Forged Alliance Forever Forged Alliance Forever Forums 2019-07-03T13:30:37+02:00 /feed.php?f=2&t=17717 2019-07-03T13:30:37+02:00 2019-07-03T13:30:37+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176080#p176080 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>
Some notes on the things that are not obvious:
the play tab should have a different coloring from the others so it draws attention even if it is not selected.
I made the categories bigger and 1v1 is now listed first, so you start with this screen when you enter the play tab for the first time.
The green bars are a bit darker to be less prominent.
If possible the play button should say "select a faction to play" when no faction is selected yet.

clientmockup.jpg

Statistics: Posted by BlackYps — 03 Jul 2019, 13:30

]]> 2019-07-03T11:17:43+02:00 2019-07-03T11:17:43+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176078#p176078 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>
Geosearchef wrote:
The ladder tab is probably going to vanish anyways. With the new server update and the team matchmaking client update it's just one of the matchmaking queues. Maybe we should focus on getting that design right. Last time I asked nobody wanted to help me come up with something, (I'm a dev and terrible at designing)

I'm comming into some time at the end of the month. I'll be your workhose.

Statistics: Posted by tatsu — 03 Jul 2019, 11:17

]]> 2019-07-02T20:32:59+02:00 2019-07-02T20:32:59+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176069#p176069 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>

The custom games tab wasn't changed, the game tiles not made more readable, the preview not made hideable, and especially no one worked on the chat user list spacing/added the swords in or removed the background. Also, nobody fixed bugs.


Even carried with the effect of sarcasm, I couldn't help but giggle because unironically, I haven't noticed a single one of these :lol:

Statistics: Posted by Ze Dogfather — 02 Jul 2019, 20:32

]]> 2019-07-02T20:39:58+02:00 2019-07-02T20:30:38+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176068#p176068 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]> Statistics: Posted by biass — 02 Jul 2019, 20:30

]]> 2019-07-02T20:28:24+02:00 2019-07-02T20:28:24+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176067#p176067 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>

Haven't changed a bit since i left.


No, nothing changed. The custom games tab wasn't changed, the game tiles not made more readable, the preview not made hideable, and especially no one worked on the chat user list spacing/added the swords in or removed the background. Also, nobody fixed bugs.

Statistics: Posted by Geosearchef — 02 Jul 2019, 20:28

]]> 2019-07-02T19:40:57+02:00 2019-07-02T19:40:57+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176065#p176065 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]> I was unwillingly dragged into a slack channel about the client, and at the end of it i suggested that the needed elements for the matchmaker thingy be posted so that people can have a go messing with them

I might be bigbrain 146iq design qualified but i do overlook stuff very easily, and i post stuff like this for focus testing and critical feedback

honestly? if devs are going to keep acting like they do in private, you can leave to client to bleed out as it is now. Haven't changed a bit since i left.
since the layout will soon be redundant, might as well just ignore this thread. Sorry to get your hopes up.

Statistics: Posted by biass — 02 Jul 2019, 19:40

]]> 2019-07-02T19:23:30+02:00 2019-07-02T19:23:30+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176064#p176064 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>
Geosearchef wrote:
The ladder tab is probably going to vanish anyways. With the new server update and the team matchmaking client update it's just one of the matchmaking queues. Maybe we should focus on getting that design right. Last time I asked nobody wanted to help me come up with something, (I'm a dev and terrible at designing)

Blodir's design was nice viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17342 + 'if someone wants to implement it I will be happy to continue iterating and do the rest of the client too.'

Statistics: Posted by EcoNoob — 02 Jul 2019, 19:23

]]> 2019-07-02T19:18:06+02:00 2019-07-02T19:18:06+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176063#p176063 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>
Geosearchef wrote:
The ladder tab is probably going to vanish anyways. With the new server update and the team matchmaking client update it's just one of the matchmaking queues. Maybe we should focus on getting that design right. Last time I asked nobody wanted to help me come up with something, (I'm a dev and terrible at designing)

I can help with designing if you are interested

Statistics: Posted by UnorthodoxBox — 02 Jul 2019, 19:18

]]> 2019-07-02T19:11:29+02:00 2019-07-02T19:11:29+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176062#p176062 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]>
axel12 wrote:
Also for next time. I am not at all interested in reading comparisons between libraries and UI. The only thing that interests me are concrete suggestions/improvements.


