As of today, I will no longer be keeping a website change-log for the TinkerersBlog.net.
I have given the Tinkerer’s Blog change-log enough time to test its utility. And honestly, it fails a basic cost-benefit analysis. The initial idea of it being used as a means to keep track of activity within the website, and guide the users towards the general trajectory of activity done by me – does have value.
However, it is insignificant when compared to the extra work load of actually having to manage and maintain it. It genuinely adds yet another layer of friction for successfully producing content for this website. Something that I am already struggling with as is, with my busy lifestyle and its myriad commitments. As such friction must be removed/limited in order to allow me to increase my output here. This blog’s workflow must be streamlined for the sake of efficiency. And this change log isn’t valuable enough to justify its continued existence within that paradigm.
In addition. At time of writing, the current state of the change-log is out-of-date. I forgot to upkeep it during the past couple of entries. And now it would be more work than it is worth to go back and update it using dates concurrent to the previous entries’ publications. For nothing really, in terms of a return for efforts and time.
With my leisure time I recently completed my first play-through of a video-game that came out this earlier this month (August 2026) named ReStory. In it you play as a repair technician in 2000’s Akihabara Tokyo Japan. Whose job it is to repair consumer electronics for the public. Including devices such as mobile phones, games consoles, electronic toys, and personal computers.
This inspired me to see if I can do this in real life. Can I – a crappy hobbyist repair tech actually manage to fix every item that is represented in this game?
The structure of the challenge I find appealing; a distinct and discrete list of consumer electronics to get through. No more, no less. I will even follow the game’s protagonist methodology of buying broken devices from the internet to then repair for resale (or shop decoration 😉 ).
official image taken from Steam store page
Technical notes
game name: “ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs”
release date: 2026-08-06
game version: 1.0.013r
repairable devices: 29
ReStory Repair Challenge rules
Now that the fluff is out of the way. To the rules themselves:
1) To win the challenge one must repair every device featured in ReStory (v1.0). 1.a) There are 29 total devices across various categories, and they are listed below.
2) Alternative to repairing a faulty device: performing a full disassembly & reassembly of a working device counts as a successful repair.
3) Device substitutions can be made providing there is a good reason for it. 3.a) E.g. I have a near-enough device and don’t want to buy the specific device listed. 3.b) E.g. working on a Nintendo DS Lite, instead of an original Nintendo DS.
4) To consider a device completed, an article of the work must be published here, and linked below.
Device list
Note #1: ReStory is licenced to feature Atari products, so the names presented are official. The rest of the devices have either parody or generic names of their real world equivalent.
Note #2: These devices are organised according to ReStory’s categories. Even though they are not accurate to the nature of the devices.
This article is going to be updated slowly as the constituent articles are published and linked here. Additionally I do not intend to add more devices to this challenge, as ReStory updates – adding more content to their game. There is no explicit time limit to complete this challenge, however I would like it done by the end of 2028. Challenge start 21st August 2026. I will pin this article, as it is an ongoing project.
#0040: 1 Day Challenge Article: My opinion on AI technologies
NOTE: This article may have used AI, but was definitely written by an ape.
Preamble
I should state that I have not written anything in a while. Predominately I blame busyness. (It is the most common form of laziness after-all.) However perfectionism is also a solid secondary as to why my output here is so low. I have strangled many articles that I found 80% satisfactory. But I just couldn’t press publish because I knew that if I just put a little more effort into them they could be great. One more read through, and rewrite, one more supporting paragraph. One more edit to trim the fat. This all adds on and exhausts me to the point that the draft gets put on ice… Citing that: “I’ll do it when I have a little more time later.”
Well. This exercise is a way of trying to kill both birds with one stone. I want to give myself a solid deadline for making an article. 1 day. From start to finish. Initial notes, media collection, 1st draft, revision edit, and publish. All in a single day. The topic I have chosen for this 1 day article is… AI. More specifically I’d like to generally opine on what I think about AI. As a technology, as a business, and its effects on our lives and culture. It’ll be a rough and ready article.
So without further ado let’s begin.
What is AI? (Or rather what do I mean when I say AI?)
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. However (thankfully) as of 2026 we don’t yet have a True AI. Id est: a real sentient or sapient intelligence. A self aware entity capable of reflection and personal growth. What we do have is various data manipulation models and scripts that we refer to as AI. Such as Large Language Models (LLMs), or chat bots (e.g. Personal Digital Assistants). I am not going to pretend to know more about this subject than I do – which is not much.
However I am familiar with using generative AI. AI models that create a novel output. Such as text, images, and various other media. As I understand this they do this by creating internal models by copying media that is fed to them. For example ChatGPT collects information by scraping websites then reconstituting that information and passing it to a chat bot which engages the user in conversation. That’s how I broadly understand it. So if you ask it for restaurant recommendations, it will scrape Yell and Google Reviews, then present that information in conversation to the user according to their criteria. E.g. location, food-type, budget, hygiene rating, etcetera.
I will primarily continue to use ChatGPT as an example use case of AI, as it is the one that I am most familiar with by a fair margin, and it is a good generalist that does a little bit of everything. It searches like Google Gemini, it can create images like Mid-journey, it could create code like Claude-code, and so forth. It is a Jack of all trades.
Is AI good for us?
Yes, but mostly no. Hear me out.
Information veracity and reliability
Firstly AI information output can not be implicitly trusted, and hence should not be used in a professional setting. Or any setting where liability may be an issue. ChatGPT warns users of its inherit unreliability within the chat box itself. Observe their disclaimer. “ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.” Basically they wash their hands of any liability. How the user uses this information of dubious veracity is entirely up them. As are the consequences. In my opinion this means that AI can not be used for anything of deep importance. At least not as a stand alone source. Think looking up health symptoms, or asking for legal advice.
Why is AI provided information considered unreliable?
Two main reasons pop to mind. One is “AI Hallucinations”. This is were an AI agent would just spew out inaccurate information that it just made up whole cloth, or tried to bridge disparate datums with faulty assumptions. In the YouTube example video, the AI used by these users made up reference cases that either did not exist, or did exist but the AI misrepresented the context and case law that was illustrated in the specific named case. Watch the video.
The second reason why information provided from AI agents shouldn’t be implicitly trusted is to do with its source(s). Where does ChatGPT get its information from? The Internet. Is the internet filled with bad/inaccurate/malicious information? Yes. If it is present in volume, or in publications that the AI considers authoritative. Then is at a real risk of regurgitating the bad information to its users. AI can act like a magnifier for any bad info that is already in circulation. Such as information presented by ideologically captured (once prestigious) institutions, information in a main stream media circular source loop, or information that is in such volume that it could be considered Vox Populi. This is especially dangerous when it is presented by a vocal minority speaking on behalf of the majority across multiple locations online.
How to use AI even though the information is unreliable?
I do find it rather funny, because when I was in school I was told not to use Wikipedia.org as a reference for my essays. This is because it is not considered a reliable source; due to its core nature of compiling information from the public with little in the way of information discernment and validation. Wikipedia has the same weakness as modern AI. It draws its information from the public who are inherently unreliable, and from official (e.g. main stream media) sources who have been known to selectively report/omit information in order to push agendas/narratives, based on their political affiliations.
However both can be used constructively when researching a topic. To put it bluntly: they are both a good jumping on point. They are both good for an initial orientation on a subject. As long as you can read and compartmentalise the information provided, attaching a mental asterisks to the information to flag it. So that it is not integrated into one’s world view naively. I genuinely think that many if not most people do not have the ability to do this reliably. (Myself included.) We are too prone to cognitive biases, logical fallacies, first movers advantage… etcetera.
Additionally following Wikipedia’s listed sources is very useful for learning more about a given topic, and finding more authoritative sources on information. For example a book written by the author being studied. ChatGPT likewise can be asked to list its sources. Example prompt: “Can you list and summarise Kuji-In for me please. List sources. Prioritise books as a source.”
AI’s core methodology of replacing people
AI at its core is a technology designed to supplant and replace people. It is marketed to businesses as a way to replace staff. And save money by not having to pay their wages. At least initially, it seems as of 2026 the marketing has shifted tenor from “replacing” staff, to “augmenting” staff in order to increase productivity. Marketing bullshit. At the end of the day it has the same results. The technology’s presence lowers the need/demand for staff in general.
This means that it is fundamentally bad for the economy. As it causes job losses. Especially in the white collar office worker sector. Who are usually from an upper-working to middle class background. People who constitute the largest population of people with significant disposable income. This disposable income fuels the economies of the West, especially the UK. Which is primarily in the tertiary sector. And this demographic is the primary consumer base. Who buys the daily Starbucks/Costa coffee on the way to work every day? Who buys lunch every day? Who spends the most on restaurant food delivery? Or taxi services? Or is remodelling their house every 7th year, or replacing their cars every 5th?
Is it the once in a while purchases (assuming fiscally responsible) of the lower working class or underclass (benefits people), or is it the upper classes who aren’t in significant numbers enough to drive public consumption trends. No. It’s the exact demographic of people most affected/displaced by AI. There will be negative down stream to service workers and the tradesmen that service this demographic. Damaging the purchasing power of the core consumer bulk in a service economy country like the UK, will have significant negative fallout on all sectors and people.
AI’s frivolous use cases
Whenever I see AI being advertised to consumers. (Not businesses like above.) The use case always seems to be frivolous and largely unnecessary. many times it is designed to help the user avoid putting in any effort into their own life. Consider the example official advertisements that I have cherry picked here. Look at the situations where the consumer find themselves in, and how they use the AI to get out of it, as well as their conduct and mentality. The people featured seem like low quality trash people. They lie to the people around them, they are lazy, and they are irresponsible: often leaving things to the last minute. AI is being presented here as a tool to enable idiots. Just my opinion.
Also look at the ChatGPT ad of “You can just finish the work”, notice how it cuts the user out of the loop. There is great danger in allowing a computer to remove you from the process. It aggregates all the information in the files provided, creates a presentation for upper management, and sends it. All without user oversight. Just liability/blame if anything goes wrong. I wonder what could go wrong with that? It’s all too easy to show one’s arse with this over-reliance on automation. Building habits that enable complacency.
Look at the below adverts. All for AI personal agents. ChatGPT, Meta AI, Adobe Acrobat AI, and HP AI. All different companies. However the core use case is the same. Offloading cognitive labour from the user’s brain to the machine. What people don’t realise about short cuts, is that they ultimately harm you more than they help. Offloading cognitive labour, enables laziness and is an opportunity lost at learning (and hence growing). This tech is a crutch, that will guarantee that the patient will never walk straight again.
Can’t be bothered to read the reference materials, yet somehow can write loads base off of a summary.
AI and Privacy
I know that the modern man seriously does not care a lick about their own privacy. Often citing a defeatist rhetoric to justify their inaction, or active participation against their best interests in this manner. However I would feel remiss if I did not state the privacy concerns regarding AI.
One. People tell these things way too much private/personal information. Thinking that these machines are a black box, where nothing dropped into it will ever comeback to them. What people don’t realise (or perhaps do but don’t care) is that the box has a hatch that opens up at the back. And its technicians and owners see all via that hatch. Now you have strangers holding your private, personal, or otherwise sensitive information. People don’t appreciate the leverage that the masters of the tool now have over the users that do these things. At the very least, it could be used for highly effective targeted advertisement, or selling the data to third parties.
Above refers to service like ChatGPT the phone app, or website. Positions where the data they have is the data that users gave them via prompts. However AI that has complete access to user’s OSes, completely compromises the entire PC. From a security standpoint. This one really shivered my timbers. Who the fuck would give another person (or their agent) complete access to their private computer?
I can envision a situation where a machine sifting through a user’s files for a task: finds a media files that it flags as illegal for whatever reason. Then due to mandatory reporting policy – one in the EULA that the user didn’t read – reports the user to the authorities. Suddenly police are in your home, your PC is being seized, and reports are being made. All over what could amount to nothing. Cartoonishly extreme I know, but not outside the realm of real possibility. A more mundane example would be that the AI attaches private files to emails, shared projects, or correspondence that you may have wished it did not. It is a security risk in this regard.
