Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
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From: rkm@vectorbd.com
Subject: Re: Re : Windows (Re: Plot in interactive works) - long !
Organization: Vector Board BBS
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 1994 23:26:52 GMT
Message-ID: <CxsH4s.Ju7@vectorbd.com>
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Max Palmer (mjp@phastr.soton.ac.uk) wrote:
: Hello all, 
:           having seen my unfinished game running in and out of a desktop
: environment I would like to comment about windowed adventures and other
: gimmicks. 
:
: [ deletia ]
:
: In addition, what do people think about the use of coloured text ? In my
: game (sorry to keep going on about it) the standard location text is given
: in mid-light grey, the command line is in a tasteful amber colour (if
: amber can be tasteful), the rose compass appearing after the location
: description is in white (see <4>) and any time related events appear in
: light grey so that changes/events can be picked out at a glance when
: moving around. I have also adopted the use of a 'You go XXX' message which
: is given in green if the move is successful or if not you get a message in
: red indicating that you have been unsuccessful. All in all I think it 
: makes the interface much quicker, and possibly easier to use.  

Using color for highlighting can be extremely useful. (I'm thinking of
syntax highlighting in compilers, here).  I feel strongly that anything
that uses color in this way should:

1) Not *depend* on the colors.
2) Allow the user to customize the colors.

This allows the program to still be useful when used by someone who
is color blind or only has a monochrome monitor (say, a laptop).

-- Katy