Luckily, you read a short explanation of user experience, intended for a wider majority in order to prime them for why this post was made.

Geosearchef wrote:
With the new server update and the team matchmaking client update it's just one of the matchmaking queues. Maybe we should focus on getting that design right.


Yet to have seen anything about that.

Statistics: Posted by biass — 02 Jul 2019, 19:11

]]> 2019-07-02T18:46:07+02:00 2019-07-02T18:46:07+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176058#p176058 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]> Statistics: Posted by Geosearchef — 02 Jul 2019, 18:46

]]> 2019-07-02T18:48:27+02:00 2019-07-02T18:44:11+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176057#p176057 <![CDATA[Re: Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]> One for each point

I am sorry not sure what u wanna tell me here

Also for next time. I am not at all interested in reading comparisons between libraries and UI. The only thing that interests me are concrete suggestions/improvements.

Statistics: Posted by axel12 — 02 Jul 2019, 18:44

]]> 2019-07-02T16:25:44+02:00 2019-07-02T16:25:44+02:00 /viewtopic.php?t=17717&p=176056#p176056 <![CDATA[Java UI/UX, cause for alarm? & Ladder screen remake]]> Toxic Non Contributor biass here 2head
I’ve been quite strict on my boycott of contributions thus far, and have had a great time away from spending my time working on things other than FAF. I haven’t played a game since before the Java client was made official, and didn’t bother to install the client on my new machine around that time as well. Thus: do excuse me for being very late to the party, but after yesterday the state of the client has grabbed my attention.

I was already aware that things were not exactly as they should have been. The constant complaints in FAF’s chat spaces, players outright dropping the game when the python client (which suddenly gained maintainers after the Java client was made official?) was out of action, and the even larger tirade of users resorting to asking other users how to perform basic client actions such as search for replays.

I honestly don’t care what programming language the client is written in, most regular users don’t. Furthermore I also empathise the need to stick to development for one client only. Just like in a FAF game, building two things at once ends up with two half finished structures instead of one finished one.

However, leaving the user experience and the interfaces in such a lackluster state that players are openly choosing to create a divide and jump ship to another client is going to seriously cripple player retention AND development at the same time.

When I wrote my send-off, I composed it in such a way that it would act as a call to action, in the slight hope that issues I took with the project would be rectified so that I could return in the future. RTS isn’t a genre with a lot of competition, and there is hardly any offering at all that allows me to pursue level creation as a hobby. I kept my maps folder stored in the chance I would continue working on them again, after all.

When I was talking in the other forum thread about throwing ladder games, I asked UnorthodoxBox to send a screenshot of the ladder menu to modify it and mock up a warning message. I hadn’t actually seen the ladder menu before that time, and when it was sent to me: I was met with a mix of disgust and concern. I’m apparently motivated out of pure spite, so that’s why I am here in the first place when I really could just leave FAF to bleed out like it’s currently doing.

Before I begin: The python client is by no stretch of the imagination an amazing design achievement. It has its own flaws and points of frustration. However it is simple, and doesn’t attempt to be something it is not. When the Java client was first released to the public, it was touted as having a “modern UI” as opposed to the python one. This was a few years ago now however, but the situation seemingly has not changed.

I don’t really feel the need to explain why a poor UI/UX cripples the client because to me, it’s clear as daylight. But I know a majority of people obviously have not poured hours into the field, so in short: If players are not able to complete actions or access information because of confusion or frustration, and if the information is not neatly presented. They don’t do what we (FAF) want them to do. instead they quit, and worse: they can go on to tell others around them not to bother. I’m not going to claim the steam forums as a source for this one, but as funny as it is to skim over, that’s probably a few bench sitters who decided to hold off bothering with FAF because of all the arguing. (and harassment, c’mon guys, stop flooding everything like you’re a cult. You know who you are.)

(amendment: holy crap get off the forums, you’re in every single post, no wonder they hate you.)

