[crossfire] Improved/redone client.

[Kevin R. Bulgrien]

> The idea is that the current clients display way too much information;
> someone has described them as "geeky".  Typically, when playing, you're
> interested: in the map (always), hp/sp/grace/food (almost always),
> important messages (almost always), chat (often), exp (often), and "look"
> list (frequently).  Everything else only needs to be looked at
> occasionally. By the basic rules of UI design, it follows that these are
> the elements that should be always there; if possible, progressively less
> intrusive in the order above.  Other elements should be easy to bring up,
> but off by default.

I have been giving this extra thought lately, and fired up the gtk2 client.  I
have to say I do not agree with the statement that the clients are too geeky,
but then again, I score high on nerd tests too.  At first I thought the gtk2
client tabbed information was cool, but, I still go back to the gtk1 client, again
because I can see everything.  The fact is, the more information you have
at the ready, the better you can shoot the bogey's down.  There really is no
other way to do battle effectively.  The resistances might qualify for hiding,
but even they help remind you who not to go up against without checking
equipment.  Maybe if you are high-level,  you never look at those things, but
I would not find crossfire nearly as fun without the "geek factor" of the GTK1
client.  Every time I try the GTK2 client I get frustrated at how much is not
on screen.

On another note,  also probably indicating geekish tendency, I think the key
binding interface would be just too cool if it supported some sort of
rudimentary scripting capability...  Why not have a client-embedded script
that could trigger auto-keypresses, sound bites, or stuff like that?  Maybe even
some capability to glob things so, for instance, the same binding would work
to equip, use, unequip a scroll, staff,  or rod of something... and would work no
matter which one you had.  Now that... would be cool...

... and awesomely geeky....

How on earth does anyone come up with the idea that clients like this should
not be geeky?  ;-)