This isn’t an environmental complaint, although there are plenty of those in regards to data centres, electricity consumption, and water use. I am not knowledgable, nor interested enough to talk on that. This is about the information ecosystem.
I would like to put forth the idea that AI products act as parasites. Hurting the very host they need to live. The specific AI product I want to example are AI summaries built into search engines. Like Google, and DuckDuckGo. (Note: I was surprised that Bing and Yahoo did not have AI search summaries.) Consider what an AI search engine summary actually does. It scrapes the information from third party websites to then present it to the user in an edited and easily digestible format. This process completely usurps the actual NEED for the user to visit the source websites themselves. This means that the user is satisfied without visiting and patronising the underlying websites from which the information was sourced. Usually by seeing third party adverts on these sites. This results in the business of running a website becoming less profitable, and even less viable.
Meaning that the presence of the AI summary actively damages the source that it itself uses to function. Like a parasite leaching off of a host. If the parasite gets strong enough or numerous enough it could even kill the host. Which would quickly cause the parasite to starve to death (assuming it couldn’t locate a new host). These AI summaries actively starve the very websites they use for information from the funding that keeps them alive. This means that the number and quality of source websites will diminish as AI summary use expands. A true example of the enshitification of the Internet.
Who is to blame for this? Is is the avaricious corporation, or the lazy convenience-addicted habitual path-of-least-resistance walking consumer? Why not both? My point is that the core financial incentive for people to put good information on the Internet, is actively damaged by the AI search summary tool. Which needs that good information to be of any use at all. It’s actually a sad situation. A starving snake eating its own tail out of necessity. Or maybe a better analogy would be a farmer who poison his own land by driving a leaking harvester.
I’ve herd people advocate for the idea of a revenue share with the source websites to offset this market usurpation. And it might work. Maybe if companies all of a sudden decide that they care about the future, and not about short term quarterly returns for shareholders. Unfortunately they are simply not structured in a way where they are incentivised to care about the future in any real respect. Obviously this is just my opinion on this.
Is AI a business fad?
I will say little on this for risk of really showing my ignorance. What I will say is that I have seen many people compare the “AI bubble” to the “Dot-COM bubble”. Apparently in the early 2000s there was a fad where every major business felt the need to incorporate web services into their business regardless of whether it made sense for them personally, or not. It was predominantly done to acquire share holder funds, by projecting the image of a forward thinking and growing business. Regardless of whether or not the website services that they advertised to prospective share holders actually had any value within them. I think the actual dot-com bubble was about primarily web businesses that did nothing but suck up share holder money, that is until the jig was upped.
I see an analogue in AI technologies today. It seems like every company in the technology sector has AI services which they advertise proudly. Regardless of use or relevance to their primary business model. And even outside of the tech sector, every other large corporation has some kind of AI service available — many of which are useless. Just there to tell prospective shareholders that your business has a foot in AI. And hence are a modern, forward looking, and growing company. It’s all surface level appearance based marketing to make their business more appealing to the cursory inspections of shareholders.
Is AI a bubble?
As a roll on from the fad conversation, I want to briefly discuss the future of the AI from a business prospective. I have heard rumblings of an AI bubble bursting. Once the naive investor money dries up that is. This is because AI products are largely not profitable. Id Est: they do not make more money, than they cost to develop and run day-to-day. In addition I have see an image circulating around the internet of how incestuous the funding actually is with big-tech companies and AI. Observe below. This implies that the money input (from outside sources) is fading, and instead companies are playing a game of hot-potato with debt and circular funding. A game that will eventually fail once one company defaults on a loan. Which would then cause a domino effect; that could then cause the collapse of the entire sector as a consequence.
The 7 Trillion AI Gamble Is Failing. Big Tech is TRAPPED Right NOW.
This is where I will throw around the term “Dead Internet Theory”. It is a theory that human users are becoming rarer and rarer on the Internet to the point that we could be drowned out by machines in the near future if we haven’t been so already. Bots communicating with bots en-masse. I personally think that it is not the case, at least not yet. However the presence of machines on the Internet is no longer something that could be denied.
Consider the YouTube comments sections. How many of those comments are from actual people? I have seen many that are obviously a chain of bot accounts replaying to each other trying to sell a product. Be it some no-name’s course, or a random shit-coin that someone wants to pump, or just some scammer’s Whatsapp. These comment chains usually come in the format of a comment that is tangentially related to the video content, that then mentions its product in passing, or asks for a solution. Then followed by reply accounts saying something like X product/service really helped me. Etcetera.
The scam adverting bots are easy to identify. However ones that are not are the political narrative bots. Let me ask you a question. Say that you are watching a politically divisive video. Then you scroll down to the comments section. How do you tell the difference between a bot and an NPC. A bot designed to mindlessly rattle off from a prescribed script. Compared to a human who is a tribally captured useful idiot online, rattling out buzz words, slogans, talking points, and rhetoric, as well as regurgitating statistics that they half remember from tribal sources. How do you tell the difference between a machine reading from a script, and a person reciting dogma? I personally don’t know. What I do see is the sheer volume of vitriol, or dare I say the word: “misinformation” on certain topics by suspect accounts.
Account age, geographic location, topic under discussion, and account username formatting. That is typically what sets off flags for me. Say all the people with very strong opinions are all new accounts, with no history on the platform. Now consider that all the accounts are from areas known for having bot farms such as China or India. All commenting on a video exclusively discussing US politics. Perhaps the topic under discussing has political relevance/significance to either a national power, or group of interest who would have the resources and would benefit from shaping online discourse/discussion on the topic. And finally bot accounts tend to be made using scripts, hence they will typically have a rhyme and reason to them. A pattern, or template that they all use. For example “john-smith-8783hukhfs”. First name, hyphen, second name, followed by a random string of numbers and letters. There is no hard rules for spotting bots, it’s more of a loose criteria that increases classification confidence. Like I said earlier, it is very difficult to tell the difference between a brainless machine, and a genuine living idiot. Both are incapable of independent thinking.
Bots in the YouTube comments sections example images
(check the full size files linked at the bottom of the article)
AI, culture, marketing, and public opinion
In my view the public opinion of AI has soured across the board. With people becoming increasingly more aware of all the negative affects of AI. Exaggerated or otherwise, a cloud is gathering around the perception of AI in general. Everything from job losses, increased wealth disparity, shrinking middle-class, loss of privacy, increased sophistication of surveillance methods and software – such as facial recognition, to increased RAM and GPU costs. The blame of which is being placed at the feet of AI.
Then add to that the AI tools that actively hurt the ecosystems that they draw from such as image creation tools that use artists work to create their own renders, only to then compete with them for customers. This sentiment is especially pronounced in nerd spaces. I often see YT videos denouncing any AI use, and pointing out AI channels as inferior in quality as well as morally. AI channels are often portrayed as artistically bankrupt thieves in these circles. And within the documentary space, they are known to be rife with unchecked misinformation and historical/factual errors.
Now from the customers perspective AI products are often looked upon as being of inferior quality. Hence use of terms such as “AI slop”. Poor quality videos whose target audience are gullible, easy to dupe people. Such as AI posts on Facebook for older audiences who may lack the discernment to identify and dismiss them. Consider the reactions to large corporations when they produce AI adverts, it genuinely hurts their reputation. At least in the short term — although it could be a storm in a teacup. Genuinely hard to tell with online outrage.
Big company AI adverts that have hurt their reputations
I see AI tools that create code and honestly I have never seen the purpose of these. Outside of hobbyist artists who want to create a video-game while avoiding the technical side of the creation. For example a visual novel game, or a narratively driven walking simulator. For serious companies/businesses I see little reason for them to use code generation tools, because they create as many problems as they solve. what is the reason a company would want products made by a machine with no oversight. With no one in the company who has intimate knowledge of the product. Hence incurring a huge degree of technical debt making the business dependant on the AI product/service. Because without it, they’d have to fight with an undocumented code-base that is alien in formatting, styling, and structure. And the bigger the codebase, the deeper the hole. The more AI is used the more AI needs to be used to keep the cobbled together boat afloat long enough to ship deliverables.
AI personal use
I am running out of time here so I have to move on. I want to discuss AI in my life. How I use it. I use ChatGPT, Duck.AI (which uses ChatGPT), and that’s about it. The funny thing is that I have not paid a penny to use these services. Typically I either use ChatGPT as a search engine, a first call for finding information quickly. Or I use it as for basic image generation.
Yes. Gasp! Despite all the moral grandstanding that it may have seemed like I was taking up against AI use in general; I use AI every day… I just don’t value it enough to pay for it. All my use cases are rather shallow, I either use it to search and sum things up, usually things of low stakes. Or I use it to generate images for my Dungeons and Dragons campaign — something that I would not pay money for. For example commission artwork. AI use in my opinion is in a similar vein to piracy. It is not theft, not does it represent a loss of a legitimate sale. A pirate is not a lost customer. Nor is a pirate a thief. A pirate is a pirate.
I use a free ChatGPT account. Which gives around 3 free image generations a day before it paywalls me. It took around 7 to 11 generations to create a Myconid Warrior wielding Soul Edge (From “Soul Calibur 2”), and a poisoned boomerang. This was done over days because the thing kept generating it wrong. Adding in details that I did not stipulate, or taking away things that I did state on an earlier iteration. It is an annoying process, and one has to learn to accept something that is 70% good-enough, rather than wasting time, energy, and tokens, additionally prompting for decreased returns.
Look at the image of the Myconid Warrior. It took several iterations to get the sword to not be held upside-down in it’s hand. I even had to create a mock up reference image for it to use as a template. I just don’t see a reason to give them any money. Additionally if ChatGPT went away, or terminated this service. Then I would just use another free image creation to make these reference images. And if they went away too (likely because they used ChatGPT under the bonnet), then I would do without. Using official artwork or random Google images to illustrate what I am describing to my players. It is not a big loss. I think I will elaborate more on this in a dedicated article, when I do I will link it below.
Acronyms used
AI – Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT – Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer EULA – End User Licence Agreement GPU – Graphics Processing Unit HP AI – Hewlett-Packard AI LLMs – Large Language Models NPC – Non Player Character OS – Operating System PC – Personal Computer RAM – Random Access Memory US – United States YT – YouTube
Closing thoughts
I am wrapping this article up as of 18:50 2026-08-15. Considering that I started this challenge at 14:00 on 2026-08-14. Already past midday for a 1-day challenge… It is safe to say that this challenge has been failed. Initial writing of article 1st draft at 12:00 2026-08-15 and published 22:16. However failed successfully. I do have an article done. Only it is a day late, and a dollar short.
This isn’t my greatest work I’ll admit. However it has revelled to me how little I actually know about this subject. Any one of the subject paragraphs above could be expanded into an essay of their own. With an equal exertion of research (an time) necessary. However this article has broadly outlined my current understanding of AI in general, as well as demonstrated my attitude towards the technology… Reading it back: I may actually be an AI Luddite. I seem to have the general depth of knowledge of a Luddite. The lack of differentiation between different technologies illustrates this well. It’s all AI baby — especially the tech that isn’t. 😉
Anyway. I’ll leave you with a relevant quote.
“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” – Blaise Pascal
#0039: How to access the URL address of YouTube video adverts
Preamble
If you are anything like me: then at one point or another you have come across an interesting YouTube advert. One that you may have wished to save for whatever reason. This article is a brief guide as to how to go about doing that. Primarily, this article is focused upon quickly acquiring an advert video’s unique URL. This is the direct address of the video itself. This can be done as and when an advert appears, without using any external tools.
However, once you have acquired an advert video’s URL – you may then wish to apply additional tools to download the video file itself. A few of which are recommended below. By the way, this method only works on desktop PCs. (I.e. not mobile device OSes such as Android or iOS.) This is because the specific steps illustrated here require a typical desktop web-browser. Although, there is very likely an alternative method for mobile operating systems; that achieves this same goal. However, that method is outside the scope of this article.
