Many don’t like it, but (almost) everybody agrees it’s the future.“Vibe Coding” is everywhere. Tools and game engines are implementing AI-assisted coding, vibe coding interest skyrocketed on Google search, on social media, everybody claims to build apps and games in minutes, while the comment section gets flooded with angry developers calling out the pile of garbage code that will never be shipped.A screenshot from Andrej Karpathy with the original “definition” of Vibe CodingBUT, how do professionals feel about it?This is what I will cover in this article. We will look at:How people react to the term vibe coding,How their attitude differs based on who they are and their professional experienceThe reason for their stance towards “vibe coding” (with direct quotes)How they feel about the impact “vibe coding” will have in the next 5 yearsIt all started with this survey on LinkedIn. I have always been curious about how technology can support creatives and I believe that the only way to get a deeper understanding is to go beyond buzzwords and ask the hard questions. That’s why for over a year, I’ve been conducting weekly interviews with both the founders developing these tools and the creatives utilising them. If you want to learn their journeys, I’ve gathered their insights and experiences on my blog called XR AI Spotlight.Driven by the same motives and curious about people’s feelings about “vibe coding”, I asked a simple question: How does the term “Vibe Coding” make you feel?Original LinkedIn poll by Gabriele RomagnoliIn just three days, the poll collected 139 votes and it was clear that most responders didn’t have a good “vibe” about it. The remaining half was equally split between excitement and no specific feeling.But who are these people? What is their professional background? Why did they respond the way they did?Curious, I created a more comprehensive survey and sent it to everyone who voted on the LinkedIn poll.The survey had four questions:Select what describes you best: developers, creative, non-creative professionalHow many years of experience do you have? 1–5, 6–10, 11–15 or 16+Explain why the term “vibe coding” makes you feel excited/neutral/dismissive?Do you think “vibe coding” will become more relevant in the next 5 years?: It’s the future, only in niche use cases, unlikely, no idea)In a few days, I collected 62 replies and started digging into the findings, and that’s when I finally started understanding who took part in the initial poll.The audienceWhen characterising the audience, I refrained from adding too many options because I just wanted to understand:If the people responding were the ones making stuffWhat percentage of makers were creatives and what developersI was happy to see that only 8% of respondents were non-creative professionals and the remaining 92% were actual makers who have more “skin in the game“ with almost a 50/50 split between creatives and developers. There was also a good spread in the degree of professional experience of the respondents, but that’s where things started to get surprising.Respondents are mostly “makers” and show a good variety in professional experienceWhen creating 2 groups with people who have more or less than 10 years of experience, it is clear that less experienced professionals skew more towards a neutral or negative stance than the more experienced group.Experienced professionals are more positive and open to vibe codingThis might be because senior professionals see AI as a tool to accelerate their workflows, while more juniors perceive it as a competitor or threat.I then took out the non-professional creatives and looked at the attitude of these 2 groups. Not surprisingly, fewer creatives than developers have a negative attitude towards “vibe coding” (47% for developers Vs 37% for creatives), but the percentage of creatives and developers who have a positive attitude stays almost constant. This means that creatives have a more indecisive or neutral stance than developers.Creatives have a more positive attitude to vibe coding than developersWhat are people saying about “vibe coding”?As part of the survey, everybody had the chance to add a few sentences explaining their stance. This was not a compulsory field, but to my surprise, only 3 of the 62 left it empty (thanks everybody). Before getting into the sentiment analysis, I noticed something quite interesting while filtering the data. People with a negative attitude had much more to say, and their responses were significantly longer than the other group. They wrote an average of 59 words while the others barely 37 and I think is a good indication of the emotional investment of people who want to articulate and explain their point. Let’s now look at what the different groups of people replied.😍 Patterns in Positive Responses to “Vibe Coding”Positive responders often embraced vibe coding as a way to break free from rigid programming structures and instead explore, improvise, and experiment creatively.“It puts no pressure on it being perfect or thorough.”“Pursuing the vibe, trying what works and then adapt.”“Coding can be geeky and laborious… ‘vibing’ is quite nice.”This perspective repositions code not as rigid infrastructure, but something that favors creativity and playfulness over precision.Several answers point to vibe coding as a democratizing force opening up coding to a broader audience, who want to build without going through the traditional gatekeeping of engineering culture.“For every person complaining… there are ten who are dabbling in code and programming, building stuff without permission.”“Bridges creative with technical perfectly, thus creating potential for independence.”This group often used words like “freedom,” “reframing,” and “revolution.”.😑 Patterns in Neutral Responses to “Vibe Coding”As shown in the initial LinkedIn poll, 27% of respondents expressed mixed feelings. When going through their responses, they recognised potential and were open to experimentation but they also had lingering doubts about the name, seriousness, and future usefulness.“It’s still a hype or buzzword.”“I have mixed feelings of fascination and scepticism.”“Unsure about further developments.”They were on the fence and were often enthusiastic about the capability, but wary of the framing.Neutral responders also acknowledged that complex, polished, or production-level work still requires traditional approaches and framed vibe coding as an early-stage assistant, not a full solution.“Nice tool, but not more than autocomplete on steroids.”“Helps get setup quickly… but critical thinking is still a human job.”