What I'm thinking about for the 1.3.0 release

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dulcaoin
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What I'm thinking about for the 1.3.0 release

Post by dulcaoin »

This is the list of items I'd like to tackle for a 1.3.0 release (I'll be trying to do releases more along the lines of 1.3.0, 1.3.1, etc. -- quicker releases with smaller features than we've had in the past)

These have been chosen to be quicker-and-safer to implement for a first pass, add what are only optional features (so I shouldn't affect existing users who don't want the features too much), and give me a good look at different parts of the code.

I could go for a 1.2.1 release, but I thought moving from 1.2 to 1.3 would be a good differentiator between the Jerome releases and the Joshua releases.

PRIMARY GOALS
- fix the crash bug with space bar input

- add a "shadowalpha" attribute (value from 0.0 to 1.0, default is what it is now, which I'm guessing is less than 0.5), so you can set how dark the shadow is on counters, cards, and terrain - per item with shadow

- add an "outline" attribute (value will be the width), which will put a (square) black border around the item (counter, terrain, probably cards too)

- add two (optional) URL values (tags or attributes, not sure yet):

- one would activate a new button in the Multiplayer menu, which would launch the machine's web browser to the matchmaking/chat web page for the gamebox
It would probably be labeled something like "Player Match Web Site..."

- the second would activate a new button in the File menu, that would launch the machine's web browser to the website that the publisher would like to provide more info on the game (could be the game's info page, could be the game's store page, could be the rulebook PDF for publishers who wanted to do that).
It would probably be labeled something like "Gamebox: More Info..."

STRETCH GOALS
- (depends on how quickly the above come together) add xoffset and yoffset attributes to stacks, which would control the direction and distance-between-items of any given stack. There would be global attributes (stackxoffset and stackyoffset) and then those could be overriden in a particular stack with xoffset and yoffset). Default would be what they are now, so existing users shouldn't be affected.

- (depends on outline, above) add an "outlinealpha" attribute so you can make that outline translucent (it'd be like a shadow, but it goes around all the sides and has the wide of the outline attribute value). Default would be 1.0 (no translucency; fully opaque)


...

Thoughts?

-- joshua

EDIT: Changed target version number from 1.3.1 to 1.3.0 (because programmers count from 0) :)
Last edited by dulcaoin on 03 Nov 2014, 19:56, edited 1 time in total.
Geralt
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Joined: 13 Oct 2013, 00:00

Re: What I'm thinking about for the 1.3.1 release

Post by Geralt »

It is great :).

About bugs (my experience and my friends experience):
1) Yes, there is a bug with space bar (sometime program crash)
2) Sometimes also some elements disappear from the module if you try to hit space bar to quickly (without crash)
3) Some people (not I) experienced a bug that after minimizing ZunTzu they have black dices (they must restart ZunTzu to see dices)
4) Sometimes element stick to someone hand cursor (especially when someone has lag).

IMHO Most useful features (if it would be possible in the future):
1) Temporarily desynchronizing of view (to only look on other part of board without possibility to change/move anything. After pressing second time resynchronizing view). But I know it will be difficult to develop.
Gains: More fluent play - when one player is active other players can analyse situation on the board and plan their strategies
2) Key to zoom in element on the board, something like magnifying glass
Gains: Active player (and other players) don't have to zoom in too much. Players can see bigger part of board and plan their strategies when waiting for they moves. It would be especial useful if feature 1) is not possible.
3) Possibility to bid secretly and show bids in the same time. Now I doing it by round counters with number on other side (like in analogue watch). But it is only workaround.
Gains: Easy way to implement some games.

Much less important:
1) Remove black bars in wide view or use it for something (additional or secret hand or place for window with cards/stack inspector).
2) Possibility to temporary copy a dice/dices (sometimes you must move result of dice and use it later - for example mage knight). Now I'm doing it by additional counters.
3) Possibility to lock some dices before rerolling.
4) Better hand management - for example remove every similar element (for example all counters or all cards) from hand on one stack.
5) Possibility to define private areas for player (every element in this area would be invisible for other players. Possibility to show such private area if needed. It could by used as replacement for bid secretly or to hide number of coins/Victory Points from others.
6) Maybe it would be useful to increase memory limit for gameboxes.

I'm against to much automation (it should not be program like vassal with thousands of options and scripts).

Geralt
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Easy
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Post by Easy »

FWIW, I would not be opposed to the first patch being something really simple, like just fixing the spacebar crash...kind of a dry run. I know how one week turns into two and then Christmas rolls around and before you know it you've got a new job, a family and grandkids that want to play ball in the park but you've got a bum hip and the brisk air is making your arthritis flare up...
dulcaoin
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Post by dulcaoin »

Easy wrote:FWIW, I would not be opposed to the first patch being something really simple, like just fixing the spacebar crash...kind of a dry run. I know how one week turns into two and then Christmas rolls around and before you know it you've got a new job, a family and grandkids that want to play ball in the park but you've got a bum hip and the brisk air is making your arthritis flare up...
That's what I feel I'm shooting for here.

* a major bug fix (but leaving out some of my "pet" bug fixes like better error reporting on bad reads of the XML for a later time)
* a simple add to an existing small feature (adjusting the shadow alpha from its current, fixed value) which will inform my ability to adjust the XML parser and rendering code without high risk
* a new small feature in the same area (outline), which will inform my ability to ADD a new feature to the rendering code without high risk
* a make-corporate-sponsors happy feature (optional reference URLs in gameboxes) [side note: This was Jerome's idea for a solution to "how to link to a producer's web site for matchmaking without flooding the app with unwanted URLs"], which will inform my ability to add new code that does something entirely new, but nothing terribly radical

* some stretch goals so I can get MY number one want in (changing the stack gap) if I work hard and have some luck with the other features
* a similar simple add to that new feature (outlinealpha) to keep things balanced with alpha adjustments between shadow and outline
dulcaoin
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Re: What I'm thinking about for the 1.3.1 release

Post by dulcaoin »

Geralt wrote: 3) Some people (not I) experienced a bug that after minimizing ZunTzu they have black dices (they must restart ZunTzu to see dices)
This is in the FAQ. It's a bug with Vista (and, I imagine, how Vista deals with DirectX).
Geralt
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Post by Geralt »

Next ideas for future:
1) Button to show stopper. Possibility to set time and start stopper. Sound information whet time is running out and time ends. It will be good for some games (for example robo rally).
2) Use of middle button to something - for example move element without stacking.
3) Whet you search for card in the stack (ctrl to look for a card and middle mouse to move one card from the middle of the stack)

Geralt
dulcaoin
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Post by dulcaoin »

Geralt wrote:Next ideas for future:
1) Button to show stopper. Possibility to set time and start stopper. Sound information whet time is running out and time ends. It will be good for some games (for example robo rally).
2) Use of middle button to something - for example move element without stacking.
3) Whet you search for card in the stack (ctrl to look for a card and middle mouse to move one card from the middle of the stack)

Geralt
Could you put this in a new thread, so we can discuss it separately (and so I don't forget)?

We are trying to get away from PC-centric operations in ZunTzu, so that we don't make Yet Another feature that won't translate well to mobile/tablet interfaces. Will have to give your middle-mouse-button idea some thought.

-- joshua
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