Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7)
Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
Publisher Founding: March 1, 2014
Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com
Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Journal: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal
Journal Founding: August 2, 2012
Frequency: Three (3) Times Per Year
Review Status: Non-Peer-Reviewed
Access: Electronic/Digital & Open Access
Fees: None (Free)
Volume Numbering: 12
Issue Numbering: 3
Section: A
Theme Type: Idea
Theme Premise: “Outliers and Outsiders”
Theme Part: 31
Formal Sub-Theme: None
Individual Publication Date: August 8, 2024
Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2024
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Word Count: 732
Image Credits: Claus Volko.
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2369-6885
*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citations, after the publication.*
Abstract
Claus Volko is an Austrian computer and medical scientist who has conducted research on the treatment of cancer and severe mental disorders by conversion of stress hormones into immunity hormones. This research gave birth to a new scientific paradigm which he called “symbiont conversion theory”: methods to convert cells exhibiting parasitic behaviour to cells that act as symbionts. In 2013 Volko, obtained an IQ score of 172 on the Equally Normed Numerical Derivation Test. He is also the founder and president of Prudentia High IQ Society, a society for people with an IQ of 140 or higher, preferably academics. He discusses: Prudentia; general contents; Facebook group; Symbiont Conversion Theory; new developments in personal life; the high-IQ society space; Indie Game Dev Scene; Domination; Giana’s Return; the development of an indie game; Sonic; copyright issues; graphics library; and final thoughts.
Keywords: Domination strategy game, Fangame copyright issues, Giana Worlds review, Giana’s Return improvements, graphics libraries for indie games, high-IQ society space, Indie Game Dev Scene productivity, ISPE membership benefits, Kenneth Myers contributions, personal updates, Prudentia membership growth, Riemann conjecture article, Sonic game appeal, Symbiont Conversion Theory progress, dormant Facebook group, indie game development tips, journal transformation to blog, connecting with like-minded individuals.
Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7)
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How is Prudentia looking now?
Claus Volko, M.D.: We now have 77 members. Recently Iakovos Koukas joined the society. He is the author of an article that deals with an attempt to prove the Riemann conjecture. This article has been published in the blog of Prudentia.
Jacobsen: How many issues of the journal have been, in the end analysis so far, published? What have been the general contents? Who has been the most prolific contributor?
Volko: 15 issues of the journal were released in total. Afterwards the journal was transformed into a blog, which gets updated occasionally. The most prolific contributor has been Kenneth Myers, who mainly wrote articles about intelligence.
Jacobsen: How did life on the Facebook group develop amongst the members?
Volko: The Facebook group is pretty dormant. I only post from time to time.
Jacobsen: How has the work on Symbiont Conversion Theory been going?
Volko: Well, I’ve joined the Syncritic Institute because they have expressed interest in my theory. Meanwhile I’ve written a blog article for it that deals with the theory. That’s all I can say for now – the scientific community still seems not to be interested, or at least it isn’t aware of my idea yet.
Jacobsen: What are some new developments in personal life?
Volko: Thanks for asking. There isn’t much. I’ve switched employers a couple of times in recent years. I’m still unmarried and currently not in a relationship.
Jacobsen: What are some positive developments in the high-IQ society space?
Volko: For me personally it has been a positive development that I’ve joined the ISPE. The ISPE is really the best high IQ society there is. It has a very good journal called Telicom. Paying the annual fee of about EUR 40 is worth it just because of the journal. Telicom mostly features articles on philosophical subjects. I love them.
Jacobsen: You started some work with the writer space Indie Game Dev Scene. So far, highly productive with 9 articles in the span of about 2 weeks. I must have been living on a comet. What is the Giana Worlds?
Volko: The Giana Worlds is a game I reviewed for my new blog “Indie Game Dev Scene”. It is one of several attempts to create a game similar to the original “Great Giana Sisters”.
Jacobsen: How did the game Domination cast a spell on you?
Volko: I’ve played it for many years now, maybe already twenty years. It is similar to the board game Risk. I like it because it’s truly a strategy game, and I tend to excel at strategy games.
Jacobsen: How did the game Giana’s Return improve on the original?
Volko: It features better graphics and music, and is also a bit easier because you don’t immediately lose a life upon a hit.
Jacobsen: What are the most crucial tips for the development of an indie game?
Volko: Games consist of code, graphics and music. If you are a coder but don’t have good skills at the other two things, look for people who can help you. Sometimes graphic artists and musicians are even willing to help you for free, without compensation. There is a website called wanted.scene.org where you can post requests for help.
Jacobsen: I loved Sonic. What made this game particularly noteworthy, where – I am sure – individuals continue to play it?
Volko: High speed, great graphics, the lovely concept with the rings – that’s what I know Sonic for.
Jacobsen: Are there ever any copyright issues in releasing a “fangame”?
Volko: Yes, there are. Many fangames make use of graphics, sound effects or other assets from the original game, which are actually copyrighted. Sometimes creators of fangames get mail from the original developers and are asked to remove their fangames because of plagiarism. Fortunately, however, that doesn’t happen often.
Jacobsen: What different graphics library are good for development of an indie game? Are different ones good for different purposes, or is there an all-rounder?
Volko: Well, basically you can use OpenGL or DirectX, but there are also higher-level graphics libraries which make life easier, such as SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) or raylib.
Jacobsen: I hope you’re well. Any final thoughts on life, love, and finding a niche community of like-ability people with similar interests?
Volko: I’m open for connecting with people who share my interests.
Jacobsen: Thank you, again, Claus.
Volko: My pleasure.
Bibliography
None
Footnotes
None
Citations
American Medical Association (AMA 11th Edition): Jacobsen S. Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7). August 2024; 12(3). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7
American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition): Jacobsen, S. (2024, August 8). Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7). In-Sight Publishing. 12(3).
Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7). In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, Fort Langley, v. 12, n. 3, 2024.
Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (17th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2024. “Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (Summer). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7.
Chicago/Turabian, Notes & Bibliography (17th Edition): Jacobsen, S “Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (August 2024).http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7.
Harvard: Jacobsen, S. (2024) ‘Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, 12(3). <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7>.
Harvard (Australian): Jacobsen, S 2024, ‘Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7)’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7>.
Modern Language Association (MLA, 9th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. “Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7).” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vo.12, no. 3, 2024, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7.
Vancouver/ICMJE: Scott J. Conversation with Claus Volko, M.D. on Community and “Indie Game Dev Scene”: Founder, Prudentia High IQ Society (7) [Internet]. 2024 Aug; 12(3). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/volko-7.
License & Copyright
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ©Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use or duplication of material without express permission from Scott Douglas Jacobsen strictly prohibited, excerpts and links must use full credit to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with direction to the original content.
In-Sight Publishing 