Color

[Onasaki]

Yes, I know, noone has ever heard of me. And this has probably been suggested numerous millions of times.

But this is all I want, all I'd like for the MUD. I can't play the MUD and probably will never be able to get into the MUD until there's color throughout it. Such plain grey words disillusion my desire to play the MUD. And please, don't scream "SET YOUR CLIENT" because I've tried that. I really have tried that, and it wasn't the same. I heard of a new code in work that will have color, but these were merely rumors or something that's been in development for several years.

I'm sad to say, that due to the number of MUD deaths that have seemed to happen within the last 6 months, I'm worried that this MUD will die as well. I enjoyed the bits of time I played on this MUD, but the colorless screen screams, plain, spam, boring, and pizza. Once there is color, the name "Onasaki" will probably be known more on this forum...However, it might just be known for complaints, gripes, or whining. Why? Because I've noticed things I didn't like within the MUD, and have the tendency to ask for major changes. But don't worry, the only thing I care about right now for this MUD is color. Lots and lots of color.

That is all, if I sound like I'm just a complaining dolt, so be it. I'm just stating my opinion, and stating an idea that I have.

[Riev]

Which kind of MUD was it that was color? Was it like, DIKU or something? Or am I just thinking of Pueblo or whatever it is?

And, color in MUDs can be fun. When I played Devil's Silence, it was kind of neat to see how MUCH damage you did based on the color (An arbitrary scale, but regardless).

Personally, I don't -want- color (the option is okay) with this MUD, because I feel it akin more to a story if there is a certain blandness to it. I am fully capable of creating the scenes in my mind, and I find it helps my imagination if I keep only combat as the different color and setting. I've found myself staring at people's clothing, to get a general idea of what I think they look like.

An option is okay, but blaming the "death" of MUDs on color is just trolling and asking for an argument. Color has been discussed at length before.

[fourTwenty]

Dude, I totally thought this was a bot.

[Onasaki]

How can you NOT want color in a MUD? Seriously, unless you started playing MUDs with this one, I seriously doubt ANYONE could NOT want color. Color gives the illusion of less spam, makes the MUD more lively more vibrant. And easier to the eyes(Or makes them burn?). I can't play a MUD without color, I don't know why I just can't. As long as this MUD remains colorless, I probably won't be able to play this one.

From the times I've played this MUD I've enjoyed it. I wanted do do things, be a part of something. But without the privledge of color, I remain distant from it, and disillusioned.

Every single MUD I've played, RPI and otherwise, had color. It wasn't just Diku, or Smaug. It was several different ones. The lack of color, in my opinion is coder or builder laziness. But I know the coders and builders here aren't -that- lazy. It's like trying to look at a work of art, sure, there are several works of art that are clearly black and white. But there are more that were colorful, take the Mona Lisa, the Scream, the Last Supper, take all these. And remove the color. What do you see? Just a picture, almost like a crude copy of said painting, devoid of all feeling of all -life-. Color gives a MUD life. Even if it's a post apocolyptic desert world like Armegeddon(If it is even post apocolyptic, I'm just going by the name, don't feel like looking up the actual theme. >.>). And without life, there's just words. Bland words, that appear meaningless to the eyes. To an artist's eyes.

However, my art is writing, which is always black and white, but that doesn't matter. I know a pretty picture when I see one, a well painted masterpeice. Armegeddon can be this. If there are coders, or builders willing to add color. And when or if it does, I will be playing it alot more often and not just annoying you guys on the forums.

[FantasyWriter]

Morgenes: http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,30956.msg346858.html#msg346858

Not to fuel the fires of this debate, but fyi, Arm 2 has support for coloring built in.  Here's a snipped from the game tonight:

Code Select Expand


>syntax color
Syntax: color default
        color on
        color off
        color status
        color <option> background none
        color <option> background <color>
        color <option> default
        color <option> foreground none
        color <option> foreground <color>
        color <option> style all
        color <option> style none
        color <option> style <style>


Code Select Expand

> color status
Ansi enabled.

Preferences:
                        shouts - Example [default]
                          oocs - Example [default]
                         tells - Example [default]
                      whispers - Example [default]
                          says - Example [default]
                         sings - Example [default]
                 selfReference - Example [default]


Be patient, my friend.

[Heade]

I know a pretty picture when I see one, a well painted masterpeice. Armegeddon can be this. If there are coders, or builders willing to add color. And when or if it does, I will be playing it alot more often and not just annoying you guys on the forums.

I'm sorry Mate, but this last bit is simply insulting. You haven't so much as looked up the theme of the game, and you're saying it -COULD- be a msterpiece if you just added color. Well allow me to retort.