“Great for prototyping, not enough to finalize product.”Some respondents were indifferent to the term itself, viewing it more as a label or meme than a paradigm shift. For them, it doesn’t change the substance of what’s happening.“At the end of the day they are just words. Are you able to accomplish what’s needed?”“I think it’s been around forever, just now with a new name.”These voices grounded the discussion in the terminology and I think they bring up a very important point that leads to the polarisation of a lot of the conversations around “vibe coding”.🤮 Patterns in Negative Responses to “Vibe Coding”Many respondents expressed concern that vibe coding implies a casual, unstructured approach to coding. This was often linked to fears about poor code quality, bugs, and security issues.“Feels like building a house without knowing how electricity and water systems work.”“Without fundamental knowledge… you quickly lose control over the output.”The term was also seen as dismissive or diminishing the value of skilled developers. It really rubbed people the wrong way, especially those with professional experience.“It downplays the skill and intention behind writing a functional, efficient program.”“Vibe coding implies not understanding what the AI does but still micromanaging it.”Like for “neutral” respondents, there’s a strong mistrust around how the term is used (especially on social media) where it’s seen as fueling unrealistic expectations or being pushed by non-experts.“Used to promote coding without knowledge.”“Just another overhyped term like NFTs or memecoins.”“It feels like a joke that went too far.”Ultimately, I decided to compare attitudes that are excited (positive) and accepting (neutral) of vibe coding vs. those that reject or criticise it. After all, even among people who were neutral, there was a general acceptance that vibe coding has its place. Many saw it as a useful tool for things like prototyping, creative exploration, or simply making it easier to get started. What really stood out, though, was the absence of fear that was very prominent in the “negative” group and saw vibe coding as a threat to software quality or professional identity.People in the neutral and positive groups generally see potential. They view it as useful for prototyping, creative exploration, or making coding more accessible, but they still recognise the need for structure in complex systems. In contrast, the negative group rejects the concept outright, and not just the name, but what it stands for: a more casual, less rigorous approach to coding. Their opinion is often rooted in defending software engineering as a disciplined craft… and probably their job.😍 “As long as you understand the result and the process, AI can write and fix scripts much faster than humans can.”🤮 “It’s a joke. It started as a joke… but to me doesn’t encapsulate actual AI co-engineering.”On the topic of skill and control, the neutral and positive group sees AI as a helpful assistant, assuming that a human is still guiding the process. They mention refining and reviewing as normal parts of the workflow. The negative group sees more danger, fearing that vibe coding gives a false sense of competence. They describe it as producing buggy or shallow results, often in the hands of inexperienced users.😑 “Critical thinking is still a human job… but vibe coding helps with fast results.”🤮“Vibe-Coding takes away the very features of a good developer… logical thinking and orchestration are crucial.”Culturally, the divide is clear. The positive and neutral voices often embrace vibe coding as part of a broader shift, welcoming new types of creators and perspectives. They tend to come from design or interdisciplinary backgrounds and are more comfortable with playful language. On the other hand, the negative group associates the term with hype and cringe, criticising it as disrespectful to those who’ve spent years honing their technical skills.😍“It’s about playful, relaxed creation — for the love of making something.”🤮Creating a lot of unsafe bloatware with no proper planning.”What’s the future of “Vibe Coding”?The responses to the last question were probably the most surprising to me. I was expecting that the big scepticism towards vibe coding would align with the scepticism on its future, but that was not the case. 90% of people still see “vibe coding” becoming more relevant overall or in niche use cases.Vibe coding is here to stayOut of curiosity, I also went back to see if there was any difference based on professional experience, and that’s where we see the more experienced audience being more conservative. Only 30% of more senior Vs 50% of less experienced professionals see vibe coding playing a role in niche use cases and 13 % Vs only 3% of more experienced users don’t see vibe coding becoming more relevant at all.More experienced professionals are less likely to think Vibe Coding is the futureThere are still many open questions. What is “vibe coding” really? For whom is it? What can you do with it?To answer these questions, I decided to start a new survey you can find here. If you would like to further contribute to this research, I encourage you to participate and in case you are interested, I will share the results with you as well.The more I read or learn about this, I feel “Vibe Coding” is like the “Metaverse”:Some people hate it, some people love it.Everybody means something differentIn one form or another, it is here to stay.What professionals really think about “Vibe Coding” was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As construction nears completion, the Olympic Village for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games has offered an insight into how the village is being used as part of a broader regeneration of the Scalo di Porta Romana rail yard. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the scheme is the first phase of a long-term transformation of the disused industrial site into a mixed-use urban district. Image courtesy of Fondo di Porta Romana, photograph by ThreeditionsImage courtesy of Fondo di Porta Romana, photograph by ThreeditionsOriginally planned to accommodate approximately 1,700 athletes during the Winter Olympics, the Olympic Village has also been designed for life after the event. After the Winter Olympics conclude, the development will transition into student housing for the 2026/2027 academic year, addressing a growing demand for accommodation in Milan’s university sector. Image courtesy of Fondo di Porta Romana, photograph by ThreeditionsImage courtesy of Fondo di Porta Romana, ...

Ara: History Untold's upcoming DLC, Untold Scenarios, will arrive on PC this coming June 18, 2025, developer Oxide Games has announced. The expansion will be available for $9.99 USD, and will include several scenarios that blend historical events with alternative history to create 'what-if' scenarios for "more event-driven strategic challenges," according to a press release for the upcoming expansion. While Ara: History Untold is playable through Xbox Game Pass PC, that's only for the base game. If you want to play any of these new scenarios, you'll need to grab the DLC on its own. Ara: History Untold arrived on PC and through Game Pass PC last September, and overall arrived as "a mixed bag," according to our reviewer, Chris Wray. "Ara: History Untold is the perfect example of a mixed bag. Some genuinely great ideas, but some negatives are trying to counterbalance them. Focusing on supply chains and adding real to is an excellent idea, but the implementation has left the game with significant micromanagement, which could put people off. The region and city development systems are on a whole new level and could be how 4X games go in the future, but the AI manages to mess it up," he wrote. "Ara: History Untold is a highly ambitious 4X game that looks to branch out and add even more depth to an already detailed genre. In many ways, it succeeds, bringing in a map and city-building system that far surpasses others in the genre and successfully interlinking practically every area. However, with some successes come issues, with the added depth in the supply chain making it a bit of a micromanagement nightmare; it tries to alleviate some of these issues with a user-friendly UI, but it could be a sticking point for some." Deal of the Day

Concerned about how your kids are spending their time online, but unsure on how to approach them ... More about it? Here’s a comprehensive beginner’s guide, from a psychologist.getty I’ve heard that some parents are hesitant to watch Netflix’s Adolescence. I realize that it can be difficult to confront what the show depicts: kids getting pulled into the deepest, darkest corners of the internet, and the horrific repercussions that could follow. As both a father and a psychologist, I completely understand why some parents might not want to see this played out in HD. (That said, I nevertheless think it’s necessary. See here to learn why.) The show is striking a nerve, and very rightly so. Adolescence captures a very unfortunate and palpable reality: that our children are growing up in a digital world that we can’t quite reach, let alone even control. In this sense, the importance of staying in the know about your child’s digital environment cannot be overstated — not for the sake of being a perfect parent, but being a present one. Here are four ways you can protect your child online without overstepping. 1. Get A Lay Of The Digital Land Today’s teens live largely online. Their phones and computers are their greatest lifeline in terms of their interests and social life, just like the radio, home phone and mall food court were for us. Whether you like it or not, you can’t undo this technological reality. What you can do, however, is stay informed. This starts with understanding that online algorithms can — and will — actively shape what your kids see, who they talk to and how they think. It’s important to recognize that technology isn’t necessarily a direct gateway to radicalization or harmful ideologies. As the Pew Research Center notes, social media is a great credit to teens’ friendships, creativity, education and perceived support. However, it can still be a very emotionally charged environment. So, parents need to grasp the wholesome ways that social media platforms can be used in conjunction with harmful ways. These are some of the most popular ones among teens: TikTok. This largely short-form video app feeds kids just about everything. Some corners are helpful, educational or just humorous. Others are home to grifters that preach misinformed, harmful or even extreme rhetoric. YouTube. A great long-form video platform for entertainment and knowledge-building. However, in just a few clicks, the algorithm can take you from educational content to conspiracy theories. Reddit and Discord. These are forum and chat-based social media apps, respectively. They offer kids access to niche communities related to their interests, which, in turn, allows them to engage with their peers. Some of these communities are empowering and encouraging, while others can be deeply toxic. Instagram, Snapchat, X, etc. These mainstream social media apps serve as tools for users to post and share their lives with others — either publicly on their own social media pages, or privately through direct messaging. They’re great for expression and communication, but can also serve as a gateway to bullying and perfectionism. 2. Look Out For Warning Signs As 2020 research from Technology and Adolescent Health notes, digital media poses a fair share of both risks and benefits to teenagers. Streaming, video games, social media, videos — they each offer affordances to emotion, cognition, identity, functioning and socialization. At the same time, the study notes that their overuse is also associated with harmful targeted advertising, sexual predation and cyberbullying. Even more recent research from PLOS One in The bottom line is that, if you’ve been uninformed until now, there’s no way to truly know whether or not your child has been consuming harmful content. That said, if they’ve been overconsuming it to the extent that it’s affecting their well-being, both above-mentioned studies suggest that there would be warning signs: Behavioral. Look out for sudden mood swings or newfound isolating tendencies. Moreover, be wary of any sudden or drastic changes in their friend groups (whether in real life or online), or increased secrecy regarding their devices. Linguistic. Look into the slang and jargon your kids are using — a few of them can be linked to specific online spaces, or even to certain ideologies. Of course, be especially wary of language regarding others’ race, gender or identity that comes across as parroted or extreme in any way. Emotional. Be mindful of whether or not your child is showing any increases in anxious, depressive or nihilistic symptoms. It’s also important to take note of any fixations or hyperfixations they have on new topics (such as politics, government, sexuality, masculinity and so on) whether hateful or not. Academic or lifestyle. Any stark changes in their academic life — such as increased troublemaking, decreased participation or a drop in grades — should be looked into as soon as they’re noticed. The same applies to physical well-being and hygiene, such as changes in their sleeping, bathing, grooming or exercise habits. More overt signs. It goes without saying that deeper warning signs or issues should be taken seriously as soon as you spot them. If they’re overtly expressing hopelessness or grandiosity, clearly displaying a lack or loss of empathy or sharing violent or harmful jokes, take action immediately as outlined in the next section. 