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BlahCade Podcast #14 - #Continbute
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<blockquote data-quote="WhiteChocolate" data-source="post: 188035" data-attributes="member: 4374"><p>gahhh i never get out to the movies anymore... but i've got all my old favorites at home, and have my time otherwise occupied trying to learn the new code. last flick i saw was 'gravity'; i'm more interested in 3d anymore it seems than the actual movie itself!</p><p></p><p>well k, at the risk of being that annoying nerd in the room who can't stop babbling... ;0 but if it's okay, i'll continue to 'continbute'!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> i know everyone can be susceptible to thinking their own idea is the greatest idea ever - and i sure can fall prey to that! but i'm jazzed a bit over the simplicity of this one; i couldn't stop thinking about it again while playing today... i think it has a lot of built-in 'wins' to it already:</p><p></p><p>- the leaderboard/rankings system is already in house and online (and presumably that was the 'hard' part!); it just needs to be brought to the foreground of TPA a bit more, instead of continuing to reside almost hidden and underutilized in the background (having to laod a table to access it)...</p><p></p><p>- using the leaderboard ranking to provide a simple additional display option for the order of the table scroll list, with just two (or maybe even just one in some cases? read p.s.) additional buttons...</p><p></p><p>- incentivize the desire to play more ('oh really, i'm that good on that table? i should play it more!')...</p><p></p><p>- much more immediate feedback and 'instant gratification' from seeing your ranks display/order in your table list... i just jumped my phantom all-time by about half this afternoon; it'd be fun to see that 'instantly' reflected in my table list! ('instantly' being how long it takes for the big board to update - how well that would work with the 'few minutes to add to leaderboard' post-game might be a bit iffy, but it'd beat having to go back into the middle of a big list board just to see the result - that's not nearly as gratifying! plus it's much, -much- quicker than doing that by hand - making my own all-time list of all my tables took a good 30-45 minutes to do! plus more time to hand-sort best to worst, and only just piecemeal at that...)</p><p></p><p>- and in the end, hopefully more naturally building base of 'friendly competition' from use... having your rank number right up front (and with a bit handier access to the online leaderboard via a button upfront - read on for the details), you'd be able to see who keeps knockin' your best scores down lower, and get into a more 'hey i plan on kicking your high score this weekend; wanna try to beat it' spirit!</p><p></p><p>here's the details then... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>it all should work smoothly when offline, of course, and use whatever last saved list the app has from the network leaderboard cache... i believe the game already taps the leaderboards when starting up and networked; if it isn't already doing so, it should grab an updated USER-ONLY rank list (all time, monthly, and weekly) for all the player's owned tables. NOT THE COMPLETE ALL-PLAYERS lists; just the user's scores/ranks on each table! (by each startup/leaderboard call, how long would this take? if prohibitively long, can it be backgrounded while the main display comes up? thinking ahead about also grabbing 'this month/week' and more ranks, can it be sql'd or something into one pass? -DO NOT- want to save -complete- leaderboards for local offline use; keep space/needs conservative and just focused on the individual user's ranks local/offline!) point being, the starting point here is having a locally saved/offline-usable list of the user's rankings...</p><p></p><p>so then, in the MY TABLES 'scrolling tables list' UI, there's already the 'hall of fame' (in iOS; i don't see it on the ps3 screen) and 'table/wizard goals' buttons (along with 'start' of course)... enough space to add a third button that switches its caption to match the display mode option - 'list alphabetically' (default), and toggles to 'list by all-time rank'; just touch to switch to a different display/order mode - with possibilities for even more display opts to be added in the future. (as an aside, since the current table scroll simply loops, i wonder if some thin line/graphic separator might be inserted to mark the dividing line? just something to deliniate the end/beginning of the list - '^^VV^^' - do keep it a loop as it is now though; a top-bottom-stopping display would be annoying with an already long list of tables that keeps growing!)