The Anti-Framework Idea that turned into FUBARos - Clippy’s Revenge

Source: Dev.to

Behind the Code: The Anti‑Framework Idea

FUBARos is built with 0 % frameworks, 0 % Tailwind, and 100 % vanilla JavaScript. In an era where a simple “Hello World” can require a 2 GB node_modules folder and a 15‑minute build pipeline, this project is a rebellion. It runs directly on the browser’s native engine—the way the internet was meant to work.

• No React/Vue/Angular – state is managed with plain variables.
• No TailwindCSS – styling is pure CSS (plus a little JS).
• No build step – drag‑and‑drop static files to a host.
• Warning: Summoning 10 + Clippys may result in an extreme desktop warzone.

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Modules

The Assistant That Never Sleeps

Chaotic digital‑pet simulator featuring everyone’s favorite paperclip.

• Controls: Mouse (drag to move, click to annoy)
• Commands: clippy, helpme, god, wtf
• Idle Mode: Floats around, offering unsolicited advice and using ~8 MB RAM.
• Chaos Engine: Ignored → screen effects (blur, shake, invert) or closes windows.
• Rage Mode: Click/drag too much → turns red, scatters, and screams.
• Battle Royale: Enter clippy multiple times → summons clones that fight to the death (“THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!”).

Random Styles (19 total) – Classic, Smart, Dapper, Wizard, Pirate, Robot, Zombie, Ninja, Angel/Devil, Glitch, Gold, Rainbow/Uniclippy, Cow, Alien, Ghost, Poop, Cool, etc. Collect them all!

Defend the Kernel

Retro arcade shooter where you protect the system core from incoming software bugs.

• Controls: ←/→ arrows (move), Space/Click (shoot)
• Objective: Destroy bug waves before they reach the core at the bottom of the screen.
• Game Over: A bug touches your ship → “SYSTEM OVERRUN”.

Smash the Firewall

Breakout‑style game to dismantle the firewall bricks.

• Controls: Mouse/Touch (move paddle), Click (launch ball)
• Features: Procedural levels (checkerboard, pyramid, randomized). Ball speed increases as you clear sectors.
• Lose Condition: Running out of lives (packets).

Hardware Harvesting

Fast‑paced clicker where components fall from the cloud.

• Controls: Click/Tap items.
• Goal: Collect GOOD items (floppies, keyboards, RAM) for points; avoid BAD items (viruses, warning signs) that damage system health.
• Pro Tip: Don’t miss the golden disks (great items) for massive score boosts.

The Data Packet Must Cross the Disk

Navigate a data packet across a fragmented hard drive.

• Controls: Arrow keys or WASD.
• Hazards:
  • Bad Sectors – static red blocks that corrupt data.
  • Write Heads – moving bars that overwrite you.
• Goal: Reach the top row to “defrag” the sector and heal the system.

The Hacker Trail

Text‑based resource‑management adventure.

• Controls: On‑screen buttons (DEPLOY, REST, HUNT, SHOP).
• Gameplay: Manage crypto, bandwidth, coffee, backups, and uptime. Survive random events (DDoS, ransomware, memory leaks, funding rounds).
• Goal: Reach “Production” without uptime hitting 0 or crew burning out.

Running on 56k

Endless runner set on a connection carrier wave.

• Controls: Space, Up Arrow, or Tap to jump.
• Objective: Jump over signal noise (spikes) and collect data packets.
• Mechanic: Speed increases with your “Baud Rate” (score). Don’t drop the connection!

Tunnel into the Mainframe

3D‑style tunnel runner through the file system.

• Controls: Click lanes to interact.
• Items:
  • Folders – score & speed boost.
  • Locks (🔒) – click three times to decrypt for bonus points.
  • Viruses (☣️) – avoid unless you have a scanner.
  • Power‑ups – ZIP (points), SCAN (virus shield), HEART (health).

Cellular Automata

Implementation of Conway’s Game of Life.

• Controls: Click/drag to draw cells; buttons to start/stop.
• Purpose: No win condition—watch patterns emerge, stabilize, or die out. A zen experience for the overworked admin.

Neural Calibration

CPU (brain) test with timed arithmetic problems.

• Controls: Click the correct answer or use hotkeys 1‑4.
• Modes: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Binary, Hexadecimal, Modulo.
• Status: Correct answers boost your “Sync” (time); wrong answers cause lag (time penalty).

Table Tennis v0.1

Classic Pong‑style match vs CPU.

• Controls: Mouse/Touch to move paddle.
• Objective: First to 5 points wins; ball speeds up with each hit. The AI has a 0 ms reaction time (usually).

Free to Play, Pay to Win

Infinite internet‑slope ski with monetization obstacles.

• Controls: ←/→ arrows or mouse to steer.
• Obstacles: Ads, paywalls, cookie banners, pop‑ups, 404 errors.
• Power‑ups:
  • VPN – shield against obstacles.
  • ADBLOCK – clears all pesky pop‑ups on screen.

PvP: Python vs Python

Snake‑style duel with a twist.

• Controls: Arrow keys or WASD.
• Twist: Compete against a CPU snake. Eat food to grow, cut off the enemy snake to kill them, avoid walls and your own tail.

System Tools

Central Dashboard

The hub for managing (or mismanaging) your FUBARos experience.

• User Levels: Guest → User → Admin → Hacker (features unlock progressively).
• Stats: System Health (Integrity) and Instability.
• Actions:
  • Scan – check for issues.
  • Repair – heal system health (Admin).
  • Defrag – reduce instability (Admin).
  • Chaos Tools – leak memory, corrupt system (Hacker).

Task Manager

• Monitor: Real‑time CPU and RAM graphs.
• Kill Process: Force‑close unresponsive windows.
• Kill Clippy: Attempt to terminate the paperclip (he may return).

Internet Within the Internet

A fully functional mock web browser.

• Commands: web, browser
• Features: Browse the “web” safely, access internal help pages (fubar://help).
• Chaos: Unstable systems may produce 404s and random redirects.

A Journey Through Time

Experience software history.

• Commands: eras, history
• Gameplay: Travel through eras (Punch Cards → DOS → Windows 95 → Modern). Solve coding puzzles to advance.

The Price of Free Software

Annoying pop‑ups that (pretend to) generate revenue for the OS.

• Command: adpopup (if you hate yourself).
• Mechanics: Click to close; sometimes they multiply.

Terminal

The heart of FUBARos. Access it via the desktop icon.

# Example commands
min [id]   # Minimal interface for a given module ID

(Further commands are documented within the system’s help pages.)