3. Stay Informed Without Micromanaging Many parents are inclined to spiral after reading words like “warning signs” or “radicalization,” but this isn’t necessary. You don’t need to become a helicopter parent to keep your kid safe, nor do you need to become the “cool parent” who’s fluent in TikTok trends or up to date on the latest “skibidi” brain-rot. What you do need, however, is a basic understanding of the online world your kids are living in. That means starting with the basics. You need to have your own social media accounts, and you need to know how these apps work on your own terms. Most importantly, you need to get a sense of the kinds of content that gets pushed to end-users — especially the content you don’t actively search for. If this doesn’t feel empowering enough for you, I’d also suggest starting an open phone policy: having unconditional random (or scheduled) access to your child’s smartphone and social media accounts. Should you choose this route, it’s absolutely crucial that you never go behind your child’s back. Instead, agree ahead of time that you’ll check in occasionally, and be very clear about why you’re doing it. You must be transparent about this policy, and you should never abuse it at the cost of trust. The goal shouldn’t be to try and catch them doing something wrong, but simply to ensure others aren’t influencing them to do so. Just as important, however, is being the change you want to see. According to 2021 research from Computers in Human Behavior, parents’ own smartphone use can shape how effective they are in guiding their children’s use. The study demonstrated that when parents were heavy smartphone users themselves, they felt less capable of overseeing their child’s phone habits — no matter their genuine concerns regarding the risks of technology. In turn, that lack of control resulted in greater parent–child conflict. In other words, if you’re glued to your own phone, it will be considerably harder to set healthy boundaries without at least some resistance. Your kids are watching you; they will follow your lead. 4. Intervene Without Alienating If you do happen to spot something troubling — an out-of-character comment they left, a concerning motif in their search history or a pattern of content that seems a little off — don’t jump to any conclusions. One weird post isn’t going to radicalize your child. It’s more likely that they were just trying to understand what others are talking about, or feeding into a bit of morbid curiosity. That’s only natural for teenagers. Instead, treat them as what they are: competent and capable of critical thinking. From there, start a conversation: Ask what they thought about the content in question. What do they think the content creator was trying to convey? What stood out? Did it make them uncomfortable? Are they seeing a lot of that kind of content? These questions show them that you trust their judgment, while also giving you the necessary insight into how Should you find they’re not thinking very critically about what they’ve seen, then it’s your time to start talking about values. Avoid any full-blown lectures if it isn’t absolutely necessary, and try to opt instead for a fully two-sided conversation: What do you both believe in? What kind of person do you want them to be, and who do they Who benefits when harmful ideas get spread online, and who suffers? Conversations like these can be surprisingly eye-opening. You might come to realize that your kid is far more thoughtful, media-savvy or grounded than you gave them credit for. Or, you might find that they’re just a little-off track — in which case, a gentle nudge in the right direction should do the trick. Either way, it’s a parenting win-win. Parenting requires constant adaptation and vigilance. Take this science-backed test to find out if it could be leading to burnout: Parental Burnout Assessment

About ScholarshipOwlScholarshipOwl is the largest scholarship marketplace in the U.S., connecting over 11 million Gen Z students to private scholarships — and to the brands that power them. Our mission is to make education financing fun and accessible, while giving brands a new, consent-driven way to reach the next generation.We help students win more scholarships and help brands win the next generation of customers — all through a personalized, AI-powered platform that matches students to scholarships they can actually win.The RoleWe’re looking for a Senior Product Manager (B2C) who’s ready to take full ownership of our student experience and drive revenue growth through strategic, data-informed product development.You’ll work closely with a cross-functional team — including engineering, design, data science, QA, and marketing — to define, discover, and deliver initiatives that strengthen product-market fit, deepen engagement, and ultimately help students win more scholarships.This is a hands-on, full-stack product role with high autonomy. You’ll be expected to:Collaborate on strategyLead continuous product discoveryScope and ship impactful featuresOwn performance end-to-endYour First 6–12 MonthsScope and deliver key strategic initiatives to grow B2C revenueImprove user engagement, activation, and retention among Gen Z studentsLead continuous discovery to identify initiatives that deepen product-market fitLeverage AI to enhance scholarship matching, essay generation, and strategy toolsIdentify habit-forming opportunities and gamification strategies that drive repeat usageWhat You’ll DoTranslate broad strategic goals into clear product outcomesConduct product discovery using Teresa Torres’ Continuous Discovery frameworkUse Mixpanel (or similar) to analyze user behavior and inform decisionsCollaborate with engineering and design as part of a product trioWork cross-functionally with marketing, growth, support, and operations teamsBalance short-term delivery with long-term product thinkingWhat You’ll Bring5+ years of product management experience, ideally in B2C SaaS or EdTechExperience building AI-powered features and data-rich user experiencesDeep understanding of Gen Z behavior, motivations, and digital expectationsStrong grasp of product discovery and experimentation methodologiesFluency in Mixpanel, spreadsheets, and self-serve data analysisExperience designing habit loops or gamified experiences is a major plusClear communicator who collaborates with transparency and ownershipComfortable working in a lean, fast-paced, and resource-conscious environmentHow We WorkWe’re a remote-first, bootstrapped startup with a bias toward action. We value:Data-driven decisions with clear outcomesOpen, honest communication and mutual trustCustomer obsession and intuitive UXAutonomy with accountability — no micromanagingIterating fast and learning continuouslyWhy Join Us?You’ll help millions of students achieve their dreams without debt — and reshape how brands engage with the next generation. You’ll also:Own high-impact work from day oneShape strategy alongside the VP of ProductWork with a mission-driven, humble, and ambitious teamReady to make education more accessible while helping brands grow through purpose-driven campaigns?Apply now and help us build the future of scholarships.Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote Product JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

