Stardock Magazine: August 2019

Welcome to Stardock Magazine! In this issue, we discuss engine upgrading, tower defense games, careers, and updates to Groupy and Start10. Stardock Magazine August 2019 By Brad Wardell, CEO (@draginol) Topics: • [Editorial](#editorial) • [Tower Defense re-imagined](#towerdefense) • [So your kid/nephew/niece wants a career?](#career) • [Start10 and Groupy get dark mode support](#software) [Editorial] by Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock Greetings! I hope this Summer finds you well. Unless you're in Australia or New Zealand, in which case: hope you're hanging in there! Here at Stardock, the Summer has been dominated by the exciting world of engine upgrading. Every few years, we take several months to refactor, optimize, and update our tech in order to prepare for the next series of software and games. If you're non-technical, you'll find this boring and can just skip this. Our core technology stack sits on Nitrous, an engine developed by Oxide Interactive. It was the first company we co-founded after we sold Impulse to GameStop, and its specific mission was to create this engine. Here is how most software and games work even today: [CPU and GPU](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9jcHUtZ3B1LnBuZz91dG1fc291cmNlPXNkbWFnJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9ZWRpdG9yaWFsLWltZy0xJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) Your CPU, which might have multiple cores (marketing for multiple CPUs on the same chip). Despite that, only one thread on one core could talk to your graphics card. Most engines have a dedicated thread for AI, physics, simulation, and handling user input. This was all fine when people only had 2 to 4 CPU cores. But in a world where [AMD has just announced a 12 core CPU for $500](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1kLmNvbS9lbi9wcm9kdWN0cy9jcHUvYW1kLXJ5emVuLTktMzkwMHg-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWFtZC10eHQmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTkmdXRtX3Rlcm09c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOS0yMzgyNA==) you really need software to be designed without fixed tasks for the CPU. This is what Nitrous did for us. With Nitrous, things look more like this: [Nitrous and GPU](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9uaXRyb3VzLWdwdS5wbmc-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWVkaXRvcmlhbC1pbWctMiZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) That is, every CPU core could be handling graphics or physics or simulation at a given time. This is what let us make [Ashes of the Singularity](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXNoZXNvZnRoZXNpbmd1bGFyaXR5LmNvbS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWFzaGVzLXR4dCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) with thousands of units and is the same thing that makes [Siege of Centauri](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhcmRvY2suY29tL2dhbWVzL3NpZWdlb2ZjZW50YXVyaS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXNpZWdlLXR4dCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) possible. Not only does every unit have its own AI task, but every weapon on the unit has its own AI task. If Nitrous controlled a B-17 bomber, for instance, it would have an AI for every crew member, not just one managing the whole ship. This allows for much more sophisticated AI possibilities, which is where Stardock is taking this tech in its product phase (next 5 years). Here's a fancy drawing showing the difference in a space battle: [Space Battle Drawing](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9zaGlwLWJhdHRsZS1kcmF3aW5nLnBuZz91dG1fc291cmNlPXNkbWFnJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9ZWRpdG9yaWFsLWltZy0zJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) The ship on the left has single AI thread that handles where the ship is flying and what its weapons are firing at. The ship on the right is Nitrous-based and has an AI thread controlling the ship, an AI thread for firing weapon A, and another AI thread for firing weapon B. If you have 3 CPU cores free, that means these things happen simultaneously which means faster framerates and having more units. Cider On top of Nitrous, Stardock has developed Cider which integrates our UI, animation, physics, scripting, and toolchain. This Summer, our focus has been on adding Lua support. This scripting language allows us to write our screens, AI, gameplay, etc., in Lua, which anyone can modify. We've also been standardizing our internal graphics formats so that our future games will be compatible with what we have in Sins of a Solar Empire (plus the Cider material + animation system and Nitrous's Object Space Lighting system), so assets made for [Sins of a Solar Empire](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2luc29mYXNvbGFyZW1waXJlLmNvbS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXNpbnMtdHh0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) should work in our new games. [Sins of a Solar Empire](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9zaW5zLWJhdHRsZS5wbmc-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWVkaXRvcmlhbC1pbWctNCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) [Tower Defense re-imagined] What started out as an expansion for Ashes of the Singularity evolved into a stand-alone game. Siege of Centauri is a tower defense game that takes place in the Ashes universe. It deals with humanity's first colony and their sudden and violent introduction with The Substrate. [Siege of Centauri](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9TaWVnZV9iZXRhLTIucG5nP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1zaWVnZS1pbWcmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTkmdXRtX3Rlcm09c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOS0yMzgyNA==) With Siege, we're not attempting to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we wanted to re-imagine how tower defense games would be made if designed in 2019 with the hardware and network capabilities that players now have. Here are the 3 pillars of this game: 1. Massive scale. Just so much boom boom boom. 2. Strategic intervention. Game mechanics that players more directly interact with the battle. 