Okay, here's a basic response from Toady regarding interfaces, and including real changes he will likely be making when the time comes:
[About 3rd party interfaces and future open-support for them in DF's interface, which would require him to do that 'overhaul']
Depending on the stage of the interface overhaul, ultimately I'm going to be support 2D tilesets (probably in dimensions of multiples of 4 because I'm lazy with image file headers). So if you want to draw up some 32x32s or something, you won't be wasting your time, I think. It should be fairly straightforward to support single z-slice isometric stuff as well, once I get that going, since I'd just have to change the print locations and print order, though transparency decisions are probably annoying, and it's slightly more annoying to get multilayer isometric stuff going, since people are going to want various options about display there, so I don't really have a clear opinion on the future of isometric. The support for a resizeable viewport/window is definite, but nothing has been decided on layering there (for instance, critters walking over grass tiles, that kind of thing -- people will want more and more out of this system, such as inventory and wound displays, and I'm not sure where lines will be drawn, or where it will bog down, anyway).
So you coming along and saying he "Doesn't give a fuck" about the topic is asinine, just go through some of his interviews, most of them bring up the question of future interface development.
Source: I've been following DF for 6 years.
Maybe the search bar will prevent you from saying things that aren't true in the future.
That whole thing you quoted, it's full of questions itself. It's obvious he didn't give much thought about it, let alone plan it. That whole quote is shouting like "Fellas, I really do give a fuck about this UI and graphics stuff, but y'know... Life is short. But I swear, it will be done in like 40-50 years after but no promises." Toady said what would I have said if I didn't care much about graphics and UI myself, if I was developing a game who has a big community like this.
Being a DF follower for 6 years, you may think you know more than us and thus have a better say in this matter, but if there is one thing I learned in my life, it's this (warning: it may seem irrevelant but this is not directed at Mictlantecuhtli when he said that 6 years thing, it's directed at everyone who has been here for a long time): people who are new to a developing idea will have different opinions about it than people who have been there since it's starting point of development. Don't take their perspective lightly, because you see the idea from the inside. You need people who sees it from the outside. That's why most authors make sure someone else reads their book before they publish it. They know everything about the book, but people will read it without knowing anything and thus, author's perspective will be different. They need an outside perspective to write better books. They may accidently give away the plot twists halfway the book and never notice you know.
Now, before anybody jumps to a conclusion like Mictlantecuhtli did with reality.auditor. I don't have an issue of trust with the developer. I just know a guy who can be a good politician when I see it. Come on guys! It's obvious he isn't interested in UI and graphics. He just gives vague answers and as we all know, DF is going to be developed until sky falls down on us. If he says "I'll get around to that eventually" he might mean he is going to do it tomorrow, or after 50 years. Do you need an "I'M NOT GONNA DO GRAPHICS AND UI SO SHUT UP AND LET ME DEVELOP THIS GAME" statement on the main page? Toady is dealing with a big community here and everything he says is like, recorded (like how Mictlantecuhtli quoted that) so he has to be careful with everything he says.
My perspective? I don't give a fuck about graphics and UI but if the newbies are always pointing that out than maybe it needs to be better. I mean, I don't remember Toady saying "This game is not about graphics and UI and they will always be a I-don't-give-a-fuck priority" so unless he says something like that this game will keep getting UI and graphics complaints. It's not like we have a big "If this is your first time, don't expect fancy graphics. We don't do that here." sign at the homepage. People do expect something even if you tell them how roguelikes are. I say just let the community handle it. If Toady implements things like Dwarf Therapist and tilesets into the game, it would be enough for us. I don't want this and see it a waste of time, since we got Newb Pack anyway, but it is what the most people (both elitists and graphic whores) would want I guess.
Or Toady could just give a link to the Lazy Newb Pack next to the download link. I gave up playing and started playing again after I discovered Lazy Newb Pack once. Some people aren't aware of the pack.
Note: Things I have said about Toady's perspective are all assumptions (to tell my idea better) and are not real. So, don't rage or anything okay fellas?
Oh, and this will be my last post on this thread since some people are getting a little emotional about this issue and I know for a fact that you don't debate about anything that the opposition may rage about. Just wanted to write my look on this. So... thanks for reading fellas, and keep calm with this argument. We are all friends here.
Author
Topic: DF: The Game of the Game - Interface Vs Player (Read 8667 times)