0.4 release blog post (#1444)

Blog post highlighting cool features in the newest release.

Also fix the version number in the .cabal file from 0.4 to 0.4.0.0. It's too late for the release (it always reports there is a new version available since 0.4.0.0 does not match 0.4) but oh well.

docs/blog/2023-08-swarm-0.4-release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+---
+title: "Swarm 0.4 release"
+---
+
+    [BLOpts]
+    profile = wp
+    tags = Swarm, game, robot, programming, resource
+    categories = Haskell, projects
+
+The [Swarm](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/) development team is
+very proud to announce the latest release of the game.  This should
+still be considered a development/preview release---you still can't
+[save your games](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/50)---but
+it's made some remarkable progress and there are lots of fun things to
+try.
+
+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. Unlocking language features is tied to
+collecting resources, making it an interesting challenge to bootstrap
+your way into the use of the full language.  It has also become a
+flexible and powerful platform for constructing programming challenges.
+
+A few of the most significant new features are highlighted below; for
+full details, see the [release
+notes](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/releases/tag/0.4.0.0).  If
+you just want to try it out, see the [installation
+instructions][install].
+
+Expanded design possibilities
+-----------------------------
+
+The default play mode is the open-world, resource-gathering
+scenario---but Swarm also supports "challenge scenarios", where you
+have to complete one or more specific objectives with given resources
+on a custom map.  There are currently 58 scenarios and counting---some
+are silly proofs of concept, but many are quite fun and challenging!
+I especially recommend checking out the `Ranching` and `Sokoban`
+scenarios, as well as `A Frivolous Excursion` (pictured below).  And
+creating new scenarios is a great way you can contribute to Swarm even
+if you don't know Haskell, or aren't comfortable hacking on the
+codebase.
+
+![](../../images/excursion.png)
+
+Recently, a large amount of work has gone into expanding the
+possibilities for scenario design:
+
+- [Structure templates](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1332)
+  allow you to design map tiles and then reuse them multiple times
+  within a scenario.
+- [Waypoints and
+  portals](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1356) provide a
+  mechanism for automatically navigating and teleporting around the
+  world.
+- Scenarios can have multiple
+  [subworlds](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1353) besides
+  the main "overworld", connected by portals.  For example you could
+  go "into a building" and have a separate map for the building
+  interior.
+- There are a slew of new robot commands, many to do with different sensing
+  modalities: `stride`, `detect`, `sniff`, `chirp,` `resonate`,
+  `watch`, `surveil`, `scout`, `instant`, `push`, `density`, `use`,
+  `halt`, and `backup`.
+- A [new domain-specific
+  language](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1376) for
+  describing procedurally generated worlds.  The default procedurally
+  generated world used to be hardcoded, but now it is described
+  externally via the new DSL, and you can design your own procedurally
+  generated worlds without editing the Swarm source code.
+- The [key input
+  handler](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1214) feature
+  allows you to program robots to respond to keyboard input, so you
+  can *e.g.* drive them around manually, or interactively trigger more
+  complex behaviors.  This makes it possible to design "arcade-style"
+  challenges, where the player needs to guide a robot and react to
+  obstacles in real time---but they get to program the robot to respond
+  to their commands first!
+- A new prototype [integrated world
+  editor](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/873) lets you
+  design worlds interactively.
+
+UI improvements
+---------------
+
+In the past, entity and goal descriptions were simply plain text;
+recently, we switched to actually parsing Markdown.  Partly, this is
+just to make things look nice, since we can highlight code snippets,
+entity names, etc.:
+
+![](../../images/crafting.png)
+
+But it also means that we can now validate all code examples and
+entity names, and even test that the tutorial is pedagogically sound:
+any command used in a tutorial solution must be mentioned in a previous
+tutorial, or else our CI fails!
+
+There are also a number of other small UI enhancements, such as
+improved type error messages, inventory search, and a collapsible REPL
+panel, among others.
+
+Scoring metrics
+---------------
+
+We now keep track of a number of metrics related to challenge scenario
+solutions, such as total time, total game ticks, and code size.  These
+metrics are tracked and saved across runs, so you can compete with
+yourself, and with others.  For now, see these wiki pages:
+
+* [Swarm speedrunning](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/wiki/Speedrunning)
+* [Swarm code golf](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/wiki/Code-golf)
+
+In the future, perhaps there will eventually be some kind of [social
+website](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/1259) with
+leaderboards and user-uploaded scenarios.
+
+Debugging
+---------
+
+Last but not least, we now have an [integrated single-stepping and
+debugging mode](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1081)
+(enabled by the `tweezers` device).
+
+![](../../images/debugger.png)
+
+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
+- 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]

swarm.cabal

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      2.4
 name:               swarm
-version:            0.4
+version:            0.4.0.0
 synopsis:           2D resource gathering game with programmable robots
 
 description:        Swarm is a 2D programming and resource gathering