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timcoffman · (This post was last modified: 07-06-2012 01:55 AM by timcoffman.)

(07-06-2012 01:25 AM)bigredsk10 Wrote:
Quote:I can't believe you're blaming the user for doing it wrong. Are we still having this conversation in 2012?

Essentially, yes, I think you're doing it wrong. It couldn't be more simple the way they have implemented it. You click the shell. A little picture of a running guy pops up. If you want to, you click the running guy button and then your guy un-shells. It can't possible take more than doing that one time to figure out how it works.

Well, I did it twice.

(07-06-2012 01:25 AM)bigredsk10 Wrote: If you wanted to debate whether words would be clearer than an icon on that button, then thats a reasonable discussion.

Instead you want the developers (all two of them) to completely rework the interface to follow a model that would cause more problems than it fixes. The day after it launches. And claiming their game will flop if they don't listen to you.

Are two developers too few to do really good work? My experience in software development and UI design tells me that it would not "cause more problems than it fixes." Is there a better time to tell them ways to improve?

I think this game will be a big hit with a small audience. That small audience will consist of people who don't mind blaming themselves for being punished for making mistakes that have no irreversible consequences.

I think that if they introduce some different UI design, they could engage a much bigger audience, which I want them to do because it is fun and I'd like to continue playing for a long time with plenty of opponents.

The biggest hit games on mobile devices are reaching the widest possible audiences. I think this game could reach very widely indeed without sacrificing any core gameplay.

(07-06-2012 01:25 AM)bigredsk10 Wrote: Frankly, I have a feeling you've played a bunch of hero academy and it is jarring not to be able to experiment with different strategies using the undo button.

Do you feel like being able to "experiment with different strategies" would hurt this game? I find that attribute to be very rewarding in games of all kinds. I think arbitrarily stifling experimentation will put off a lot of potential players.

(07-06-2012 01:28 AM)CombatEX Wrote: I hope this isn't changed. Yes, I understand the frustration, but you just have to be careful when making your moves.

I don't mind having to be thoughtful. That's gameplay. I do mind having to be careful. That's poorly thought-through UI design.

(07-06-2012 01:28 AM)CombatEX Wrote: It's kind of like how you can mis-micro your units in Starcraft. I know this is a turn-based game and the precedent set by other games is that you can take back moves if you haven't received new info, but that doesn't mean Outwitters has to be exactly the same.

I don't think it's a precedent yet, though it should be.

I don't think Outwitters differentiating itself by reducing it's feature-set is a wise strategy.

(07-06-2012 01:28 AM)CombatEX Wrote: It's kind of like You don't even have time pressure unlike an RTS so misclicking in this kind of game is inexcusable. Just be more careful.

My play environment may not be the same as yours. My time pressure is completing my actions before I get to the front of the post-office line.

If the Outwitters designers subscribed to the same attitude as you and they sat in a design meeting and said that their users misclicking was just "inexcusable" and users should "just be more careful", then I would not be surprised if their audience remained small in spite of their great core gameplay. I suspect that is, fortunately, not true.

(07-06-2012 01:28 AM)CombatEX Wrote: It's kind of like As for having the computer show you where the fog of war will have moved instead of predicting it yourself... it's not that difficult to do it yourself and it's nice not having to click another confirmation screen every time you move a unit.

If anything does come of this thread, I hope it's only an OPTIONAL setting to turn on this clunky interface the TC is proposing and not an outright switch.

If anything does come of this thread, I hope it's really popular. Also, it's always a good idea to let experienced players streamline their interface. First, though, you have to build up experienced players from newbs.