When the How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire? meme went viral in 2023, it may have felt like a passing joke — until it became clear that people really do think about it all the time. Ubisoft Mainz has capitalized on that obsession with its next historical city builder, Anno 117: Pax Romana, finally giving fans of the franchise something they’ve longed for: a chance to turn obsessing about the Roman Empire into building an empire of your own. Manuel Reihner, creative director for the game, told IGN, “Rome has been a wish from our fans since forever. Not only our fans but also our team […] because it’s such an iconic and ever-present Empire.” Ubisoft Mainz released a gameplay showcase on Tuesday for the city-builder, along with a wave of first impressions from content creators. This extended preview session was held in style within Rome’s Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani), which were once previously owned by Julius Caesar (Horti Caesaris). Based on what’s been shown so far, Anno 117: Pax Romana is shaping up to be one of the most exciting entries in the long-running series. Anno 1800, set historically in the Industrial Revolution, fared better than the franchise’s more futuristic titles, Anno 2070 and Anno 2205. And Anno 117: Pax Romana looks to carry that historical torch forward (by going backward 1,683 years). The most immediate improvement from previous installments is the capability of building diagonally. The strict 90-degree-angled grids of past Anno games have been upgraded to allow 45-degree construction of buildings and roads. While this change makes the aesthetics of the city-builder game appear far more organic than before, with more believable winding streets and farms that now occupy every nook and cranny they can, it also opens up more dynamic strategies for constructing cities — especially when combined with Anno 117: Pax Romana’s other changes. Namely, another shake-up to the Anno formula is how production building placements affect their localized area. In Anno 117: Pax Romana, every production building has a local zone that provides buffs and debuffs to nearby residents. This makes building placements a more layered, less formulaic puzzle than before. More additions like brand-new tech trees, tiered citizen upgrade paths, expansion through combat or diplomacy, and a malleable faith system provide new challenges and a better sense of long-term progression. With a highly sought-after setting and a host of welcome changes already showcased, Anno 117: Pax Romana will hopefully scratch that ceaseless itch for those who can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire. Anno 117: Pax Romana will give players a stab at being a Roman governor later this year, when the game is released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. In the meantime…

Rocketz Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 8,604 Metro Detroit Ubisoft has release a gameplay showcase of what to expect in Anno 117: Pax Romana. Get a chance to see the new roads and land armies. Release still set for 2025. Looks like content creators have videos and impressions as well if you choose to seek them out. View: https://youtu.be/GBXNl88yeW4?si=dR8qywUrXnks3ver  Firebricks Member Jan 27, 2018 2,438 This is my most anticipated game of the year, and it looks great.   PapaJustify Member Nov 3, 2017 1,318 Germany Incredible. It's all I wanted and more. I cannot wait.   OP OP Rocketz Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 8,604 Metro Detroit Saw as well you get a choice now of what food you want to start your first group of citizens with.   MacReady Member Jan 21, 2024 476 Looks really good.   MacheteSquadSteve Member Jan 6, 2025 276 Going to spend a lot of time with this. As gorgeous as Manor Lords is, I'm looking forward to a more pleasant climate to build in.   strudelkuchen Member Oct 25, 2017 13,387 Looks good. Anno 1800 is the best one since 1404, I have high hopes!   ProdigyZA Member Jun 9, 2024 1,491 Looking great.   Nacho Papi Member Oct 27, 2017 3,270 Looks gorgeous!   Squirrel09 Member Nov 4, 2017 1,909 What's the combat like in these games? My impression was that they were themed city builders, are they more like RTS with a city building focus?   cabelhigh Member Nov 2, 2017 1,917 Visually looks good, but just that trailer gameplay wise looks a LOT like 1800...seems like the streams have more unique gameplay tho, but I dont have the time to watch them   Shahadan Member Oct 27, 2017 5,565 So apparently you can choose which foods to supply to houses? wow Not sure I like stuff being locked behind a tech tree however  Majora's Mask Member Oct 26, 2017 2,028 Will watch when I get home, but really hope M+KB is implemented on consoles.   attic Member Jun 28, 2024 383 wow so this is by far the earliest setting in the series so far, that's so cool. antiquity-heads are eating good   Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 37,600 There is a lot of footage out there. Seems like some german influencers got a lot of time with it   Potterson Member Oct 28, 2017 7,227 Looking at influencers' videos, it looks like Anno 1800 (chains of production, how you handle citizens and their needs etc, missions) with small changes. And... It's great. 1800 is amazing.  FliX Master of the Reality Stone Moderator Oct 25, 2017 10,928 Metro Detroit Awww yiss, been waiting for this!   Anno Member Oct 25, 2017 7,876 Columbus, Ohio idk that I need ground combat to return. But otherwise it looks amazing, unsurprisingly.   GTAce Member Oct 27, 2017 4,601 Bonn, Germany Anno 1800 with a (for me) entirely uninteresting setting. Love 1800, but I hoped for a game with a generally bigger scope, maybe even multiple eras.   FliX Master of the Reality Stone Moderator Oct 25, 2017 10,928 Metro Detroit Squirrel09 said: What's the combat like in these games? My impression was that they were themed city builders, are they more like RTS with a city building focus? Click to expand... Click to shrink... The focus has historically been on production chains and trade. But looks like more combat options in this one than in 1800.  Bucca Member Oct 25, 2017 5,506 Beautiful   strudelkuchen Member Oct 25, 2017 13,387 monketron Member Oct 27, 2017 4,112 Hype levels at max. Cannot wait for this and also to see where they go with the DLC over the years. Shame we don't have a proper release date yet.   MegaSackman Member Oct 27, 2017 20,674 Argentina Only watched the trailer which didn't say much but I'll watch the rest later. Regardless, this is a day one for me. Thank god it's coming on consoles day one.   Shairi Member Aug 27, 2018 10,175 Oh damn, this looks sooo good. I'm so excited.   Splinky Member Jul 12, 2023 133 It makes sense to go straight to the Romans, those guys were way ahead of the curve in their love of grid layouts.   shoal Member Dec 27, 2020 753 Wow, I loved 1404 and didn't know this was coming out!   