tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post7928795333038316542..comments2024-01-15T19:42:35.437-08:00Comments on The Secret Archives of the Alliterati: Control Theory 101Matthew Delmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-35101099765381565872010-07-22T13:04:11.726-07:002010-07-22T13:04:11.726-07:00A wave of sin! Oh, the images ... wait, what were ...A wave of sin! Oh, the images ... wait, what were we talking about? Ah yes, control theory.<br /><br />I'm a bit late to this party, but if the bears haven't gotten you, I wanted to say <i>Yay, for nerdiness!</i><br /><br />When I was working at NASA (Dryden Flight Research Facility), I was studying supersonic ramjets, but my engineering buddies (<a href="http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/2010/07/boy-problem.html" rel="nofollow">see us here</a>) were working on the control systems of the (what was then new) fly-by-wire system that controlled the X-aircraft. The airplanes were inherently unstable (gee, brilliant, aero designers! Couldn't you make one that would fly straight?). Turns out an unstable aircraft is *ahem* highly manueverable, and so this was <i>desired</i>. However, the control software was literally the only thing standing between the pilot and a suddenly wildly out-of-control aircraft plummeting to earth. Those test pilots certainly earned their money.<br /><br />I've always had huge respect for control systems since then.<br /><br />As far as writing, I feel like it's a little more stable than that, but still oscillating as you say, especially when we're talking about developing story lines - honing in on themes and character arcs seems to be in iterative process for me.<br /><br />Great post! Hope you see some cool geysers! :)Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-34019526609332766582010-07-20T19:21:34.358-07:002010-07-20T19:21:34.358-07:00I'm totally with you. Thanks for reminding me ...I'm totally with you. Thanks for reminding me why it's so hard to auto-correct :-)Adam Heinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-80216630433416478272010-07-20T11:38:38.990-07:002010-07-20T11:38:38.990-07:00I meant "sine" wave. I'm not sure wh...I meant "sine" wave. I'm not sure what a wave of sin would be.Ricardo Barehttp://www.ricardobare.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-13695237935791550512010-07-20T10:11:06.047-07:002010-07-20T10:11:06.047-07:00Well said, compadre. Well said indeed.
And you al...Well said, compadre. Well said indeed.<br /><br />And you also need to make sure the bears aren't stealing your picnic baskets. Especially in Yellowstone.Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-7922924941271286612010-07-20T09:58:08.452-07:002010-07-20T09:58:08.452-07:00I have to admit, the only thing I could read in my...I have to admit, the only thing I could read in my current state (post-vacation exhaustion) that made any sense was the last bit. But that made enough sense, and I have this to say:<br /><br />Word.<br /><br />I hope, too, that you are not being eaten by a bear.L. T. Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12448176940211118898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-1314698848792930052010-07-20T08:34:34.657-07:002010-07-20T08:34:34.657-07:00I get you bane. The dampening sin wave helped. :)
...I get you bane. The dampening sin wave helped. :)<br /><br />(We do something semi-similar, I think, when tuning values for game design, sometimes. How long should the AI search for the player--it's way to long at the moment. Cut it in half. Okay, now it's way to quick. Go between the two old values. Okay, now it's just a little too long. And so one, until it zeroes in on the sweet spot.)Ricardo Barehttp://www.ricardobare.comnoreply@blogger.com