[MUD-Dev] The importance of graphics

[jolon at kungfudesign.com]

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Original message: http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2002Q3/msg00838.php

>From : "Michael R. Estepp" <seronis at columbus.rr.com> 
> From: Marc Bowden

>> I believe the broader point is that some graphics are necessary
>> to attract the larger market of guests who don't have the
>> imagination to get by on the text, or who hate to "read too
>> much".

I don't think the use of color and or graphics has anything to do
with attracting a particular skill level of player. In fact, any
improvements made to a game interface would benefit long-term
players more than new players.

What I am talking about is the distinction of certain information
within a fast moving deluge of text.

> Most people designing text muds though sometimes actively wish
> those players NOT to show up.  And its safer to withhold the tiny
> bells and whistles incase one of them mistakenly does arrive and
> become a greif player.

I also doubt that making the gameplay hard to read will discourage
annoying players. If a troll wants to be a pain in your ass, there's
really nothing to do but ride it out. What your game looks like to
play will encourage or discourage people, but not just people you
don't want playing. I think it's better to have more people playing
than to try to vet them with a method like this.

Text can be color coded or arranged into visual patterns in an
efficient, yet pleasing way. Besides, the game should be so good you
don't even notice.

Raph Koster wrote in
  http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2002Q3/msg00837.php:

> Based on the word "punctuate" I think that the point was also that
> presentation, color coordination, and other things that certainly
> can be done with text are important to how even a text environment
> is perceived.  Certainly we've all seen muds with garish default
> colors, bad punctuation, incosnsistently capitalized text
> (particularly as relates to tokenized strings), and so on. I
> wouldn't call that graphics per se, but it does relate to
> presentation and how players will perceive your game.

Yes, a little conformity; functional without being garish. I wasn't
trying to make a big deal out of this, of course the majority of a
text based game should be based around the text, I just think it can
be made pleasant to read, write and play within.

jolon

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