Console or Tiles?

[Blade]

I'm just curious which version of Crawl most people play.

I started out playing Console exclusively; I've been playing roguelikes since I was six, and learned to love character graphics. I played this way for my first few weeks, and then decided to give Tiles a try. ...as it turns out, Tiles changes the looks of your little character doll based on equipment. This pleased me. Furthermore, it makes monsters and items more easily distinguishable by sight. These two reasons are why I switched to playing tiles more frequently. Yes, I may be a bit shallow.

So ... which one do you play, and why?

[minstrel]

Matrix mode, always. Same goes for dorf fortress. Never actually tried tiles but it just looks too confusing.

[Confidence Interval]

Yes, I may be a bit shallow.

If you were shallow you'd be playing Peggle, not DCSS. I'm not saying playing Crawl is, in itself, a sign of sophistication but I don't think it's most people's idea of an easy-rolling good time.

[jejorda2]

[Tiles] makes monsters and items more easily distinguishable by sight.

Really? I've been practicing telling K, o, and g apart since I was two years old. I can't tell kobold, orc, and gnoll tiles apart.

And the monster list really helps. It might be nice if an item list was added that shows the names of all items in sight when space permits. Throw features in, too.

[bobross419]

[Tiles] makes monsters and items more easily distinguishable by sight.

Really? I've been practicing telling K, o, and g apart since I was two years old. I can't tell kobold, orc, and gnoll tiles apart.

And the monster list really helps. It might be nice if an item list was added that shows the names of all items in sight when space permits. Throw features in, too.

Kobold, orc, and gnoll tiles look completely different

On the reverse, I can't make heads or tales of console lol. I need mah pictars!

[XuaXua]

Tiles. I don't know if console allows it, but I like using my mouse.

[Serne]

I play in tiles. I haven't used console for DCSS yet, but a long while back, around Win98 days, I played a different roguelike that was console only and consistently got my butt reamed by things and never made it past 3rd or 4th floor of that dungeon.

[Moose]

I've tried using tiles, but each time I try, I feel like I have to relearn everything! SO, I just keep going back to console.

[Zelkelion]

Tiles. Because it's easier on the eyes and I like the precision of mouse clicking on the minimap for distance travelling.

[AtT]

Sure I mean.. I'd play tiles... if I was a PUSS

lol.. preference really. Some of the tiles monsters look great though I'd like to see more them but I just like the feel of the console better.

Plus I don't want to have to memorize all the monster Tiles lol I'm so used to the little letters. In my dreams I'm chased by multicolored 1's

[bobross419]

Sure I mean.. I'd play tiles... if I was a PUSS

lol.. preference really. Some of the tiles monsters look great though I'd like to see more them but I just like the feel of the console better.

Plus I don't want to have to memorize all the monster Tiles lol I'm so used to the little letters. In my dreams I'm chased by multicolored 1's

Easier to memorize image > name correlation than symbol+color>name correlation.

[Mychaelh]

Console makes the better graphics (it forces to actual use imagination).
But DCSS tiles are so good, that I have the feeling I miss something when playing console.

[TwilightPhoenix]

Tiles. Having an actual graphical interface makes it much easier and mouse support is so convenient. Learning what the monster tiles isn't hard, it's no different than learning what enemies are what in any other game. Especially since Crawl tells you what they are when they come into view, do things, or when you mouse over them.

[Happy Corner]

Tiles for me. Not that I'm some eyecandy whore, but Crawl's tiles are really nice as tiles go, and I like the mouse support.

[spurious]

I prefer console but I play tiles because mouse support is more convenient on a netbook.

[Pteriforever]

Tiles. Always. Console confuses the heck out of me.

[varsovie]

Tiles

Not because I'm allergic to ASCII (dwarf fortress, and lot of roguelike).
But because I first played to Crawl on tiles and I find it pretty.
Also my friends don't look me as if I'm an alien hacking the FBI.

[ex-lion-tamer]

I play tiles offline and ASCII online. My biggest problem with ASCII is when I see a \ or ) lying on the ground I have to walk over it or X over it to see what it is. In tiles I can instantly tell if it's a sabre or shortsword or arrow or crossbow bolt.

[Blade]

I play tiles offline and ASCII online. My biggest problem with ASCII is when I see a \ or ) lying on the ground I have to walk over it or X over it to see what it is. In tiles I can instantly tell if it's a sabre or shortsword or arrow or crossbow bolt.

This is my biggest reason for playing tiles. Being able to easily see what weapon a monster is wielding helps also.

[hxy]

You can also ctrl-x to list the items within sight.

