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Author Topic: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.  (Read 3914 times)

Rafal99

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2014, 01:39:51 pm »

Even though I use tile-sets as much as possible, I don't think the ASCII is hindering.
The only problems I have EVER had with it is that it's slower to identify things, and the fact that there's only one tile for each civ race (as apposed to the different sprites for each type of worker in a graphic tileset).

For me as the ASCII user it is the exact opposite - it is slower to identify things when using graphic tileset, because for me it is easier to identify simple color-coded symbols than it is to parse complex graphical sprite with small details.

So I guess there are two types of people, some are better at parsing symbols, while others are better at recognizing graphics.
And there is no need to dislike each other :)
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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2014, 01:51:07 pm »

Even though I use tile-sets as much as possible, I don't think the ASCII is hindering.
The only problems I have EVER had with it is that it's slower to identify things, and the fact that there's only one tile for each civ race (as apposed to the different sprites for each type of worker in a graphic tileset).

For me as the ASCII user it is the exact opposite - it is slower to identify things when using graphic tileset, because for me it is easier to identify simple color-coded symbols than it is to parse complex graphical sprite with small details.

So I guess there are two types of people, some are better at parsing symbols, while others are better at recognizing graphics.
And there is no need to dislike each other :)

Of course, different people, different thinking. I'm in the ASCII group. Hell, I can't understand a thing with custom tilesets. Still, I see them as extremely important to the game itself. I'd never insult someone for using tilesets, since he might have the same troubles I have with tilesets.
Goes to show how much the community can open itself to the outside when given room to move. Toady lets us make mods and graphics, and in turn the playerbase grows. Much better than him having to do everything himself and then update it all the time. I think he's found a great balance between player freedom and developer control.
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cephalo

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2014, 02:22:27 pm »

I love the clarity and atmosphere that the ASCII provides. My only requested change in that regard would be to move to square tiles. I can't play without square tiles.
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palu

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2014, 02:30:23 pm »

[FONT:curses_square_16x16.png]
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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #19 on: July 11, 2014, 02:44:13 pm »

[FONT:curses_square_16x16.png]

Should be the default, although 12x12 might be better. I use a 12x12 right now that I love.
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reality.auditor

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2014, 04:45:37 pm »

Hopefully now that trees are multi-tiles we will get multi-tiles creatures too
Not really related, as trees are stationary and behave basically like constructions that can change somewhat. Multitile creatures are completely different problem.
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Xazo-Tak

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #21 on: July 11, 2014, 06:09:01 pm »

The limit of what can be displayed using Code Page 437 is something that has been acknowledged by Toady, which is why no new creatures were added; not even the seemingly confirmed Elephant Men.
Dwarf Fortress will eventually get a graphical update, the reason we're still on CP437 is the difficulty of designing a graphics system that will work with all current and future Dwarf Fortress features.
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Untelligent

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #22 on: July 11, 2014, 07:00:57 pm »

The limit of what can be displayed using Code Page 437 is something that has been acknowledged by Toady, which is why no new creatures were added


I don't see why having no new creatures in 40.01 has anything to do with the ASCII limit.


1) Toady doesn't add new creatures very often. Between the 3D update in 2007 and the big 2010 update that added the caverns, there were no new creatures (unless I forgot?). I don't think there were many (any?) additions during the public Flat Fortress era, either.


2) Although there's new Night Creatures planned for later, Toady gave a pretty good explanation of his plans for all of them in one of the DF talks (there were originally going to be more types in the vampire/werewolf update, but they pushed them back for the sake of development time). All of them will be represented by color-coded squiggly-hat Ns (like vampires, werewolves, and necromancers), and there's plenty of space for them there. Between the planned night creatures, the cavern critters from DF2010, and the vast wodges of regular critters from the animal donation drive, we're pretty much covered on all fronts.


3) Though the scope of 40.01 was fairly broad, everything could be sorted into a handful of clumps of loosely related things that sort of required each other. None of these feature-wads really required a new set of critters to be added, not even the Night Creatures (though I suspect we'll be seeing more of them in in 2016).






But yeah, we're likely to get a graphics overhaul around or after the full v1 release. The first Slaves to Armok WAS in full 3D, and perhaps one day we'll see that in DF.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 07:03:22 pm by Untelligent »
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neblime

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #23 on: July 11, 2014, 10:58:03 pm »

Toady himself said it was getting a bit silly now that trees are bigger than mighty collosi or dragons. 
As for the topic at hand, i quite like ascii.  Not against the idea of tilesets but honestly i havent seen any i like more than ascii
i cant imagine how toady will implement multi tile creatures with ascii... It wont be easy thats for sure
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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #24 on: July 11, 2014, 11:03:20 pm »

I too prefer ASCII to tilesets (it's just cleaner to me, easier to understand), but I think it'd be a good idea to expand the tile repertoire. Trees are fine IMO, but if we do want things like multi-tile creatures or boats, expanding to include some new characters would be a good investment. 
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Xazo-Tak

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Re: I think DF finaly hit the limit on what you can display with ascii.
« Reply #25 on: July 11, 2014, 11:19:35 pm »

Toady himself said it was getting a bit silly now that trees are bigger than mighty collosi or dragons. 
As for the topic at hand, i quite like ascii.  Not against the idea of tilesets but honestly i havent seen any i like more than ascii
i cant imagine how toady will implement multi tile creatures with ascii... It wont be easy thats for sure
Bronze collosi are only 6.9 times the height of dwarves, if I'm correct about there being no differences in proportions between humanoids.
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