Theoretical Budget - January 2016

I created a theoretical budget for living back in 2014 using the societal needs categories as the items in the budget. I omitted air, sunlight, and recreation, and I was able to easily catch all of my potential expenses either in the remaining items or in the tax withholding item. Here's what it looks like for 2016:

Primary

Water -  $ 57.50 - Household of four halved.

Food - $ 400 - Dining out for half of all meals.

Rent - $ 800 - An average 3 bed 2 bath house halved.

Secondary

Electricity - $ 107.50 - Household of four halved.

Waste - $ 35 - Trash, recycling, and sewage.

Clothing - $ 50 - The cost of one full outfit.

Entertainment - $ 75 - Games, movies, sports, etc.

Exercise - $ 15 - A gym membership.

Tax Withholding -  $ 67 - Automatic taxes to the government.

Tertiary

Transportation - $ 135 - Insurance, gas, and tolls.

Communication - $ 105 - A cell phone and internet.

Shopping / Trade - $ 40 - This money goes to furnishings and goods.

Healthcare - $ 220 - Healthcare and dental.

Safety / Regulation - $ 15 - For when you get a parking ticket.

Social - $ 20 - When you go out for drinks.

Religion - $ 20 - For the sake of charity.

Education - $ 50 - Send your kids to college.

Creative Arts - $ 25 - A hobby or just craft supplies.

Risk - $ 25 - Do you feel lucky?


Total (Monthly)
$ 2,262

Total (Yearly)
$ 27,144

In summary, rent and food prices have risen predictably, and transportation costs have gone down slightly with gas prices. Communications and clothing have increased to represent their importance. This budget is my defining line between the lower and middle class. It also may not be entirely accurate. For instance, many people pay much more for insurance or education.

Burgundy Rise

For the Fall 2015 Student Game Developer Alliance Game Jam, I began work on a new top-down shooter game. Our theme was '12' so I included twelve weapons that the player could switch through using their mouse-wheel. For the weapons, I programmed in a nifty system - that I plan on expanding - that uses Unity's enumerations to help organize and control weapon switching, functionality, pick-ups, and diversity.

You can find the prototype for the game on the SGDA's Itch.io Fall 2015 Game Jam page!

My First YouTube Video - Minecraft!

Explore Polycraft World - A Minecraft Mod from UT Dallas

"Polycraft World is a comprehensive mod for Minecraft that features petrochemical refining, harvesting of new ore types and the construction of polymers, plastics and specialty items. This portal (www.polycraftworld.com) allows you to manage relationships with fellow Polycrafters, refine your private properties and find servers hosted at UT Dallas. Adventure awaits." 

In regular Minecraft, players gather resources, explore the world, survive the night, and build nearly anything. Polycraft is a mod for Minecraft that exponentially increases the amount of resources available for use in crafting. Players start out by tapping trees for natural rubber (PolyIsoPrene), and slowly move up the chemical chain by utilizing crude oil, minerals, and a good majority of the elements from the periodic table.

Currently, progress is segmented into levels. The chain looks something like this:
Tree-tap -> machining mill -> injection molder -> extruder -> distillation column -> industrial oven -> steam cracker -> merox treatment -> chemical processor -> condenser -> oil derrick.

There are low, medium, high, and extreme grade polymers, and the difficulty slope is exponential - extreme polymers can take up to twelve steps of chemistry or refinement before you can craft a pump or an oil derrick, and it can take a lot of time because as far as I know, you have to refine a single bucket of crude oil at a time. Polycraft also includes a piping system, which is a wonderful expansion on hoppers and dispensers. Instead of having single points of service, pipes allow for direct flow... as long as you can craft numerous pumps.

At the time of this post, I've reached the chemical processor. I've also entered into a couple contests which ends this coming November 16th. I could win a scholarship based on the number of views on the video above, so watch the full 60 seconds!

The intention is to help develop an in-game economy so that future players (mostly UTD students) can trade without being online. I'm also building a road in the small buffer zones in between private properties to help players navigate. Currently, private properties are off-limits unless the owner changes the permission to enter, which can cause trouble for explorers.

More to come!