now the reason i reccomend it is because it is a mixture of visualasation and actually feeling what you want the construct to do
[20:17] <Aerys> This allows your intent to be more clear and the ammount of focus allows for a better chance of the programming sticking because you put in more effort to the creation of it
[20:17] <Aerys> any questions so far?
[20:17] <Ryunaker> Not so far.
[20:19] <Aerys> An example is if you want to make a fireball you could visualize the construct on fire and feel the heat
[20:19] <Aerys> Feel the burn and feel the growth of the flames
[20:20] <Aerys> So say you want to make a shield you could visualize a brick wall (or something extremely durable) and feel the solidity of the shield feel the strength of it
[20:20] <Aerys> Any questions so far ?
[20:20] <James_Ableton> No
[20:20] <DragonAtma> no questions.
[20:20] <DragonAtma> (none form me, anyway)
[20:21] <Aerys> ok so moving onto intent… Something that I do not reccomend for the complete novice more so towards the intermediate psion
[20:22] <Aerys> So in my opinion this is the fastest way to program a construct
[20:22] <Aerys> The way it works is simply tell the construct to have a certain trait/ability
[20:23] <Aerys> You can do this by suggesting it several times or you can yell it like this: YOU YES YOU CONSTRUCT YOU NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO GROW AND SHRINK YOU UNDERSTAND ME
[20:24] <TashRikil> Construct: Nope.
[20:24] <TashRikil> XD
[20:24] * Ryunaker chuckles.
[20:24] <Aerys> Any questions before i move onto the usage of programming?
[20:24] <Aerys> lol
[20:25] <James_Ableton> Yes.
[20:25] <TashRikil> nope. you have an interesting way of putting it though. i like the various options you put out. wish we had more people for feedback
[20:25] <Aerys> Typically if you are programming a construct that has intelligence and such and try to add on programming like that they may not respond or run or attack you etc etc
[20:25] <Aerys> Yes James_Ableton
[20:26] <Aerys> your question?
[20:26] <James_Ableton> The basic idea behind visualization and tactile programming seems to be, at their core, intent. If intent is what I need to program energy, side note the old saying “energy follows will (intent)” then why is it that only some things that you intend happen and other things you intend do not happen?
[20:27] <TashRikil> oooh. good question.
[20:27] <Aerys> That can happen for several reason
[20:28] <Aerys> One of those reasons is perhaps your intent was not clear enough
[20:28] <Aerys> Another reason can be that you are distracted and the programming may get blurred
[20:29] <Aerys> Sometimes the way you try to accomplish it could be flawed like if you try to programming a construct that way and it may not work
[20:30] <James_Ableton> I understand. So for example an intent which is too vague or even too complex may not work.
[20:30] <Aerys> Also it is true that at the base of all of the aforementioned results it is intent the only difference is now you have an easier way to imagine it(kind of like old computers with gui’s(like a start menu and etc)
[20:30] <Aerys> Yes
[20:30] <Aerys> *without
[20:31] <James_Ableton> Thank you.
[20:31] * TashRikil nods
[20:31] <Aerys> Ok now moving on i would like to talk about why programming is important
[20:32] <Aerys> It is important because it allows you to actually do something with your construct… Like protect yourself from harmful entities
[20:32] <Aerys> or people
[20:32] <TashRikil> hmm
[20:32] <TashRikil> i can has question.
[20:32] <Aerys> yes?
[20:33] <TashRikil> this seems to imply most constructs are weapons and armor of one variety or another. is that really true?
[20:33] <Aerys> Not at all those were just the first two examples i could come up with
[20:33] <TashRikil> fair enough. sorry for interrupting.
[20:33] <Aerys> It also makes it easier to accomplish tasks… like say you could perform PK then you can make something called a forcebubble which is a construct that has a physically effect
[20:34] <Aerys> *physical
[20:34] <Aerys> another thing is that they allow you to do other tasks while the focus on one specific task
[20:34] * TashRikil nods
[20:36] <Aerys> like you could be focusing on making a construct to help with micro pk while you have a precog construct tell you if some pre defined task/event is going to happen
[20:36] * Eph_offline is now known as Ephraim
[20:36] <Aerys> wb
[20:36] <TashRikil> this makes sense, in an intellectual sense. but how about concrete? do you have any examples for the class?
[20:37] <Aerys> Personally the only thing i can think of currently is once I made a shield building/repairer during a spar while I could focus on attacking
[20:37] <Aerys> If i think of anything else I will say it later
[20:38] * TashRikil nods.
[20:38] <Aerys> Before moving on any more questions
[20:39] <Aerys> I guess not
[20:39] <Aerys> Now two important things that i believe all constructs should have is a time limit and a self destruct button
[20:40] <Aerys> The reason for this is that some constructs go rogue and will not respond to you and you want to get rid of it for whatever reason
[20:41] <Aerys> This is when a kill switch will come in handy also if you can only power your construct by having it feed off of your energy than it may be nesscarray to get rid of it
[20:42] <Aerys> hello Dimitrianon
[20:42] * Ryunaker raises a paw.
[20:42] <Dimitrianon> hi
[20:42] <TashRikil> heya
[20:42] <Aerys> We are currently in the middle of a class and if you would like to see the log just pm me
[20:42] <Aerys> Yes Ryunaker
[20:43] <Ryunaker> If a drone can ignore commands…can’t it ignore the kill switch, too?
[20:43] <TashRikil> excellent question! i like it.
[20:43] <Aerys> IN theory it could but if you program it properly(which we are about to go over) than it should not be able to
[20:43] <DragonAtma> mmhmm
[20:44] <TashRikil> with a good riposte.