[Megabass]

At first console, as with just about every other roguelike (or rouglikeesque game) I've stuck my fingers in. Then I decided to try out tiles on a lark during .9's trunk builds, and ended up using it for good long while. It did make a few things more 'instantly' recognizable, for what it's worth. Eventually went back to console though. The novelty of ASCII hasn't worn off, plus it means I get to fill in the blanks with my imagination, which does a hell of a better job than any fancy UI pitchurs.

[cjo]

Tiles, because they're cute. Especially the unseen horror.

[thevogonpoet]

I almost always play console, because I almost always play Trunk on CDO. I have been known to experiment with Webtiles, but honestly, I likes me my ASCII graphics.

[Shinigami]

Console. I like feeling special because I can decrypt a screen of gobbledygook.

[Stormfox]

Console here, because it's what feels right for this game. I see screenshots of tiles and while it's well done, my tactical awareness is tied to the console glyphs.

That being said, I'm not such an old curmudgeon that I disapprove of graphical roguelikes. I've played two (Castle of the Winds and Shiren the Wanderer) and had no problem with them -- in fact, if I saw a console version of one of them, I'd have a hard time playing it, as what I know about the game is tied to the graphic images.

[ilpalazzo]

I like the tiles much better
I've played the console version a long time ago and liked it very much - the great variety of races/classes and the cool gods and magic system of crawl...
but back then I didn't figure out the mechanics (i.e. how to use the skill training properly, ...) and never got far off

now I came back to crawl (looking for some new rogue-likes and remembering it) and got some big surprises - good tile graphics, convenient mouse control, new races (yay even vampires!!!), ...

I do like ascii-games if they are well done (been a big adom fan i.e.), but I think the tiles version is a big improvement

good work guys

[A spy]

Tiles. Not even for the graphics, though they are really nice ; I also like the simple charm of the little letters and symbols.

The interface is what makes the real difference in favor of Tiles for me. I tried playing console online, but I found it really difficult without features like clicking on the mini-map to move (anything related to mouse support, really, since my laptop doesn't have a numpad).

[cerebovssquire]

Last time I played Tiles I thought they were an eyesore (just personal preference here, no offence or elitism intended) so I just stick with Console because it has a weird, nerdy type of aesthetics. Plus, I like playing online so I can watch/be watched/compare my scores/take part in tourneys/give others my dump easily.
I still haven't got used to the numpad or vikeys though, I am one of those losers who use numrow+arrow keys.

[dondy]

i'm still very new to the game but i find it dissapointing that you failed to add the option to both in the poll :p

the tile one looks nice and has a mouse interface to improve accessibility, for new players who aren't yet accustommed to the plentyfull hotkeys

the console one feels alot less cumbersome and esp. over the net - alot less sluggish
it also offers a better contrast to people with impaired eye sight than a tile based solution could etc.
with easier workarounds for people with red/green blindness or similar

both have their advantage/dissadvantage

[Roderic]

I guess people skilled in maths and physics tends to correlate more easily letters to monsters because they are used to work with symbols rather than with pictures.

I prefer console but I play tiles because mouse support is more convenient on a netbook.

I remember how Nethack on Windows mode has tiny graphic tiles while having a set of abstract tiles based on colored ASCII symbols. Maybe an alternative tileset based on ASCII graphics would be an alternative for many of us, combining the symbolic screen and the easiness of mouse interface. I think it wouldn't be really difficult to paint, would it?

[chukamok]

I mainly play console because I like playing trunk online, encountering other players' ghosts, and being able to spectate other players. If trunk ever gets webtiles AND gets on CAO I will probably switch to tiles. CDO webtiles has too much lag for me.

[Jabberwocky]

I play tiles and console, I play online console, and on my netbook tiles because it doesn't have a numpad so I have to click.

[AtT]

I play tiles and console, I play online console, and on my netbook tiles because it doesn't have a numpad so I have to click.

Don't like hjklyubn movement? I find it's more convenient once u get it down bc it's closer to all the keys you need to press

[joellercoaster]

I've always played in console mode on all the other Roguelikes I've played. Crawl is the first one where the tiles have been so great that I actually prefer them.

[chukamok]

I've always played in console mode on all the other Roguelikes I've played. Crawl is the first one where the tiles have been so great that I actually prefer them.

I like the tiles, I just like the benefits of playing online more.

[joellercoaster]

Oh for sure. I just play DCSS mostly while I'm commuting, and am offline for most of that... online would be lovely tho.

[Jabberwocky]

I play tiles and console, I play online console, and on my netbook tiles because it doesn't have a numpad so I have to click.

Don't like hjklyubn movement? I find it's more convenient once u get it down bc it's closer to all the keys you need to press

Oh, somehow I had managed to not know about their existence. Thanks!