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Extended ASCII (Original)

Tilesets (Mayday DFG for instance)

Other (Custom ASCII tiles, etc.)

[Deon]

There's no default graphic set o_O. I didn't meant a tileset, sorry .

Actually, the main reason I use creature graphic sets is because I usually play mods with many creatures and it's hard to identify them by letters (A-Z is not enough) while my own drawn creatures are easily identified by myself.

if you can't find a set which you like you're just too lazy

By lazy I meant people who complain about how "wrong" creature sprites are, I meant that they could draw them by themself, and you cannot confuse a creature you've made yourself with something else, that's my point. I play with my own graphics thus I don't have any problems with it .

And in vanilla DF, using ASCII tiles for creatures is pretty OK.

My point is: when you have dark elves, wild elves, elephants, ents, empaths, ettins, eggheads, earth elementals, earthlings, elders, eviscerators, flying emeralds etc, a simple "e" is not enough .

If I use a small array of creatures, the ASCII thing is just a matter of taste, but in major mods I feel a need for graphics.

P.S. And I don't mean to  enforce my opinion on others. I accept that someone may feel pretty comfortable with multiple "e" on his screen representing different creatures.

[MathijsBuster]

D.F. is tile-based, A.S.C.I.I. is better for identifying individual tiles. If you 'get' A.S.C.I.I. then it will be easier to work with. If you don't 'get' it(which really doesn't reflect badly on someone) or want to see a picture of a fort when you play the game, then you can make the sacrifice and use a graphical set...

I do get ASCII, but it's not much of a sacrifice if I actually prefer to use a tileset, is it?

[Orkel]

I use a custom, square ASCII tileset. But there's no way in hell I'll ever play with sprite tilesets.

[Sourlout]

I tried playing it with the ascii as I have enjoyed other ascii games, but I only started to get into DF when I had a graphic set. Now I have a graphic pack that has been heavily modified to suit my tastes. 

Does anyone else check out different forts on dfma?  I gotta say that graphics make a fort clear to understand and look much better then plain ascii.  (Also, graphics is the way to go with dfma because you cannot use the look function to figure out what something is)

All I need is sprite based graphics.  Would anyone have care about or enjoyed chrono trigger or any final fantasy game if they only were in ascii?

[Deon]

I don't think that FF fits this niche, DF is strategy in the end. I am for graphic creatures because I want to be able to quickly understand the situation, but I don't need them to look fancy.

[zwei]

D.F. is tile-based, A.S.C.I.I. is better for identifying individual tiles.

It also limits a lot what you can display. tile-based grid does not necesarily benefit from being in ascii.

Exile/Avernum players can attest that graphics worked just fine for it.

Anyhow, for disadvantages, major one is obstruction. Ascii means that you can display exactly and only one piece of information for each tile.

Creatures obstruct items which obstruct liquids which obstruct ground.

If there are multiple creatures, game blinks amongst them and if you want creature to display any status info for it you end up blinking symbols. Some costructions like ramps also blink.

Meeting hall ends up looking like disco.

Typically, in, say, civilization game series, you can see clearly terrain, construction AND present unit. Units have status displayed in floater above them.

Stonesense demonstrates this point as it does basically the same thing to DF. Including nameplates for units.

[StealthArcher]

I use this: http://dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/File:Bisasam_24x24.png

Or to summarise:


Are you tired of Playing your old Dorf Fortrezz on your electronic gaming system? 
Do you want a DF where you can watch the fun claim all of your Dorf Friendz?
Do your Fortrezzes usually end in sorrow?

WELL UR IN LUCK cause now there's a tileset that changes nothing but the way the game looks (and it does little of that anyway).  INTRODUCING DORF FORTREZZ HDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Bizazam's taken the old Dorf Fortrezz you love and injected with a whole slew of PNG AWESOME.

Using advanced technology that about half of us understand, you run your Fortrezz and lead it Dorves to Find legendary FUN, all running at a mind-boggling 7918 TILEMAPS PER KITTEN.

Bizazam setup a crack team of specialists(himself, him, and he) to make good the old DORF FORTREZZ, and make it more FUN then EVER.


Do you want to have fun with one DORF?
No.
Do you want to have fun with 37 DORFS?
I SED NO.
That's good because DORF FORTREZZ HD has up to 4000 DORFZ on  screen at once (Please note, might cause your computer to seppuku)

GET OFF MAH STILL!

