Gareth Fox 🔜 MIGS

I voted today! No matter your politics, you should vote too - early voting opened this week and will stay open right through election day. Personally, I am keen to see a cabinet that is a little kinder, a little less trust-me-bro, and a little more willing to take a moral stand on a global stage.

I actually used to admire Tesla, and still do admire SpaceX - these are companies that were instrumental to pushing technology to new heights in their fields. But sometimes, things you like gain a whiff of something unpleasant about them. The musky smell on X is permanent, I am afraid. Never.

Well would you look at that calendar! It's PATCH PHP PATCH EVERYTHING OH GOD IT'S ALL ON FIRE day again! It rolls around so quickly, seems to come earlier every year. The bad: LLMs can find software exploits hidden for a decade. The good: LLMs can find software exploits hidden for a decade #php

I've spent the week screaming into the void. It's a surprisingly lonely business, solo dev. So this weekend, I think I'll gaze into the abyss for a change. The eldritch horrors inside tend to gaze back, but at least you can guarantee someone's paying attention 🦑 (I love what I do)

Testing advanced structural destruction with realistic load transfer, progressive failure, and dynamic detachment of broken sections. Every failure changes how the remaining structure behaves Wishlist AD-METALLUM on Steam and follow the development! #Box3D #UnrealEngine5 #ADMETALLUM #GameDev

I could listen to James Spader read the telephone book. My god that man's voice is a treat! #visionquest #jamesspader

As a SaaS software engineer, I hate deadlines. They always feel bad. Weirdly, I'm the opposite with game dev, I seem to do my best work when there is massive pressure to meet a date for something, it's when I'm at my most inspired and creative. It's strange ❤️

HP, why the fuck do I need to create an online HP account to use the scanner on my physical printer in the same room as me?! I think you have grossly overestimated my relationship with you. Please do fuck all the way off at your convenience. I'm with the boomers on this one.

When Luxon says "I don't know how to be clearer", I feel it's true in a way he doesn't intend. It may end up being the signature phrase of his term, and we are all the worse off for it

Defragging was cool.

I always feel guilty using Edge to download my browser of choice. Today I noticed the prompt: "Are you sure? All the features you need are right here!". I was a web dev during the late 2000's and am karmically entitled to punt Edge - but I stil feel bad. It's not you, it's your ancestors.

Just wrapped the Indie Games Showcase hosted by GridAKL. I love these things, catching up with old friends and new. So much passion and talent in one space, and some amazing projects to boot. And thanks so much @nz-code.nz for the post-event pizzas!

I can't really articulate how good it feels to refresh a pitch deck, and change a little white "future" dot to a green "we are here" dot. #6aa84fff , you represent months of work and I'm so delighted to use you

Thrilled about this! The team has been working hard on getting our demo ready for our first playtests. Crazy that this project has only been live since November! Big shout out as always to @nz-code.nz . Yes, they provide the funding, but it's the mentorship that gets us through the tricky bits.

I snapped something in my leg playing indoor netball, luckily I'm told these things grow back. Honestly, I'm kind of shocked i don't get injured more often running my 44yo butt off against the 20yos. Too dumb to quit, clever enough that I'll do the physio and rehab 😆

Wuthering Heights: one of the most fascinating, visually rich cinematic masterpieces I've seen, with an amazing score, set, costume design, top quality acting. It made me so deeply uncomfortable. The characters are utterly repulsive, and it felt like torture. 10/10 film, will never watch again.

And here is the first ever "snow bunguin", miss 9yo decided one needed to exist. Her first plushie sewing project ❤️

🥌👈 #boop

The buck teeth on the adult bunguin is vital for their diet of fish and carrots

It's totally normal to have a favourite submersible right? Not weird. For me it's HOV (formerly DSV) Alvin. It's a literal ship of theseus, because the whole thing has been rebuilt many times since the 60's www.whoi.edu/what-we-do/e...

Tonight's bunguin update: the two little ones have ears, and the big one is next. Beaks, feet, and name beads next. My little protogé is very good at threading the needles, which is handy since I have middle-aged eyes #plushie #sewing

Random shout out to one of my favourite podcasts: The Skeptic Zone: skepticzone.libsyn.com Every week without fail Richard Saunders and his team of contributors put out a podcast about science, skepticism, and reason, with a lovely aussie lens. (Also give @australianskeptics.bsky.social a follow!)