I shit a green turd one day, and it wasn't artsy at all. Had color, but it wasn't a masterpiece(nor a masterfece).

I've played numerous MUDs and MUSH's, and can assure you that Armageddon is indeed, a masterpiece, color or not. I would encourage you to get over something so superficial as color, and attempt to immerse yourself in the world of love, betrayal, tragedy and intrigue that is Armageddon. If you can't bring yourself to do this, and use your imagination to paint the picture, then who is the real failing artist here?

I wouldn't mind color options, to set apart various things happening, so that you could set important notifications to a bright color, but that's basically all I'd want color for. Seperating the spam is nice to be able to do, but a simple feature like color doesn't make it any more or less a work of art. I sincerely hope you give Armageddon a try without waiting for color, and in the event you do, let us know and we'll be happy to acclimate you to the world.

[Zoan]

Code Select Expand

#CLASS {Highlights}
#TRIGGER {* rescues *.$} {#cw yellow}
#TRIGGER {{you|your|yours|yourself}} {#cw 10}
#TRIGGER {templar} {#cw cyan}
#TRIGGER {You charge into the fight!$} {#cw (hi,blink)}
#TRIGGER {^* stops attacking you.$} {#cw teal}
#TRIGGER {The dusty, brown-haired soldier is standing here.$} {#cw orange}
#TRIGGER {^H:*>} {#cw white} "" {prompt}
#TRIGGER {The bushy-browed, black-bearded templar is standing here.} {#cw orange}
#TRIGGER {The lanky red-haired man tends to some mounts here.} {#cw (red,high);#echo Stable master.}
#TRIGGER {< riding: * >} {#cw teal}
#TRIGGER {* sends you a telepathic message:$} {#cw lightblue}
#TRIGGER {^* stops fighting you, and begins fighting *} {#cw pink}
#CLASS 0


Make your own color in the meantime.

[manonfire]

Do it clientside.

[Ender]

Been playing for nearly a decade without color, game hasn't failed yet, I think we'll be fine without color.  I agree with manonfire, do it clientside and know colors will be implemented in 2.arm.

[mansa]

What MUD client do you use?

Use MUSHclient.

[Kassindra]

I thought Armageddon was a bit odd when I first started playing and saw no color since I was used to it other places, but you know what? I adapted and read the forums and got some help and set my own color up. The MUD is great to play and the lack of color doesn't downplay that at all but I know people have their preferences, I sure do or I would've have bothered to set up a -little- color but I think is very disrespectful that you call the builders and coders lazy when they're options provided.

Could be a masterpiece with color <--- I find that so amusing.

Anyways, Arm 2.0 will have color for your viewing pleasure.

[Malken]

Do like me and put xmas lights around your monitor.

[Onasaki]

Never said that Armegeddon wasn't a masterpiece. Nor did we need to know your bathroom adventures. I'm saying it could be MUCH more with color. And I use MUSHclient, I've already tried using the client coloring to make my experience on Armgeddon a comfortable one. It didn't work, because I knew it was fake coloring.

Client coloring is a shortcut for things that should've been originally added. Unless Ansi color didn't exsist 15-16 years ago. I'm not trying to insult the MUD, I enjoyed what times I was on the MUD. The lack of color is just what pushed me away from it. If Armegeddon 2 will have color, then I'll play it. I just can't play Armegeddon 1 sans color. It just bugs me, I can't explain why.

[mansa]

Fake Colouring?   I don't quite understand.

[evil_erdlu]

Uh.. Let me try to explain. When you see the text

The dark-shelled scrab pinches you very hard on your neck.
You reel from the blow.

you imagine a huge bug pushing a pincer past your chitin neckguard. You feel the pressure at the back of your neck. You feel hot, with the blood washing down your chest. Possibly your bowels empty as the world flashes before your eyes momentarily and you stagger backwards, barely able to stand on your crooked legs.

Thinking..... No.. I do not think I require this text to become

The dark-shelled scrab pinches you very hard on your neck.
You reel from the blow.

to imagine the details.

Colors can be fun. Colors don't a masterwork MUD make. In most MUDs I know, colors DISTURB.

[Onasaki]

Actually, most colors aren't like that. To me, I would see..

The dark-shelled scrab pinches you very hard on your neck.

You reel from the blow.

Just tossing color randomly doesn't make a masterwork MUD. Tossing color in where it's greatly needed does. It doesn't all have to be colored, but at least a few things could be colored. Combat. Items. Descriptions. Exits. Mobs.

I'm not saying lets color Arm rainbow-bright and say Hey look! There's color!

And by fake color, I mean color that's not real. It's an illusion to what the MUD could actually have.

