Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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I've made a rogue-like game for the visually impaired. Can you give me any feedback? (self.Blind)
submitted by Alghaesia
Hey /r/blind!
I’m a software developer who, as his thesis, created a rogue-like game for visually impaired. The interesting part of the game is that it gives you the possibility of describing everything that it’s going on and that is generated automatically based on some given grammars and dictionaries which, in the end, it means that the phrases that describe what’s going on are not very repetitive and making the game work the same way in a different language is pretty easy. Currently it’s available in English, Spanish, Galician and probably Dutch in the near future.
I would like to hear your opinions so I could use them as documentation in order to show to my professors. Bear in mind that the game itself is just a prototype and very, very basic, so you are not going to get more than a few minutes of entertainment before it becomes repetitive (it doesn’t have lots of weapons, monsters or things to do). It’s just something very basic that I did completely from scratch to showcase how this automatic sentence generation could work for this or any other project.
Also, even though the sentences are randomly and automatically generated, they are still kind of repetitive since I didn’t add thousands of different words or grammars, but that is a possibility that could happen in the future.
The application is in Java, so you would need to have Java Access Bridge activated in order for the screen reader to actually read the output, as well as Java installed to run it. More information about Java Access Bridge: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/technotes/guides/access/enable_and_test.html
The game is in English by default, but you can change the language.properties file to =ES for Spanish or =GL for Galician.
You can download the executable in a compressed file here: https://github.com/dpenas/roomsgame/blob/master/executables/game1.0RC.zip?raw=true
The controls are rebindable, but you can see the ones by default here: https://github.com/dpenas/roomsgame/wiki
The project is open source, of course!
Any kind of feedback or comment is appreciated and if you have any questions, let me know :)
Thank you so much!
I’m a software developer who, as his thesis, created a rogue-like game for visually impaired. The interesting part of the game is that it gives you the possibility of describing everything that it’s going on and that is generated automatically based on some given grammars and dictionaries which, in the end, it means that the phrases that describe what’s going on are not very repetitive and making the game work the same way in a different language is pretty easy. Currently it’s available in English, Spanish, Galician and probably Dutch in the near future.
I would like to hear your opinions so I could use them as documentation in order to show to my professors. Bear in mind that the game itself is just a prototype and very, very basic, so you are not going to get more than a few minutes of entertainment before it becomes repetitive (it doesn’t have lots of weapons, monsters or things to do). It’s just something very basic that I did completely from scratch to showcase how this automatic sentence generation could work for this or any other project.
Also, even though the sentences are randomly and automatically generated, they are still kind of repetitive since I didn’t add thousands of different words or grammars, but that is a possibility that could happen in the future.
The application is in Java, so you would need to have Java Access Bridge activated in order for the screen reader to actually read the output, as well as Java installed to run it. More information about Java Access Bridge: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/technotes/guides/access/enable_and_test.html
The game is in English by default, but you can change the language.properties file to =ES for Spanish or =GL for Galician.
You can download the executable in a compressed file here: https://github.com/dpenas/roomsgame/blob/master/executables/game1.0RC.zip?raw=true
The controls are rebindable, but you can see the ones by default here: https://github.com/dpenas/roomsgame/wiki
The project is open source, of course!
Any kind of feedback or comment is appreciated and if you have any questions, let me know :)
Thank you so much!
fastfinge 3 points 7y ago
I find this interface really awkward. It opens two windows, one of them untitled. NVDA doesn't automatically read out any of the text. Without feedback when I move, I find it difficult to know where I am or if I'm really moving. The game says I don't have any items when I press x, even though the item description says I have two swords.
Things that are needed: footstep sounds on movement, so I know that's actually working. Either that or a unique description that could be printed on every tile. A way to get NVDA to read back the text properly. A fix for the weapon bug. Environment descriptions just say "can't do that", so that needs fixing as well. Combine the game into one Window; I'm not even sure what the other Window is for. Though I suspect most of the interface strangeness is because the game is in Java.
The grammar template engine looks like an interesting idea, I guess. Though if you really must do it in Java, why not make it part of CoffeeMud (www.coffeemud.net)? I think MUDs might be more fitted to generative text than roguelikes anyway.
Things that are needed: footstep sounds on movement, so I know that's actually working. Either that or a unique description that could be printed on every tile. A way to get NVDA to read back the text properly. A fix for the weapon bug. Environment descriptions just say "can't do that", so that needs fixing as well. Combine the game into one Window; I'm not even sure what the other Window is for. Though I suspect most of the interface strangeness is because the game is in Java.
The grammar template engine looks like an interesting idea, I guess. Though if you really must do it in Java, why not make it part of CoffeeMud (www.coffeemud.net)? I think MUDs might be more fitted to generative text than roguelikes anyway.
Alghaesia [OP] 2 points 7y ago
Hi! Thank you for your feedback!
There are two windows because in one of them it shows the UI (so visually unimpaired can still enjoy the game) and the other is the one that generates the sentences and read them out loud. I'm also using NVDA and it works fine to me (the sentences are being read okay), so probably it has to do the Java Access Bridge not being activated or an incompatible version being installed (I had to install both the 34 and 64 bit version to make it work).
Pressing the button "x" allows you to attack. You can't attack if you don't have a weapon equipped. If you press the button "i" it will read out what you have in the inventory and if you press the numeric numbers you'll be able to equip them.
Pressing other buttons like "b" or "n" will give you information about the environment around you, so you can see where to go.
The idea of adding footsteps whenever you move is a great idea, as well as naming the second window.
I'll also check CoffeeMud :)
Thank you for your feedback!
There are two windows because in one of them it shows the UI (so visually unimpaired can still enjoy the game) and the other is the one that generates the sentences and read them out loud. I'm also using NVDA and it works fine to me (the sentences are being read okay), so probably it has to do the Java Access Bridge not being activated or an incompatible version being installed (I had to install both the 34 and 64 bit version to make it work).
Pressing the button "x" allows you to attack. You can't attack if you don't have a weapon equipped. If you press the button "i" it will read out what you have in the inventory and if you press the numeric numbers you'll be able to equip them.
Pressing other buttons like "b" or "n" will give you information about the environment around you, so you can see where to go.
The idea of adding footsteps whenever you move is a great idea, as well as naming the second window.
I'll also check CoffeeMud :)
Thank you for your feedback!
fastfinge 1 points 7y ago
Hmmm, I just checked the box in the control panel that said "enable Java Access Bridge" in the ease of access center. And I know it's working, because I'm using Libre Office and it's working fine, and that requires the Java Access Bridge too. NVDA can find the edit box, and it can see the text when I use the cursor keys to review it. It just doesn't read out automatically.
Alghaesia [OP] 1 points 7y ago
Mmh, which OS are you running? When I was with Windows 8.1 it worked without an issue, but after updating to Windows 10 I had to install the new version of Java Access Bridge in order to make it work.
You can find it here: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jab-2-0-2-download-354311.html
Maybe that helps!
You can find it here: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jab-2-0-2-download-354311.html
Maybe that helps!
fastfinge 2 points 7y ago
I'm on Windows 10, fresh install, not update. I have no idea how to install the download you linked; the readme gives no instructions, and there's no setup.exe or anything. It seems Java getting purchased by Oracle didn't increase there total lack of commitment to having an access framework that actually works. Sigh.
edit to ad: plus all of my other Java apps are working just fine. So I'm pretty sure the Java Access Bridge is working.
edit to ad: plus all of my other Java apps are working just fine. So I'm pretty sure the Java Access Bridge is working.
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