Colour codes in the console

"The archive holds all 62 colours. The terminal shows me 10 and calls it faithful." — Archivist Vel Torrin
Verified

The console can only draw the 10 numeric colours, so StoryForce swaps each letter code for a numeric stand-in before a line is printed there.

What it does

The console understands ^0 to ^9 and nothing else. StoryForce does not change the console. Instead, before a chat or system line is printed there, it rewrites each letter code to a fixed numeric code in the same colour family.

Every letter has a numeric equivalent, so nothing is dropped. Chat, the HUD and the menus all show the real colour, and only the console approximates.

What each code becomes

Each row below shows a family of letter codes and the numeric code the console prints them as. The rows and the table carry the same mapping twice: the rows for a visual match, the table for screen readers and quick lookup.

No letter maps to black or white, so those two console colours never appear from an expanded code.

Console colour Letter codes that become it
^1 red ^q ^a ^z ^Q ^W ^A ^Z
^2 green ^r ^t ^f ^g ^c ^v ^E ^R ^F ^G ^C ^V
^3 yellow ^e ^D
^4 blue ^y ^u ^i ^j ^n ^N
^5 cyan ^T ^I ^J
^6 magenta ^p ^l ^m ^P ^L ^M
^8 orange ^w ^s ^d
^9 mid grey ^o ^h ^k ^x ^b ^Y ^U ^O ^S ^H ^K ^X ^B

Things to note

Things that catch people out:

  • The swap is a fixed table, not a colour calculation. Each letter always becomes the same numeric code, so ^W Peach prints as red even though orange might look closer.
  • No letter becomes black or white. ^0 and ^7 only ever appear in the console when someone typed them.
  • Numeric codes pass through untouched. Only the 52 letter codes are rewritten.

Next

  • Colour codes: the full 62-code palette these swaps approximate
  • Chat channels: the say, whisper and shout lines that echo into the console