</p><p></p><p>the table scroll list then changes to the order of the selected mode - say with 'all-time rank', they are then displayed in order of the player's all-time rank, top to bottom! (again, this is where it might be helpful to have a list dividing line, just to help!) as each table displays, the player's all-time rank on that table then displays in a larger button near the table's main graphic, somewhere above the 'goals/start' buttons, reading "ALL TIME RANK: #xxx + score"! (should be nice and big, larger text than much of the other buttons/text!) any tables with null rankings would finish off the list below them, ideally alphabetically instead of random, just for predictable look/use... essentially the loop defaults alphabetical, but if another display option is selected, then that runs first, and the remainder runs alphabetical eh? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>a fresh install could kick out -NO- cached/saved rankings, all nulls, so that bit of listloop should be ready for that possibility. and, if that all works properly and smoothly, then it should be no-brainer to extend the UI button options to include 'list by monthly rank/weekly rank'! with those two obviously more likely to return some, or even all, null ranks (the rank display button should display something appropriate like "you are not yet ranked for this week/month/ever" or something like that then!)</p><p></p><p>additionally, let's give the 'all-time rank #xxx' button a clickable usage too - it can call up the online leaderbaords; no more having to 'load a table+three-four clicks' to get to them! (the button display of the user's rank of course should work both off and online; if the user if offline the either block the user click, or feedback 'must be online etc' for that.)</p><p></p><p>and it makes me wonder (cue jimmy page!) if there's some way to geek up some 'most popular tables' ranking from an average of the top all-times?? instead of (or rather, UNTIL) individual user get five-to-no-star ratings added... this could be a more protected way of doing something helpful to display crowd favorites from the cached end, something generated daily/weekly. if maybe just from the top 1000 (or 10k, or 10%?) of players, highest minus lowest scores maybe to start with might help drop out the lesser-played, lesser-liked tables. (if there is a 'total plays' count saved out with our scores though, that'd make it much easier to figure out! i don't know if total plays can be calced per table; i have 'goin' nuts' at #10 in my all-time, but hardly ever play it or a few others that rank high for me! certainly not my "favorites" or most-played; just ones i randomly ranked well ok with...)</p><p></p><p>initially i thought of having the 'all-time rank #xxx' button always being displayed regardless of selected list mode - however a point could be made that not everyone wants to see (might be discouraged by!) seeing their ranks. so perhaps it should only display when an appropriate 'display ranking' mode is selected. in regard to that, in order, no-rank display modes should come first, then rank-by-alltime/month/week... so that's maybe so far a total of five possible UI display modes: 'list alphabetically,' 'list most popular' (potentially in the future), 'list by RANK all-time', 'list by RANK month', 'list by RANK week'! two buttons, using already-online utilities; shakes up the UI a bit; adds features... whaddaya think?? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>p.s. here's one for a poll: "hall of fame score" button (in the TPA iOS UI), useful or useless?? i wonder about replacing that with the 'list by' button instead; i hardly ever look at that!</p><p></p><p>p.p.s. as an aside, i wonder if it'd be possible on some platforms to be able to save/export a list of rankings, along the lines what i've done by hand so far - but thing is, if what i've proposed is implemented some day in some form/fashion, in theory one wouldn't want or much need to save lists on their own. it should all be in the UI! but export or some web-accessible lists would be interesting for those tallying/watching the big boards.</p><p></p><p>k now i'm gonna go play some more!!!!!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> i gotta crack the top #1000 somehow in somethin'...</p><p></p><p>p.p.p.effin'-ess!! that extra space to the left of the table scroll list, over the 'back' button?? with rank display modes, -also- show a short list, just of '#xx \n #xxx \n #xxx \n etc' of rank scores, a very short but succinctly 'complete' list, kind of like how ps3 creates faded 'before/after this immediately selected item' lists... also not unlike the current scroll list that shows tables before/after the one currently selected in the foreground. a quick 'crib sheet' for the user to see their top rankings! it's already cached, right? