Show HN: Vanilla JavaScript refinery simulator built to explain job to my kids

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

Hello y’all as the post says, certainly a novice stepping into y’all’s space, but I am passionate that we can use the newest form of coding to allow us to change the way we teach. I think it’s a different way to use AI to teach, not having it explicitly do the teaching, but a way to extract context from different backgrounds into more fun learning tools.

idiotsecant | 37 minutes ago

This is a great example of the kind of 'good enough' software that LLMs enable. Before LLMs existed you'd either hire someone to do this an exorbitant cost or you'd pick up a second full time job learning the nessessary skills.

This software doesn't need to be massive scaled, hyperperformant, and absolutely bug free. It just needs to do its job well enough, which it does.

I am also a (non-software) engineer and although I can write software (poorly) I have also used these tools to do some things that previously just wouldn't have gotten done.

We still need people to do Serious Software but for millions of little applications like this LLMs are a game changer.

Tacite | 2 hours ago

It's very good and you can be proud. Your kids should be too!

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

Thank you! They call themselves my play testers and ask to see if I have added anything new almost daily for the last week or so. I have a bonus level for the SRU I’m trying to perfect.

zbuttram | 2 hours ago

Great to see a spiritual successor to SimRefinery[1] after all these years!

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimRefinery

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

I’ll take the compliment! My goal was to keep each unit to simple tap and drag play dynamics. If there’s another curiosity, mechanical, electrical, another unit, I can add it to the development plans. It’s fun for our family!

insin | 2 hours ago

Phase 1b: The Desalter doesn't show anything on the grid in Firefox (v148.0.2), so you automatically lose.

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

Ah interesting, I have playtested on safari, chrome, and edge. I’ll have to look into what’s unique there. Thank you!

cameron_b | 2 hours ago

Up-to-date Firefox on Linux allowed me to complete certification of a shipment of Jet fuel, no trouble all the way through.

Great concept and execution.

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

Hurray! Thank you for the update note. I was going to get after it tonight after I put the kids to bed otherwise.

superxpro12 | 51 minutes ago

On Win11 Firefox latest (148.0.2), I still cant see them :\

You owe me nothing! I just wanted to let you know!

[OP] fuelingcurious | 37 minutes ago

If you open the Firefox inspection window, right-click any element on a webpage and select Inspect. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+C (Mac). You can also access it via the menu button (three horizontal lines) -> More Tools -> Web Developer Tools.

Does it show any errors?

joeframbach | 13 minutes ago

I figured out why it wouldn't work on my machine:

    @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
        *, *::before, *::after {
            animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
            animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
            transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
        }
    }

With reduced-motion enabled (which is basically required in Tahoe :eyeroll:), animations complete immediately and there is no chance to click the salt/water.

TheGamerUncle | 2 hours ago

Hi sorry do you have the code for this I have been delaying to work on something like this but would love to use this as boilerplate.

[OP] fuelingcurious | 2 hours ago

Hello! Thank you for the vote of confidence! I deliberately left the client-side JavaScript un-obfuscated (AI showed me how to do it, but then I undid it for posting here). A colleague of mine started talking about selling it as a training tool, but ha I don’t know if that is in the cards. If you send me an email, we can talk about helping you get a head start!

sealthedeal | 2 hours ago

This is awesome

[OP] fuelingcurious | an hour ago

Love it! Hopefully you learned something too!

bcze56bbn854 | an hour ago

Great jobb!

bcze56bbn854 | an hour ago

Thanks I really liked it and it taught me a lot

[OP] fuelingcurious | an hour ago

Great! Anything uniquely unexpected?

ecshafer | 50 minutes ago

Great little education game. Sulpher particles move really fast, might be worth slowing them down 20%. I was basically random clicking to get them.

[OP] fuelingcurious | 47 minutes ago

Fair point, I have a rebound energy and terminal velocity set, still lower the top speed! Thanks for the feedback.

usui | 13 minutes ago

I just want to say that despite the AI negativity in other places, this highlights the positive aspect of it. I'm sure this could have been done without it, but I'm glad OP could get it out faster for a low-risk use case, shared it with us, and in the process taught a little bit of refining to others. It's a fun minigame.

why_only_15 | 7 minutes ago

Very cool stuff! Thank you for making.