Genesius Member Nov 2, 2018 20,542 I'm excited for this but also a bit intimidated, especially since I'd be on console for this. I wonder if you'll be limited to Roman gods or if they would do something like incorporate early Christianity.  mavericktopgun Member Oct 27, 2017 5,435 Do we know if this comes to Switch 2? Mouse mode is perfect for this   strudelkuchen Member Oct 25, 2017 13,387 Genesius said: I'm excited for this but also a bit intimidated, especially since I'd be on console for this. I wonder if you'll be limited to Roman gods or if they would do something like incorporate early Christianity. Click to expand... Click to shrink... You are not limited to Roman gods.   Lightsong Member Nov 11, 2022 9,385 I'm so glad we went back so far in history. I loved 1800 but something even more modern is just not working well for this franchise.   Sec0nd The Fallen Oct 27, 2017 6,952 Looks nice. Anno 1800 was so wonderful and I've spent ridiculous amounts of hours in that game last summer. Don't feel like I'm ready for another Anno game yet, but I'll keep my eyes open for this one for sure.  FliX Master of the Reality Stone Moderator Oct 25, 2017 10,928 Metro Detroit Genesius said: I'm excited for this but also a bit intimidated, especially since I'd be on console for this. wonder if you'll be limited to Roman gods or if they would do something like incorporate early Christianity. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The console version of 1800 is wonderfully realised. Plays great with a controller.   SofNascimento cursed Member Oct 28, 2017 24,883 São Paulo - Brazil Give me all Roman games.   Lightsong Member Nov 11, 2022 9,385 My favourite Anno is still 1602, that had land combat too (controlled terribly, lol), so I'm totally on board with this.   Morten88 Member Dec 22, 2019 2,391 This looks really fucking good   Dmax3901 Member Oct 25, 2017 8,554 Looks so good, the tease of Romanising other provinces sounds super interesting, I wonder how extensive that will be. Would certainly be a good avenue for Season Passes to go down.   Smokey_Run The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 5,077 Can't wait to play it. It looks great. Hopefully a date gets announced soon.   MegaSackman Member Oct 27, 2017 20,674 Argentina I watched the IGN preview with distractions and didn't find anything truly different from 1800 outside of minor stuff. Not that it matters to me, 1800 was my first full Anno game (I played a FTP one a long time ago) and I'm ready for a new one, doesn't matter to me if it's more of the same.   FliX Master of the Reality Stone Moderator Oct 25, 2017 10,928 Metro Detroit Honestly 1800 is like the perfect game for me. More of the same is good in my book.   Aangster Member Oct 27, 2017 3,016 Looking forward to this, the universal UI being the console version of 1800 is my main concern though, because I don't think it'll work well for PC players and could end up being a bit of a disaster like Civ 7's.   Dmax3901 Member Oct 25, 2017 8,554 What do we think the chances are for this to get pushed to 2026?   Tmespe Member Oct 27, 2017 3,758 Dmax3901 said: What do we think the chances are for this to get pushed to 2026? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Medium since we don't have a release date yet. Then again the press preview is looking quite polished already.   Lucreto Member Oct 25, 2017 7,273 Dmax3901 said: What do we think the chances are for this to get pushed to 2026? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's possible but they are still saying 2025, so it's still there target. There is a developer commentary livestream Wednesday so they might mention a date there.  finaljedi Member Jul 15, 2018 629 Cincinnati, OH I wonder when they run out of titles that add up to 9.   eonden Member Oct 25, 2017 17,557 That looks class.  

A welcome surprise Space Force official: Commercial satellites can do a lot more than we thought "They could shave off about a third of the time and over half the cost." Stephen Clark – May 19, 2025 5:12 pm | 5 Astranis, founded in 2015, has designed a satellite bus with electric propulsion that can fly in geosynchronous orbit. Credit: Astranis Astranis, founded in 2015, has designed a satellite bus with electric propulsion that can fly in geosynchronous orbit. Credit: Astranis Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more A generation ago, when former NASA administrator Dan Goldin promoted the mantra of a "faster, better, cheaper" approach to the agency's science missions, critics often joked that NASA could only pick two. That's no longer the case. NASA is finding success in its partnerships with commercial space companies, especially SpaceX, with lower costs, quicker results, and improved performance. The Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, the US government's spy satellite agency, are also capitalizing on new products and services from commercial industry. In many cases, these new capabilities come from venture-backed startups already developing and operating satellites for commercial use. The idea is to focus the Space Force and the NRO on missions that only they can do, according to Chris Scolese, director of the NRO. Military and intelligence agencies are already buying launch services, communications services, and satellite surveillance imagery on a commercial basis. These missions also have commercial applications, so the government is purchasing products and services with rockets and satellites that already exist. Now, the military is starting to use a commercial model for missions that, at least today, lack any meaningful commercial market. In these cases, the Space Force and the NRO must go out and pay a company to build an entire fleet of satellites that will exclusively serve the government. But rather than dictating stringent requirements and micromanaging every phase of the program, as the Space Force and NRO have typically done, they're going with a more hands-off approach. This change in procurement strategy is yielding results, officials said last week in a hearing convened by the House Armed Services Committee. Numerous companies are now manufacturing satellite buses, the basic chassis that hosts instruments, sensors, and payloads tailored for a range of missions. Most of them come from SpaceX, which mass-produces satellites for its Starlink broadband network. But there are others, and the market is richer than many US officials thought. "We're finding that commercial buses are not only available, but they're also capable of doing a lot of what our missions require, and they're available at a much lower cost than going off and developing a brand new bus," Scolese said. A case study in procurement The Space Force and the NRO kicked off several initiatives over the last few years to look at ways to exploit these commercial technologies. Some of these programs are already producing results. The Space Force's Space Development Agency has launched the first 27 prototypes for a future network of hundreds of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to detect and monitor missile launches, and relay tracking data to the ground. The National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the