MMO/RPG - Enhancing Text-Based RPGs with Beautiful ASCII Art

https://geocities.ws/peakecoin/games/the_peake/index.html

I need feedback on how the game plays as well. Thank you.

In this post, we’ll explore how ASCII art can dramatically enhance the visual experience of a text-based RPG. We'll walk through real examples from the Peake RPG project and how a few lines of code created a whole new level of immersion.

🎯 Code Excerpts Included

✅ Room Rendering System

We updated the getDetailedRoomDescription() function to prepend ASCII art to room descriptions if the ascii field is present:

function renderRoomDescription(room) {
  let description = `${room.name}\n\n${room.description}`;
  if (room.ascii) {
    description = `${room.ascii}\n\n${description}`;
  }
  return description;
}

🏙️ Town Center (Before/After)

Before:

Town Center
The central plaza bustles with villagers and merchants.

After:

   _______
  |       |
  | Plaza |
  |_______|
   /     \
  /_______\

Town Center
The central plaza bustles with villagers and merchants.

🔨 Blacksmith Forge

   ( )
  (   )
   | |
  /   \
 | FIRE |
  \___/
The forge glows with heat as hammers clang rhythmically.

🐉 Dragon’s Den Gaming Hall

   ||||||||||
  / SPLINTER /
 < TOURNAMENT >
  \_________/

Welcome to the Dragon’s Den. Champions gather to battle for glory.

🌲 Dynamic Wilderness: Procedural ASCII

function getWildernessAscii(env) {
  switch (env) {
    case "forest":
      return "🌲🌲🌳\\n🌳🌲🌲";
    case "desert":
      return "🏜️   🏜️\\n 🐍   🏜️";
    case "mountain":
      return "  /\\\\n /  \\\\n/    \\\\";
    default:
      return "";
  }
}

🌀 Mysterious Spawn Chamber

  [ DOOR A ]     [ DOOR B ]
    🔮              🔥
Which magical path will you choose?

🛠️ Technical Sections

Implementation Details:
- Minimal code change by injecting ascii string field to room objects
- ASCII art rendered before description using simple template logic

Best Practices:
- Keep width under 40 characters
- Use consistent symbols and spacing
- Favor clarity over complexity

Before/After Comparisons:
ASCII adds atmosphere, scale, and tone to an otherwise flat text description. Try toggling ASCII on/off and see the difference.

🎨 Design Philosophy

Consistent Formatting:
Used box-drawing characters (|, _, /) for structure

Clear Navigation:
Rooms with exits now use indicators like:
Exits: [N]orth, [E]ast

Meaningful Emojis:
Emojis like 🐍, 🔥, 🏔️ help convey quick recognition and emotional tone

Player Position:
Future goal: highlight “YOU ARE HERE” in room center using:
   [ YOU ]

💡 Future Enhancements

- Animated ASCII using frame switching
- Seasonal/weather-based ASCII overlays
- Player-generated ASCII art support
- Dynamic art via procedural ASCII engine

Created by the PeakeCoin Project