[SMuz]

I don't really want colors to be as tacky as in other MUDs. I'd love for it to help imagine things, though.

I'd like it specifically for clothing. Brown abas, Black abas , pink dress, the templar in a blue robe. People who don't like it could just leave it disabled, as it is by default.

I know the combat colors help me see who's being hit in all that combat spam. And mIRC darkens colors for when people quit/join/emote. I'd like it so that the prompt would appear a different color or lighter shade.. just having the prompt in a different color would make a huge difference, IMHO.

I'd just put colors on two things mainly - descriptions and prompts. It doesn't have to be a different color, just a different shade. I'm sure most of you would agree


Eh, Onasaki, that's not a very good example either

[mansa]

Perhaps we could make a default color file that people can download for MUSHclient if they want it.

I guess we could start with combat, and other important things.

[evil_erdlu]

I really don't care a lot.. I would possibly turn <ansi off> anyway.. But...

...I'm sad to say, that due to the number of MUD deaths that have seemed to happen within the last 6 months, I'm worried that this MUD will die as well....

...The lack of color, in my opinion is coder or builder laziness. But I know the coders and builders here aren't -that- lazy....

Maybe it's you who's lazy to set up his client? If it's server-side, a program colors it for you. If it's client-side, a program colors it for you. What's the difference? What's the stuff 'fake color'?

By default classic ansi may show 8 colors, also 8 bright colors. It's the same frigging 16 colors either your MUSHClient makes it or the MUD. Go set them to whatever you want.

And what about all that 'color is the art' stuff? How many books -aside from children's books-  you have seen in color? Color may be fine and dandy, but it's not 'art'. The story is the art and the story is the collective work of the MUD and players. Period.

[Zoan]

ZMUD/cMUD is better than your crummy free MUSHclient. Plebians. Feh!

[mansa]

Why doesn't someone post their colours triggers for all the combat hits?

[deviant storm]

Color, bah.

I don't get what the big deal is. I've played on a bunch of different muds. To me coloring Arm would cause it to be overly distracting from the actual goings on that I consider to be a more major part of the game. I like it the way it is now.

I don't need umpeen colors. I don't even need a color letting me know these objects in a room are people. If I walk into (insert tavern name here) and I don't see someone in the list of people there, well, the tavern's crowded and I can't be expected to see everyone right at first glance. I don't need to see ansi colors to know what a brown aba might look like, or the Fales' purple clothes or whatever.

To me the game is about the content. Not about what coders or your client can dress it up to look like. It's about seeing the word templar and feeling a jolt, cause you know that powerful individual has it in for you and it's only a matter of time...

No, I don't need color to make my playing experience more anything. In fact, I'm very glad Arm2 will have the option to no-color. I don't want the distraction.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

No, I don't need color to make my playing experience more anything. In fact, I'm very glad Arm2 will have the option to no-color. I don't want the distraction.

This is the key, though, see? Options. Most MuDs have the option for no color. But they also have the option for color. I'll never play with color on, but I'm glad there will be options for folks like Onasaki.

[evil_erdlu]

True... I'm just pissed at seeing a story-centric text-based game being described in such a way that color is important. Color is fine and dandy and I'm sure it's easy to implement a "color-off" mode - just write a function which sends the color of the text written as the second parameter. Send "" for users who don't like color.

Code Select Expand

        public void send(object message)
        {
            client.Send(System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(857).GetBytes(message.ToString()));
        }
        public void sendWithColor(object message, int color, int tone)
        {
            send("x1B[" + (color + 30) + ";" + tone+ message.ToString() + "\x1B[0m");
        }

This bit is from one of my hobbies, a MUD codebase in C#. In C or C++ it's not much different to send ANSI codes through the socket and I'm sure ARM coders are tenfold as good as I am and much more hardworking.

Note: Yea.. encoding 857 - Turkish.. I can't dare being an opponent to ARM :p

[Heade]

Nor did we need to know your bathroom adventures.

Hey buddy, speak for yourself. Maybe others like hearing about my adventures. 

[Bilanthri]

I played for years with out any color, and loved the game regardless. But then, one day, I made a thief. Turns out, colors make peeking at people a reasonable feat. At a glance you can tell if someone is decked out in pretty silks, dusty leathers, or plated-chitin. Now that's prime info for a sneak-thief. Now I find it difficult to play without colors. Gotta love all the pretty colors!

BTW: TinTin++ highlights are a great way to go about it.

[Fnord]

There are only two highlights that I cannot live without:

1) Making the title of the room/exits bold
2) Making my prompt a color

That, in effect, frames each "room". Much easier on the brain to process.