A note on the time sensitive nature of information presented herein
Please be advised: since the information presented here pertains to a specific niche functionality within the live version of the YouTube website. A website that is in a state of constant iterative development. I cannot speak to the forward looking accuracy of this information.
In other words: This method may cease to work on any given day. This is especially true if any significant changes are made to any of the website functions referenced within this method. Or even to underlying/invisible support functions not mentioned. The likelihood of which increases with time elapsed since initial publication of this article. This method works as of December of 2023.
[2026-05-14] EDITOR’S NOTE: This method works as of May of 2026. I kept the original written date in to demonstrate how long some of these articles can remain in stasis. I.e. Done. But not published for whatever reason.
What is an “unlisted video”?
Before we go on, we need to understand something of the nature of the files that we are after. Within the context of the YouTube website: an unlisted video is a video with zero discoverability. Basically, it does not show up when using either YouTube’s video search functionality; or a third party search engine like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo’s video search functionality. This is because search services of this kind only return publicly listed videos. In addition, unlisted videos are also not served to users via recommendation algorithms, for the same reason. They are simply not in the pool of applicable videos. You could even navigate to a specific YT channel that hosts known unlisted videos and they would not appear.
The “unlisted” status is typically used for videos that are intended to remain undiscoverable to the general public. Although these videos can still be distributed, albeit in an alternative and limited manner by design. Broadly speaking there are three main ways to distribute unlisted videos. Manually, private directories, and distribution algorithms.
Manually. This is usually done by the video owner providing the recipient(s) with a direct URL address. (E.g. via email, Whatsapp, X, or whathaveyou). Simple. The second method is by listing the video address in a directory somewhere for selective/limited discoverability. For example using YouTube’s (comparatively excellent) infrastructure to host videos that are then linked behind a paywall in a member’s only section of a third-party website. Such as in the case of a WordPress hobby blog wanting to deliver videos to its paid membership as a premium user perk.
Imagine a blog where someone paints Warhammer 40K miniatures, and writes about their painting techniques, choice of paints, tools, and general work-flow. It’s all images and text. In addition to this they have a 3 hour long video of painting the miniature in real time, for premium members who wish to see the methods implemented in this manner. WordPress cannot natively host this video, however you could embed the video into the article, and have a banner over it asking the user to log in to access it. (Please verify this claim.)
Now, this type of thing was more prominent before YouTube started hosting members-only videos itself. Likely as a response to this exact phenomenon. Since it used to cost them money hosting and delivering the media in this manner, albeit with no reciprocal benefit. I don’t even think YT runs adverts on unlisted videos by default. “Think” being the operative word here. I just don’t see many people actually seeing the unlisted video in its default state to enable an ad to be ran on it. In addition many unlisted videos would be delivered in a particular way where a pre-roll ad would not be viable. For example if the unlisted video was an advert itself (look below).
So why are we discussing unlisted videos? Unlisted videos are specified here because all of the videos (that I have encountered) being actively used for advertisement purposes are unlisted in status. Only existing on YouTube’s servers for the purpose of being served to an audience under select conditions. Such as a 15 second video configured for an un-skippable pre-roll ad spot, or a 3 minute skippable video designated for a mid-roll ad spot. And since these are the exact videos that we are trying to acquire, we must acquaint ourselves with the circumstances and characteristics that they are presented in, and with respectively.
Tools used
Desktop computer (laptop) running a Linux Mint OS
Mozilla Firefox (web browser)
(optional) OS built-in screenshot software
Xed (text editor program)
3rd party video downloading programs/services
“Easy Youtube Video Downloader Express” (Firefox add-on program)
1) Quickly pause the advertisement video before it ends.
2) Right-click on the video and choose the “Stats for nerds” option.
This will give you a pop-up containing detailed information regarding the currently displayed video. Note that, at the time of writing, YouTube’s right-click menu for advert videos has significantly less menu items than their regular videos. Including the menu item “Copy video URL”. Which is basically what we are trying to do here.
3) Look at data labelled “Video ID”.
It’s an alphanumeric code that should look something like this: “MEOZkf4imaM”.
4) Copy that code.
Either highlight it with the mouse, right-click and select “copy” from the drop-down menu. Or if that ability is disabled for whatever reason, then use the keyboard shortcuts CTRL-C CTRL-V to copy and paste the URL. You could even manually type the code into a text editor. Be mindful however: it is case-sensitive. Additionally, I would recommend taking a quick screenshot at this point for future reference. Just in case it all disappears whilst you’re faffing about with this.
[2026-05-14] EDITOR’S NOTE: YT no longer allows this text to be highlighted. Let alone copied to clipboard. It now needs to be manually transcribed by eye into a text document. This is an example of an underlying or invisible functionality that was changed in the interim of time. The loss of being able to highlight this text has made the process notably more laborious.
5) Use the basic YouTube video URL address below as a template, and swap out the alphanumeric video code within it for your one.
6) Input this modified URL into the browser address bar, and press enter.
Done. That should bring you to the actual webpage containing the unlisted YouTube video for the advert.
7) (optional) download the video using additional tools.
At this point you may decide to use third-party tools to download the video file itself. Tools such as the Firefox addon “Easy Youtube Video Downloader Express”. Alternatively, the Linux console program “youtube-dl”: could be used to download the video by inputting the URL alone into it. Another option is to use an online website that downloads YT videos like “turboscribe.ai” – just to name a random one that worked at the time of publication. Not necessarily recommending it here.
Note: please keep in mind that YouTube itself does not want third-party services like the ones mentioned downloading its videos. As this competes directly with a paid service they provide. Namely YouTube Premium, which offers a local video download functionality amongst other services. However a YTP downloaded video is inferior to a third party downloaded video.
This is because the YTP video has a whole host of limitations imposed upon it. Such as only being viewable via the YouTube app. As well as copy-protection, and timed deletions. Basically the app functions as DRM software for the video files stored locally on your device. Curbing users’ ability to manipulate the files as they wish.
This is simply a no-go for me because the main reason I download files is to archive them. The second reason is to play the videos on random ancient devices that serve specific purposes. Such as my tinkering workbench’s android tablet which is solely used to host device manuals/documents and relevant YouTube tutorial videos. This use-case demands files not have any copy protection, nor have any app dependencies, or internet linked features such as timed deletion.
Because of third parties providing a superior service to YouTube itself in this regard; one that affects it’s bottom line. There has been a long going game of cat-and-mouse in regards to YouTube changing the technical format of how it hosts and serves its videos. This is in order to curb the utility and usability of third party tools of all stripes. In a similar vein as to how it handles/fights Ad-blockers. So try out lots of different tools and use whichever works at the time. Also don’t be surprised when the tool that you have become comfortable using for a while, suddenly ceases to work. As that is simply the way of things here. Adapt, adjust, and move on.
Example use-case: blog article
Say I want to write an article about YouTube allowing actual – I mean alleged (no sue plz) scammers to advertise on their platform. I could use the above method to acquire evidence (a copy of the video ad) that I can then store locally without limitations. This is so that it can’t just randomly disappear at a moment’s notice. Case in point – the videos are still up at the time of publication. (Probably because it costs them nothing to leave them up on YT.) However the website that the videos link to is gone-ski. AND their domain is currently (2026-05) available to purchase on the market! Double-dong done-ski!
Just in case they come back from the dead: I’ll say that in all seriousness – obviously these guys are NOT scammers. They just have a method of “harnessing an endless supply of free electricity in the ground” that can be used to power your house. For free. For ever. Which for some reason they can not articulate the basic principles of without invoking fanciful conspiracies of “big energy companies” hiding a “simple device” for a “100 years”. These types always tell a story, spin a narrative in this manner. Then push their audience to click the link in their bio and probably send them money at the least.
The video even ends with a odometer-style counter quickly ratcheting up numbers so you know they are serious. Evoking a sense of urgency as you sympathetically visualise your energy bill rise. With these NOT scams – they either use something like this, or a countdown timer – to evoke a similar sense of urgency. Time is running out! Limited time offer! Hurry before they are all gone! Simple FOMO. (Almost sounds like Latin, eh? Pricks.)
The whole video presentation is obviously targeting non-technical laymen people. The fear angle working especially well on the vulnerable, as it dangles hope in front of them. Hope for a better tomorrow, that could easily be attained with little effort on their behalf. A simple and accessible solution for their life problems. I hate this kind of stuff. Everything from the clueless desperation of the herd, leading themselves to slaughter; to the merciless predation of the scavengers, targeting the weak and the sick. It is a part of our humanity that I do not like dwelling on.
On a more personal note. (Feel free to skip.) Honestly I cannot relate to these types of people in the slightest. I don’t even want to put my face on the consequence-less crap that I write here. Mostly because I want it to stand on its own merits in the void. But also for privacy reasons. As I like having a small online footprint – since it allows me to be nimble in social situations and very often it gives me the opportunity to curate a first impression with a new party. Something that you cannot do when your personal life (or face) is online.
Look at these people: their faces are forever linked to this (alleged) scam for anyone willing to look them up. It is a forever black mark against them. One that could potentially undermine all future prospects. Business, employment, romance, anything – and at any time. You could be halfway through a deal, when the other party are sent this vid of you (allegedly) scamming online a decade ago. And they would be in their right to sever the relationship on the grounds that you may not be an ethical actor. At the very lest it would erode trust/credibility, making future deals less likely. It could genuinely be a reason as why a current employer may sack you, if your work requires elevated trust. Such as working with money or vulnerable people.
The internet is forever… and unforgiving. Don’t forget that. Learn from the mistakes of others. Think of it this way, imagine if any of these men walked into your shop/life. Knowing that they participated in organised (alleged) scams in the past. Would you do business with these tools, even if it happened a while ago? I personally wouldn’t – let someone else take the risk on ’em.
Video Examples
Please note: the featured videos below are used here under fair-use for the purpose of criticism.
DRM – Digital Rights Management FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out OS – Operating System PC – Personal Computer URL – Uniform Resource Locator YT – YouTube YTP – YouTube Premium
Closing thoughts
Firstly, did you enjoy the mini-article within this article. It got preachy quick didn’t it?
Back on task. I like simplicity in most things as a rule. This method is not an exception. Here, I tried to use as few external tools as possible. Using only my default desktop web-browser (any will do) and YouTube’s native functionality in order to access “unlisted” videos. Couple with with common/default OS tools like a text editor, and screenshot program.
As a side and final note: I always find the comments to be interesting under unlisted videos (if they are present that is), because they tend to be made by a select type of individual. The generally inaccessible nature of the video’s homepage acts as a filter for normal people. They tend to say things that are screen-grab worthy. If they haven’t already been deleted that is. Enjoy it when you come across it. Honestly it makes me feel like a net diver. Seeing things that are a little bit off the beaten path like this. It’s cool.
Personal Blog: Entry 2025-01-18 – 2025 Year-end Review and 2026 New Years Resolution
Preamble
Another year has come and gone, and with that: it is time to reflect upon it. What I did well, and what I did not. How I handled life’s challenges, and what decisions did I make within them and why? I have written a private end-of-year personal review document for this purpose. This is not that. This document is an extension of that one however, albeit only pertaining to project work. (I.e. hobby activities.)
A brief on Tinkerer’s Blog activities within 2025
As far as this website is concerned I did very little during the 2025 year. I do not believe this is the actual case. However it is true that I have very little to show here for that year. Just two personal blog posts, not even articles. One personal log entry in February in a similar vein to this document: a reflection on project progress. And the other entry consisted of another personal log. One pertaining to witnessing the March 29th partial solar eclipse. All in all. Not much.
Needless to say I have failed my 2025 goal of posting 12 articles. I believe this failure is due to a combination of factors. The main is simple busyness: I have been working 6 day, 60 hour weeks for a lot more than expected this year. It really helped with my monetary goals. However the time loss had an opportunity cost for every other goal. That’s my plausible excuse out of the way. Heck. Its not even really a good one, once critically examined. As unproductive busyness can be considered a form of laziness. This is because it enables procrastination. The postponement of difficult yet important tasks.
