A walkable ASCII cyberpunk city in one HTML file [video] (youtube.com)

Article summary

A developer created a walkable ASCII cyberpunk city in one HTML file using JavaScript and Canvas. The city is a grid-based world with roads, buildings, trees, cars, and pedestrians, all made from ASCII characters. The project's details are not available in the article, but the comments provide more information about the project and similar endeavors. The discussion reveals that there are multiple projects with similar goals, and some are open-source while others are not.

Main themes

• ASCII art
• browser-based rendering
• TUIs and command line tools
• game development
• security trade-offs
• terminal graphics

What commenters say

• Some commenters think that using blocks and other characters for dithering could improve the project's visuals.
• The use of extended ASCII characters may not be suitable for all systems, and some argue that it is not strict ASCII.
• Browser-based rendering techniques, such as using the DOM or Canvas, can be effective for creating ASCII art, but may have performance limitations.
• Command line tools and TUIs are preferred by some due to their ability to be used over SSH and their simplicity, but others point out their security limitations.
• The project's similarity to other games and simulations, such as nethack, is noted, but some argue that its sparse nature is a strength.
• The use of sprites and algorithms to optimize text characters can create impressive terminal graphics.
• Some commenters are working on their own terminal-based games and projects, inspired by the original project.
• The security trade-offs of using TUIs versus browser-based applications are debated, with some arguing that the benefits of TUIs outweigh the risks.