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[TheSharkable]

Usually whenever I hear people talking about the game the first thing they do is complain about the hideous graphics and point out that there are graphics packs that improve things- but I don't think they do. I've tried several different packs and all of them just end up feeling cluttered and horrible. The original ascii has a kind of sparse elegance that many of the packs completely lose. Sure it's harder to learn; but when has that ever stopped people from playing this game. Any thoughts?

[Lalasa]

I have never had a problem reading the ASCII but I do have a problem reading the graphical sets.  It's not that the graphics sets are badly made, they are very beautiful.  I just can't tell what anything is when tilesets are used.  Not only that but the text usually looks off.

It's just a personal opinion and all, but I have an easier time playing with the simpler ASCII.

[KingBacon]

I used to be a big fan of graphic sets, but I feel like they were training wheels now. After I got into modifying raws and such I've found ASCII to be much more pleasant. (The only thing I really keep from Phobius is making raw cassiterite teal.... since native copper being the same color as the ore of tin makes bronze working a pain.)

I use ANNO 16x16 (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Tileset_repository)
What do you guys use?

[Drazinononda]

I use that same tileset, though the only reason I switched from vanilla ASCII is that I got tired of my square rooms looking rectangular.

[Swonnrr]

I would love to play ascii, but the thing that bugs me is the rectangular tiles.
It mess up with my head and fort layout.

[KingBacon]

Swonnrr, go to Dwarf Fort 34.11\data\init and open the init file
Then go to Dwarf Fort 34.11\data\art
 Dwarf Fort 34.11\data\art and to see if curses_square_16x16 is there
From init:
"This is the size and font for windowed mode.  Changing to the 800x600 font might make you happier.
If set below 256x256 it specifies the grid size instead, with a minimum of 80x25.

[WINDOWEDX:1280]
[WINDOWEDY:400]
[FONT:curses_square_16x16.png] <CHANGE NAME

You may disable window resizing if you wish.
[RESIZABLE:YES]

Full screen info.  The 0s below mean that the game will choose a resolution for you, but you can set it yourself as well.

[FULLSCREENX:1280]
[FULLSCREENY:400]
[FULLFONT:curses_square_16x16.png] <CHANGE NAME "

You can also use one of these sets, right click and save as to DF art folder and put the name the spots (and change resolution when needed.)

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Tileset_repository

[pisskop]

I have never had a problem reading the ASCII but I do have a problem reading the graphical sets.

Ditto.  They are all square and standardized.  Gives me a slight headache (and goblins don't live in cabinets).  I learned DF on phobeus, but found the switch to ascii a major boon to my experience.  And my laptop's framerate.

[Matoro]

Graphics are good for learning and for showing the game for people who don't play the game themselves, but otherwise ASCII is better. It has some real Dwarf Fortress feeling.

[enolate]

I have never had a problem reading the ASCII but I do have a problem reading the graphical sets.  It's not that the graphics sets are badly made, they are very beautiful.  I just can't tell what anything is when tilesets are used.  Not only that but the text usually looks off.

It's just a personal opinion and all, but I have an easier time playing with the simpler ASCII.

Right, because distinguishing humans from unicorns makes it harder to tell what stuff is.

[ResMar]

[...] the text usually looks off.

That's because it sometimes fails to distinguish between letters and in-game objects. I use Ironholds and reading the text gets annoying when there's random prepared meals and shovels (I think they're shovels?) floating around in the Thoughts and preferences screen.

[Tevish Szat]

I started on ASCII.  It was actually really easy to learn (I'd gotten it by the time I got how to dig on a flat embark) and now looks more natural to me than most tile sets, to the point where I actually have a hard time deciphering Phobeus and Ironhand when I see them in community forts (yes, a Ü human and U unicorn are more distinct but a ☻ swordsdwarf and ☻ marksdwarf lose some distinction-at-a-glance in most packs).  Alternate ASCII sets (such as square ones, or ones that give dwarf figures beards) are OK, but far too many mess up cart tracks or worse, the text.  Even so, I pretty much use the default.

[WanderingKid]

While I can appreciate the ASCII from my younger days, particularly with strip poker done in ASCII art in GWBasic on my 8088, I really don't feel any great need to go back to that.

Perhaps, as mentioned, I'm still a newbie and need the crutch.  I personally found DF far too impenetrable in the ASCII set though, and did until I grabbed the LNP and used a tileset.  If it's your cup of tea (or mug of beer), cheers to you!  I'm afraid I couldn't enjoy it that way.

[Button]

a ☻ swordsdwarf and ☻ marksdwarf lose some distinction-at-a-glance in most packs

I'm amused that this is the distinction-at-a-glance example that you chose, because those are practically indistinguishable to me!

I'm colorblind, green deficient ('deuteranomalous'). I hadn't made the connection to my trouble with animal ascii, before. I feel a little better about using a tileset now!

[Tevish Szat]

a ☻ swordsdwarf and ☻ marksdwarf lose some distinction-at-a-glance in most packs

I'm amused that this is the distinction-at-a-glance example that you chose, because those are practically indistinguishable to me!

I'm colorblind, green deficient ('deuteranomalous'). I hadn't made the connection to my trouble with animal ascii, before. I feel a little better about using a tileset now!

That's rather fascinating.  I can absolutely see how a tileset would help you, since most of why I tell things apart better in ASCII is because there's more space taken up by the color of a thing (A purple dwarf rather than a dwarf wearing a purple sash).

[vjek]

When I use a tileset (not all the time) I use Coaldiamond.  It's 8x12, so very similar to ASCII, just a bit more DF-related detail.