Now for the real reason for my failure. Discipline. I have been undisciplined with the time that I did have. Evidentially I didn’t have time for productive tasks, yet I had time for mindless recreation. Like playing videogames or vegetating in front of the television (YouTube) after a day’s work. I think I fell into the bad habit of putting off project work to the weekend. This weekend unfortunately is within the mystical future that never comes. Because come the weekend (usually just Sunday): there’d be another excuse for not working. Usually it comes in the form of the 3 perpetuals that I mentioned briefly here before. Time, Money, and Energy. Add head-space to that. Although I guess that’s a type of energy. Alongside: brain plasticity, mood, sleep, etcetera…
Somewhere along the way I started stating themes for my years. A theme is something that encapsulates my general attitude for the year. It governs my general modus operandi and orients me (and my actions) towards my top two to three objectives. If not only number one. Last year’s theme was “Grind Gold”. Like in videogames. I wanted to expand my wealth by improving my primary income, adding an auxiliary income, as well as gaining knowledge of money in order to be a better custodian of the resource. So focus on money first and foremost.
With this theme I volunteered for overtime whenever it came up. Which (un)fortunately happened considerably more than expected. Especially when I became known at work as ‘the guy who does overtime on short notice’ guy. Additionally, I setup my eBay shop to declutter and liquidate value. And listened to many (many) financial audiobooks while at work. I learned a lot, the most important being how ignorant I am on the subject of proper money management. For example I opened my first brokerage account in 2024 at the tender age of mid-thirties. To this day I still haven’t learnt to utilise the trading functionalities available, other than the absolute basics. So there is still much work to be done in 2026 for this goal.
2026 theme: “Do! Not Buy.”
2026’s theme is “Do” as in “do things, not buy things” in order to progress. I bought a lot of unnecessary stuff in the year of 2025. Much of it was for projects that I intended to do later. And before I knew it I ran out of “later”, and the year concluded. As it is I am buried in materials (and just a sheer crap-load of things) that are awaiting being used in projects. Resources that could’ve otherwise stayed liquid as money and furthered my pursuit of wealth. Not to mention give me more living space.
I have given much thought to my actions in this regard; this is in order to understand why I do the things I do (or did). I bought a lot of materials for projects that I never got around to doing. Why? I think its because it made me feel like I was legitimately progressing along these projects. It was a cheap (effort wise) way to literally buy the positive feeling of progress. Accomplishment. However it is ultimately farcical. Because the moment labour-effort was necessary to keep the project going: the project’s relevance in my day-to-day life suddenly faded. And the next project became what I was enamoured with. Complete with a new (novel and exciting) shopping list of materials. I was essentially hobby hopping on a smaller scale.
A summary on my 2025 purchases (i.e. the roll of shame)
In December 2024 to January 2025 I bought lots of camping gear and bicycle parts. Taking advantage of the January price slumps and deals. Also my new year’s zeal for the outdoors. February consisted of philosophy and chess books. Which I did not read. In March and April: I bought a (spares & repair) Tassimo Vivy 2 pod coffee machine, as well as £50 in pods, £50 in reusable pods (for myself and the household), and an extra broken machine to part out. Which I did fix, and use, and wrote 2 good articles on. One on repairing the machine, and the other on creating Americano drinks from espresso pods. Did not publish either.
May purchases consisted of more books. This time on religion, Stoicism, and a Dostoevsky box-set. Equally unread. Tool kits for working on mobile phones. I believe my Blackview A100 decided to break around now. Still broken. I also purchased a lot of first aid materials for the household as well as cases and boxes to stow them in. Got the prepper itch, and felt “unprepared”.
June I discovered an interest in better coffee. This was prompted by running out of Tassimo pods, coupled with an unwillingness to buy more expensive single-use landfill. Started watching James Hoffmann (amongst others) on YouTube. And consequently purchased a fancy grinder (£100 KinGrinder K6), pour over kettle, and drip coffee set. I have yet to use the pour over equipment, as I only use the grinder and a thermal French press. Still success. Also more books: this time a Friedrich Nietzsche box-set and several Albert Camus books. Introduced to me by watching YouTube channel “Unsolicited Advice”. Unread.
July to August: I bought multiple (cheap) solar charge controllers. Used them for making use of the large 250W solar panel I purchased the year before. Multiple USB plug kits for fashioning and repairing data cables. Two different screwdriver kits, because I just wanted them. RCD plugs, plural. Oh, and LEGO. LEGO friends sets: Mia and Olivia’s tree-house, as well as some LEGO city bundles. Stuff for the game that I was working on at the time called Toy Tactics. A basic tabletop tactics game that uses toys that the child already owns as units/pieces. It was designed as a gateway drug to tabletop games like Warhammer 40K. Unfinished.
September October. I bought parts and accessories to repair an air fryer. Fixed! Then broke again a week later. I bought plenty of Raspberry Pi stuff. Multiple computers for different tasks that I envisioned. A retro games console, a Pi-hole, a seed box, a stack of Pi’s functioning as a single “supercomputer”, etcetera. As well as various necessary accessories for them. Pi camera, micro-SD cards, micro-HDMI adapter, etcetera. I also bought a £300 E-ink monitor because the opportunity arised to get one at such a bargain price. Didn’t use any of the RPi stuff; my interest waned. Nor the monitor; as I bought it for programming and reading — and I didn’t do much of either this year. Also more LEGO, although this time it was robot sets. Two older LEGO Mindstorms NXT boxes at £40 quid a pop.
Finally November December. Here I continued the robot theme by buying accessories that allows a Raspberry Pi to interface with the LEGO Mindstorms peripherals. As well as around 10 PlayStation 2 games (for the collection). More LEGO in the form of a set of Bohrok Va (for the collection). More RPi/microcontroller peripheral boards (wanted to learn about I2C and SPI). Books (plural) on computers (found a bargain – not read). An RPi kit called the Pimoroni Scroll Bot. Got it cheap in an auction. Haven’t opened it to date. And finally a joblot of broken Casio watches and a used working unit for spares. Untouched.
Well. That was 2025. (Albeit somewhat inaccurate time-wise.) A year of mimetic desire, lifestyle cope spending, and opportunist purchases. To break that cycle I have a rule for 2026. And that is to only buy what is strictly necessary. So no more whimsical purchases fuelled by a temporary mimetic interest. Monkey see, monkey want. No book purchases either! I have a huge backlog, and one of this year’s goals is to get a library card. I want to become a book reader, not stay a book buyer. A card will help the transition along, as I can just borrow any book that catches my interest instead of buying it. Additionally the two week borrow window will incentivise actually reading the damn thing. Real deadlines tend to incentivise action like nothing else.
While I am mentioning ‘huge backlogs’: no new Steam game purchases also. I mean I write this as I am tempted to buy an ant based RTS game called “Empires of the Undergrowth”. Guess why? Watching another Youtuber. This time it’s my favourite Civ 5 Pole: Marbozir. I do not need any new computer games, I literally have hundreds available to me, and not time for them.
Going into 2026
Going forwards I have a significantly stricter budget than the previous year’s. This is to stop the silliness of these needless dopamine purchases. And to save the money for more fruitful endeavours. And considering how much crap I bought last year: I have more than enough for this year’s projects (and entertainment), and then some. I have one exception where I can purchase for a project – and that is that it has to be for an active project. The device is on my workbench and needs to get done ASAP. In addition to fitting into the budget. It can’t be for something fun that I want to work on a little “later”. Maybe this weekend. I have seen where that leads.
Do things, do not buy things.
That’s all well and good. Its a nice sentiment. However how will it actually be enacted in real life? Well, its via the day-to-day decision making. Do X, over buying Y. This is something that I have already taken on; as my mentality has changed on how I approach project/hobby work. The change coming from a keen awareness of all the wasteful spending of 2025 on projects that went nowhere.
I’ll give you two examples. A trivial case of doing X over buying Y is that I was going to buy a new calendar. Instead of dropping £2.50 to £9.99 on a calendar for my room; I opted to look online, print a free one off, and use that instead. See it’s the small day-to-day moment-to-moment decisions that matter here. Not an ideal that never really makes it’s way to daily life. Its a small effort, its trivial, but its also a single step of genuine progress.
Now the second example. I am still planning on cobbling together a working watch from the Casio spares and repairs joblot that I have. Then later doing more invasive watch mods. Think backlight LED swaps and LCD tints. However I need some specialised tools for working with watches. Things like a mini-forked pry-tool to remove the watch straps’ spring-bar (without damaging anything); and to a lesser extend other tools such as a jeweler’s hammer and pin to remove a metal strap’s link bars; or the various jigs to hold the watch parts secure.
The kit I was leaning into buying was going for £12 and had everything that I would need going forwards. However strictly speaking: I did not actually need this kit. Although it does look cool. And right now – not the mods that I’d like to do in the future – right now I do not need it to get done what I need to get done. A simple strap replacement, partial disassembly, internal cleaning, and battery replacement. And since I am not sure when (if ever) I will get round to doing the more involved mods which will require these specialised tools – I can’t justify their purchase as an honest need (right now), since I do not need them to get this immediate project finished.
Additionally my current eclectic mix of tools can be cobbled together to form a decent substitute kit. I could even go further and modify some cheap tools to specialise them for working on watches. For example sharpening a nylon plastic pry-tool – one of many I own – to make it thinner, then cut a notch into it to allow it to better encompass the watch straps’ spring-bar.
See I am trying to change my mentality from going to the store as my default primary action, to going to my store. And seeing how I can get done what I want to get done, using the resources I already have. In gaming terms, this would be min-maxing my resources. Getting the most out of what I already have. And it is only when my resources/tooling is insufficient for a given task, should I buy more.
What to expect on Tinkerer’s Blog come 2026
Lots of smaller one-session projects. Projects from my backlog. That are done and 80% written up. I am taking making pixel-art more seriously this year. Look at the title image. That is my base line ability as of today. I wonder where I will be for the 2027 post? And some programming stuff. I need to brush up on Python and C++ in order to make use of all the computers I am sitting on. Then some robotics projects. If I am shooting for the stars: they’ll even be the occasional book review. That’s the plan anyway. Y’know what they say about plans: they never survive first contact with the enemy. Anyway, consider this post 1 of 12 done for 2026.
Thank you for reading. You’ve officially read more than I have this year. 😉
Acronyms used
ASAP – As Soon As Possible HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface I2C – Inter-Integrated Circuit LED – Light-Emitting Diode LCD – Liquid-Crystal Display RCD – Residual Current Device RPi – Raspberry Pi (a single board computer) RTS – Real-Time Strategy (game genre) SDcard – Secure Digital card SPI – Serial Peripheral Interface
#0038: Demonstration of chess game data featured in Cowboy Bebop anime
Preamble
I have been playing a fair bit of chess recently. I even went so far as to buy and start reading books on the subject. (gasp I know, first “buy”, then “read”. Must be one of those mundane everyday miracles I keep hearing about.) Anyway, as I did: it reminded me of a particular episode of an anime that I absolutely loved watching as a teen. Namely: Cowboy bebop.
Created by a Japanese company called Sunrise Inc. Cowboy Bebop is an anime that is generally highly regarded on the internet to this day (2023). Even though it originally aired in Japan in 1998. 25 years ago. Part of the reason for this in my opinion: is the sheer attention to detail, and artistic care of craft displayed within each episode. Something I will hopefully demonstrate here.
As a show: Cowboy Bebop has primarily an episodic structure. Where each individual episode features a self contained story with a start, middle, and end. That then contiguously fits into a larger narrative that runs across the season. With few exceptions such as the odd multi-episode narrative, or recap episode. The focus of this article is episode 14: Bohemian Rhapsody. A chess themed episode where I found the move-set for a full game of chess.
I wish to display that game here for your viewing pleasure. Please note however that I am no chess expert (as I am barely competent), so I will not comment on the game itself. I just want to feature it here because I think it’s really cool; that an anime would have such attention to detail as to feature things such as a complete game of chess. One that briefly scrolls across the screen for less than a handful of seconds no less. [See video extract below.]
