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Author Topic: Genus Mod  (Read 2261 times)

ManaUser

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Genus Mod
« on: October 22, 2009, 04:52:07 pm »
Note: This is a super old topic about a super old mod. Jump down here for why I'm bumping it.

Based on my own suggestion. Hopefully it's not a faux pas to make a new thread now that it's a mod.

What this does is change the (non-graphic) creature tiles to be more unique. No more confusing hUmans with Unicorns or Elves with Elephants. In order to accomplish this, it does divides creatures by genus (very loosely speaking) and gives each genus a unique symbol. Specific species can be identified by color in almost all cases. The same system is used in Nethack and most other roguelikes.

Download Here

Design Goals:

Major race have keep their symbols, and no longer share with anything else.

All vermin are represented by non-letter characters. Many have two-frame animations like the purring maggot did before. (The toad is sooo cute.)

All non-vermin are represented by letters, except Dwarves, Treants, You-Know-What.

When possible capital letters are used for bigger creatures.

Here's the full list:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: May 20, 2016, 10:37:54 pm by ManaUser »
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LegoLord

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2009, 07:14:48 pm »
It looks good, but beak dogs are velociraptor-like creatures.
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Quote from: Vester on October 10, 2009, 10:10:11 pm
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Chromie

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2009, 10:20:48 pm »
also naked mole dogs are more ratlike than doglike (like 'prairie dogs')

http://www.katzenzeitung.eu/en/Breeds/images/Hairless/naked_mole_rat.jpg
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ManaUser

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2009, 12:42:07 am »
Right... You reckon they'd be Reptiles and rodents, respectively?
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ManaUser

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2009, 10:34:07 pm »
Done.

So, has anyone tried this mod? I've been playing with it myself for a while now, and I find it generally works well, though there are a few oddities with how DF handles color I hadn't considered. For instance everything is the same color underwater.

For that reason I also change smaller fish to "v", on the excuse that the letter vaguely resembles a fish... I guess. Don't let their size fool you though, this group includes the dreaded carp.
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Deon

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2009, 11:06:13 am »
There was a mod some time ago which changed the naming system to ADOM one. I play with graphic sets though so it doesn't bother me much.
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darkflagrance

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2009, 12:06:23 pm »
This would be a good link in a reference thread.
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Squirrelloid

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2009, 12:53:18 pm »
Hmmm... i proposed a rather different system in the 'things i dislike about DF' thread.

In particular, I don't see any reason why the letters currently assigned to civ races are sacrosanct, especially because they're confusing for anyone coming from a rogue-like.  E should certainly be Elemental, for starters.

I also don't see why giant animals aren't grouped with similar animals that aren't giant.  And why Titans are in a different category than Giants.  (Seriously, they should both be 'P')

Hmm... i'm really tempted to make goblins 'o' so 'g' can become golem like it should be, and describe things like Colossi and Iron Men.

Hmm.. maybe i'll go play with my own raws...
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ManaUser

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Re: Genus Mod
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2016, 10:35:47 pm »
I'm thinking of redoing this mod for the current version. Anyone have any thoughts? Do you think it's a terrible idea? Is there another mod that does this already? If none of the above apply, I'd like some suggestions on how to deal with some things.

One of the first issues I'll have to handle is that the number of animal men and giant animals has been greatly expanded, from ~10 to ~160 of each. (I know that happened years ago, but this is a really old mod.)

Previously animal people were "a" and giant animals were "A", but if I just stick with that alot of information is lost... Theoretically at least. Despite the huge diversity, neither seem especially common, so there might not really be too many cases where you have trouble telling giant kiwis and giant lions apart, ditto for slug men and olm men. So that's the null decision, and it might not be too bad. Another idea would be to make them flash between their base animal symbol and some kind of indicator. Maybe @ for animal people and ↑ for giant animals, this should be fairly easy with the seldom-used ALTTILE tag, but it also might be kind of annoying/distracting.
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