Re:Ask HN: What's the one thing that let you grow the most a...
by peckrob on Friday March 03, 2017 @12:56PM
(#13784674)
> The noobs have a "sandbox" to play in by modifying the game. First they follow tutorials or copy/paste code into patches. But eventually something remarkable happens when they start to modify that logic to accomplish their own goals. It's at that moment a programmer is born.
This is almost exactly my first programming experience.
I discovered GORILLAS.BAS [0] on our family computer and, after playing it for awhile, discovered that I could change things about the game by modifying the strange text on the screen. First I was changing colors. Then simple drawing changes. Eventually, I had a version that replaced the buildings with mountains and the gorillas with artillery guns. Gave it out on floppies to a few friends with simple instructions on how to play it.
It was at that moment that I realized I had created something pretty awesome. Never forgotten how that felt.
This is almost exactly my first programming experience.
I discovered GORILLAS.BAS [0] on our family computer and, after playing it for awhile, discovered that I could change things about the game by modifying the strange text on the screen. First I was changing colors. Then simple drawing changes. Eventually, I had a version that replaced the buildings with mountains and the gorillas with artillery guns. Gave it out on floppies to a few friends with simple instructions on how to play it.
It was at that moment that I realized I had created something pretty awesome. Never forgotten how that felt.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorillas_(video_game)