Tools
Since this is not a tutorial piece I will be brief here. I just wish to outline the tools used to make the chess game demonstration GIF image and video extracts below for those interested.
XBoard – to play the game move-set out on, in a Linux based OS
Native Screenshot application of Linux Mint Cinnamon – to take screenshots of XBoard
GIMP – to edit images for the GIF animation
imagemagick – to convert a series of PNG files into a single animated GIF file
VLC – to play videos
Flowblade – to edit and export videos in MP4 format
Episode narrative background
Please note: this is primarily from memory, so I may have some of the details askew.
The cartoon villain of the week featured in this episode is a character by the name of “Chess Master Hex”. A child chess prodigy who whilst working for a large corporation as a researcher helped develop the first hyperspace gates. Gates which allowed space ships to move between planets in our solar system significantly faster and safer than previously available. They quickly became ubiquitous due to the savings on time and general logistics.
Now here’s the wrinkle: there is an unspecified fatal flaw in the gates’ system. One that never got addressed due to corporate interests burying it for the sake of profits. Hex who wanted the project paused until research into the flaw and it’s resultant fix was developed – was removed from the project for protesting it’s rushed go ahead. And then fired. (And likely made to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. You know how it is.) Because of this he then spun a decades long plan of vengeance on the corporation that wronged him.
Now fast forward to the present. Our cast of cowboys (space bounty hunters) are tasked with catching him. This is due to the corporation placing a large bounty on the entity that is coordinating a series of cyber-attacks against their hypergates. Cyber-attacks that involved the use of custom hardware that utilises an (until now) unknown latent vulnerability within the gates’ systems: in order to completely drain the bank accounts of any customer who uses a hyperspace gate’s pay point.
In the process of chasing up on the bounty, our cast manage to independently capture several of the low-level criminals that have been physically installing these systems into the hyperspace gates themselves. The odd thing is that all these people had nothing in common; except for the fact that they all had in their possession a digital chess piece. A King piece, that allowed the holder to play an online game of chess with a player who turned out to be Chess Master Hex himself.
The chess game
During the story a digital chess piece is scanned. It’s data is displayed on the scanner’s VDU. The contents of which are two different chess games’ moves-sets. Games played between a player named “Deep Blue” and Hex himself. The actual name “Deep Blue” is a reference to a real world notable chess super computer. That is contemporary to the anime’s time (1998). Note: I assume above that the first game was also played by Deep Blue. However, unfortunately half of the first game’s move-set (and metadata) was cut-off. So really only one and a half games’ data is revealed to us. With only the latter game’s data being revealed in it’s entirety on screen.
Now, being the curious cat that I am: I decided to actually play out the second game. The one I could see the complete move-set for. See below. The interesting thing learned here is that they are in fact real chess moves. Not just some random gobbledygook, as I feared it might be. All the moves depicted a valid game of chess, with none of the pieces making any illegal moves.
Well … There is one exception however. On White turn 18, a Rook makes an illegal move from it’s starting position of f1 to e7. (“Rfe7”.) I made the logical inference that it was merely a typo, since it was the only illegal move in the entire move-set up to this point. And since the numbers 1 and 7 typographically look alike: I substituted the legal move of “Rfe1” for it. This amended move resulted in the rest of game, including follow-up moves for that same rook piece being valid. Bravo.
One last little tidbit on this game: when it mentioned Deep Blue I was curious as to whether or not the game featured in the anime itself was famous. I.e. did they copy verbatim one of Deep blue’s games. (ctrl-c ctrl-v style.) And upon a cursory (Wikipedia) search it does not seem to be the case. I compared it to the games that made Deep Blue famous. The notable games where it had won against Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, and it didn’t match any of the six games that they had together in 1996, as well as the six rematch games of 1997. I compared all the games with a 1-0 result as is here. First the one’s where Kasparov wins 1-0, assuming him to be a substitute for Hex. Then I chose to include the one’s were Deep Blue wins 1-0 just for the sake completeness. To no avail.
Wikipedia summary of games between Deep Blue and Kasparov
Chess data-set compiled screenshots
Original compiled screenshot
Error corrected compiled screenshot
Screenshots of first camera shots of scanner displaying chess data
Video extract of scanner displaying chess data
Chess game demonstration
Chess game demonstration stills
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Chess game demonstration animation
Radical Edward and Chess Master Hex playing chess using electronic chessboards
What’s the point of this section? I just think that this is cool is all. It illustrates the use of a holographic electronic chess board with public network access. I also love the aesthetics of retro-futuristic tech in general, as well as scrap-tech; and this touches on both. Now look at the screenshot of Edward (possibly?) holding in the ratty network plug into the electronic chessboard’s socket with her foot. It’s surprisingly relatable. (Or maybe I am just projecting.)
I initially wanted to plot the move-set for this game out as well, and do another animation for it too. Since the pieces look to be in consistent positions between shots. (Operative word: “look”.) However I found the process to be too much work for the payoff. The various dynamic camera shots of the chess boards (“boards” plural!) depicting the moves of their respective pieces quickly became disorientating.
My chronically sleep depraved brain soon threw it’s metaphysical hands up in frustrated surrender. Stuff it! The straw that broke the camel’s back as it were, is the shot (@ 00:49) of Hex placing a white queen, despite playing black! I just wasn’t willing to error correct, in addition to wrestling a coherent game out of those hectic camera shots. Still… I may comeback to it one day, if I fancy the challenge. Unlikely.
Moving on. Now look at the startup animation for Edward’s electronic chessboard. Did you notice the spelling error? Nice little bit of ‘Engurish’ there. It made me smile anyway. I mean the 90’s were a golden age for top-shelf Engurish in general. And thankfully Cowboy Bebop is no exception. Unfortunately the English dub is of such high quality that I have had no need to watch the Japanese original audio version, so I have likely missed out on some peak spoken Engurish as a consequence. What a genuine shame.
Aggregated screenshots of chess game
Video compilation of chess game
Sorry about the audio syncing issues in this vid. All settings are good, yet Flowblade (repeatedly) renders the video with de-synced audio. I am not sure why. :/ I am not going to chase it up right now because it isn’t really important. (And not worth the delay.) The visuals are what I am primarily demoing here.
Closing thoughts
The funny thing is that I don’t even really watch much anime anymore. However like I said earlier: I have had my interest sparked in playing chess as of late. I’ve been playing it at work using smartphone apps (like lichess.org or chess.com) as well as using a physical set against my work colleges. And while I was playing I was suddenly reminded of Cowboy Bebop’s chess episode. Specifically the scene with the junky scanner displaying the chess data lopsided on a monochrome green CRT monitor. And the idea suddenly occurred to me: “I wonder what that game actually looks like”. And that’s how this write-up came to be. I hope it has entertained you if nothing else.
Thank you for reading.
Acronyms used
CRT – Cathode Ray Tube GIF – Graphics Interchange File GIMP – GNU Image Manipulation Program GNU – GNU’s Not Unix! (recursive acronym) PNG – Portable Network Graphic VDU – Visual Display Unit
I initially launched this website in 2020-02, with nothing but the default wordpress “coming soon” page to show for itself. Then after some months (2020-06) I finally managed to get round to actually publishing content onto it. And ever since then, I have been in a continual (albeit sporadic and intermittent) process of revision and iterative improvement.
So after about a year and a half of having this website online and functioning as intended: I now see the potential need for a master changelog here. A public facing log that will record all notable changes made to the website.
Utility of a public facing website changelog
Although this changelog will record all noteworthy changes made to the website as a whole. I specifically see the utility of this website changelog, with regards to noting changes made to the content of this blog’s articles themselves; rather than the website at large.
What I mean by this, is that it is more important to note post publication changes made to the content of articles. Than it is noting change in the wider website as a whole. This is because most changes made to the wider website outside of the articles hosted here will likely be concerned with aesthetics. Such as an addition/subtraction of a decorative graphic.
Simply put: they are less substantially important changes in terms of affecting the value proposition of the website itself. Although I do intend to note these types of things as well. At least for the most part. Although very minor website changes of this kind are unlikely to be noted.
That being said: I should restate the main function of this changelog. It is to note changes made to article content. This is because this blog’s articles (or blog posts) is where it’s primary (or most substantive) value is as a website. I.e. the primary reason a person may visit this site is to read the articles. This logging will allow readers to avoid confusion when/if they visit an article that they have already read, only to find that the content has to some degree changed within the interim.
My M.O. regarding editing published articles
Once an article has completed the development process and is finally published, I tend to have a habit of coming back to tweak and change things after the fact. This tends to happen some time time after the article is published when I have had sufficient time to rest and cool off on the topic. At this point I am usually more fresh minded, and hence I am more apt to find better methods to get my point across, as well as to spot any residual errors previously missed.
I am of the mind that I should also chronicle these changes as I make them. This is in order to avoid a sense of revisionist history. One caused by the absolute erasure of any mistakes such as: erroneous calculations, half-witted conclusions, or simple misinformation. I admit I am prone to getting it wrong a lot of the time. Especially when it comes to speculations made with limited observations, or ones unfortunately coloured with personal biases.
With that in mind, I should take a moment to state clearly the nature of this website in order to eliminate any misunderstandings or confusion as to the nature of this publication. As the name should suggest; this website is literally “a tinkerer’s blog”. The articles held therein are presented not as an authoritative source of information, but rather my (and only my) best understanding of any particular subject at the time. Complete with grammatical mistakes, spelling arrows, personal experience, and biases; as well as good ol’fashioned human ignorance and incompetence.
Although I (think I) do my due diligence in researching for articles; as well as re-reading my work several times over before publishing. This is in order to (give myself the opportunity to) catch any and all errors that I can. Unfortunately, often at that time: my mind can become exhausted with the subject matter, and would rather move onto to something else. Anything else! (Maybe even a refreshing punch to the testicles.) Add to that time pressures such as work and scheduled commitments. Well. They all add up; pushing me to hit the publish button perhaps earlier than I otherwise should.
Hence in an article’s final proofreading and finishing edits stage – I tend to find myself skimming sentences; or simply unconsciously mentally correcting the text grammatically and/or semantically. I.e. I knew what I meant by what I wrote, although I left the text in a state where it’s messaging is either ambiguous, nonsensical, and/or open to multiple unintended interpretations. Often I miss mistakes because of this and only really find them after I had some time to ‘cool off’ on the subject, as it were.
So that’s what normally happens with any given article. Post publish edits and refinements seem like a standard protocol for me. I even have a small to-do list regarding edits I need to make to past articles.
For example: my review of the video game “Princess Remedy: In a world of hurt”, has no critic of the game’s soundtrack. I somehow just completely forgot to mention it at all. I just blotted the concept of it out of my mind at the time of writing. So at this point: I intend to go back and insert this into it at a later date.
The thing is: I don’t like the idea of this additional content to suddenly one day appear within that article apropos of nothing, and masquerade like it has always been there from the beginning. I’ll leave that revisionist M.O. to the articles on political/activists news websites.
Hence, I need some way to communicate across to the audience that it is an add-on edit. In the past I solely used what I call an “update tag”. I’d insert a set of square brackets featuring the date before the add-on segment. Basically this: “[UPDATE: 2022-0X-XX] The music is …”. In the future I think I will use either the changelog alone to note smaller changes, and both the changelog as well as an in-article update tag for larger updates. Such as an entire additional segment to an article.
RSS
Just as an aside: if for whatever reason you want the raw undoctored initial publications. Free of my post publish meddling that is. Then please subscribe to my RSS feed. As it sends you the articles as they are published, and doesn’t update the content after that initial data transfer.
To do this, copy the below link into your RSS aggregator of choice: https://www.tinkerersblog.net/rss
Closing thoughts
Although as stated the main reason for a changelog is for logging post publication article edits, it will also be good for keeping track of more general activity around the website. Things such as when new manual scans are added, or which pages have been recently edited. It’ll give the readership insight into where my attention regarding the website has been recently. Allowing them a sense of the frequency and general trajectory of my activities here. Which would be useful / hold value to anyone interested. (If there really is anyone interested … that is.)
