RefacteOther pursuits
A few things I’ve made, played, and learned along the way.
I work out my own move sequences on large twisty cubes, using commutators to rearrange small groups of pieces, then combining the sequences to make hearts and little pixel figures. The puzzle is to build up the picture without undoing the parts already in place. Finding the moves is part of the enjoyment.
See the photographsI play StarCraft: Brood War, lately especially on Fastest Possible maps. I enjoy the scale and pace of these games: keeping production moving, reading the map, bringing together units with different roles, and finding the moment to act with teammates. The generous resources make it possible to set a great deal in motion. Much of the pleasure lies in deciding where attention matters next, and how one action can prepare the way for another.
I’ve begun collecting some of these games on YouTube, with in-game audio and no commentary.
I’ve also played Overwatch as RiemannRoch. In the original game I reached Master, mainly playing Zarya and other tanks; in Overwatch 2 I reached Diamond 5 while learning Support. I queued on my own for both.
With a different mix of teammates each match, part of the challenge was reading the team as we played: when to push together, what help to expect, and how to coordinate without having practiced together.