Listen to what the 40d# developers and players have to say about the game.

Dev: I lost 4 and 1/2 pounds, and now, I can see my keyboard agin.

Playa: DORF FORTREZZ HD is way better then an abusive childhood.  (Hang in there Mom!)

Some drunk: Taek it frm mi, Im a hrdcor faecpuch membur and I cn attst to the fun cotnttnt in dis tittle, which is full of inarwbs splendurrr.

NINE OUT OF TEN MATHEMATICIANS LOVE DORF FORTREZZ HD, THE OTHER KILLED HIMSELF BECAUSE I USED A FRACTION.


DORF FORTREZZ HD features no online crap, PLAY THE GAAAAMMMEEE.

But make sure to go to the forums and hurl some online taunts.

DORF FORTEZZ HD, takes the familiar magma sulfur taste of the game you once knew, and updated it to fit all your FUN having needs.

It even scored a perfect Artifact Adamantine Fist Of Armork's Wrath in the Sculpture contest! (How, we do not know)

DORF FORTREZZ HD is avaliable for The Personal computer and some alcoholic beverage people drink with dinner!
(When you're drunk you can do *anything*)

GLOWiNG PEEEETZ!

(glowin peetz!)

I made mah Dorf Fortrezz in HD.

[Deon]

Eh... What is it?

[MathijsBuster]

Eh... What is it?

It's... a parodied Serious Sam HD commercial, apparently.

[psychologicalshock]

Ive played in ASCII from the beginning using any sort of visualization always feels out of place. I think until DF can have graphics on par with say IVAN I am completely uninterested in actual graphics.

[Deon]

But it can have graphics on par with IVAN and even better. The tile sizes are even bigger and you can zoom.

[psychologicalshock]

Ivan has dynamic creature body damage where you can see how many limbs are left, you can also see which limb is covered in which fluid ( a cool feature that can be represented by the tiles is that see  zombies can  pick up and attach heads back to themselves, in fact they can use anybody's head )  and overall the graphics are just aesthetically nice. If someone works out graphics that are that good I will definitely use them but until then I am happy with ASCII.

[csebal]

An interesting question. Being in the development business myself, particularily UI and UX (that is: user experience) related development, i will obviously vote for a custom tile set.

They are just superior in many ways to ASCII. Here is why:

Tilesets are still far from the level where they would give you an even approximate visual representation of your fortress. Its pretty much the same as when you play with toys as a kid. Those toys merely serve as 'anchors' through which you can tie your fantasy / imagination to the real world. It is still your mind that creates the story and gives 'life' to the items you play with. The items itself do not really matter. A car can be anything, it does not even have to have wheels. Its all make-believe. This works cool if you are the one both creating the story, shaping it and experiencing it. In a game however, the story is created for you, you merely are shaping and experiencing it. In such an environment, it is neccessary that you understand what's going on, to understand the story you are being told, you are supposed to shape.

This is where tilesets come into play. Using familar symbols that you can associate easier, they make it easier for you to understand the story, which is absolutely necessary if you want to shape and experience it. Its not that you couldnt understand an ASCII tileset as well, but it takes a lot more re-wiring of your brain (in other word, a lot more effort to wrap your head around it), than it takes to understand a tileset composed of familiar symbols.

Do they take away from the experience? No, how would they? A dog represented by a d only becomes a dog if you can imagine it to be a dog, otherwise it will just stay a d on your screen. Same goes for 12x12 symbol faintly resembling a dog. It is far from being accurate or detailed enough to subsitute for your imagination, but has enough resemblence to a dog so that you will realize in an instant, that this is most probably representing a dog.

In other words: it only symbolizes the dog, but does not visualize it. That's still left to be done by your brain.

So all in one, i guess it comes down to habits. Some old players will most probably favor ASCII if for nothing else, then out of nostalgia, or because they got used to it, while newer player will obviously go for the sprite based tilesets as those are a lot more accessible for beginners than plain ASCII. Quite ironically, if you got used to ASCII, then those custom tile sets might be just as hard for you to learn, as to the new players. After all, they are new symbols you have to learn and even though you do not have to deal with the steep learning curve of the game mechanics, you still have to re-wire your brain to substitute for the new tile images instead of the old ones. I guess it pretty much explains why some of the older players are so much against sprite based tilesets.

[Glacies]

Gentlemen prefer Ascii.

[MathijsBuster]

Gentlemen prefer Ascii.

Now you're just provoking.