[Iota]

I have says/tells/shouts/whispers/thinks/psis colored white and gray to help keeping me from missing them during spam. When people arrive in a room, the arrival message is colored hot pink; when people look at me, the message is highlighted white. Damage "levels" have different color codings that get closer to or a deeper shade of red the harder the hit. I also have special combat messages blink. In my prompt, movement speeds are stylized differently/color coded; when I'm armed "armed" is in bright red and underlined. I also have a trigger to replace every instance of "templar" with "pirate", which works particularly well for the bearded or rugged looking ones.



Edit: changed a comma to a semicolon and removed a superfluous whitespace after the last period.

[Riev]

I'm actually curious, for you people that use color...

Does it actually add to the game world, in your opinion? Or is it more of an organization thing, knowing when someone is talking to YOU, or knowing just how hard you hit, etc etc?

I'll never NOT use Gmud, basically because I'm lazy and downloading a whole new program would just be annoying. I am, however, interested in what kinds of color schemes people use.

[Heade]

I'll never NOT use Gmud, basically because I'm lazy and downloading a whole new program would just be annoying. I am, however, interested in what kinds of color schemes people use.

GMud + Laziness for the win! Me too!

Riev +2

[Bilanthri]

I'm actually curious, for you people that use color...

Does it actually add to the game world, in your opinion? Or is it more of an organization thing, knowing when someone is talking to YOU, or knowing just how hard you hit, etc etc?

I'll never NOT use Gmud, basically because I'm lazy and downloading a whole new program would just be annoying. I am, however, interested in what kinds of color schemes people use.

To be honest, having items displayed in the color they are is a big help in general. Sure, it's easy enough to imagine that guy decked out in (fill in clan colors here) but when you don't have time to read the person's mdesc and item descs, you should still be able to notice the general style. I live in a college town, and we see a lot of school colors on the street....especially on game day. I tell you what, I might miss the witty quips printed on the shirts, but you can't miss the glut of color.

For reasons like this, I will now always play with colors.

[Kassindra]

I'm actually curious, for you people that use color...

Does it actually add to the game world, in your opinion? Or is it more of an organization thing, knowing when someone is talking to YOU, or knowing just how hard you hit, etc etc?

I'll never NOT use Gmud, basically because I'm lazy and downloading a whole new program would just be annoying. I am, however, interested in what kinds of color schemes people use.

Mine's more organization. I don't need them to enjoy the game. I just need key things pointed at my face since they're important. Like beetles, scrabs...I love those words to scream at me.

[RogueGunslinger]

I played Arm for the longest time without color probably 8 of the 13 months I've been around. I'll never go back.

It just makes things easier to notice, which allows quicker response times. It also immerses me into the game. I can hardly play without colors anymore, so when I play from a different comp I always bring a flashdrive of my mushclient file with me.

[tortall]

How does color work on MUSHclient? I figure out the highlighting part, but... Other than that I get confused.

[Rahnevyn]

Color highlights can be very useful, and I wish we had some support for them. However, I can get by just fine doing it client side, making sure I have triggers to light up things like frightening damage so I know when to flee.

I don't like the idea of having to color every adjective, though. If a templar is in a blue robe, then he's in a blue robe. You don't have to tell me twice.

My eyes start burning when I visit other games and see a sapphire cloak. Yikes.

Books aren't written in technicolor for the same reason Armageddon isn't, IMO. The core of the game should be about the prose. But again, if you want more color, you can always trigger it up to your heart's content.

[SMuz]

I'm mildly dyslexic, so I tend to skip over some words because it takes me too long to read everything. What takes me out of the game is when I look at a character and not reading everything, I miss out that he's a senior officer in a black robe or a templar with a red or black robe. Also, generally I avoid looking at templars as to not attract attention but I really think it would be best to know what color the robe is by the time since he's been standing there for a whole hour.

Now colors.. that'll make me jump to attention straight away. As I should. Also, it's good for certain cloaks, armbands, and other things that denote house and rank. I don't really like how most people have to emote to bring attention to their shiny new bands when they get promoted and my character takes a whole day to realize it.

[LittleLostThief]

Color highlights can be very useful, and I wish we had some support for them. However, I can get by just fine doing it client side, making sure I have triggers to light up things like frightening damage so I know when to flee.

I don't like the idea of having to color every adjective, though. If a templar is in a blue robe, then he's in a blue robe. You don't have to tell me twice.

My eyes start burning when I visit other games and see a sapphire cloak. Yikes.

Books aren't written in technicolor for the same reason Armageddon isn't, IMO. The core of the game should be about the prose. But again, if you want more color, you can always trigger it up to your heart's content.