[20:44] <Aerys> Anymore questions before i go over how to do that
[20:44] <Ryunaker> Not to interrupt…but it would seem that if you program it properly, it wouldn’t go rogue in the first place, then.
[20:44] <DragonAtma> done properly, the kill switch is like a computer’s on/off switch — even if ctrl-alt-del doesn’t work, flipping the power switch would.
[20:44] <Aerys> Exactly like DragonAtma said
[20:44] <Aerys> IT may not go rogue on its on but because of some outside force
[20:44] <TashRikil> just because the computer can be turned off at anytime doesnt mean every program works well… or doesnt have a virus. 😛
[20:45] <DragonAtma> as for constructs going rogue, there’s the ravages of tiem (if they last long enough), plus if thgey get attacked their programming may get addled.
[20:45] <Aerys> brb
[20:45] <DragonAtma> okay
[20:45] <Aerys> i need to take my medicine
[20:45] * TashRikil nods
[20:46] * Ryunaker has to think of stories (yes, stories, I know :p) where machines actually become sentient and gain enough control over themselves to shock people that try to unplug them.
[20:46] <Aerys> ok back
[20:46] <James_Ableton> If you are skilled enough to create a sentient thought-form then you are also skilled enough not to need a kill switch.
[20:47] <Aerys> So as DragonAtma said there are a numerous amount of ways to make it go rogue and that is a problem to many psions who get ahead of themselves
[20:47] <DragonAtma> of, course, even if you can create a sentient being, it doesn’t mean it’s okay to get sloppy.
[20:47] * TashRikil reminds himself not to look at skynet, or modern stock trading algorithms…
[20:48] <Aerys> Well James it is like if you make a computer or an OS.. It shouldn’t be messed up but there are like 100000 things that go wrong
[20:48] <Aerys> This is just a safety measure to insure it does not bother you
[20:48] <Aerys> Hi Seren we are in the middle of a class if you would like a log please pm me
[20:51] <Aerys> So the way i make kill switches and times killers is after making the shape as a base of the programming I program in a kill switch… Then after adding more programming I make another one and so one and so forth… Then after that I create two fail switches that if it could not find the kill switches then it would blow up… Another way to make sure it dies is to have another construct that monitors it and that can become
[20:51] <Aerys> one with the construct and blow it up
[20:52] <Aerys> The way i make my kill switches in terms of actually programming it is that i use a secret pattern kinda like that one Flow game on the ipad
[20:52] <Aerys> in case you have not head of it :https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flow-free/id526641427?mt=8
[20:53] <Aerys> any questions?
[20:53] <Akradai> Nothing so far.
[20:54] <DragonAtma> I have no questions.
[20:54] <TashRikil> we’re good. a very solid kill switch design you have there.
[20:54] <Aerys> You could use any method you want like some people just have a button that they hide so you should be very creative with it
[20:55] <Aerys> For the time one i do the same thing except that for x amount of time it begins to start the puzzle and the construct gets closer
[20:56] <Aerys> Some people just make a timer that blows up after it is done destroying it from the inside
[20:57] <Aerys> any questions before first exercise?
[20:57] <TashRikil> nope.
[20:58] <DragonAtma> none here
[20:58] <Aerys> alrighty now the first exercise is a favorite of mine i would like everyone to make a construct that will self destruct in 1 minute
[20:59] <Aerys> Everyone up for that
[20:59] <James_Ableton> Sure
[21:00] <Aerys> ok begin now please
[21:01] * TashRikil puts his on the table
[21:01] <TashRikil> i was hoping you’d ask for my meltagun. 😛
[21:01] <Aerys> lol\
[21:03] <Aerys> ok
[21:03] <Aerys> wb
[21:03] <Aerys> TashRikil, will be scanning what happened
[21:04] <James_Ableton> ok
[21:05] <DragonAtma> since my ISP screwed up, I recreated fireworksdrone.
[21:06] <Aerys> tash?
[21:06] <TashRikil> mmh?
[21:06] <Ryunaker> Self destructing drone created.
[21:07] <TashRikil> trigger them on my mark.
[21:07] <TashRikil> go.
[21:08] <DragonAtma> ‘k
[21:08] <TashRikil> jesus whatta fuse
[21:09] <TashRikil> very nice
[21:09] <DragonAtma> thanks
[21:10] <Ryunaker> Done
[21:11] <TashRikil> ok. start it,
[21:11] <TashRikil> now.
[21:11] <Aerys> good job DragonAtma
[21:11] <DragonAtma> thanks
[21:12] <Ryunaker> I started mine when I saw your mark.
[21:12] <TashRikil> i am really confused then. i think it was his massive fuse.
[21:13] <TashRikil> could i trouble you to make another? i apologize. mt fault.
[21:13] <TashRikil> *my fault
[21:13] <Ryunaker> It’s fine…making it now
[21:14] <Aerys> hi Jonn
[21:14] <Ryunaker> Made
[21:14] <Jonn> Yo
[21:14] <TashRikil> thanks. set it off on my mark
[21:14] <Ryunaker> Will do
[21:14] <TashRikil> now
[21:14] <Ryunaker> Started
[21:15] * Ryunaker grins and rolls it to an empty spot.
[21:15] <TashRikil> very nice. doubleticking for increased accuracy
[21:15] <Aerys> good job you guys
[21:15] <Aerys> Seeing as an FFA should be happening i think it is time to start
[21:15] <Aerys> I hope you enjoyed the class and learned something
[21:15] <TashRikil> hah. nice.
[21:16] <Aerys> thank you for participating
[21:16] <DragonAtma> n/p
[21:17] <Aerys> if you have any questions you can pm me

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