Imagine you want to rent a book, so you go to a library. You look in the relevant section but for some unknown reason, the book is placed somewhere else. You completely missed the sign for the section because the wayfinding was too hard to see, there was mould on the shelf next to the book you wanted. You had to sit through 10 whole minutes of upselling and membership offers before you could loan the book, and you couldn’t get out of the parking lot without running over the curb.

Do you go back to that library again? Do you recommend the library to your friends?

Anyway, I’m not here to just ask the devs to design something better, if they could they would have done so already. This post is dual purpose, to raise the alarms to promote discussion and potentially more suggestions, and to present a basic ladder tab redesign I drew up while I was working.
It’s nothing special, isn’t mocked up, and hasn’t had sincere time sunk into it. But maybe something quick and simple is what is needed?

Anyway: Image

biass drawing ability OMEGALUL?
Honestly do forgive me for not mocking this up, but I have actual legitimate projects that also require my attention and if I cannot get the conversation started it will all have been a futile waste of my time. It’s embarrassing to show off the most basic of design iteration as opposed to trying to blow the population out of the water with something flash. But the only thing I feel like illustrating today is the point.

Instead of trying to draw in every little detail I annotated it, and will give you my thoughts about each element in some spoilers. Try and guess what the items are first? The point of it being simple is that you should be able to guess a few of them.

Also, should be easy enough to make it responsive. But maybe something for later.

1. The play tab navigation.
Spoiler: show
Not much to say here, but in my fatigue I made it four segments instead of five. Any nav we make should accept the inclusion of team ladder and Galactic war in the future, if we are lucky.
Not really sure why the original nav is in a different style to the primary navigation in the first place.


2. The faction select
Spoiler: show
Not just some icons here, but try to add in some coloured lights, some background graphics or similar to show off that the faction is selected and inspire some form of factional preference to new players by revealing more of their background and ethos.

This and the play button should be the most important element in the hierarchy no matter the layout.

For the sake of visual balance, put the two most played factions on the far sides. For most users, the factions they pick won’t create any strange optical imbalances.


3. Additional information
Spoiler: show
Add here: the faction name, the games played as that faction, and the win loss. Reduce the visibility if the faction isn't selected.


4. The play button, and the map list
Spoiler: show
Needs to be the centermost element on the page with use of bright colours and high contrast. We NEED users to be clicking that button,

If no factions are selected, the button should read “select a faction” or whatever.
If one or more is selected, it should read FIND A GAME
If you’re searching, it should say SEARCHING and the queue time.

The map list is the smaller button to the right. Just a link to the pool for now, don’t make it too exciting an element but give it what it deserves compared to the current iteration.


5. Nothing?
Spoiler: show
...unless in certain scenarios, this area could give information such as warning against throwing, tell people why they’re not in element 6 yet, or similar.


6. The rating distribution curve.
Spoiler: show
Needs to be given a lower amount of contrast as for it to not dominate the page too much


7. Rating curve milestones
Spoiler: show
A strange and uneven curve can throw off our layout, so these background elements are really just vertical block numbers that signify the rating at that point in the curve. For example, the first one might be 500, and the last one be 1800. These NEED to be aligned to the faction select to maintain the look of the page.


8. (you)
Spoiler: show
Show you, your rating and your leaderboard position, users can watch themselves progress to the left as they gain rating, and see how they add up to the average.

Also, we should show off milestones to egg on people to play here too. This might include the position of entry into the top 100, the median rating, or a division leader.


9. Rules
Spoiler: show
Mostly here for some more balancing, but can glow for first timers or if someone has been warned, just a small hover that reveals the ladder specific rules.


10. You again
Spoiler: show
Show your username and your ladder rating, maybe your avatar too, for balancing.
Maybe add a small + - number to show how much you have gained/lost over the past few days.


That is all I have to say for now, luckily, changing something is a lot easier now when the idea is just a sketch, rather than when the idea is completely fleshed out. For the sake of getting a conversation going, please roast the absolute christ out of me, the client, and the idea in the replies.
I have a few days off now, so I am happy to clarify why I think the ladder tab needs remaking, what i'm talking about with my shitty illustration, or help with other ideas if they are created.

Go nuts, help make FAF something worth our/my time again.

Statistics: Posted by biass — 02 Jul 2019, 16:25

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