Beef Row
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 471
Registered: 12-28-2005
IP: Logged

I find ortho squares much harder to see than other game elements. Especially when you're trying to tell whether a square in the middle of an ortho field is ortho or not, or noticing a lone ortho square with walls near it. I think iceworks is probably the hardest to see them on.

So I was wondering if there could be a more obvious representation of them? I'm not sure what it would be, though. Maybe make them slightly larger, or let them tint squares they're on slightly? An option to highlight all orthosquares if you click one of them might be nice too (much like orb association or eye beam options).

____________________________
"Now I will repeatedly apply the happy-face rule"

coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1309
Registered: 11-24-2005
IP: Logged

Well, there's always making a style of your own! In fact, you could probably do it quite easily. I'll pull one up in a few minutes.

Beef Row
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 471
Registered: 12-28-2005
IP: Logged

coppro wrote:
Well, there's always making a style of your own! In fact, you could probably do it quite easily. I'll pull one up in a few minutes.

Yeah, I know I can create a new style (though I've never tried to make one), the logic of posting this was more that if I have trouble seeing ortho-squares, its fairly likely other people do too, and it may be worth tweaking in the official release.

If you're actually making a mod for it right now though, thanks, thats awesome!

____________________________
"Now I will repeatedly apply the happy-face rule"

coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1309
Registered: 11-24-2005
IP: Logged

Here we go. Extract this to Data/Bitmaps and then add General=BigOrtho to the bottom of the Graphics section of drod.ini. You may not like it, but it should be more obvious.

Beef Row
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 471
Registered: 12-28-2005
IP: Logged

coppro wrote:
Here we go. Extract this to Data/Bitmaps and then add General=BigOrtho to the bottom of the Graphics section of drod.ini. You may not like it, but it should be more obvious.

I think you need to attach it first

____________________________
"Now I will repeatedly apply the happy-face rule"

coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1309
Registered: 11-24-2005
IP: Logged

File: BigOrtho.zip (654 bytes)
Downloaded 70 times.
License: Public Domain

Yeah, yeah.

You guys are so demanding.

Beef Row
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 471
Registered: 12-28-2005
IP: Logged

coppro wrote:
Here we go. Extract this to Data/Bitmaps and then add General=BigOrtho to the bottom of the Graphics section of drod.ini. You may not like it, but it should be more obvious.

Well, this certainly fixes the visibility! I'll play around a little with it to see if I can strike a good balance between that and aesthetics, and if I get something really nice, I'll post it up here as well.

____________________________
"Now I will repeatedly apply the happy-face rule"

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2502
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

File: CrossOrtho.PNG (277 bytes)
Downloaded 83 times.
License: Public Domain

Another possibility is putting a cross on the square. That would make it easier to differentiate between ortho and non-ortho squares.

I have no idea how this looks in game.

---

[Last edited by Rabscuttle at 01-02-2007 07:24 AM]

larrymurk
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1917
Registered: 12-09-2004
IP: Logged

I agree that it would be nice if caravel changed the graphic to make ortho squares more obvious.

Maybe if someone comes up with a good design caravel could adopt it. There could be a contest to design the best ortho square graphic..

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
IP: Logged

It's up to Erik & Mike, but I think a contest for a new graphic would be a cool idea.

I am fond of the ortho square graphic - it's one of two JtRH graphic tiles I have partially contributed to - but I agree it has problems and could be improved on.

____________________________
I got my avatar back! Yay!

tokyokid
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 453
Registered: 05-06-2006
IP: Logged

Or it could depend on the color of the tile below it. If it was a grassy tile, then the orthosquare would be something easy to see on green... like white?

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
IP: Logged

You know what - why wait for a possible official contest? I started an unofficial contest here.

____________________________
I got my avatar back! Yay!

Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

I personally have never found the orthosquare graphic problematic, even in the Iceworks style.
Perhaps they could be made to change their look with the room style, like force arrows.

____________________________
DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
DROD architecture idea generator

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
IP: Logged

Jatopian wrote:
I personally have never found the orthosquare graphic problematic, even in the Iceworks style.
Perhaps they could be made to change their look with the room style, like force arrows.

Hence the contest

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
IP: Logged

The contest isn't going to help make them different with room styles - that requires a coding change.

____________________________
I got my avatar back! Yay!

coppro
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1309
Registered: 11-24-2005
IP: Logged

No it doesn't. The code doesn't specify whether it is contained within a StyleX file or a GeneralTiles file, it's just that a GeneralTiles file changes all styles. Putting an image found in GeneralTiles in a StyleX file and adding the appropriate .tim entry works fine. The reverse isn't always true because DROD loads style files after all general files, and so will overwrite the bitmaps with the ones in the default StyleX files - but if you used custom styles, you could do that.

eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
IP: Logged

Oh! Cool. I'll add a note to the contest about this being an option.

____________________________
I got my avatar back! Yay!

Error302
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 12
Registered: 12-06-2006
IP: Logged

i'm thinking that having a nice 1-3 pixel red line that goes down the middle, and across the middle, making a + shape on the tile would do nicely. in honor of the snakes that get so much edge on them =p

or maybe instead of red use whatever color force arrows happen to be using

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5153
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Beef Row wrote:
So I was wondering if there could be a more obvious representation of them? I'm not sure what it would be, though. Maybe make them slightly larger, or let them tint squares they're on slightly?

I'm all for adding a more effective ortho tile graphic to the game that doesn't look too intrusive or ugly. Having a better color-coded version for each room style is also possible, as stated, but with the variation in floor textures within a single style, I'm not sure how effective this would be. I'm interested to see what people come up with for the ortho contest.

An option to highlight all orthosquares if you click one of them might be nice too (much like orb association or eye beam options).

Nice idea. I'll add this to 3.0.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

UrAvgAzn
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 468
Registered: 04-15-2006
IP: Logged

Just a reminder for eytanz to add this to the TCB list.

I'm definitely entering this one. Great contest idea, as well!

Keep posting,

EDIT: Gah.. Ignore the second line. Wrong thread...

____________________________
"The leaf, still green, must someday fall.
Such grief, such joy, to live at all."
- T.A. Barron, The Lost Years of Merlin

---

[Last edited by UrAvgAzn at 01-05-2007 02:19 AM]