The Fool on the Hill

The Fool on the Hill

Plan for Smallholders UK week

By Simon Brooke || 22 February 2021

I'm in charge of the @SmallholdersUK account next week. This is my overall plan for the week.

Monday: Standingstone

Introduction: programme for the week

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The Union: Sketch outine for a Cyberpunk mod

By Simon Brooke || 6 February 2021

Lizzie's Bar in Night City

Preconditions

This mod becomes available after you have completed at least the Pisces side quest.

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On Suicide

By Simon Brooke || 15 January 2021

This is an essay about suicide. If that triggers you, don't read it. Similarly, if you're tempted to respond with a sentimental knee jerk response — especially a religious or mystical one — please don't, it really isn't helpful. I'm not seeking help, or sympathy. I neither want, nor need, either.

I am a person who suffers from depression, and who has done so over most of my life. But I do not believe I am depressed now. On the contrary, I believe that I am rational and clear eyed. Please do me the courtesy of reading this essay (if you choose to read it at all) with that understanding.

Life is harsh. I'm not speaking about my life, particularly; I'm speaking generally. Most people get by from day to day without any rational basis for hope. Across the world, most people are poor, many are hungry. Very few have significant agency in their lives.

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T-Bug, memory management, and Cyberpunk

By Simon Brooke || 1 January 2021

A Cyberpunk character in the T pose glitch.

I have no inside information about the development of Cyberpunk 2077, but I am a software engineer with 35 years of experience, and I have written mods for both CD Projekt and Bioware games.

Cyberpunk is essentially two products: RED Engine, and Cyberpunk itself, which runs on top of Red Engine. The engine is very much analogous to a JVM: it abstracts the platform for the game code that runs on top of it.

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Cyberpunk 2077, considered as a Witcher III DLC

By Simon Brooke || 17 December 2020

Cyberpunk 2077, considered as a Witcher III DLC

Johhny, Panam, Vixen

This is the first essay I've written on Cyberpunk 2077; I doubt it will be the last – indeed, I hope it won't, because if it is that will mean the game has failed for me. I'm currently fifteen hours in, and, at this moment, I have to say that it's on it's way towards failing. And the question you may well ask, is 'why?'

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