TripleA Design

[ubernaut]

@Cernel i dont think it makes any sense to use the multiplayer term as any mode can be multiplayer even local can be multiplayer

[beelee]

@ubernaut

I still think sticking a "New to Triplea" button somewhere prominent when you first fire up triplea, keep stuff basically as is and add some color.

The new button can take you to a glossary telling one what asynch or whatever term actually does

[ubernaut]

@beelee should it be distinct from the user guide button tho?

[beelee]

@ubernaut

Idk I thought the main concern was Eddie X saying his buddies new to the game couldn't figure it out.

So my thinking is have a button for them to click on and you can go into detail of how it works without wasting experienced players time and having to click extra stuff.

The color should be added regardless. But I don't wanna end up having to click twice as many times to do something I can already do right now is my only concern.

Buttons I use

Saved Game
Start Local Game
Play By Email

I don't want to go through extra steps to reach those. Wouldn't want to for Select Game either. The Engine Preferences and Map Creator Tools, which I also use sometimes but infrequently, doesn't need to be front and center.

I guess maybe just have it directly link you to the User Guide Button. Paint it Red or stick it Front and Center in Bigger Font or something.

If new people can't figure out to click on it then, well triplea is obviously not for them

[ubernaut]

@beelee said:

don't wanna end up having to click twice as many times to do something I can already do right now

100% agree on that, just not sure “new user” is any different from the current “user guide & help” in terms of actual content

[xxXEddieXxx]

I think the current User guide is a little overwhelming for new players. We should try to convey information at the point where it becomes relevant. My 1 page "how to" was understood by most of my friends. Meanwhile they look at the user guide and say "nope not in my free time".

Of course not everyone is like that. But on top of the giant user guide each map has multiple pages of rules. All this can be quite confusing. To be honest the simplest versions of TripleA are not that complex that we need a multipage user guide for people getting started.

Also to let you guys in on some more of my ideas. I actually think that play locally should lead to a local game.
If a user clicks play by Email a game should open where the save could instantly be send by email and when play by forum is clicked a lobby opens that shows you all of your games with the option to start them here and to look at them so these ambiguity we are talking wouldn't happen because it would be obvious what each button does. Also it makes for a nicer flow. People need multistep instructions how they could set up their turn and game before even starting in play by email @victoryfirst (has experience here LOL). This should be all pretty self-explanatory in my eyes. And even if it isn't there is always room for a little question mark icon where we can use all the user guide infos to show them where they are needed.

Here is also a Screenshot of how the mobile app explains play by forum in the play by forum area:

[xxXEddieXxx]

A game opend in play by email could also differ from local games in terms of buttons we show the user.

The end of a round could for example look like this:

[Cernel]

@ubernaut said:

@Cernel i dont think it makes any sense to use the multiplayer term as any mode can be multiplayer even local can be multiplayer

I think it makes sense as the first two groups are normally used for multiplayer, whereas the local is normally used for sigleplayer (if we do not consider the AI a player), and hot-seat is technically sigleplayer too.

However, I do not like multiplayer either because I do not think is necessary, and it is questionable whether playing against the AI is multiplayer or single player. (Technically, it is multiplayer because in TripleA the AI is a player too, just not a human player, so we should actually say "Human Multiplayer" instead of just "Multiplayer", and that gets very long.)

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How about "Play Live", "Play by Post" and "Play Offline"?

Simple, easy, fully technically correct and avoiding weird terms like "asynchronous" most people would not be able to define and really make no sense for turn-based games like Chess or TripleA because they are never synchronous.

(Play Live can alternatively be Play Online in Real-Time, more correct but longer.)

[xxXEddieXxx]

@Cernel said:

Human Multiplayer

Yes let use this. Escpecially in this time where AI is running the internet

Jokes aside, people know the terms multiplayer and singleplayer, they know if they choose one they play humans and the other is against ai. Why should we try to get another term if the mentioned is already this well established.

[Cernel]

@xxXEddieXxx Regarding what "they know", I can tell you that TripleA lobby's tribal knowledge would not consider a 1v1 a multiplayer. When you ask for a "multi" in the lobby, that means a 3+ (usually 4+) players game. Most would actually consider a 1v2 hardly a multi.

However, this is the old tribal knowledge, possibly gone by now. For several years TripleA has been almost only 1v1 in the lobby.