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> so show it! just a guide, containing more info than can be displayed immediately to the right as the table faces scroll up/down the table list, that one also scrolls up and down; they don't use it to directly select with; just for reference. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>yeah. that's it! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WhiteChocolate, post: 188035, member: 4374"] gahhh i never get out to the movies anymore... but i've got all my old favorites at home, and have my time otherwise occupied trying to learn the new code. last flick i saw was 'gravity'; i'm more interested in 3d anymore it seems than the actual movie itself! well k, at the risk of being that annoying nerd in the room who can't stop babbling... ;0 but if it's okay, i'll continue to 'continbute'!! ;) i know everyone can be susceptible to thinking their own idea is the greatest idea ever - and i sure can fall prey to that! but i'm jazzed a bit over the simplicity of this one; i couldn't stop thinking about it again while playing today... i think it has a lot of built-in 'wins' to it already: - the leaderboard/rankings system is already in house and online (and presumably that was the 'hard' part!); it just needs to be brought to the foreground of TPA a bit more, instead of continuing to reside almost hidden and underutilized in the background (having to laod a table to access it)... - using the leaderboard ranking to provide a simple additional display option for the order of the table scroll list, with just two (or maybe even just one in some cases? read p.s.) additional buttons... - incentivize the desire to play more ('oh really, i'm that good on that table? i should play it more!')... - much more immediate feedback and 'instant gratification' from seeing your ranks display/order in your table list... i just jumped my phantom all-time by about half this afternoon; it'd be fun to see that 'instantly' reflected in my table list! ('instantly' being how long it takes for the big board to update - how well that would work with the 'few minutes to add to leaderboard' post-game might be a bit iffy, but it'd beat having to go back into the middle of a big list board just to see the result - that's not nearly as gratifying! plus it's much, -much- quicker than doing that by hand - making my own all-time list of all my tables took a good 30-45 minutes to do! plus more time to hand-sort best to worst, and only just piecemeal at that...) - and in the end, hopefully more naturally building base of 'friendly competition' from use... having your rank number right up front (and with a bit handier access to the online leaderboard via a button upfront - read on for the details), you'd be able to see who keeps knockin' your best scores down lower, and get into a more 'hey i plan on kicking your high score this weekend; wanna try to beat it' spirit! here's the details then... :) it all should work smoothly when offline, of course, and use whatever last saved list the app has from the network leaderboard cache... i believe the game already taps the leaderboards when starting up and networked; if it isn't already doing so, it should grab an updated USER-ONLY rank list (all time, monthly, and weekly) for all the player's owned tables. NOT THE COMPLETE ALL-PLAYERS lists; just the user's scores/ranks on each table! (by each startup/leaderboard call, how long would this take? if prohibitively long, can it be backgrounded while the main display comes up? thinking ahead about also grabbing 'this month/week' and more ranks, can it be sql'd or something into one pass? -DO NOT- want to save -complete- leaderboards for local offline use; keep space/needs conservative and just focused on the individual user's ranks local/offline!) point being, the starting point here is having a locally saved/offline-usable list of the user's rankings... so then, in the MY TABLES 'scrolling tables list' UI, there's already the 'hall of fame' (in iOS; i don't see it on the ps3 screen) and 'table/wizard goals' buttons (along with 'start' of course)... enough space to add a third button that switches its caption to match the display mode option - 'list alphabetically' (default), and toggles to 'list by all-time rank'; just touch to switch to a different display/order mode - with possibilities for even more display opts to be added in the future. (as an aside, since the current table scroll simply loops, i wonder if some thin line/graphic separator might be inserted to mark the dividing line? just something to deliniate the end/beginning of the list - '^^VV^^' - do keep it a loop as it is now though; a top-bottom-stopping display would be annoying with an already long list of tables that keeps growing!) the table scroll list then changes to the order of the selected mode - say with 'all-time rank', they are then