government's spy satellites, awarded contracts in 2022 worth $4 billion to buy commercial imagery from three companies—newcomers BlackSky, Planet, and incumbent provider Maxar—with their privately owned spacecraft. The NRO also started launching its own fleet of commercially built spy satellites last year to more rapidly gather imagery of places around the world. Nearly 200 of these satellites, based on SpaceX's Starlink design, have launched in the last year. Most recently, the Space Force rejigged how it plans to buy a series of new space surveillance satellites for the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP. These satellites are designed to fly near and inspect other objects near geosynchronous orbit, a ring around the equator more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above Earth. In that orbit, a spacecraft moves in synchronicity with Earth's rotation, giving satellites a constant view of the same region of the planet. This makes geosynchronous orbit a popular location for satellites designed for communications, early-warning, and eavesdropping missions. This image shows what the Space Force's fleet of missile-warning and missile-tracking satellites might look like in 2030, with a mix of platforms in geosynchronous orbit, medium-Earth orbit, and low-Earth orbit. Credit: Space Systems Command The Space Force has launched six GSSAP satellites built by Northrop Grumman, one of America's largest traditional defense contractors. Five of them are still operational, and the military wants to buy more. But this time, the Space Force will procure the satellites through a commercial arrangement. Instead of dictating stringent requirements to contractors and purchasing the satellites outright, the Space Force will levy fewer requirements and select a commercial company to develop the next generation of GSSAP satellites. Last year, the Pentagon canvassed the commercial satellite industry to see what might be available. Military officials soon hit a roadblock. The Space Force—and particularly US Space Command—closely guards details of the GSSAP program. The program's most exquisite capabilities are classified, and the Space Force defined requirements for the next-generation GSSAP satellites that would be subject to similar levels of secrecy. Leaders at Space Command, which actually uses the GSSAP satellites, agreed to relax their requirements, according to Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration.  The decision allowed the Space Force to move forward with a commercial procurement strategy that Purdy said will cut the cost of the system in half and reduce its development timeline by a third. "So, we're off working now with that program office to go start off a more commercial line," Purdy said. "And when I say commercial in this particular aspect, just to clarify, this is accomplishing the same GSSAP mission. Our operators will fly the GSSAP system using the same ground systems and data they do now, but these would be using faster, commercial build times... and cheaper, less expensive parts in order to bring that together in a faster sense." An artist's illustration of two of the Space Force's GSSAP surveillance satellites, built by Northrop Grumman. Credit: US Space Force The next-gen GSSAP spacecraft may not meet the same standards as the Space Force's existing inspector satellites, but the change comes with benefits beyond lower costs and faster timelines. It will be unclassified and will be open to multiple vendors to build and launch space surveillance satellites, injecting some level of competition into the program. It will also be eligible for sales to other countries. More for less with GPS There's another area where Purdy said the Space Force was surprised by what commercial satellite builders were offering. Last year, the Pentagon used a new "Quick Start" procurement model authorized by Congress to establish a program to bolster the GPS navigation network, which is run by the Space Force but relied upon by commercial users and private citizens around the world. The Space Force has more than 30 GPS satellites in medium-Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of roughly 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers). Purdy said the network is "vulnerable" because the constellation has a relatively small number of satellites, at least relative to the Space Force's newest programs. In MEO, the satellites are within range of direct ascent anti-satellite weapons. Many of the GPS satellites are aging, and the newer ones, built by Lockheed Martin, cost about $250 million apiece. With the Resilient GPS program, the Space Force aims to reduce the cost to $50 million to $80 million per satellite. The satellites will be smaller than the GPS satellites flying today and will transmit a core set of signals. "We're looking to add more resiliency and more numbers," Purdy said. "We actually didn't think that we were going to get much, to be honest with you, and it was a surprise to us, and a major learning [opportunity] for us, learning last year that satellite prices had—they were low in LEO already, but they were lowering in MEO," Purdy said. "So, that convinced us that we should proceed with it. The results have actually been more surprising and encouraging than we thought. "The [satellite] buses actually bring a higher power level than our current program of record does, which allows us to punch through jamming in a better sense. We can achieve better results, we think, over time, going after these commercial buses," Purdy said. "So that's caused me to think, for our mainline GPS system, we’re actually looking at that for alternative ways to get after that." Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy oversees the Space Force's acquisition programs at the Pentagon. Credit: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images In September, the Space Force awarded four agreements to Astranis, Axient, L3Harris, and Sierra Space to produce design concepts for new Resilient GPS satellites. Astranis and Axient are relatively new to satellite manufacturing. Astranis is a pioneer in low-mass Internet satellites in geosynchronous orbit, and a non-traditional defense contractor. Axient, acquired by a company named Astrion last year, has focused on producing small CubeSats. The military will later select one or more of these companies to move forward with producing up to eight Resilient GPS satellites for launch as soon as 2028. Early planning is already underway for a follow-on set of Resilient GPS satellites with additional capabilities, according to the Space Force. The experience with the R-GPS program inspired the Space Force to look at other mission areas that might be well-served with a similar procurement approach. They settled on GSSAP as the next frontier. Scolese, director of the NRO, said his agency is examining how to use commercial satellite constellations for other purposes beyond Earth imaging. This might include a program to employ commercially procured satellites for signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions, he said. "It's not just the commercial imagery," Scolese said. "It's also commercial RF (Radio Frequency, or SIGINT) and newer phenomenologies as where we're working with that industry to go off and help advance those." Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 5 Comments

