Hobbies
Hobbies
I have been interested in game development since 2015. I started by writing console-based Pac-Man and Frogger variants in BASIC. Since then, I have practised various game development techniques, such as 2.5D side scrollers, isometric puzzles, terrain generation, multiplayer games on servers, sprite sheets, collision detection methods, and enemy AI patterns. Till 2020, all my games were programmed from scratch in Java. Recently, I have started learning Unity and Unreal Engine to broaden my scope. In 2021, I collaboratively participated in a Game Jam at IIT Kanpur. Here is our final submission for the same.
I used to actively practice competitive programming, particularly on the online platform provided by CodinGame. I have a gold tier profile, with 200+ problems solved, 15+ problems contributed, three gold tier or above bots running, and a best overall rank of 900 among 3 million users. I also have two articles on CodinGame's blog:
Music Scores - on image processing and pattern recognition techniques in light of reading music scores from an encoded image,
There is no Spoon, Episode 2 - exploring Intersection and Elimination search to solve a game of Hashiwokakero (a Japanese puzzle game).
Here is a link to my CodinGame profile.
I also occasionally solve problems on Codeforces but do not participate in contests. Here is a link to my Codeforces profile.
During the COVID lockdown, I was very fortunate to get acquainted with a D&D group. I have been playing Dungeons & Dragons since 2020. I have been a part of two long-running campaigns and various one-shots, most of which are set in the world of Exandria. In 2021, I was introduced to Critical Role, and have been watching their content on and off ever since, my favourite being Exandria Unlimited: Calamity. I took my first step towards DM-ing in the Summer of 2023 when I ran a level-11 multi-shot set in a homebrewed fantasy world.
Recently, I've also been getting into competitive board games. Some of my favourites are Splendor, Citadels and Everdell. My goal is to eventually be able to play Twilight Imperium competitively.
I enjoy both playing and watching sports. I play football and badminton mostly, although I have played cricket in the past. I regularly follow club football, watch Grand Slams in tennis, and root for India in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. I am an avid supporter of Real Madrid and Chelsea at the club level and Brazil and the Netherlands at the national level. My favourite tennis player is Rafael Nadal.
I waste a bunch of time watching shows (including anime) and movies. I particularly enjoy animated works and fantasy settings. Some of my favourite shows (in no particular order) are:
Monster (2004 - 2005) [imdb]
The Last Kingdom (2015 - 2022) [imdb]
Vikings (2013 - 2020) [imdb]
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2017) [imdb]
Sherlock (2010 - 2017) [imdb]
Mushishi (2005 - 2014) [imdb]
Initial D (1998 - 2014) [imdb]
Over the Garden Wall (2014) [imdb]
Vinland Saga (2019 -) [imdb]
Samurai Champloo (2004 - 2005) [imdb]