displayed in order of the player's all-time rank, top to bottom! (again, this is where it might be helpful to have a list dividing line, just to help!) as each table displays, the player's all-time rank on that table then displays in a larger button near the table's main graphic, somewhere above the 'goals/start' buttons, reading "ALL TIME RANK: #xxx + score"! (should be nice and big, larger text than much of the other buttons/text!) any tables with null rankings would finish off the list below them, ideally alphabetically instead of random, just for predictable look/use... essentially the loop defaults alphabetical, but if another display option is selected, then that runs first, and the remainder runs alphabetical eh? :) a fresh install could kick out -NO- cached/saved rankings, all nulls, so that bit of listloop should be ready for that possibility. and, if that all works properly and smoothly, then it should be no-brainer to extend the UI button options to include 'list by monthly rank/weekly rank'! with those two obviously more likely to return some, or even all, null ranks (the rank display button should display something appropriate like "you are not yet ranked for this week/month/ever" or something like that then!) additionally, let's give the 'all-time rank #xxx' button a clickable usage too - it can call up the online leaderbaords; no more having to 'load a table+three-four clicks' to get to them! (the button display of the user's rank of course should work both off and online; if the user if offline the either block the user click, or feedback 'must be online etc' for that.) and it makes me wonder (cue jimmy page!) if there's some way to geek up some 'most popular tables' ranking from an average of the top all-times?? instead of (or rather, UNTIL) individual user get five-to-no-star ratings added... this could be a more protected way of doing something helpful to display crowd favorites from the cached end, something generated daily/weekly. if maybe just from the top 1000 (or 10k, or 10%?) of players, highest minus lowest scores maybe to start with might help drop out the lesser-played, lesser-liked tables. (if there is a 'total plays' count saved out with our scores though, that'd make it much easier to figure out! i don't know if total plays can be calced per table; i have 'goin' nuts' at #10 in my all-time, but hardly ever play it or a few others that rank high for me! certainly not my "favorites" or most-played; just ones i randomly ranked well ok with...) initially i thought of having the 'all-time rank #xxx' button always being displayed regardless of selected list mode - however a point could be made that not everyone wants to see (might be discouraged by!) seeing their ranks. so perhaps it should only display when an appropriate 'display ranking' mode is selected. in regard to that, in order, no-rank display modes should come first, then rank-by-alltime/month/week... so that's maybe so far a total of five possible UI display modes: 'list alphabetically,' 'list most popular' (potentially in the future), 'list by RANK all-time', 'list by RANK month', 'list by RANK week'! two buttons, using already-online utilities; shakes up the UI a bit; adds features... whaddaya think?? :) p.s. here's one for a poll: "hall of fame score" button (in the TPA iOS UI), useful or useless?? i wonder about replacing that with the 'list by' button instead; i hardly ever look at that! p.p.s. as an aside, i wonder if it'd be possible on some platforms to be able to save/export a list of rankings, along the lines what i've done by hand so far - but thing is, if what i've proposed is implemented some day in some form/fashion, in theory one wouldn't want or much need to save lists on their own. it should all be in the UI! but export or some web-accessible lists would be interesting for those tallying/watching the big boards. k now i'm gonna go play some more!!!!!! :) i gotta crack the top #1000 somehow in somethin'... p.p.p.effin'-ess!! that extra space to the left of the table scroll list, over the 'back' button?? with rank display modes, -also- show a short list, just of '#xx \n #xxx \n #xxx \n etc' of rank scores, a very short but succinctly 'complete' list, kind of like how ps3 creates faded 'before/after this immediately selected item' lists... also not unlike the current scroll list that shows tables before/after the one currently selected in the foreground. a quick 'crib sheet' for the user to see their top rankings! it's already cached, right? :) so show it! just a guide, containing more info than can be displayed immediately to the right as the table faces scroll up/down the table list, that one also scrolls up and down; they don't use it to directly select with; just for reference. :) yeah. that's it! ;) [/QUOTE]
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