Re: [Rails-devel] Usability options for route awareness and revenuecalculation

[Erik V. <eri...@xs...>]

I agree. Keep it simple.
Erik. 

-----Original Message-----
From: brett lentz [mailto:bre...@gm...] 
Sent: Friday 23 April 2010 06:37
To: Development list for Rails: an 18xx game
Subject: Re: [Rails-devel] Usability options for route awareness and
revenuecalculation

If it's manual entry, I see no need to waste the processing cycles on
calculating the run.

Automatic/Suggestion should not enforce any minimum/maximum values
either, but instead should just simply say "I see a run of this
value", then allow the user to enter any value as with manual entry.
Ultimately, in Suggesting mode, it's should still be up to all of the
players to cry foul if incorrect/illegal values are entered. We're
just helping make the game go faster by offering up the optimal route
values we can find; this could be likened to a kibitzing player.

Right now, I can't really see a value in developing a more finely
nuanced progression of turning game control over to the algorithm. "On
and enforcing", "On but not enforcing", and "Off" seems sufficient to
me, at least to begin with.  Once we have these three options, it will
be much easier to see if there are midpoints between them that could
benefit from additional options.

---Brett.


On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 7:11 PM, Chris Shaffer <chr...@gm...>
wrote:
> For the manual option you need to allow the player to exceed in case
> the program miscalculates.
>
> Also, some people may not want that manual "too much" prompt, as it
> would allow players to enter ridiculously high numbers to effectively
> autocalculate.
>
> --
> Chris Shaffer
>
> Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
> On Apr 22, 2010, at 7:50 PM, John David Galt
<jd...@di...
>  > wrote:
>
>> Stefan Frey (web.de) wrote:
>>> The idea is similar to  the current implementation that possible
>>> extensions
>>> and token locations are highlighted. You suggest that it should be
>>> active
>>> only after player requesting it: In that sense it would be
>>> something like
>>> a "Hint" button. Is that something players would prefer to an
>>> always on/off
>>> option?
>>
>> I would suggest a choice that looks like this, under Options in the
>> game-start dialog:
>>
>> Revenue calculation
>> * Automatic, forced
>> * Automatic, suggestion
>> * Manual
>>
>> In all three cases the program should calculate the maximum possible
>> run, but
>> it would then behave as follows:
>>
>> Automatic/forced: Use that number as the revenue, with no
>> opportunity to
>> change it.  (But let it be changed from the Moderator menu.)  (This
>> setting
>> should not be allowed for games like 1853 and 1837, where the player
>> can
>> legitimately choose, and may want, a less-than-maximum run in order
>> to put
>> more money into the company treasury from a mail run or coal mine.)
>>
>> Automatic/suggestion: Tell the player the calculated number, then
>> allow him
>> to enter a value as before, which cannot exceed that number.  (Allow
>> this
>> limit to be overridden from the Moderator menu.)
>>
>> Manual: Don't tell the player anything.  Have him enter a value;
>> then if it's
>> less than or equal to the calculated number, use the value entered.
>> If it's
>> more, give an error message and either have him try again or just
>> tell him
>> the calculated number and use that.  (Again the limit can be
>> overridden using
>> the Moderator menu.)
>>
>> If you want to get fancy you might allow each player or company to
>> use a
>> different one of these three choices, and/or to change them during
>> the game.
>>
>> ---
>> ---
>> ---
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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>> Rai...@li...
>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/rails-devel
>
>
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