AI: The Rise of the Machines... Or Just a Lot of Overhyped Chatbots?

I've been using a bunch of different AI tools to write various things, as I walk my way up the Vibe coding ladder, getting certs and upskilling myself along the way.

I use Abascus.ai to build an Azure website for some monitoring dashboards, and it did a great job. Explained the whole process, got me set up with needed accounts (all my Azure stuff had been lost to time years ago, when I was still pursuing a Windows Server Admin career path) and a Neon postgres database for the backend. Got it all set up over a long weekend and was able to showcase an idea on Monday we came up with on Thursday.

Used Claude to build this website to monitor NFL games as they are played. Had a buddy build something to allow him to see all of college football at a glance via ESPN sports feed and thought, I need something like that for the NFL. Voila!!

NFL Game Week

Revolutionized my NFL Sunday.

I made this app in Base44 to log my Insulin doses, weight, meals, exercise via photo(actually, it creates a log entry that you have to confirm, so it keeps human-in-the-loop), or you can just make a manual entry, so can export via Google Sheet to give to your Doc or whatever. Has Mascots for the various metrics!

GlideLog — easier logging, clearer trends

Making the mascots was super fun. Will also have CGM integration once I get approved as Dexcom partner, the others will come later, also working on AppleHealth integration. It's PWA for now (you can use on phone by opening in browser) but will have it in Apple Store and Google Play Store once I decide on how I want do that; Base44 is great for Web apps but doesn't do StoreKit at all, so there's extra complexity to get in-app purchases for digital goods/subscriptions done, and same for Google Play; who also require 14? active users. There's the Apple Developers Account, ($99) along with review, etc. Google Play has the same requirement but is a little less ($35/yr and an active device?).

Right now its free to use; at some point I will add a sub after 14-day free trial to cover integration credit usage for the photo analysis. You have to create an account to use it; was a requirement for data security. I read that's death for apps but really this just for me. If anyone else ever uses it, certainly ever pays for it, bonus.

I will probably use Despia or Natively.com to finish out the Apple Store/Google Play store contruction; there are other ways to do it (Run everything through Stripe on the website/export and rebuild through Capacitor for every change, etc. but I don't think I am going to do anything more than let code detect the platform and then send someone to their native store for purchase. Since I always envisioned this as a mobile app, I would have started it somewhere else if I have known about Base44's lack of StoreKit surface. Great for Web apps, not so great for mobile apps although it's doable.

I am currently using Claude (mostly Opus 5.5) and Godot 4.7.2 to remake-ish Conquest of the New World, on the road to rebuilding Imperialism1/2. I'm at Milestone 4 of 10, game is launchable, you can start a game and move around, uncover fog and discover landmarks. Still so much to do, haven't stressed my 5x Max yet.

These 4x empire-building games I love to play but no one makes ones I enjoy. So much like the app above, I am going to remake/make one for myself and learn about them in the process.

One thing I have learned in the process is how incredibly, incredibly deep and complicated the game building process is. I mean, I knew but I didn't KNOW. After spending a few weeks reading and watching, I have a thimble's understanding of what it must take to make even the most rudimentary of games. AI is the only way I would ever even begin this process, and hats off to every game dev.