One of my friends called these shiny number rocks, and I've decided that's the best possible description for them and I will henceforth call them that. While it's true i only really need one set to play, what if I need to colour match? A DM needs options #shinynumberrocks #dnd

I just picked up Adaptory by NZ studio Stormcloak Games (it released in early access today). It's not my usual genre, but I'm utterly charmed. No astroturfing, it's just a really satisfying early access title with lovely music and game loops. Indie dev is hard, and it's nice to see this title out

I re-watched Black Mirror's "Eulogy" again. Paul Giamatti delivers an absolutely gut-punching, beautiful, sad, bittersweet performance as a man who is given a chance to peek back in to what was, or might have been. Peak sci fi makes you feel things, and haunts you after. #blackmirror

Thanks to Morgan Freeman's gravelly voiceover, I found out that grasses only evolved after the dinosaurs were already extinct. The past really is a different world, I really don't know why this sort of stuff fascinates me. Evolution and nature nerds, #LifeOnOurPlanet is worth your time on #netflix

How-to guides and manuals have always been content, click driven. But the AI enshittification of the internet maybe should have a carve out for manuals? It's not great to have an AI generalize or hallucinate a fix for my fridge, i need the actual manufacturers service codes 😬😬😬

I am currently working with the theory that the input scheme in Blender is an elaborate prank and no one wants to admit it. For me, it goes byunintuitive, past counterintuitive in to "actively hostile" territory. If you use this software, I have a level of respect for you that cannot be expressed.

As a man of a more compact stature, I love exit row seating on airplanes. Everone wants to be tall until you can't stretch your legs for three hours 😆

I'm not one for self promotion, but I'm very excited to be a speaker at the upcoming SXSW Sydney. I'll be presenting a talk called "The Parasite and the Half-Baked Cake" - about how creative constraints helped to guide and shape our quirky game about a giant headlouse. October 13-19 in Sydney 🇦🇺

Samsung, I don't know how to say this delicately. You make great phones. But... I don't want your bloat apps. I don't want Bixby in my life, and I'm deeply suspicious of anyone who does. I'm never going to use Samsung Health. I love the hardware. But for me it's only physical. I'm sorry.

Ah yes, the nightly mating call of the critically endangered 𝐵𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖 𝑀𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑠. The male of the species uses roaring V8s and squealing tyres in urban areas to attract a mate. Unfortunately, the sound only attracts other 𝑀𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑑𝑖. Auckland used to be home to thousands; now a solitary few remain.

I know I am very late to the party here, but as a lifelong trekkie, Strange New Worlds is so seriously good. It's such a perfectly measured take on serious themes and genuinely interesting sci-fi while also embracing the inherent goofiness of the franchise. Season 2, Episode 9 🤣🎶

Seeking feedback on art can be a pretty rough experience. And if you're going to multiple sources, that can feel like you're eating a steady diet of criticism. Lucky for me, I have experience. I'm not just a game dev - I'm an amateur novelist too! I'm not even sure I know what praise tastes like 🤣🤣🤣

I should be wiser than this

Look it's not software or games related but I want you to know that my latest sourdough loaf came out pretty okayish.

I love just scrolling bsky on indie dev tags first thing in the morning. Pages and pages of talent, skill, and passion. It's better than a coffee for an energy boost! But, I mean I have the coffee too. I'm not crazy

Despite working on horror games as a genre, I don't think I have it in me to play Dreamcore, creeping dread and wrong otherworldly spaces ick me out. Lucky for me I don't have to, I can watch streamers like @vanoradarkwolf.bsky.social play it instead! www.twitch.tv/videos/23696...

Amazing news! Our Kickstarter is now LIVE! Back us at www.kickstarter.com/projects/bun...

We are very excited to announce that our Kickstarter goes live within the next 24 hours! You can follow the campaign at www.kickstarter.com/projects/bun...

Two more bunguins made. There are now about 30 of these gorgeous little abominations in the world! Mostly I give them to friends, colleagues, kids. It's my most satisfying non-digital hobby ❤️