ASCII or Tiles?

[EvilScoop]

I have noticed almost ALL the screenshots I see are ASCII. Seems like all the higher level vault pictures are ASCII. Is there an advantage to using it, or are all the good guys oldschool, and have been playing for years before there were tiles, and dont want to switch??

Just wondering
Scoop

[Anne]

It's just personal preference. Myself, I prefer graphics because the colored ascii is too hard on the ol' eyes. It seems to me that a person will tend to use what they're more used to. If you started with the old roguelikes that didn't have graphics, you may like ascii now because it's more familiar. If you came from a more web-based RPG background, you're more used to having grpahics.

[Nick]

I have noticed almost ALL the screenshots I see are ASCII. Seems like all the higher level vault pictures are ASCII. Is there an advantage to using it, or are all the good guys oldschool, and have been playing for years before there were tiles, and dont want to switch??

The screenshots section at oook only accepts html screenshots; these are created in-game, and are automatically ASCII. You will occasionally see tiles in picture files on the forum (like in this thread).

As to which is preferable - I prefer ASCII, not just because that's the way I started playing, but because it's easier to understand. Letters are designed to be clear and easily recognisable. Also, to get immersed in any game, you need to get past the interface to suspend disbelief; playing in ASCII forces you to do that straight away, and I like that.

[Lipa]

ASCII or no ASCII - it's just a personal preference.

I prefer ASCII by far! But here's a funny thing - I actually started to play Angband (my first RL game) with tiles! It was then, a few months later, that I decided to switch to ASCII - and never switched back.

Why? Well, to me, it's much easier to keep track of the environment this way. Just one glance will tell you what you're up against - colors represent elements, letters represent specific monster types etc. Secondly, like Nick said, I find it much easier to get immersed in the game by not having too many distractions. The imagination really seems to be flowing when you're using ASCII, because no one is telling you what a creature should look like. You just see an 'O', for example, and then there is a picture that forms in your head, and it's different for all of us. I find this exceptionally fun and interesting - much, much more than simply looking at some vague (and often disappointing) tile.

But, as with everything else, it's simply a matter of taste, and no one can tell you any different!

[ekolis]

I play Angband with ASCII, but Crawl and the occasional game of Nethack with tiles. I guess I can only remember one set of letter mappings... it's confusing when a "C" represents a dog in one game but it's a "d" in another game! :P

[Psi]

I play tiles. Always have. My version of Moria on the Amiga shipped with them and I've stuck with them ever since. I did play with ASCII for the O competition but was very glad to get back to tiles again afterwards. Once you know the tiles there is less confusion than with ascii (you'll never mistake Kavalax for a start!).

[Rizwan]

ASCII Don't like tiles. I guess it is true that it depends on what you are used to. I started with Rogue so its ASCII for me. Tried tiles but never liked them.

[Mondkalb]

Like Psi, I started with Moria on the Amiga, so I am used to tiles.
I like the David Gervais tileset, the only drawback is that you can see only a smaller part of the dungeon if they are displayed in the correct size.

[z118]

I use ASCII. The only time I ever switch to tiles is when I encounter a large vault and I need to find the one non-permenant wall. As soon as I find it I switch back.

[Rizwan]

I use ASCII. The only time I ever switch to tiles is when I encounter a large vault and I need to find the one non-permenant wall. As soon as I find it I switch back.

Same here thats why I think perma walls should be obvious from other types of walls

[Atarlost]

If I'm doing that I just re-map permanent walls to another color. It's a lot less dangerous than switching to a display mode where I can't tell Morgoth from a filthy street urchin.

[Big Al]

I can fit a lot more of the map on the screen if I'm in ASCII mode - I like it better. You get used to it pretty quick.

[will_asher]

If I'm doing that I just re-map permanent walls to another color. It's a lot less dangerous than switching to a display mode where I can't tell Morgoth from a filthy street urchin.

It's kindof hard to mistake Morgoth for a filthy street urchin when one never leaves the town and the other is always on dL100.

[EricDerKonig]

It's kindof hard to mistake Morgoth for a filthy street urchin when one never leaves the town and the other is always on dL100.

Unless some joker's messed with your edit files.
"Morgoth begs you for money -more-
The filthy street urchin breathes nether! You die..."

Anyway, I prefer ASCII. I've been using it since I started playing, and I've gotten used to it. I even use it for Dwarf Fortress and other games that let me.

[Melchizedek]

I started playing Umoria too, so I love the old tiles. I tried the Bolt/Gervais tiles, but they freak me out. I have actually deleted variants without trying them because of sole ASCII support - I don't see how you guys do it, heh. I suppose it is all about comfort.