You're just a lazy coder/builder.  You deserve to get canned to make way for a new staffer who can do the really important stuff... you know, like make color.

This game is going to die with your direction.  Lazy.

[FuSoYa]

I dig me some color.

I used to use OHST pack.  Then I got CMUD and made a bastard copy of it and added and tweaked alot of shit and I'm horrible when it comes to scripting on mud clients so yea...

I definitely don't have a problem playing without but I'm glad I have the option to do it.

I also don't understand 'fake' colour.

Brandon

[AJM]

I haven't read a single fantasy novel where colour is put in the text to help me differentiate.  Nore do I expect my Mush to do it either.

[mansa]

I'd like to see more colour with combat.

And maybe with spells.

That'll be a nice eye-catching change.

[AmandaGreathouse]

I have some common and uncommon color words set to color, and you set to red. As well as sandcloth to light blue and fur to brown. It's a little much on the color sometimes, but when you're in a crowded room, it can be extremely helpful in deciphering who's talking, and if they're talking to you, at only a glance.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Perhaps we could have a contest and have people submit their Armageddon color codes in ZMUD, Mushclient, and whatever other clients are out there. The best for each client could be posted in the Community Resources section of the website.

The judge could be a member of the staff who feels like color is an asset to the game, and who could judge fairly.

[FightClub]

Ona, I know you might feel the manually colored things are somehow cheapening the mud, which I partially agree to, there are several players that have worked extensively just to make players like yourself have a more habitable experience.  No amount of bitching or ranting is going to change anything, this thread, its comments, its complaints have been introduced a hundred fold.  I have a copy of Spawnloser's world file for Mushclient, if you would like a copy feel free to contact me on aim, or by my e-mail.  I haven't went crazy on coloring, but I've done enough you where you can see most of what's what, and change as need be.

Perhaps you should host it on a putfile site, so more people can download it.

Or, perhaps, so that we can go through it, edit it, and make it perfect, as players.

I'll see about it, currently its lacking a lot of the combat responses, bashes, disarms -- stuff like that, which you'd really want coded.

[mansa]

... I have a copy of Spawnloser's world file for Mushclient, if you would like a copy feel free to contact me on aim, or by my e-mail.  I haven't went crazy on coloring, but I've done enough you where you can see most of what's what, and change as need be.

Perhaps you should host it on a putfile site, so more people can download it.

Or, perhaps, so that we can go through it, edit it, and make it perfect, as players.

[FightClub]

EDIT: I'ma just make my own thread for this. =P

[SMuz]

I haven't read a single fantasy novel where colour is put in the text to help me differentiate.  Nore do I expect my Mush to do it either.

Novels don't have combat spam. Nor do they have things like 4 conversations in the room at once or the exits described every time the main character takes a step. Or a 2-line prompt that pops up whenever someone says something.

I'd like colors, or at least different shades, just to tell me which part is the novel and which part is the side stuff.

[evil_erdlu]

I'd like colors, or at least different shades, just to tell me which part is the novel and which part is the side stuff.

That should have been siggable.. But my sig's better...

[Shiroi Tsuki]

I really and heartily dislike having objects colored the 'color' that they're supposed to be.  Unless you're going to tell me that there's no difference between navy blue, sapphire blue, and royal blue, for instance.  Whee, the words are blue.  They do NOT represent the color they're supposed to.

The ability to have says, tells, psis, room titles, and whatnot highlighted different colors I can see being a benefit to some people.  I don't begrudge them that.

But I have never had any problems not having color.  I two highlights on my client.  One tells me when people disengage from trying to kill me.  The other points out if there's a body in the room.  I appreciate that there will be color in 2.Arm for those people that want it, and appreciate they have the 'off' option, because that's the one I'm going to pick.

I'm sure the Mud will continue to live without it until that time, though, since it's been going along quite well without color for a longer period of time than even any graphically based game I can mention has been.   

[Riev]

I'm sure the Mud will continue to live without it until that time, though, since it's been going along quite well without color for a longer period of time than even any graphically based game I can mention has been.   

Sig'd.

[FantasyWriter]

I'm sure the Mud will continue to live without it until that time, though, since it's been going along quite well without color for a longer period of time than even any graphically based game I can mention has been.   

Best quote ever. Armageddon forever.

[Potaje]

What, you mean you still only see words? For me they have melted away into visions. Black and white or in color (though color may bring me back out of my mind) the words cease being words, most the time I see the land, the people, I feel the feelings of joy, and hatred, ect. This is where the masterpiece of art resides. Let lose your imaginations, take away the weight of the fascade of color your mind need and let it be carried past the words.