[ralphb]

OpenGL draws millions of triangles many times a second. I'd suggest that this is not a problem we need to keep solving :-)

[munificent]

It's definitely true that you can just recalculate and redraw the entire terminal in a roguelike these days with decent performance. I've done it.

However, doing that wastes CPU cycles that you can use for other fun stuff in the game. In particular, monster AI will easily soak up any cycles you want to throw at it, and the more you can, the more interesting your enemies will be.

[jamesaguilar]

"Wastes CPU cycles." How many? Enough to noticeably weaken an AI? Unlikely. Especially since the problem space in a Roguelike is tiny.