Rome wasn’t built in a day (Ubisoft) The fan favourite city-building series takes a welcome step back in time to second century Rome, as Anno 117 puts you in control of ancient Britain. Ubisoft’s Anno series, of historical city building sims, has quietly become one of the games industry’s hardiest perennials. Since 1998, it has mostly occupied a time period between the 15th and 19th centuries, albeit with two excursions into the future. Now, with Anno 117 (the eighth mainline instalment of the franchise), it is poised to take a large step back in time, to when the Roman Empire was in full swing and enjoying a period of extended peace. This is important because, as Anno players will be aware, the series is all about building, not fighting. We were given the chance to spend roughly three hours playing the new game, via Ubisoft’s streaming service on PC. Coming from the frenetic action of Doom: The Dark Ages, it felt like an oasis of tranquillity, with its considered gameplay requiring lots of thought and plenty of planning, along with a certain amount of waiting around for essential materials to be manufactured. As with all previous Anno games, it is very much a game for builders rather than destroyers. Given the technological sophistication of the Roman Empire – particularly by the time it had reached the second century AD – it’s surprising that the Anno franchise hadn’t previously explored the time period, but it’s obvious from the start that it’s a good fit. In the full game you’ll be given a choice between two areas of the Roman Empire, in which to establish your colony: Latium (an uncharted Mediterranean area which looks to be off the coast of Italy) or Albion – that is, what is now known as Britain. Much as we would have liked to have amazed the backwards natives by building a shiny Roman city on British shores, the constraints of the preview dictated that we would instead build in Latium. As such, our ship pitched up at a pristine, procedurally generated Mediterranean island, complete with a beach which could be developed into a port, flat land for farming, plenty of forests, a prominent river, and some mountains which could be mined. The first task – since we were taking on the position of governor of the new city – was to build a governor’s villa to accompany the trading post that had already been built on the beach. Once that was done, the from-scratch city-building started in earnest. Raw materials are obviously key, so a woodcutting operation was needed in the nearest forest, which has to be connected up to the trading post by road. As ever in a city-building game, close control over the network of roads is essential. Anno 117’s road-building system is exemplary – intelligent enough to let you curve roads to your satisfaction and snap them easily to form the connections they need to make. With a woodcutter and a sawmill constructed, and wood therefore in plentiful supply, we could then start building a number of homes for the workers who form the lifeblood of the city. Build those homes and you’re able to establish a workforce. In its early stages, Anno 117’s tutorial makes its objectives clear: you need to build 10 houses to establish that workforce. Unfulfilled criteria are clearly marked with little warning flags; Anno 117, mercifully, isn’t one of those strategy games which seems happy to leave you confused. After completing the tutorial, we were never at a loss as to what to do and the tutorial itself felt logical rather than manufactured. With our first residential area constructed and hooked up via a road network, we could start turning our attention to the needs of our burgeoning populace. Food, obviously, was required, so we built a fishery and established a wheat farm, along with a bakery and a porridge kitchen. We then began to have little interactions, as governor, with our inhabitants. We unlocked the ability to build a market and a tavern in the residential quarter, which bring helpful area effects. Pleasingly, what was now transforming from a village into a town began to exhibit some bustle, with carts of timber moving around and residents going about their daily work and heading to the tavern afterwards. Ancient Albion on the fringes of the Empire (Ubisoft) Our next task was to attract some more sophisticated, educated residents, by fulfilling a number of criteria in order to upgrade the basic housing. This brought considerations like fashion into the mix, by establishing a hemp farm and setting up a cloth-spinner. More sophisticated building materials such as tiles were also required, so we built a charcoal kiln and, on one of the river slots highlighted in the game’s geography, cleared a clay heap As that extended the city limits somewhat, it was necessary to build another warehouse. And we had to keep an eye on the mix of our population, between the basic Liberti and the more sophisticated Plebeians, by building more houses and upgrading some of them. Now that our town was really starting to take shape a level of exploration and interaction with other nearby enclaves came into play, with governors of nearby provinces appearing – giving us opportunities to indulge in diplomacy. Other residents then started asking to be ferried around the world map in the starting ship, which had previously remained moored as we established the basic structure of our town. More Trending During the tutorial period, we had concentrated on establishing a basic settlement rather than engaging in trade, so had been forced at one point to accept a loan from our superior in Rome. As the game progresses, trading becomes an increasingly important mechanism in the push to build a more sophisticated city. At this point you are given the ability to not only establish trade routes but also set religious criteria, by picking a preferred god to worship from the Roman pantheon. Even three hours in, we were quite happy with the progress we had made towards imposing a decent level of civilisation upon previously uninhabited territory. Those initial three hours with Anno 117: Pax Romana proved very satisfying and enjoyable. Although the series predates the phrase cosy game, it’s definitely that, while also being reminiscent of even older franchises like The Settlers (now also owned by Ubisoft). For a city builder, Anno 117 fells pretty exemplary in terms of its interface, which is clear and logical. It looks great and, with the local interactions and the trade route engine, offers more gameplay variety than most similar games. At the moment, it hasn’t been given a specific release date, but Ubisoft has said that it will come out this year on both consoles and PC. Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPublisher: UbisoftDeveloper: Ubisoft MainzRelease Date: 2025 Ocean trading is an important gameplay element (Ubisoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. 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