[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Getting rid of Isotrident

[Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

scripsit Raahul Kumar:
 
> :). You already knew that. I have to confess, the only reason I want a poll is
> that I'm certain of the result. I doubt anyone shares Raimar/Mike's taste in
> graphics. New users like eyecandy. 

If you're interested in not turning people away with the graphics, I
think two things are important:

1) Accuracy -- having a BTR-style armoured personnel carrier for `alpine
troops' (hires) or a SAM system for `howitzer' (cevo) will immediately
disturb someone who knows what alpine troops or howitzers are in Real
Life (tm).

2) Not looking `cheap' or cartoony.  A very stylized look is good for
clarity's sake, and may be preferable from a usability standpoint.
However, if people don't get past the first impression, the usability is
wasted.  In this respect, the terrain and the Explorer and Settler icons
are most critical.

> I've just learned that apparently most of the Freeciv users don't EVER
> download a new tileset. I'm disillusioned. 
[snip]
> I thought our users were smart, and capable of solving their own
> problems. I don't refer to the users on windows/MacOS/Amiga of course.
> Only our unix users.
 
Do they know how?  Seriously, if you got Freeciv because Mandrake or Red
Hat installed it by default, and you don't know that you can install
things without an RPM, are you going to get new tilesets?  Are you even
going to know it's possible?

The other possibility is that some people just aren't that interested in
the graphics.  You may have a situation where the people who have the
technical ability and motivation to locate and install new tilesets just
don't care about the icons, and the people who are mostly interested in
`eye-candy' don't know how.  It's something to consider.

-- 
Thanasis Kinias
Web Developer, Information Technology
Graduate Student, Department of History
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul