Improve Hotkeys
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I'm not sure how I missed this thread. I really recommend "The Design of Everyday Things", it's a UX 101 course of its own right and lays out some really great UX principles.
To summarize a bit:
- usability should be discoverable. You should be able to figure out how to use something by looking at it.
That means if you have to just "know" that you can hit ctrl+a to add units, it's not the best UX. Menu items with their hotkeys listed are a good example of ths.
To paraphrase this from another perspective, any hotkey that modifies or interacts with the UI should have a corresponding UI element that is clickable. Hovering over the UI element ideally lists its hotkey, which leads to another UX principle:
- allow new users to discover how to use the UI, provide shortcuts for masters
An example of the above is the copy-paste command, new users will look to the edit menu to find the feature and click it. 'Master' users who use the feature a lot will be able to use it quickly. It's a similar analogy to the labels on keyboards, new users can type via hunt-and-peck, master users are touch-typists and do not look at the keys.
With that said, the "ctrl+a" and "ctrl+d" are missing a UI element of some sort. We could add a button to the battle calc to help discover this feature "add units to calc", where the cursor mode changes to highlight territories and a click then adds those units. The hovertext could explain the hotkey alternative. We could have a right click menu potentially on territories if a battle calc is in the foreground with options "add to defenders" and "add to attackers" with the hotkey listed next to the menu item.
Overall, something to think about as we design and retrofit features.
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@LaFayette There are buttons for ctrl+A and ctrl+D which list the hotkeys...
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Sure enough @redrum ; the principles are the important point. There is more to UX than just the bedrock principles outlined in DOET, but those are fundamental and we should keep them in mind. The below question indicates further usability issues:
I don't quite understand how it works. If I open battle calc then hit ctrl A it adds another unit but how do you control which units you want to add ? If I put 1 infantry and 1 armor and 1 fighter in, it adds 1 to each. Would you show an example of how to use it please ?
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@LaFayette hey I did a quick search and couldn't find what UX means? Also what is DOET?
I'm sure for doet you weren't meaning the African word for vagina hehehe
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DOET is such a significant book it has an acronym
I really recommend the book to anyone (particularly to dev's and anyone that works on UI code). It is a bit of a textbook, it kinda seems dull initially, pages and pages are dedicated to the design of doors. It runs home the points well and is really insightful. It was a game-changing read for me, while reading it you can think about TripleA and a variety of usability improvements that could be made. It really is a first course in UX design, AFAIK introductory UX courses do use it as a text. Here is a PDF version: http://www.nixdell.com/classes/HCI-and-Design-Spring-2017/The-Design-of-Everyday-Things-Revised-and-Expanded-Edition.pdf
UX = user experience
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-designUX is a very broad umbrella, it is much more than just UI, it encompasses the many topics of how a user engages with a product. It includes usability research, information architecture, UI, interaction design, and a number more topics.
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Just because I'm so jazzed from the learnings in DOET, I'll also mention it also has some long sections as well on the design of VCRs and ovens (gives insights why it's bad design that makes it so the clock is difficult to change). That discussion particularly carries over to software.. Some of lessons in VCR design is to have a 1:1 mapping for buttons and their functionality, hide controls that are not used often (cough our launch screen), show controls that are used all the time, and try to show only controls that are needed.
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rofl is there a link to the book I can't find it and it's sounding like Ayn Randian BS
I would pretty much cut out every word in that insane graph minus ergonomic amiright
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@Captain-Crunch Atlas Shrugged? :grinning_cat_face:
UX is an odd field. Ignorance towards it creates "interesting" issues: https://www.useronboard.com/how-united-onboards-new-users/
At the risk of being too serious, if you want to learn more about the field, this is a good video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbu6G08n_Gw "Why UX is not only the Responsibility of the UX'er"
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@LaFayette yo coders are cool. Coding is just like learning any language but probably easier and Ive made a few games myself on my old computer.
Anyways, rofl seriously how long do you spend at your computer making those troll images and stuff rooffllllll do you ever see the sun. Ayn Rand is for gullible obnobs that think they are smarter than others. Too bad this thread turned into another one of those type of convos like Belee's "TripleA won't run" thread
I've never played a game or been on a forum where there wasnt aliaser trolls and my messenger list is ez to show whos aliaser trolling - so far I got an angry message from some Alkezr mad I told him to ease up on Redrum, some Jazan sounded nerdy talkin about all the other maps, Prastle wanting me to download a 32bit Lobby, and Ubernaut who doesnt like being called anal and said his girlfriend loves Captain Crunch thats if he really has a girlfriend ofcourse lol
Like I always say on every game or forum
SO EZ
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Coding is just like learning any language but probably easier
10/10 I have used well over 5 different programming languages, within the past 5 years, but still struggle to get the accents on my Spanish writings right ^^
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@RoiEX Si
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@Captain-Crunch Actually to clarify I wanted you to download the new pre release which still ha a 32 bit version to see if that helped you.
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@prastle thanks, I have only been playing the AI and havent played a game in over a year I bet but I enjoy reading the threads (usually) so yous aint got rid of me yet!
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@Captain-Crunch Do not go gently into that good night!
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