3. Player-Made Missions. Players can design and share their own custom missions. The massive scale speaks for itself. Using Nitrous, we don't just have tens of thousands of units on screen - each one has its own AI. You will occasionally see emergent behavior (such as some of them trying to find another way out of the kill zone and fleeing, or trying to find a different path to take). The strategic intervention means we can have somewhat larger maps than you normally would get in this genre. You can, for instance, send down a giant robot to fight enemies in a particular location and then jump to another area and throw down an EMP to knock out enemies threatening to break through elsewhere. The last part, Player-made missions, seems like an obvious feature in hindsight. But then again, in order to do that you have to create a scripting system and a full on map editor that people can use to create missions. Taken together, we are hoping people will find Siege of Centauri a compelling game. We'll find out soon, because it comes out next month! Check it out at: [www.siegeofcentauri.com](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhcmRvY2suY29tL2dhbWVzL3NpZWdlb2ZjZW50YXVyaS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXNpZWdlLXdlYnNpdGUtdHh0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [So your kid/nephew/niece wants a career?] If you're reading this, you're probably the guy or gal that everyone comes to to ask for career advice. You are, after-all, some sort of "computer genius". I have apparently reached that age where I'm old enough that I'm getting some pretty specific questions on what peoples' kids needs to know in order to succeed after college. First, let me tell you: unless the kid knows what they want, they don't necessarily need to go to college. College is a pretty expensive way for someone to figure out what they want to do. My sons and daughter have had summer jobs doing landscaping, and that helped them decide pretty quickly what they wanted (or at least, didn't want) to do. For what it's worth, here's my two cents on the matter: Marketing 1. Good writing skills. Grammar. 2. Know how to make outlines. 3. Know how to structure an article. 4. Know how to visually communicate in writing. 5. Remember: What is it? Why do they want it? Where can they get it? 6. Know Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Adobe Premiere. Any Business Degree 1. Good writing skills. 2. Know Microsoft Excel. 3. How to communicate effectively with as few words as possible. 4. Remember: Ideas are cheap, execution is what matters. 5. Know Microsoft Powerpoint. Computer Science 1. Good writing skills. 2. Learn to touch type. 3. Learn C++, C#, Python. 4. Take the highest math classes you can handle. They help change they way you think. 5. Remember: Memory access is now more expensive than minor difference in the "big O". Art 1. Know what you plan to do with it, specifically. 2. Look at ArtStation.com. Those are your competitors. 3. A school project in your portfolio doesn't count. 4. Learn how light works. 5. Get a Wacom tablet. 6. Learn Maya, Substance Painter, 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects. For all of them: 1. Beware of social media. Employers look at it. 2. It's a worldwide market now. Pick something you're interested in doing in your free time too. 3. People like solutions, not problems. 4. Money is only a tool. It is not the end objective. [Start10 and Groupy get dark mode support] Black UIs are the new hotness in UI design. In response, we have been updating our software to explicitly support dark mode, starting with our popular window grouping app, Groupy, and our Start menu replacement, Start10. [Groupy](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9ncm91cHktZGFya21vZGUucG5nP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1ncm91cHktaW1nJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [Groupy](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhcmRvY2suY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL2dyb3VweS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWdyb3VweS10eHQmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTkmdXRtX3Rlcm09c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOS0yMzgyNA==) with dark mode (Groupy lets you group windows together with tabs) [Start10](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2ltYWdlcy9zdGFydDEwLWRhcmttb2RlLnBuZz91dG1fc291cmNlPXNkbWFnJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9c3RhcnQxMC1pbWcmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTkmdXRtX3Rlcm09c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOS0yMzgyNA==) [Start10](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhcmRvY2suY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL3N0YXJ0MTAvP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1zdGFydDEwLXR4dCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) with dark mode (This is my particular start menu setup, there are lots of options) These two programs along with our other popular desktop enhancement utilities (like Fences, DeskScapes, Multiplicity, etc.) are available in Object Desktop. Check it out: [Object Desktop](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhcmRvY2suY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL29kbnQvP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1vZG50LXdlYnNpdGUtdHh0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [Discord](=/aHR0cHM6Ly9kaXNjb3JkLmdnL3N0YXJkb2NrP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1kaXNjb3JkJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [YouTube](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vdXNlci9zdGFyZG9ja2dhbWVzP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD15b3V0dWJlJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [Reddit](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVkZGl0LmNvbS9yL1N0YXJkb2NrLz91dG1fc291cmNlPXNkbWFnJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9cmVkZGl0JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5JnV0bV90ZXJtPXNkbWFnLWF1ZzIwMTktMjM4MjQ=) [Facebook](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL29mZmljaWFsLnN0YXJkb2NrP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2RtYWcmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1mYWNlYm9vayZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) [Twitter](=/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zdGFyZG9jaz91dG1fc291cmNlPXNkbWFnJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9dHdpdHRlciZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) [Instagram](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9vZmZpY2lhbC5zdGFyZG9jay8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PWluc3RhZ3JhbSZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) [WinCustomize](=/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2luY3VzdG9taXplLmNvbS8-dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1zZG1hZyZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXdpbmN1c3RvbWl6ZSZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249c2RtYWctYXVnMjAxOSZ1dG1fdGVybT1zZG1hZy1hdWcyMDE5LTIzODI0) [View this email in your browser.](=/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFyZG9jay5jb20vbWVkaWEvTWFpbGVycy9zdGFyZG9ja19tYWdhemluZS9hdWcyMDE5L2luZGV4Lmh0bWw-ZW1haWw9dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTJAZ21haWwuY29t) Stardock, 15090 Beck Road, Plymouth, MI 48170. 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