GeneralCamo's Developer Application

[GeneralCamo]

Ckey/BYOND Username: generalcamo
Discord Name: generalcamo
Position Being Applied For: Coder
Past Experiences/Knowledge: Hobbyist C++ Coder (~3 years), hobby project management, open source development experience. I have limited experience with BYOND development.
Examples of Past Work:
A port of Emissive planes to bay: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/33255
A re-do of the planes and layers system on Aurora, allow the above on Aurora (on hold due to map conflict hell): https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/16162
Several flags, with Ouerea being the most recent: https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/16888
The addition of fuel and auxiliary piping: https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/16141
An ongoing addition of drugs, with collaboration with the tajara and Vysokan lore teams (on hold due to commissioned spriter being busy): https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/16773

Additional Comments:
I'm applying for this position to be better able to meet the needs of the server, by having a direct line of communcation to developers. In addition, I would like to tackle larger projects that needs some support (such as the planes and layers PR I abandoned a few months ago) to be a success. I am quite active in the code dungeon and the lore discords, and have worked with the lore teams in the past to ensure my own additions meet their needs and desires. I know I can be a bit enthusiastic and heated in some arguments, but I am primarily here to improve the server and the community as a whole as best as I can. I try to engage with the community for my projects to meet the needs of as many as possible, but I do have an understanding that sometimes, popular opinion is not the correct option. Especially when a "big picture" is taken into account (Such as an overall balance scheme).

[La Villa Strangiato]

I am obviously not a coder, so I don't know what your skill level actually is. However, to me it seems like you have many ambitious ideas that you either forget to execute or cannot finish in some way. During my casual passovers of the code channels I mostly see you proposing and arguing about ideas, but I don't actually recall the last time I saw your username in the GitHub feed.

Obviously you contributed pretty recently, so that's not entirely a fair assessment. Part of my view of you being an "ideas guy" also comes from when you suggested that I draw some title screens for Aurora, and then seemed a little surprised when I asked if you intended to pay for them.

Overall I think your heart is in the right place, and an actual developer could assess your skills better, but I don't think you're very good at making your ideas a reality.

[GeneralCamo]

2 minutes ago, La Villa Strangiato said:

I draw some title screens for Aurora, and then seemed a little surprised when I asked if you intended to pay for them.

That was more of a reaction from myself. It was a random idea, but yes I was fully intending to pay. I'm primarily trying to gauge skill sets in all honesty though for if something does become a reality.

I have a few things on the docket I plan to contract out actually, if they come to fruition. 

3 minutes ago, La Villa Strangiato said:

I don't actually recall the last time I saw your username in the GitHub feed

This is fair. After the failure of the layers PR, I burnt myself out badly. It's a mistake I intend to not repeat, and it still haunts me to this day that I never finished it. It's why I ended up moving to smaller projects for a bit upon my return, but even they have managed to blossom into much larger projects that need some extra work (like the drug expansion PR). 

Honestly I worry about large projects myself, but I am hoping the support of the team will prevent a merge conflict disaster from happening again with the layers PR. I fully intend to finish it, but right now I am aware of major map changes that will make it impossible for the foreseeable future. 

[geeves]

as an old dev, i prefer having someone that's enjoyable to talk to more than someone who's technically competent, since the latter is easier to train, whilst the former is more important to having a fun atmosphere for the team, but is much harder to change for the better

from my interactions with Camo, they're good for having a conversation with, and their past PRs have been good. i will give them a +1 for that

but for this application, i think your best bet right now would be to go for a walk or take a shower and brainstorm a bunch of small ideas, write them down, and then implement them when you have the energy for it. a bunch of small PRs that are easy to do and most importantly, finish, would add a lot of guaranteed content over time, and also look good for this application

most importantly though is to be at peace with you scrapping your own projects, or projects not getting reviewed and dying, or projects being rejected. making a bunch of smaller ones lets you shotgun content and makes rejection and scrapping hurt less

[MattAtlas]

This application is denied for a few reasons. You can DM me for details.