Buying with Brandon (The one where he tells you what to look for when your building a gaming computer)

          HEY! I'm Brandon, and i'm going to build a computer. But i'm not looking to build just any computer, the newest version of my favorite video game is coming out but my computer is to slow to even play the older versions of it! I need to build a new computer that can run the latest video games without any delay in processing. I mean, i'm going to be doing some homework on it, but i'm mainly concerned with the speed and quality of the graphics.
          To build this computer i'm going to be looking at 5 main things' processors, memory, mother boards, hard drives and graphics adapters. Although a processor is important, it isn't the most important thing you need for a gaming computer. Although new 6 - 8 core processors may seem like they should be better, their aren't really needed for games because they put most of their heavier loads on only one or two cores. Because I am going to be using my computer for gaming I am going to look at dual or quad core processor. Less is more when it comes to gaming so you don't need to spend a lot of your money on a new high end multi-core processor.
          Although most games can run on just 4GB of memory, for the new high-tech games I know I am going to play I am probably going to get at least 8GB and you don't really need any more then that. Anything higher then that is basically useless and a waste of money. Just remember, more memory doesn't necessarily always make a game run faster, most of the time the extra memory just sits, unused.
          Before you look at anything else, you have to pick a motherboard that is compatible with all the parts you are buying. Memory boards can dictate the amount of memory you can have and you have to make sure it is compatible with you CPU. You should look to buy a more recent motherboard that with be better compatible with newer CPU's, drive's and video cards. You should think ahead before choosing one to make sure all your parts will work together. Since the motherboard is such an important part in a computer, you should look to buy the best you can afford for he type of gaming you are looking to do.
          When looking at drives you will see two different kinds, solid-state and mechanical. And ask any gamer and they would recommend a solid-state because it is so much quicker then a mechanical one and a game that normally took 30 seconds with mechanical could take 5 with a solid-state. You shouldn't buy a drive with any less then 200GB or else you won't be able to have any more then a couple games saved on your computer. More space is better but unused space is useless, so when it comes to buying a drive it all comes down to how much memory you personally think you will need or use.
          The video card or graphic adapter is probably the most important thing when it comes to building a gaming computer. Faster and better video cards allow for smoother graphics for a better gaming experience. If you are using a display lower then 1080 then a 1GB of memory on the card should be fine, but any higher and you should look for cards with at least 2GB as it allows the computer to handle more data before crashing. You don't really need more then one card and I won't be looking to buy more then one because they often run into driver and game support issues and are louder and hotter then a single card.
          Building a computer especially for gaming is like a balancing act. Although you might want a really good video card and a lot of memory, you shouldn't spend all you money to buy the best of one thing and settle for a lower quality version of something else. Like if you bought a lot of memory like 32GB it would make no sense to spend all of that money and then settle for a single or dual core processor. By balancing your spending, all the extra money you spent on a lot of memory could be used to buy a better or more cores. Don't be fooled by all the ads and trust me and use these tips to make sure you have all the parts to make a computer that makes games look and play better. GOOD LUCK!
       
       
       

The Daily Loop

          So we all know what loops are (or at least you will shortly after you finish reading this paragraph about them). In programming it is a sequence of commands that are repeated until a condition is met. A loop can also be programmed so that if a condition is met, then it will complete the listed commands. Repetition loops are supper important in not only video games and computer programs but also in the way our body functions and how we live.


         Your body is amazing in the way that it has thousands of automatic "commands" that process without you even thinking about it. If your body is dehydrated you will fell thirsty, or if your eyes are dry or there is something in them you will blink. If blinking was a loop your brain would detect if your eyes were dirty or clean and would repeatedly blink until the problem was resolved. However this commend isn't done just once, the brain constantly monitors or checks to see if your eyes are dirty or dry (meeting certain conditions) and if they are they will blink again until they are clean (repeating) and then the "loop" will reset almost and start checking again to see if your eye is dry or dirty.

          

The same type of idea applies if your body is dehydrated. Your body is constantly checking how hydrated you are and if it gets to low or to a certain level, it will notify the brain and you will feel thirsty. Just like a loop IF a certain condition is met like getting thirsty THEN you will feel thirsty and it will REPEAT these feelings of thirst until the problem is resolved and you re-hydrate.

                            

The If Factor: Crossy Road

          Conditional or if statements ask questions about the program state to choose from a set of different sequences of commands (Basically if something is true then a chosen set of commands will execute, and if not, a different set of commands will execute or nothing will happen).  Examples of if statements can be seen in almost all game and software applications. To find specific examples, we can look at the programming behind Crossy Road. 
          In Crossy Road, you have to tap the screen in order to move forward. An if statements would have been used by the programmer so that if screen is touched then move forward by 1. 

