Trap ASCII

[Kyzrati]

I'm working on traps right now, the mechanics for which have been integrated into most of the game's systems. Now I'm turning my attention to their effects, appearance, and particle effects.

I'd like to know if anyone has opinions on the ASCII character. There is a precedent for the carat/'^' in roguelikes, and it was my first choice, though I also think the underscore is nice since all traps are installed under the floor, and the underscore feels more like it's associated with the trap cell itself.

(Note: The traps you see labeled here are just a small test batch for initial implementation--the full list of more interesting traps will be added after these are done.)

[jimmijamjams]

Just putting my vote in to have "^" as the trap signifier.  I can see the reasoning behind using "_", I just find "^" more aesthetically pleasing.

[Happylisk]

My vote is ^ - reminds me of ADOM, and slightly easier to spot. 

[neuromodulator]

Both work fine, IMO. Don't sweat it too much.

[Kyzrati]

Hehe, I won't. Just curious what everyone thought

I was pretty much just going to go with ^ for the precedent, plus I think it's pretty recognizable, but the poor appearance of that particular glyph in the standard map font had me starting to think of other options. (I prefer the regular carat glyph, but not so much the rounded version that goes with the font.)

[Reiver]

Ah, but what about the art, man, the art? Are we getting a cute little landmine or something?

[Kyzrati]

I don't have to worry about the art, since you can't even examine them

I was thinking about the art for a bit since it would be fun to do, but not now. Maybe at some point I'll open up terrain objects for examination (it's been requested for machines), but right now the best you'll get is the scan window.

[Reiver]

Actually, I meant the on-screen iconography... but little artworks would be pretty neat too.

[Kyzrati]

Oh you mean TILES... heh, sorry, had my head in another place

It'll just be one tile, and colored based on type like the ASCII. Using a unique tile for each would be a large amount of additional work, and visually confusing at smaller sizes. So a single icon for any kind of trap it will be. Not sure what form it will take, since I haven't discussed it with Kacper just yet. Soon, though.

[Reiver]

For some reason, I really want it to be a hazard sign:


Alas, I suspect it wouldn't go with the iconography set we already have in place; it'll presumably have to look like a little device of some variety. Still, it is pleasingly generic, and even follows the vague form-factor of the ASCII caret.

[Kyzrati]

I agree that makes sense and works in isolation. I imagine it will be some sort of device-like thing embedded in a ground tile, sort of like mechanical debris only with a bit more a deliberate form to it.

Funny the caret similarity

[Reiver]

... oh ho ho ho ho.

'Hide' the iconography in the debris. A triangle with an exclamation mark could just as easily be a triangular trap, eh?

[Kyzrati]

No hiding! It should be hard to miss a trap anyway since they're auto-labeled, and you can't step on a visible hostile one without first seeing a warning message.

[Reiver]

I mean 'hidden' in the sense of 'not immediately obvious it's a warning sign', not 'hard to spot on the screen'.

For comparison, by my way of thinking Cogmind itself is a 'hidden' letter C, as it were: Plenty clear, but it's not as obviously an item of typesetting as the baseline character was.

[Kyzrati]

Oh, that "hidden"

Yeah, I see what you mean, as Cogmind is pretty much a not-so-hidden hidden C =p. We'll see what Kacper thinks; I still haven't talked to him about this because traps are taking for-ev-er.

[Reiver]

Nonsense; they're just semi-invisible bullets that don't move!

[Kyzrati]

Funny you should say that, since the intro to my upcoming blog post on traps addresses how they're a deceptively "simple" concept

I finished Traps yesterday, though after writing this blog post (to do today) I have a bit of related feature creep yet to add for fun. We're going to get a new robot and level type out of the deal.

[Reiver]

Yeees, because that's not ominous at all...