Merge pull request #3 from swarm-game/posts/0.5-release

blog post for 0.5 release

blog/2023-11-02-swarm-0.5-release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+---
+title: "Swarm 0.5 release"
+author: "Karl Ostmo"
+---
+
+The [Swarm](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/) development team is
+pleased to announce the latest (alpha) release of the game.
+
+Much work since the last release has gone into making Swarm even
+more contributor-friendly, spanning CI, documentation, and code quality. For
+full details, see the [release
+notes](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/releases/tag/0.5.0.0). If
+you just want to try it out, see the [installation
+instructions][install].
+
+## What is it?
+
+As a reminder, Swarm is a 2D, open-world programming and resource
+gathering game with a strongly-typed, functional programming language
+and a unique upgrade system.
+
+## Scenario authoring improvements
+
+Swarm can be played in an "open-world" mode or with
+self-contained "scenarios" as stand-alone challenges.
+
+The JSON schema that describes scenario files has been
+revamped and also now serves as the authoritative source
+of human-readable documentation,
+[rendered to markdown](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/blob/main/data/scenarios/doc-fragments/SCHEMA.md) ([#1441](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1441)).
+
+All scenarios are verified against the schema as part of CI
+([#1475](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1475)),
+and the schema itself has an enforced structure, e.g.
+requiring `"additionalProperties": false` for all `object`s.
+
+All this together means that [online documentation](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/blob/main/data/scenarios/README.md) stays up-to-date, and authors get hover-documentation and
+instant feedback about misspelled or misplaced fields in their
+scenario files. Setting up VS Code for this is now ([#1478](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1478)) merely a matter
+of installing an [extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=redhat.vscode-yaml).
+
+## Code quality
+
+- Partial functions are now restricted via `hlint` ([#1503](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1503)).
+- Huge records are decomposed ([#1510](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1510))
+- Richer internal API types ([#1604](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1604))
+- Haddocks, wiki, and README improvements (e.g. [#1512](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1512), [#1527](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1527), [#1529](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1529), [#1493](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1493), [#1488](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1488), [#1472](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1472))
+
+## Give it a try!
+
+To install, check out the [installation instructions][install]: you
+can download a [binary release][release] (for now, Linux only, but
+MacOS binaries should be on the horizon), or [install from
+Hackage][hackage]. Give it a try and send us your feedback, either
+[via a github issue][issue] or [IRC][irc]!
+
+[install]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm#installing
+[release]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/releases
+[hackage]: https://hackage.haskell.org/package/swarm
+[issue]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/new/choose
+
+## Future plans & getting involved
+
+We're still hard at work on the game. Fun upcoming things include:
+
+- [Saving and loading games][saving]
+- New world features like aliens and [cities][cities]
+- New language features like [recursive types][rectypes],
+  [arrays][arrays], [inter-robot communication][robot-comm], and [a
+  proper `import` construct][import]
+
+[cities]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/112
+[saving]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/50
+[rectypes]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/154
+[arrays]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/98
+[robot-comm]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/94
+[import]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/495
+
+Of course, there are also [tons of small things that need fixing and
+polishing][low-hanging] too! If you're interested in getting
+involved, check out our [contribution guide][contrib], come [join us
+on IRC][irc] (`#swarm` on Libera.Chat), or take a look at the list of
+[issues marked "low-hanging fruit"][low-hanging].
+
+[contrib]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md
+[low-hanging]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22C-Low+Hanging+Fruit%22
+[irc]: https://web.libera.chat/?channels=#swarm
+
+Brought to you by the Swarm development team:
+
+- Brent Yorgey
+- Karl Ostmo
+- Ondřej Šebek
+
+With contributions from:
+
+- Alexander Block
+- Brian Wignall
+- Chris Casinghino
+- Daniel Díaz Carrete
+- Gagan Chandan
+- Huw Campbell
+- Ishan Bhanuka
+- Jacob
+- Jens Petersen
+- José Rafael Vieira
+- Joshua Price
+- lsmor
+- Noah Yorgey
+- Norbert Dzikowski
+- Paul Brauner
+- Ryan Yates
+- Sam Tay
+- Steven Garcia
+- Tamas Zsar
+- Tristan de Cacqueray
+- Valentin Golev
+
+...not to mention many others who gave valuable suggestions and
+feedback. Want to see your name listed here in the next release?
+[See how you can contribute!][contrib]