Announce post #2985: Mudlet pixel map for Farming

<pre>7/17/2019 at 1:51
Kyna, the Cookie Monster
Everyone
Mudlet pixel map for Farming

Some time ago (announce 2944) we announced that we were looking for a pixel artist to help us on a mysterious project - which happened to be Farming! And now we're pleased to show you what that was all about.

But first, a big shout out to Peiry (also known as Deer on discord) who was the artist we worked with on this! Peiry was absolutely amazing to work with, and blew our expectations out of the water in the best possible way.

So what have we made? Using the graphics Peiry made for us, we have a package for Mudlet that you can install that will translate your field map from this:

o-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-o
| |
- #~#~&&#~~#~~~ -
| ~#~#~~~~#~~## |
- #~###~~###~~~ -
| -^----~#~~~~~ |
- ~##~~#~~~~~## -
| ~~~~~~#~#~L#~ |
- ~#~#~#@~~#~~~ -
| |
o-|-|-|-#-|-|-|-o

Into this: https://imgur.com/a/w9eduYW


One of the big problems we highlighted early-on while planning out the Farming system was the density of information you need to train yourself to recognize from all the different symbols/colours of your field's text map. So we had a crazy idea: Let's make graphics for it!

Our goal with this was to lower the barrier for getting involved with the Farming system, using a fully OPTIONAL graphics addon to help you better understand at a glance what's going on in your farm.

The graphic map sits as a small display on your Mudlet interface that you can drag around and position it where you please, and will show up automatically upon entering the farmland, and disappear again when you leave.

This is only available on Mudlet right now, and we'll be working to get a Nexus version of this available ASAP. There's unfortunately a few more complications getting something like this onto Nexus vs Mudlet, and we didn't want to delay the release of the Farming/Production system anymore. We have no plans to expand support of this to MUD clients other than those two.

So how do you get it? First, make sure your Mudlet is on the latest version (3.22.1 at time of this post) or head to https://www.mudlet.org/download/ to update. This package should (in theory) work on Mudlet versions later than 3.10, but it was developed and tested on 3.22 so we can't promise it won't break.

Once you're on the latest version, there's two ways you can get the package.
1) The easiest way, simply enter the command 'get_farm_package' in-game and Mudlet will download the package from our servers and install it automatically. You'll need to make sure your Aetolia profile for Mudlet has the 'Allow server to install script packages' option checked under Settings->General.

2) If that doesn't work for some reason, you can download the package manually from https://www.aetolia.com/local/download/aetFarmMap.zip then in Mudlet click on 'Package Manager' and install the zip file (DON'T EXTRACT IT!).

You may need to save your profile and restart Mudlet once this is done, but in most cases it should work straight away as soon as you enter your farm plot or QL if already in the farm.

Hold the top-left button to drag it around, and the three top-right buttons can be used to adjust tile size to either 16x16 or 32x32, and bring up the config.

And that's pretty much it! This is very experimental for us, and we'd love your feedback on it so please pop onto the forums and let us know what you think.


Penned by my hand on Quensday, the 7th of Haernos, in the year 481 MA.</pre>
KalinaarPeiryAouri

Comments

  • Hi everyone, hope you like the pixel art with this. If anyone wants a custom player avatar I'll do the first 3 or so that I'm messaged! Just include a desc or a picture of your avatar. :)
    KalinaarOonaghRazmaelAouriAishiaAloli
  • AishiaAishia Queen Bee
    I messaged! muaha
  • I seriously want to kiss everyone involved. This sounds amazing. 
  • BenedictoBenedicto Tentacles Errywhere!
    I don't think farming is going to be my 'thing' necessarily, however, I just wanted to post to say that I've seen a screenshot of the pixel map thing and I am very impressed. Looks super cool!

    Great job @Peiry and @Kyna!
    image
    MacavityPeiryOonaghKalinaarAloli
  • edited July 2019
    So I've installed the package both ways and it doesn't work. I can confirm that the package does indeed install (both ways), I've saved my profile and restarted mudlet, made sure I'm on mudlet ver. 3.22.1 and when I enter my farm plot it still doesn't bring the GUI up.

    I skipped the claim farmland with deed portion of the help file. It works now!
    Aloli
  • So, kinda curious since my MUD exposure is pretty limited to IRE games, but are there any other MUDs out there doing something like this? Like MUD with a graphical component done similarly to here? If not, do the head honchos at IRE realize how big of a deal it is @Razmael / @Tiur?

    One of the bigger customer acquisition issues with this genre seems to be the actual text-based nature of it being a big adjustment for a demographic used to having the imagery handed to them, and something like this graphical component (which was also a focus during the development of the Nexus revamp as far as gauges/visual elements go) seems like a hell of a step in the direction of bridging that gap.

    This seems super impressive, and an approach that could definitely be used in all sorts of different ways. Major kudos to the team behind this one.
  • A loooong time ago there was a fully graphical dragonball z mud and a final fantasy mud that I played. I don't think there are any graphical muds like that around anymore.
  • RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
    Kalinaar said:

    A loooong time ago there was a fully graphical dragonball z mud and a final fantasy mud that I played. I don't think there are any graphical muds like that around anymore.

    Yoooooo I played those as a kid so long ago. Dragonball Z FE and Final Fantasy 1 online made by someone called Trenton. I won't lie they were big inspirations behind this idea!
    If you're curious, here's the old website on the internet archive https://web.archive.org/web/20030406124546/http://future.mudsrus.com/

    Koda said:

    So, kinda curious since my MUD exposure is pretty limited to IRE games, but are there any other MUDs out there doing something like this? Like MUD with a graphical component done similarly to here? If not, do the head honchos at IRE realize how big of a deal it is @Razmael / @Tiur?

    One of the bigger customer acquisition issues with this genre seems to be the actual text-based nature of it being a big adjustment for a demographic used to having the imagery handed to them, and something like this graphical component (which was also a focus during the development of the Nexus revamp as far as gauges/visual elements go) seems like a hell of a step in the direction of bridging that gap.

    This seems super impressive, and an approach that could definitely be used in all sorts of different ways. Major kudos to the team behind this one.

    You should look up a super old MUD client called Pueblo. It's what was used in the games Kalinaar mentioned. And IRE is keeping a very close eye on this, don't worry! We've all been kind of blown away by the reception.
    KalinaarKodaAloli
  • omg I used to love pueblo. I still have pueblo UE installed lol! 
  • TekiasTekias Wisconsin
    So, out of curiosity (and I hate that I'm asking this, don't get me wrong), how do you disable the graphical farm once installed? It just utterly wrecks my CPU or something, and I lag like a Unicorn when it's open.
    Formerly: Spiegel. Eidycue.

    Hi.

    image
  • EliadonEliadon Somewhere Over the Rainbow
    Probably Package Manager -> Uninstall
  • KynaKyna Victoria, Australia
    Hey friends!

    I’m not ignoring your questions and observations and I apologise it has been a bit quiet here in response. 

    I’m compiling all the unanswered now, I’ve just been nose deep in projects and other Things (life) that I haven’t had the time to give you some answers. 

    I’ll have something here within 24 hours for you, so if you have anymore, feel free to try and slide them in between now and then. 
  • What season can we grow the cookie trees?
    (Congregation): Iosyne says, "I made a cup."

    Horkval are a feature...
    Mjoll
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