I think it’ll add real utilitarian value to the website. But we’ll see exactly how much once it is actually implemented, and had some time to operate. Theoretically there is no reason as to why a website shouldn’t have a changelog. I mean it is a software product with ongoing development just like any other. However, I do wonder why so few other websites actually do have a public facing changelog.
It could be something as simple as a public changelog not truly being a necessity. Or it could be the fact that it would bring a level of perhaps unwanted transparency to their website. I mean it’s hard to simply vanish things, if you have a policy of documenting changes. I guess you could just not document the vanishing of the undesirable content, but still document the more mundane changes made. Although that does undermine the utility of the tool.
If I were pushed to give an answer: I’d say that most people just don’t want the work of it. For example: with for-profit websites tending to streamline their overheads (i.e. cut costs wherever they can), coupled with the continual communication and co-ordination between multiple levels of staff required for implementing and routinely updating a changelog: they most likely wouldn’t want to bother with one. Especially since there is little in the way of returns in terms of profit for the work necessary.
Even single owner general hobbyist websites probably wouldn’t bother with one either. As the single operator likely focuses their efforts on documenting their actual hobby activities. Rather than developing the website itself. I’d imagine that this is especially true in cases where the subject of their hobby or activity is unrelated to technology.
So unlike with this website, there’d be no on-topic value to discussing website development as a subject. Such as a website documenting: a homestead, hobby farm, painting miniatures, religious education, or bodybuilding to name a few. Basically any website where discussing the website itself is unrelated to the core subjects of the website… Website.
That’s all really. Changelog incoming. (Actually its already here, this article is a month late. :D) Thank you for reading.
Term Glossary
RSS – Really Simple Syndication M.O. – Modus Operandi (mode of operation)
Good grief. Its already the end of the year. The last day in fact. Since this is the last couple of hours given to me of this year 2021, I figured that I might as well put something out. Something to inform you as to what I have been up to, and what you can expect from me in the future. Hopefully my more personal ramblings will still provide some entertainment value if nothing else. Obviously I will limit the subjects to those relevant to this website’s remit.
Time limitations and prioritisation
Ok. Where to begin. Well, it has been sometime since I last released an article. Nearly two months in fact. And what’s more, the last article I released wasn’t even all that interesting if I am honest. It just involved repairing a knife for a friend, and a rather shallow inspection of it’s mechanism.
So what have I been doing in the meantime, eh? Well it’s multifaceted. I have been doing a lot of things. Mostly working a new job and collecting money – so that I can hopefully have enough to move on to the next chapter of my life within 2022. (I will talk more about that at a later date.) Add to that all of life’s other important obligations. The kind that tire a person out. Mentally and physically.
That being said: I still made some time for tinkering with crap and writing about it. Unfortunately none of my various completed drafts have passed my personal threshold of quality *pause for laughter* in time to meet the self-imposed obligation of publishing at least one good article a month.
Projects currently worked on:
Device repairs and analysises
I have been working on several things including: a repair and device analysis article on an incandescent handheld torch, as well as a device analysis on an old nightlight and bicycle lights. Add to that an update on the tap cartridge article – where I replace the old cartridge as the temporary repair discussed in the first article has now since failed, and I don’t feel like redoing it again to buy a little more time. Within this article, I go through the process of measuring a cartridge using a caliper and noting all the most relevant dimensions for identifying and then purchasing the correct model replacement part.
Moving on, I also have some product reviews in the works; as well as various other repairs, refurbishments, and modifications. And since arguably the best times to shop for a good bargain is in November / early December: I have been purchasing a lot of tools and equipment in “spares and repairs” conditions. Ones’ whose repairs I have been / will continue to document.
I find myself now sitting on a veritable dragon’s hoard of broken electronic crap. Including everything from power-tools such as angle grinders and cordless drills, to useful devices such as uninterruptible power supplies, projectors, radios of several different stripes, as well as a sewing machine and a typewriter. All at rock bottom prices. And providing that I can repair them economically, all of these items will become a major boon once fixed: as they will assist me in future endeavours.
Theoretical subjects
Add to that the fact that I have several different drafts of a more philosophical nature or that deal with a theoretical subject in the works. Articles for example that discuss the economical aspects to repair and why it is difficult to maintain a profitable business repairing consumer electronics. As well as article that discuss subjects such as: methodical troubleshooting, true/perceived obsolescence, the nature of consumerism, and the dis/advantages of multi-tools such as smartphones.
Funny thing. Initially I started writing the more philosophical articles as a way to either whine about something that irks me, or as a way to create what I perceived as easy content. All I have to do is make a coffee and sit down and write. Right? Well no, this is because as I started writing on any subject of this nature – where ideas are explored: I become acutely aware of the gaps in my knowledge base. However often with no easy or sign-posted path to fill those gaps. Just an uneasy feeling of helplessness as one grasps at nothing in the darkness.
This is why these article are the ones least likely to get published. As I don’t want to advertise my ignorance, and doing some of these subjects justice requires writing a formal essay. With structured research and citations. And once you reach that point, it is no longer easy content now is it. Easier to just fish a used smart-dildo out of the dumpster, wash the shit off, then crack it open and throw a schematic up on here. I could probably complete that project within a single productive afternoon. And be less likely to embarrass myself in the process.
Project updates: Remote PI
I also have not forgotten the fact that I want to get back into making video games. Its just that operating as a solo developer is a heavy burden. It really is. And adding it to everything thing else that is going on – well I just haven’t had the time to put work into it as I should.
However, having said that. I am still chipping away at it. Right now I am playing around with creating pixel art. This skill will be relevant to the game. You might have spotted some of my work on this site. The Warhammer 40k Ork on the main page, or the Pokemon Magnemite on the “post index” page.
I even have heaps more that are unpublished. Including a bunch of pixel art icons and sprites that I intend to use in the role-playing tabletop game Shadowrun. I will use them to make decking (i.e. hacking) more compelling and attractive. By using the pixel art icons as visual indicators of networks, devices, as well as virtual entities such as AI sprites, ICs, and other deckers. Basically to add a visual flair to the game and give it some flavour.
So, even if I am not directly working on the game by creating assets for it. I am still developing a skillset relevant and conducive to the production of Remote PI. Its the main reason why I am creating pixel art. These other products are a side effect of that.
Software projects
I have several other software based projects that are currently ongoing, other than Remote PI. These include, creating a HTML wrapper, or converting my old Flash games so that they can be played here online. Alternatively, I may just make them downloadable. Either by bundling a portable Flash player with the .SWF files or by finding their original project files and recompiling them into an executable binary using the Adobe Air library.
I am also working on smaller HTML programs that I want to incorporate into this website itself. Such as an analogue clock widget, like the one in the Windows Vista sidebar; or a quote of the day program. Fun little things that add flavour to site like mine – albeit mostly by cluttering it up.
Closing statements
Broadly speaking, I think that I have achieve my stated goal with this first post. You now know what I have been up to this last month or so, and what I will be generally posting in the future. Although I haven’t mentioned every little thing, I think I got the big ones out of the way.
Having said that, going forward I will need to create a better daily routine for myself. One where I can have both the time and mental energy to work on these project more. As they are important to me, believe it or not.
This website enables me to look back on my work and experience it again. It enables me to put something useful and good into the world that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Even if I am the only one who reads this. Documenting things here is at least therapeutic. And I think that I will continue to do so.
If I did new years resolutions – which I don’t because they are for weak people, as they are usually used to give these people an excuse to procrastinate important life changes by delaying them until an arbitrary time period. At which point they half-heartedly promise themselves the opportunity to change, only to inevitably fail and resume their previous life habits. But don’t worry dear reader, there’s always next new year. Imma rite?
Anyway what was I saying before I started preaching like a clergyman? Oh yeah. New year’s rez.
Find a good daily/weekly routine that enables me to have the time (and mental energy) to work more on my projects. This includes cutting out bad time, where I am tired and instead of sleeping. I veg out in front of the computer. That’s probably one of the most cut and dry changes I can make to improve my productivity, as sleep restores brain plasticity.
Anyway. Thank you for reading, and happy new year.
#0035: repair and analysis of a talon style folding lock knife
Preamble
I was recently given this folding lock knife to fix for someone. The internal mechanisms of which I found mildly interesting, so I figured it would be worth the time to document it. It may also prove useful for future reference incase I come across something similar.
Initial observations
The first thing that I noticed whilst examining this unit is the unusual blade shape. This is a talon type blade. It is a single edged, crescent shaped blade that curves forwards and terminates in a single point. It’s crescent shape, coupled with the blade edge being on the inner concave curve: give it both a visual as well as function resemblance to the talons of birds of prey. The blade is designed to roughly function in the same way: to pierce and then to hook. This shape of blade can easily convert slashing motions into pierces, due to the blade tip being the leading contact point.
The blade description above may lead you to think that the pictured example knife is a deadly weapon. And that would be the case, at least if not for my second immediate observation. Which is that this knife is a mass produced (I assume) chinese special tacticool toy knife.
It is rather cheaply made, and only really aesthetically resembles the weapon that it is aping. This pictured knife is just a box cutter. That is also it’s literal function currently. Its what the knife’s owner, who is a warehouse operative uses it for. It is also the only thing that it can be used for in my opinion.
Faults
The main thing that was wrong with this unit is that it was not maintained properly. The owner did not tighten the various torx screws on this thing as they worked themselves loose. This led to various joints and mechanisms developing too much play in them. This then resulted in the blade being seated at a crooked angle. Which in turn allowed the blade tip to scratch the handle as it was retracted into it.
Additionally due to the owner’s negligence: some of the various screws that loosened over time, fell out entirely and were consequently lost. This is rather unfortunate, because these fittings consisted of a paired torx screw and socket nut; that where sized to fit flush into the recesses of the handle plates. The socket nut especially is rather annoying to replace. Requiring a specific purchase as it is rather uncommon, and wouldn’t likely be present in any of my bins of miscellaneous salvaged hardware.
The blade itself also has an issue. The main one being that it is made from a miscellaneous soft junk metal; and the second one is that it was currently dull. So it required a basic sharpening, in order to make this knife operable. At least for the relatively short time period that the blade’s soft metal can maintain a serviceable edge.
Parts list
A complete version of this locking knife consists of several discrete components:
1 x camouflage painted outer metal knife handle plate (left)
1 x camouflage painted outer metal knife handle plate (right)
1 x black painted metal inner frame with spring compartment insert gap
1 x black painted metal inner frame with blade locking wedge
1 x black painted metal finger guard with box cutter point
1 x grey painted talon style blade
1 x metal spring
1 x metal spring compartment
2 x plastic washers
4 x smaller black painted metal hex screw and blind nut set
1 x larger black painted metal hex screw and blind nut set
1 x black painted metal trouser clip
3 x black painted hex screws for the trouser clip
Tools and materials
Tools:
Round edge metal file
Knife sharpener rod
Torx screwdrivers (T7, T9)
Tweezers
Materials:
plumber’s grease (or equivalent)
Repair
There really isn’t much to say on the repair itself, as its pretty straight forward. I disassembled then reassembled the knife; fixing everything dodgy about it as I went.
Actions:
Completed knife disassembly.
Bent the blade locking wedge on the inner frame so that it stops the blade from folding closed more reliably.
Greased the blade’s damaged plastic washers to help prevent future wear.
Bent the blade spring’s hook into a right angle in order to get a better hold on the blade.
Re-greased the blade spring within the spring compartment due to presence of dry grease here.
Re-tightened all the screws and socket nuts that keep the housing together.
Added a stand-in replacement for a missing screw and socket nut pair that consists of two screws and a salvaged threaded brass insert nut.
Added a plastic screw and nut to help hold frame. I chose plastic so that I could cut down the screw and round off the nut easily so that it doesn’t snag the user’s hand.
Performed a basic sharpening on the blade using a metal file, then honed the edge using a knife sharpening rod.
The actual repair itself is hardly anything to be proud of. It wasn’t a hard repair and didn’t even take long. However this knife has been saved from going into the rubbish bin, for at least another couple of months, and that should be the main take home. This thing is ready for work again; and should stay that way for quite a while.