          Similarly, if the screen is swiped sideways or backwards, the game will automatically move the character sideways or backwards by 1 every time the screen is swiped in the desire direction. The basic code for this would sound like if screen swiped from left to right then move right by 1 OR if screen swiped from right to left then move left by 1. The same thing happens for moving backwards except the screen would need to be swiped downwards and the character would move down or backwards by 1.

          Watch out though! If you get hit my a car or a train, or even if you fall in water, then game stops and you temporarily 'die'. Don't worry though! Like in any video game you can try again and come back to life. The if statement to simulate this would be something like if character touches car then stop everything. The actual code for the game is much more complicated because after you 'die' different screens and options are brought up however, the main code for the whole action of 'dying' is probably similar.

          One of the really cool things about Crossy Road that keeps players interested is you can win different characters. If you have 100 coins then you can go to the prize machine to win a character. One of the codes for this would be if coins = <100 then show 'win a prize' button. If you wanted to go further you'd need a code that said if the button was pressed then show a different background, bring up a different script or 'character' etc. You would need a whole new set of codes to program the actual prize machine.

          One of the other cool things about Crossy Road is that if you have a certain character, the 'map' or 'roads' will be specified to that certain characters habitat or theme. To do this there would need to be an if code that said if '_______' character is selected then change background to '________'. Examples of this are desert areas for desert animals and winter areas for winter animals. There is also a map that turns black and white for Frankenstein and the main grassy one for all the basic characters.

Variables, Programming and Video Games: It's not Chemistry But There Is Definitely a Connection

        What is a variable? Well basically (in math at least) it's a letter that replaces an unknown number. Variables can be used in programming as numbers, but they can also be used as text values such as "true" or "false" for example.
        So now that you know what a variable is your probably wondering to yourself "Well... what can be stored as a variable...". Well, I'll tell you that almost anything can be stored as a variable and they can be used to do hundreds of different things. You could create a variable called "store" that could store the information about the number of points you get during a game.

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("How Do Computer Programs Use Variable?" BBC News. BBC Bitesize, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.)

Now your probably wondering "Well... how could the word 'store' automatically know what I want it to do and store the number of points I have?" well that part is simple actually. When your avatar or character touches or "collects" a coin or piece of treasure for example, you could tell the program to increase the variable 'score' by 1. As you keep touching or 'collecting' points, the variable 'score' will keep changing.
        Variables are needed to run almost everything except the simplest of simple computer programs.  Programs need variables to store information as it runs. Whether it needs to store numbers, or answers to a question, variables allow us as programmers to change and access thing information as the program is running.


Here's a simple example of variable used in scratch programming:
1. Make the character as for your name

2. Make a variable called 'name' and set the variable to the answer
3. Make the character join the words 'Hello' and the variable 'name' and say "Hello (your name)".

GOOD LUCK!

A Small Introduction to Scratch Programming

          Scratch is a program the teaches users the foundations and basic aspects of computer programming. It uses pre-written commands that can be pieced together rather then having to write the commands manually. Scratch offers a unique way to make programs without actually knowing how to code which makes it different from many other programs (which is pretty cool). Anyone can learn how to program with Scratch which makes it perfect for people like me who have never programmed before. There are 3 basic structures in Scratch that are each used to do specific things. The first is the sequential structure are sets of commands that repeat one after the other. Sequential structures are the basic set of commands that are used in larger, more complex structures. Repetition structures are what are used to repeat certain sequential structures a certain number of times. The command(s) is put into a loop or cycle until it has been completed, where it then moves to the next command after the repetition structure. Any command inside the repetition structure will be repeated for a set amount of time or until certain conditions are met. Finally, there are selection structures where certain commands will be completed if a 'statement' is completed as well. For example, one can make certain command happen if a certain button is pressed. If the button is not pressed, nothing will happen. However, one can make a selection structure that completes certain commands even if a 'statement' is not met. The structure will do a certain command if a statement is met, otherwise it will do another set of commands. All of these structures can be used together to make more advanced commands. This course is different from another other course I have ever taken. It is similar in the aspect that all or most of the work is done on a computer, however, instead of using other peoples programs, ICS 2O1 teaches you how to make your own. Although I have never programmed before now, I am excited to learn about all the new skills this course teaches that I never thought I could do.

(FLAPPY BIRD SCRATCH!)