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[MrWiggles]

I prefer to be able to know what I'm looking at with a glance, and as such I can't stand the standard ASCII graphics. Useless symbols as far as I'm concerned.

That statement can work both ways. Just saying.

How do you tell who is a farmer and who is a miner with ASCII at a glance? Or which particular "s" creature that one is?

They're color, and where they are.

If they're mining, then chances are they're miners.

If they're idling, or in the farm area, then chances are they're farmers.

If they're white, then chances are they're miners.

If they're crappy yellow, then chances are they're farmers.

[Greiger]

Easier to mod in new critters if you don't have to worry about drawing a tile for them.  Also 800x600 curses is what I started playing with and learned the game using way back when I started.  Not to insult the tileset makers or anything, but nowadays when I see a screenshot with some other tileset it takes me a bit to piece out what is what, especially with creatures involved. 

The same symbols thing isn't an issue because after awhile of playing curses you can usually tell a creature apart from others with the same tile just from context and behavior as Wiggles said.  a white g isn't likely to be a goblin without an ambush or siege warning of some kind, and even then they would be closer spaced multicolor groups, or making a straight line dash to a map edge, not wandering randomly.

So that's pretty much my reasoning, but I don't expect everybody to play curses.  It works for some people, for others it does not.  I feel that everybody should give the base curses tilesets an honest shot, because I feel it enriches my own experience, but I certainly wouldn't press the matter.  Folks play the game how they will play the game.  I haven't actually played as dwarves since sometime in late 2008.  Does that make me any less of a DF player?  I certainly don't think so.  Why should the graphics representation somebody uses?

[kaijyuu]

I honestly don't give a damn about the tileset.

Very rarely do I wonder what any of the vanilla symbols are. Never used a graphical tileset, but I imagine I really wouldn't have a problem with that either.



As long as the graphics remain primitive enough to keep it from being anything but an abstract representation, all that matters is differentiation between the various tiles. It's easy to do so with all available tilesets, including the ascii ones. I'd care about graphics once one tile because something other than "small enough that only one creature can stand in it, but large enough that 999 dragons can lay down in it."

[dizzyelk]

I've tried using tilesets. They'd be helpful if I could set the game to use tilesets when zoomed in close, and the ASCII when zoomed out so a full embark tile fits on my screen, like I usually do. At that zoom, tilesets are just too hard to see.

[hermes]

I learnt to play from Captn duck and using Maydays graphics, they really helped as a newbie.  Now I am still really impressed with the graphics sets, they look beautiful.  I also agree with the gameplay argument Kohaku makes.  However I just have a feeling that, on some level, some proponents of graphics (or UI reform ) are trying to appropriate design / gameplay control to a certain extent, and that bugs me.  It has happened before and I guess it will again.  I dont agree with UI or graphics hacking, so until that group calms down a bit i will be using ASCII because I like the simplicity, its what the game is designed for, and to make a nonsensical stand for patience, like how a dwarf waits to be engulfed by the approaching forest fire. 

[beef623]

Ascii all the way. I've tried a few tilesets, but I just can't tell what's going on when I'm using them.

[Reudh]

I attempted to use vanilla DF way back in 31.04, and the black and green would trigger migraines so I gave up.

About seven months later I discovered Phoebus's tileset, and haven't gone back since.

[Normandy]

I've always liked the simple, monochrome fonts without special symbols (the Unknown 12x12 tileset used to be my favorite before I got a larger screen. Anyone else like this set?), plus one of the muted color schemes from the wiki (still deciding on my favorite). The muted color schemes really help reduce eye fatigue, and the simple bold lines that make up most characters lead to a really simple, uncluttered view of the game.

Personally, I just really like that the ASCIIcode page 437 is so simple and abstract it makes it easy to see what's going on at a glance. I would have to agree that sometimes it is annoying that all dwarves of the same profession have the same tile, especially since dwarves of the same profession usually work in the same (or similar) areas, but I use Dwarf Therapist to deal with Dwarves on an individual basis anyways, so it's never been much of an issue for me. And as for multiple creatures having the same tile, for the most part the creatures that occur in Fortress Mode come back again and again, so it becomes easy to identify which tile is for which creature after a little while with a fort, IMO.

[Mr Frog]

The text display works for me. If there was some way to make it fully-graphical that was actually practical, looked good, and wouldn't cause headaches for both modders and the Toad himself, then I'd be all for it, but it's not like I can't tell what's going on as it is. Some of the user-made fonts do look quite nice.
The standard curses font does sort of savage the retinas, however, though that's due more to an unholy combination of bright colours on a dark background and small text with jaggedy, un-antialiased edges than it is due to any inherent problem with having a text display; furthermore, all of those problems can be fixed with a few minutes of looking on DFFD for a tileset you like.

I'd happily use a graphics set if I could just find one I like. I tried to make my own, but making all the sprites juuust right was too much effort

[Loud Whispers]

100% ASCII

[Johuotar]

Proud member of ASCII masterrace.

[Reudh]

Yeah, I understand the whole Code 437 thing, but really I elected to use tilesets because they don't hurt my eyes and brain.

I personally am going to play a game even if I love it if it gives me a headache.

[vorpal+5]

100% tileset.

But you know what. Currently the game uses a faux ASCII tileset with 256 combinations. If Toady would allow us to access say 1024, 2048 or whatever numbers of tiles in the ASCII tileset, then people liking to play with graphics could have their fun, and others would not deprived of anything either.

Whereas the reverse (and current situation) is not true. With 256 combinations, ASCII people have what they want, but not the more graphics oriented crowd.

[Sphalerite]

I have been playing with the faux-ASCII default interface for years now.  I'm so used to it I can't tell what I'm looking at when someone shows me a screenshot taken with a graphical tileset.

[Name Lips]

I love the ascii. After a couple months of playing, I couldn't even see the ascii anymore. I just knew what was going on -- I could see through the Matrix. I actually love playing a game my kids don't pester me to watch.

My only pet peeve is against rectangular fonts for the game. I like 16x16, so my square rooms look square. Which I guess means I'm not a real ascii purist. I think I'm the only person I know on these boards who uses the 16x16 Herbdogg tileset, where most of the ASCII is preserved but I like the aesthetics of the font better.