Before and After video demo
Before
After
Recommended modifications
1) Grinding the blade edge and sharpening.
The knife blade could use a proper grinding and sharpening: if it to be used for anything more involved than opening boxes. I recommend grinding the blade down so that the angle of the blade edge slopes smoothly up to the mid-ridge. That way the blade can have more acutely angled edge.
This will consequently make the blade sharper than it currently is. A smaller angle will also remain sharper for longer whilst in use, due to the relative thinness of the new blade edge. Even as it dulls. Although the blade will also likely become more brittle and likely to snap as a consequence of the severe loss of material this newly angled edge will require.
2) Installing a blade backstop.
A blade backstop will stop the blade from over-rotating when it is extended. It will also prevent the blade from wobbling when extended by sandwiching it between the backstop and the blade locking wedge.
This knife likely already had a blade backstop of sorts, as it already has the screw holes where on could be mounted. However it was probably lost during use. As it is the blade overextends backwards when it comes in contact with any material that resists it.
3) Thread locker on the screws.
Thread locker such as “Locktite 243” when applied to screws prevents them from slowly working themselves loose during operation, due to factors such as vibration. This will extend the lifespan of this knife when applied to the screws that hold the frames together, as it will mean that they will (largely) no longer need to be checked and re-tightened at intervals.
And since we have already established that this knife’s owner is averse to maintaining his equipment: the lower the level of maintenance this knife needs, will be proportional to the extension of it’s operational lifespan. I.e. it will last as long as it lasts, if the thread locker can keep it together for longer, than it will last a little longer as a consequence.
4) Installation of additional retaining bolts.
I think that installing a few additional bolts and nuts to keep the frame together would greatly increase the overall structural strength of this folding knife. As it would share the strain of keeping the unit together amongst more points. This would allow this knife to be used in applications that require more force.
Although one has to be careful not to drill and install any bolts within the blades seating area within the knife handle housing, or within it’s pathway. Common sense right?
Post mod roles
As it is this knife tool is weak and too dull for any real work beyond cutting the tape off of cardboard boxes. however I theorise that if the above mods are made, then one would end up with a stronger, sharper, and more stable tool.
This would then allow the tool to used in a broader array of applications. For example light wood working, or bush craft applications. A talon style blade is good in both of those applications. The sharp hooked point is good for carving detail into wood. The concave blade is good for gripping and working with rounded objects like natural woods (sticks and branches). For example: for sharpening sticks, or for feathering wood to create tinder. It is also good for harvesting (in this case smaller) plants; as the concave blade helps bundle the stems together when cutting. Like a miniature sickle.
I could go on but I hope you get the point. The issue here is not with the knife’s design, it is with it’s flawed construction. If that could be remedied (or at least alleviated), then this knife could actually become a useful tool. It just requires work to get there.
Closing thoughts
Honestly, I actually rather dislike these types of low-cost low-quality mass produced items. This knife for example: it’s low-cost promotes replacement rather than repair: as it can very quickly make many repairs in it’s owner’s eye deemed as uneconomical. And that is assuming that the owner has a mend-and-make-do mentality to begin with. Most contemporary consumers do not. They have a use and replace mentality.
The main reason why a person may want to repair these things in my mind: is either philosophical (i.e. environmental conscientiousness, fiscal responsibility, anti-consumerist sentiments, etcetera); emotional sentimentality (e.g. hand-me-down from a relative); or if they are in severe financial strife and literally can’t afford to replace a £3.99 work knife.
Now look at it’s cheap build and materials. This factor exacerbates the issue above. Chiefly because it lowers the tools operational lifespan. This is the time it is in use, before it somehow breaks on it’s owner. Hence sooner putting them in a position to make the call on whether or not to either repair or replace the tool.
I do consider a knife like this to have been built with planned obsolescence in mind. Even though the term is hardly used for mechanical hand tools like knives; as it is usually reserved for electronic or computer products.
However, consider this: if the user does no maintenance on this knife. Then there are only so many operational hours that it is capable of before completely falling apart, or at the very least becoming inoperable. It’s shoddy build quality purposefully limits this simple hand tools lifespan. And when it is over, the user is expected to then purchase another one. That is a form of planned obsolescence.
I hate preaching, but please consider not buying this kind of shite. There are better alternatives available. Such as buying second hand quality tools. I always advise that people do the requisite research first. Then spend what they can afford in order to get the best value tools that they can, for their specific use case.
I said “Best value”, not most expensive. A chrome-vanadium spanner is a chrome-vanadium spanner at any price. Just because a person pays more for a brand name, doesn’t necessarily mean that their chrome-vanadium spanner is better than the off brand one.
Nowadays, it’s rather likely that they were both made in the same factory from the same material stock. An idea that would be laughable, if it wasn’t also true. Many brands on the market don’t manufacture anything. They purchase orders from the same OEMs then label the products as their own.
*proceeds to mount high horse.
If you absolutely have to purchase at the bottom of the market because you absolutely have no more money to spend. Then spend time instead. Time upgrading, fortifying, and maintaining your tool. This is so that it can last as long as you need it to. Or at the very least extend the time intervals between new purchases.
That being said, it is an unfortunate reality that most people who do mindlessly purchase bottom of the market products like this knife: are either unable; or more commonly, unwilling to invest time in their tools. They are in many cases content to use the shoddy tool in the short time until it breaks. Then purchase another bottom of the market shoddy tool to replace it with. Repeating this loop of short-sighted wasteful false-economy ad infinitum.
*proceeds to dismount high horse.
I feel that I should somewhat qualify my rather negative sentiments against these types of bottom market products. In the past I have worked within a small recycling facility, one that primarily serviced my local community on behalf of the local council, as well as the surrounding areas. (The point is that we weren’t shipping it’s garbage in.) I worked there as a materials sorter.
It gave me a certain perspective on the sheer volume of material wastage people engaged in. For a supposedly poor community, the amount of waste of useful materials was astounding. Every night I came across hundreds (not hyperbole) of very useable tools of all kinds. Everything from: screwdrivers, knives, drill bits, and spanners, to pots, pans, skillets, as well as whole bicycles some nights. All of that thrown away for recycling.
Many of these things were in decent conditions. Conditions that required either basic maintenance such as: sharpening, some hammering, replacing a handle, or realigning, or even a simple old fashioned cleaning. Gasp! Working there made me dislike a lot of these products; as when I now see them new: I think of where they’ll likely end up in less than a years time … In the fucking trash.
I just don’t like companies purposefully making tools/products that have such a short lifespan designed into them. I doubly don’t like it when these same products are purchased, used, and then wastefully discarded, by people whom I have heard a thousand times: claim poverty. But that’s another rant entirely.
#0030: Game review: Princess Remedy In a World of Hurt
Preamble
I wanted to feature this game here as I think it is rather interesting, and I have a few comments I’d like to make about it. The game is called “Princess Remedy In a World of Hurt”. It is a bullet hell game created for the PC platform. However interestingly, it was made with the design limitations of a game targeted for the Nintendo Game Boy Color portable games console; as least it appears that way superficially. This article will feature a review and discussion of the game as well as a play-through or two to demonstrate the gameplay, visuals, sounds, and general game mechanics on offer.
Screenshots
Pixel art samples
Sprite size: 16×16 pixels
Grid cell size: 16×16 pixels
Grid size: 10×8 cells
Status bar size: 160×12 pixels
Game Review
Before I begin it is important to get a bit of context on the circumstances of this game’s creation. According to the read-me file that I found within the Steam version of this game’s directory (‘remedy.txt’): ‘Princess Remedy In a World of Hurt’ was originally created in 2014 during a livestreamed four day charity game jam by a group of four people. This initial completion constituted their version 1.0.
Although this version lacked certain additional features present in the latest 1.5 version that I have played. Features such as: gamepad support, options menu, multiple difficulties, and additional endings. The version 1.0: although undoubtedly rough – established a set scope of gameplay mechanics, narrative, and player experience; that was then subsequently refined and improved upon.
With the exception of the ‘Jealous Chest’ mechanic and extra endings: the additional refinements were mostly quality of life features, and in my opinion do not necessarily constitute raw additional game content. Like a new area, or new enemies would for example. As such the final version still feels like a game that could arguably be created within a short amount of time.
I only mention the game’s humble origins because it is apparent by the restricted scope of mechanics present, story, and short playtime: that not much in terms of resources actually went into the game’s creation. By resources I mean time taken to either plan a deeper narrative, create additional gameplay mechanics, or create more materials (i.e. media like image sprites and sound effects). Add to that the necessary programming time taken to implement and test every additional element.
Although it may come across as a criticism, I do not mean it as such. Rather it is by virtue of it’s spartan nature that I am attracted to this game to begin with. I wish to emulate it in my own way, and create a similar title as a practice game for a larger project I have in mind. Also I rather like the minimalist approach to game design presented here, a design that discards all but the essential components needed for a viable gameplay loop. As a hobbyist game designer who has discarded games mid-development due to feature creep (and the frustration that it incurs): I actually admire an approach that respects the limitations of available resources and deadlines, and operates with a more prosaic ‘get it done’ attitude as a consequence of that.
Now onto the game itself. The core gameplay experience consists of walking around and exploring a classic 2D RPG world like the one of ‘Final Fantasy I’ (FFI). Here you find people to talk to, to then enter a battle instance with. This battle instance consists of a unique bullet hell mini-game; as every NPC has their own custom setup of enemies and terrain layout to contend with. Winning these battles provides rewards that come in the form of a stat boost called ‘Hearts’. Hearts are the most important stat booster in the game. This is because in addition to marginally boosting the characters health (or hit) points, a set number of them are also needed to open the specific gates that lead to other map areas, and thus progress the game.
The game has a simple and concise gameplay loop. It may superficially look like a classic RPG title such as FFI, however all the extraneous RPG mechanics from a game like FFI are not present here. There are no items (beyond gate-keys), status effects, nor any character abilities, or levelling. There is however a basic system of stat progression that involves collecting stat tokens.
The full list of stat tokens include: the aforementioned ‘Hearts’ which marginally improve HP, ‘Power’ which increases shot damage, ‘Multi’ which increases the number of shots fired at a time, ‘Regen’ which increases the HP regeneration rate, and finally ‘Flasks’, which increases the number of uses of the special attack action during combat. In addition to Hearts, all of the other stat boosts are exclusively found in chests dotted around the various towns and caves.
The actual game world itself consists of a simple world map, which links together a series of higher fidelity maps. These higher fidelity maps primarily come in two forms: towns and caves, but also includes a few castles, a pond, and several other unique areas. The world map only contains heart-gates and key-gates. It is the higher fidelity maps that contain all other interact-able objects. These come in two formats: NPCs and chests. Each NPC only offers a quick dialogue on interaction. This dialogue either contains game hints, or instigates that specific NPC’s bullet hell mini-game. Whereas the chests contain either stat upgrades, or keys for opening shortcuts.
I should mention that the higher fidelity maps also contain a puzzle element. Some chests are set up in a way to resemble secrets from other visually similar RPG games. Specifically, in order to get to them they require the player to walk off of the displayed tile area, by passing through normally impassible terrain tiles (like walls): into the black space in and around the map that traditionally denote impassable terrain. Links to secret paths like this are marked by a slight imperfection on the terrain tile that connects to them. Thus marking it as passible terrain.
That’s it. That’s the game. Talk to people, then win the bullet hell battles they offer to get hearts; find chests, get stats, and more hearts; then open the heart-gate to get to the next area. Rinse and repeat until you get to the final boss. Where you play an extended bullet hell battle. Done.
Screenshots from Princess Remedy
Screenshots from Final Fantasy I
The only real deviation from this formula that this game offers is via the ‘Jealous chest’ mechanic. Within an advanced area of the game – one that is gated by three separate heart-gates, and hidden within the town map there: exists the Jealous chest. This is a special chest that will give the player a shot power boost, but only if the player has not opened any other chests before it. Meaning that in order to acquire that shot boost, the player will have to win (nearly) every battle up to that point in the game without any of the stat boosts that the other chests offer.
This challenge adds significant difficulty to game and I personally found it rather engaging. However there is a down side to this. The problem comes in when you actually get the Jealous chest. Shortly after opening the chest and getting the extra power boost contained within, the player gets the contents of all the normal chests in previous areas, even the ones hidden by secret passageways that may otherwise be missed.
This gives the player a very sudden and dramatic power boost. Which on one hand feels great, due to the fact that up until this point the player has been surviving the battles with mere base stats. ‘Surviving’ being the operative word here for the experience. Then all of a sudden you gain all the stat boosters from three zones, giving you the power to nuke previously troublesome enemies like the Ghosts.
The problem with this sudden dramatic power gain is that it causes an inversely dramatic drop off in game difficulty. Even though technically the enemies fought in the later game after this point are stronger than the previous enemies, the same level of planning and skill required to survive up to this point and win battles is no longer necessary due to the raw power output the player now has.
This phenomenon causes the player to experience a significant spike in difficulty in the mid game levels just before acquiring the Jealous chest. Which is then not surpassed by any of the other following levels, including the final boss fight. This is due to the smaller disparity of power between the enemies and the player. In other words once you get the Jealous chest, you can essentially coast the rest of the game, even though you’ll technically be fighting stronger enemies. It will not feel like it.
Luckily the Jealous chest is an add-on mechanic, and is only really necessary if you wish to get the full 101% completion rate. If you don’t care about that, then you’ll likely experience a far more gradual and balanced difficulty curve as you progress through the game the normal way: haphazardly collecting (and missing) chests as you go.
Moving on. As for the bullet hell battles themselves, they are also very simple. They consist of manoeuvring an auto-firing character around, and occasionally using the catch-all action button to throw a flask; which functions as a grenade: doing AOE damage across a three-by-three (nine square) grid. The standard shots fire automatically from the character as is standard fare in bullet hell games.
What isn’t standard is the fact that the character can change which direction she is facing; meaning that in Princess Remedy you can fire in all four directions. This is due to this game taking place in a sandboxed square area. Unlike more traditional arcade shooter bullet-hell games, which tend to play out within either a vertical or horizontal scrolling stage. In which the player character’s firing direction is fixed to face in the direction that the stage scrolls into frame from. As that’s where the enemies are coming from. The most typical example of this, is that of a spaceship themed vertical arcade-style scroller like ‘Ikaruga’.
Ikaruga Steam trailer
The enemies in this game are rather varied. There is a mixed bag of enemies with differing movement patterns, health points, and who emit different shot types, in different numbers and frequencies from each other. There are enemies such as the Spike-ball which just moves towards the player when within it’s line-of-sight, as well as the Ghost which follows the player whilst also intermittently disappearing and shooting a terrain piercing shot toward the player. There are a handful of iterative enemies like this Ghost, i.e. harder versions of previous enemies. They utilize the behaviour patterns of the previous lower tier enemy, but then with a little extra mechanic added on.
I should also note that enemy behaviour actually changes across the difficulty levels. To me it is always a pleasant surprise when the actual enemy AI is tweaked to be more difficult on harder levels. In my experience playing video-games in general: it is far more common to see developers simply tweak stats like shot damage and hit points, then call it a day. All whilst maintaining the exact same enemy patterns of behaviour. This game probably does buff the stats of enemies in the harder modes, although I haven’t played enough to verify enough to the point that I could confidently state so here. Its not important either way. What is important is the fact that the enemy AI is tweaked and geared for the difficulty.
An example of this would be with Bat enemies. Bats are enemies that move in a random direction at a set time interval. They damage the player by colliding with it. In normal mode when a Bat dies, it simply dies. In hard mode, Bats shoot out three regular bullets in the direction of the player upon death, and in master mode the Bats move considerably faster whist also doing everything from the lower difficulties.
Moving on, now let’s discuss the more technical specifications of this title. This game was made using the Game Maker engine and targeted the PC platform. However more interestingly the game was visually designed to imitate a Game Boy Color game. It has the same resolution as GBC games (160×140 pixels), as well as similar colour pallets, and sprite types (8-bit era 16×16 pixel sprites).
It also uses a severely limited range of player inputs for interacting with the game. Although it maps multiple buttons/keys to each input type. For example the ‘action’ input is mapped to multiple keys including Enter and Spacebar. This is where my first real criticism of the game comes in. The ‘action’ key, the in-game results of pressing this key are highly contextual.
If pressed next to an NPC, it will engage them in dialogue; if pressed whilst moving, the player character will start running in the same direction; and if pressed whilst stationary and not facing an adjacent NPC, it’ll pop up the menu screen. Needless to say it has caused me to misclick a couple of times. Mostly by throwing up a menu when I intended to run. But that could just as easily be an issue with me and my keyboard. Although I found this catch-all action key to be a rather clunky method of input, it is ultimately a relatively trivial matter.
The main thing that I have encountered within this game that is actually worthy of criticism is it’s pixel scaling methods. At higher resolutions than the base times one (‘x1’) or 160×140 pixel screen size, it looks absolutely awful. The sharp clean pixels at the base size get blurry even at the times two (320×280) screen size.
Honestly, I am not sure about the technology being used here to resize the window and rescale the display assets within it. If I were to guess, I’d say that it is the functionality of one of Game Makers image manipulation libraries. Judging from what I can observe: I assume the image is actually being scaled using a form of on-the-fly interpolation. Such as linear or cubic interpolation.
Essentially algorithms (used within this application that are) designed to guess at what colour the pixels should be within the newly created empty regions, between the separated pixels of an upscaled image. Unfortunately, they do not have the context that they are dealing with a pixel art that requires clean lines, and consequently blurs edges in a bid to establish some kind of smooth colour gradient. At least that’s my guess as to what is going on here.
I think the window and asset scaling in this game was something of an after-thought honestly. Especially since the ‘options’ menu containing it was introduced to the game in it’s 1.1 patch. After the conclusion of the game jam. Meaning that the 1.0 game jam version was only made with the fixed Game Boy Color screen size in mind, and with all assets specifically scaled for it.
Only afterwards did the programmer who is maintaining the game decide to add additional resolutions. Unfortunately they did not recreate the art assets to be more scalable. For example by using large images designed for a modern full-screen display (e.g. 1920×1080) then scaling them down.
Although this has it’s own issues such as image artifacts being created by aggressively compressing image dimensions. However in my opinion, a little artifacting is considerably more palatable then the horrendous blurring incurred by the current solution of upscaling tiny images to large resolutions. This is most comically apparent when in full-screen mode. Imagine what happens when you upscale (essentially stretch) a screen with a height of 140 pixels to 1080 pixels. Needless to say it is virtually unplayable.
Now upon hearing this, you may think to yourself: why don’t they do that? I mean it won’t take long to use an image manipulation software (like GIMP) to upscale each image asset by raw pixel doubling; and without introducing blurring via interpolation techniques. Well, another reason why the current maintainer of this may not want to use upscaled images may include the related image code itself.
Considering that this game was initially made in a span of four days for a competition, then things like proper planning and future proofing of code goes out the window. It it very likely that this game has been hardcoded with strong references to the current image dimensions throughout the codebase. If so it will also explain this slapdash box-ticking approach to getting higher resolutions, as it likely avoids having to deal with the technical debt incurred by hard coding the image dimensions into the game logic in this manner.
What do I mean by this? Let me illustrate the problem here: imagine if you had a line of code that moved the Bat enemy for example. This enemy moves every other time tick in a random direction the full length of it’s size (16 pixels). Assuming that the code for this is hardcoded (i.e. code containing asset dimensions, or verbose inflexible instruction sets). Then the code for moving the Bat across the vertical axis may look something like: ‘moveBatY(){bat.posY+=16; updateSpritePos();}’.
Now, let’s say you want this game to also work at a times two scale (or at 320×280) resolution. This instruction set will have to be modified to allow the bat to move it’s full length. Which is now 32 pixels and not 16. If the code is left as is, then the Bat will no longer function as intended/expected. This is a form of technical debt, i.e. creating your codebase in way that will require reformatting/rewriting before significant additions can be made to the feature set; by in this case adding additional game resolutions. And considering the volume of image interactions going on in this game, likely having to reformat the entire codebase will not be a trivial matter. After a basic cost-benefit analysis, the programmer here probably deemed it not worth pursing at the time. Instead opting for the sub-optimal (yet viable) solution that is currently implemented.
Resolution scaling screenshots
open image in a new tab to see fullsize
Manually scaled examples
X1 (game)
X2 (game)
X2 (GIMP)
X4 (game)
X4 (GIMP)
I’d like to leave this review on a positive note. As I was doing a final check after writing this review I found out that the main developer, namely Remar has very recently updated this game. The latest version at the time of writing is 1.6; however this version (at lest currently) is only available on Remar’s personal website. The update included a few things: most notably a dedicated run button. Which addressed some of my criticisms I had made prior. So discount those if you play version 1.6.
The real cool thing about this situation is that you have a developer here who decides to update a now 6-7 year old game; that they made available to the public for free. That’s a developer that cares about their craft, and cares about their legacy. At least I’d like to think so, I mean they sure as shit aren’t making any money off of it. And as a guy who is currently trying to port his old garbage flash games to HTML5 – love for the craft and posterity is the only real reason I can see for a person to go out of their way and tweak/improve something like this.
If you want to play ‘Princess Remedy In a World of hurt’ it is available on the Steam PC platform and also on the Developer’s personal website with no Steam DRM. Download link: ‘https://remar.se/daniel/remedy.php’. It is a free game so give it try. If you really like it you may even want to purchase it’s paid sequel: ‘Princess Remedy In a Heap of trouble’.
Video Play-throughs
Difficulty: NORMAL
Completion: 101% (jealous chest run)
Time: 42 minutes 5 seconds
Game version: 1.5 (Steam)
Difficulty: HARD
Completion: 101% (jealous chest run)
Time: 52 minutes 41 seconds
game version: 1.5 (Steam)
Game credits
Game copyright Remar Games and Ludosity 2014 Design, script, code, SFX edit: Daniel Remar Design, graphics: Anton Nilsson Music, SFX: Mattias Hakulinen Final boss songs: Stefan Hurtig
Nintendo Game Boy Color reference images
image taken from wikipedia.org
image taken from nintendo.co.uk
image taken from nintendo.co.uk
Closing thoughts
This is the first actual game review that I have done on this site. I hope that it proved to be insightful and useful to you. Whether you wish to simply play the game (and you really should as its free on Steam), or whether you are simply interested in a hearing about a game’s systems and the interplay of mechanics within it. I hope that I at least entertained you if nothing else.
The main reason why I covered this particular game is because I intend to create a clone of this title. I like the very limited nature of it, and genuinely think that I could make a copy in order to sharpen my skill-set. I needed a small but genuine gaming project to try out my tools, and to practice my pixel art and music creation. So look out for that game when it is out. I’ll pop a link here for it when available.
It’s sort of funny when when certain coincidences happen, and one gets that feeling of living in a small world. The name ‘Ludosity’ came up a couple off times while I was reading up on this game. I just thought ‘huh, that rings a bell’ and moved on. Its only once the review was almost finished and I decided to actually visit the website links within the readme files, did I find out who it was. They were the people that made ‘Card City Nights’, a game that I really enjoyed years ago. I even 100% the game, blue Steam ribbon in all. I remember it was also a game of limited scope, being just a series of card battles attached to something almost akin to a visual novel, with a simple collectable card game or deck builder core. It also had a simple but very compelling gameplay loop, and lovely art…
On that final nostalgic note, I’d like to say:
Thanks for reading.
Glossary of terms
2D – 2 Dimensional AI – Artificial Intelligence. Although in this context it doesn’t refer to real AI, but rather patterns of situational behaviour that non-player controlled entities engage in or act out.
AOE – Area of Effect. NPC – Non Playable Character RPG – Role Playing Game Sprite – Simple low resolution image of an entity. E.g. NPC.
